As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 9, 2024.
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
______________________
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
______________________
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
______________________
|
Cayman Islands |
6770 |
98-1797287 |
||
|
(State or Other Jurisdiction of |
(Primary Standard Industrial |
(IRS Employer |
121 High Street, Floor 3
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 334-2805
(Address, including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)
______________________
Thomas Bushey
Chief Executive Officer
121 High Street, Floor 3
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 334-2805
(Name, Address, including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, including Area Code, of Agent for Service)
______________________
Copies to:
|
Barry I. Grossman |
Bradley Kruger Grand Cayman |
Christian Nagler, P.C. |
______________________
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
|
Large accelerated filer |
☐ |
Accelerated filer |
☐ |
|||
|
Non-accelerated filer |
☒ |
Smaller reporting company |
☒ |
|||
|
Emerging growth company |
☒ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information contained in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. No securities may be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities, and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities, in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED AUGUST 9, 2024
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
$200,000,000
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp
20,000,000 Units
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We may pursue an initial business combination target in any business or industry.
This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share and one-half of one redeemable public warrant. Each whole public warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein, and only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. The warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and 12 months from the closing of this offering, and will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation, as described in this prospectus. We have also granted the underwriter a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,000,000 units to cover over-allotments, if any.
Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC (which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our sponsor or our initial shareholder) holds 6,118,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (which we refer to as “founder shares” as further described herein), up to 798,000 of which will be surrendered to us for no consideration after the closing of this offering depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised. The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein. Because our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, our public shareholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution upon the closing of this offering, assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units. Further, the Class A ordinary shares issuable in connection with the conversion of the founder shares may result in material dilution to our public shareholders due to the anti-dilution rights of our founder shares that may result in an issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion. See the section titled “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to our Management Team — The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination, and our sponsor is likely to make a substantial profit on its investment in us in the event we consummate an initial business combination, even if the business combination causes the trading price of our ordinary shares to materially decline.”
Prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares (i) will have the right to appoint and remove directors prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) will be entitled to vote on continuing our company 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). On any other matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, holders of the Class B ordinary shares and holders of the Class A ordinary shares will vote together as a single class, except as required by law. See “Summary — The Offering — Founder Shares”, “Summary — The Offering — Transfer Restrictions on Founder Shares”, “Summary — The Offering — Founder Shares Conversion and Anti-Dilution Rights” and “Summary — The Offering — Appointment and Removal of Directors and Continuing the Company Outside of the Cayman Islands; Voting Rights” for further discussion on our sponsor’s and our affiliates’ securities and compensation.
As more fully discussed in “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to
present a business combination opportunity to such entities. The low price that our sponsor, executive officers and directors (directly or indirectly) paid for the founder shares creates an incentive whereby our 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 24 months from the closing of this offering, or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, the founder shares and private placement units may expire worthless, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account, which could create an incentive for our sponsor, executive officers and directors to complete a transaction even if we select an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public shareholders. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination. Additionally, we will reimburse an affiliate of our sponsor in an amount equal to $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support made available to us, as described elsewhere in this prospectus. Upon consummation of this offering, we will repay up to $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses. In the event that following this offering we obtain working capital loans from our sponsor to finance transaction costs related to our initial business combination, up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private placement equivalent units described below of the post-business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of our sponsor.
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial business combination, all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination or in connection with a vote to amend in certain respects our memorandum and articles of association as described herein at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest thereon, net of taxes payable, calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of our initial business combination, divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. See “Summary — The Offering — Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination” and “Summary — The Offering — Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination” for more information.
Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering without our prior consent. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including all shares held by those shareholders that hold more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering) for or against our initial business combination. See “Summary — The Offering — Limitation on redemption rights of shareholders holding 15% or more of the shares sold in this offering if we hold shareholder vote” for further discussion on certain limitations on redemption rights.
We have until the date that is 24 months from the closing of this offering or until such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, to consummate our initial business combination. If we anticipate that we may be unable to consummate our initial business combination within such 24-month period, we may seek shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. If we seek shareholder approval for an extension, holders of public shares will be offered an opportunity to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial business combination, at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned thereon (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, we will redeem 100% of the public shares at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned thereon (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law as further described herein.
Our sponsor and BTIG, LLC, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as BTIG or the underwriter, have committed to purchase an aggregate of 620,000 private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit ($6,200,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Of the private
placement units, our sponsor will purchase 450,000 private units for an aggregate purchase price of $4,500,000, and BTIG will purchase 170,000 private placement units for an aggregate purchase price of $1,700,000. Each private placement unit will consist of one Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share, or “private placement shares,” and one-half of one warrant, or “private placement warrants.” Our sponsor also has agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriter in full or in part, it and/or its designees will purchase from us additional private placement units (up to a maximum of 34,500 private placement units) and BTIG will purchase from us additional private placement units (up to a maximum of 25,500 private placement units) at a price of $10.00 per private placement unit in an amount that is necessary to maintain in the trust account $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering. These additional private placement units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The private placement units to be purchased by BTIG are referred to in this prospectus as “BTIG units.” The private placement units are identical to the units sold in this offering, except as described elsewhere in this prospectus.
Twelve institutional investors (none of which are affiliated with any member of our management, our sponsor or any other investor), which we refer to as the “non-managing sponsor members” throughout this prospectus, have expressed to us an interest to purchase, indirectly through the purchase of non-managing sponsor membership interests, an aggregate of 404,500 private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit ($4,045,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Subject to each non-managing sponsor member purchasing, through the sponsor, the private placement units allocated to it in connection with the closing of this offering, the sponsor will issue non-managing sponsor membership interests at a nominal purchase price to the non-managing sponsor members reflecting interests in an aggregate of 3,235,936 founder shares held by the sponsor.
The interests of the members of our sponsor are denominated in two classes of membership interest units: (i) Class A membership units representing interests in the founder shares and (ii) Class B partnership units that will represent an interest in the private placement units. All members of our sponsor, including any member that may join concurrently with this offering, will hold both classes of membership units representing their proportional interest in the founder shares and private placement units. Pursuant to the limited liability company agreement of our sponsor, referred to throughout this prospectus as the operating agreement of our sponsor, the management and control of our sponsor is vested exclusively in its manager, Thomas Bushey, our chief executive officer, without any voting, veto, consent or other participation rights by any member regardless of their unit ownership.
The non-managing sponsor members have expressed to us an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of approximately $18.8 million of the public units in this offering at the offering price (assuming the exercise in full of the underwriter’s over-allotment option). None of these institutional investors has expressed to us an interest in purchasing more than 9.9% of the public units to be sold in this offering. There can be no assurance that these institutional investors will acquire any public units, either directly or indirectly, in this offering, or as to the amount of the public units these institutional investors will retain, if any, prior to or upon the consummation of our initial business combination. Because these expressions of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, these institutional investors may determine to purchase a different number of public units in this offering, or none at all. Depending on how many units are purchased by the non-managing sponsor members, the post-offering trading volume, volatility and liquidity of our securities may be reduced relative to what they would have been had the units been more widely offered and sold to other public investors. We do not expect any purchase of units by the non-managing sponsor members to negatively impact our ability to meet Nasdaq listing eligibility requirements. In addition, the underwriter has full discretion to allocate the public units to investors and may determine to sell fewer public units to these institutional investors, or none at all. The underwriter will receive the same upfront discounts and commissions and deferred underwriting commissions on public units purchased by these institutional investors, if any, as they will on the other public units sold to the public in this offering. In addition, none of the non-managing sponsor members has any obligation to vote any of their public shares in favor of our initial business combination. Nevertheless, the non-managing sponsor members will be incentivized to vote any of their public shares in favor of a business combination due to their indirect ownership through the sponsor of 3,235,936 founder shares and 404,500 private placement units. For a discussion of certain additional arrangements with the non-managing sponsor members, see “Summary — The Offering — Expressions of Interest.” In the event that these institutional investors purchase such public units (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, no affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. However, because the non-managing sponsor members are not obligated to continue owning any public shares following the closing of this offering and are not obligated to vote any public shares in favor of our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that any of these non-managing sponsor members will be public shareholders at the time our shareholders vote on our initial business combination, and, if they are public shareholders, we cannot assure you as to how such non-managing sponsor members will vote on any business combination.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants. We intend to apply to have our units applied to list our units on The Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “NTWOU” on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. The Class A ordinary shares and public warrants constituting the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or, if such date is not a business day, the following business day) unless BTIG informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) containing an audited balance sheet of the company reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering and issuing a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the securities constituting the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “NTWO” and “NTWOW,” respectively.
We are an “emerging growth company” and “smaller reporting company” under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our securities involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 38. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.
|
Price to Public |
Underwriting |
Proceeds, Before |
|||||||
|
Per Unit |
$ |
10.00 |
$ |
0.55 |
$ |
9.45 |
|||
|
Total |
$ |
200,000,000 |
$ |
11,000,000 |
$ |
189,000,000 |
|||
____________
(1) Includes up to $0.35 per unit, or up to $7,000,000 (or up to $8,050,000 if the underwriter’s overallotment option is exercised in full), payable to the underwriter for deferred underwriting discounts and commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein and released to BTIG, LLC (“BTIG”) only upon the completion of an initial business combination, as described in this prospectus. The underwriter has received and will receive compensation in addition to the underwriting discount, including 100,000 ordinary shares, which we refer to herein as the “representative founder shares.” See “Underwriting” for further information relating to the underwriting compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriter.
Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement units described in this prospectus, $200 million, or $230 million if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit), will be deposited into a U.S.-based trust account maintained with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay income taxes, if any, the funds held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest to occur of: (1) our completion of an initial business combination; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect 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 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of our public shares if we have not completed an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public shareholders.
The following table illustrates the difference between the public offering price per unit and our net tangible book value per share (NTBV), as adjusted to give effect to this offering and assuming the redemption of our public shares at varying levels and the exercise in full and no exercise of the over-allotment option. See the sections titled “Prospectus Summary — Dilution” and “Dilution” for more information.
|
As of June 30, 2024 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Offering Price of |
25% of Maximum |
50% of Maximum |
75% of Maximum |
Maximum Redemption |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
NTBV |
NTBV |
Difference |
NTBV |
Difference |
NTBV |
Difference |
NTBV |
Difference |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
Assuming Full Exercise of Over-Allotment Option |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
$ |
7.47 |
$ |
6.87 |
$ |
3.13 |
$ |
5.90 |
$ |
4.10 |
$ |
4.03 |
$ |
5.97 |
$ |
(0.95) |
$ |
10.95 |
||||||||
|
|
Assuming No Exercise of Over-Allotment Option |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
$ |
7.45 |
$ |
6.85 |
$ |
3.15 |
$ |
5.87 |
$ |
4.13 |
$ |
3.99 |
$ |
6.01 |
$ |
(0.98) |
$ |
10.98 |
||||||||
Our sponsor and members of our management team will directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering, and accordingly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Additionally, each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. See the sections titled “Proposed Business — Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” and “Management — Conflicts of Interest” for more information.
The underwriter is offering the units for sale on a firm commitment basis. Delivery of the units will be made on or about , 2024.
Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
No invitation, whether directly or indirectly, may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for our securities.
Sole Book-Running Manager
BTIG, LLC
Prospectus dated , 2024
|
Page |
||
|
1 |
||
|
35 |
||
|
38 |
||
|
86 |
||
|
87 |
||
|
90 |
||
|
91 |
||
|
94 |
||
|
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
95 |
|
|
101 |
||
|
129 |
||
|
139 |
||
|
144 |
||
|
147 |
||
|
169 |
||
|
182 |
||
|
193 |
||
|
193 |
||
|
193 |
||
|
F-1 |
We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in the prospectus, and neither we nor the underwriters take any responsibility, and can provide you no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information others give to you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the units offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus is current only as of its date.
This prospectus contains references to trademarks and service marks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ® or ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that the applicable licensor will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, its rights to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
i
This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. As this is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making an investment decision. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under the section of this prospectus entitled “Risk Factors” and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before investing.
Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus or the context otherwise requires, references to:
• “amended and restated memorandum and articles of association” are to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that the company will adopt prior to the consummation of this offering, as in effect from time to time;
• “BTIG units” are to the units to be issued to the underwriter in a private placement by us completed simultaneously with the closing of this offering;
• “Companies Act” are to the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands as the same may be amended from time to time;
• “equity-linked securities” are to any securities of our company or any of our subsidiaries which are convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, equity securities of our company or such subsidiary, including any private placement of equity or debt;
• “directors” are to our directors named in this prospectus;
• “founder shares” are to our Class B ordinary shares initially purchased by our sponsor and our Class A ordinary shares that will be issued upon conversion thereof as provided herein;
• “initial shareholders” are to our sponsor and any other investors or persons that will hold our founder shares prior to this offering;
• “Investment Company Act” are to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;
• “letter agreement” are to the letter agreement, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part;
• “management” or our “management team” are to our directors and officers;
• “non-managing sponsor members” are to twelve institutional investors (none of which are affiliated with any member of our management, our sponsor or any other investor) that have expressed to us an interest to purchase (i) up to an aggregate of approximately $18.8 million of the public units in this offering at the offering price (assuming the exercise in full of the underwriter’s over-allotment option), and (ii) through the purchase of non-managing membership interests in the sponsor, an aggregate of 404,500 private placement units at a price of $10.00 per private placement unit ($4,045,000 in the aggregate); who subject to purchasing, through the sponsor, the private placement units allocated to it in connection with the closing of this offering, the sponsor will issue membership interests at a nominal purchase price to the non-managing sponsor members reflecting interests in an aggregate of 3,235,936 founder shares held by the sponsor. None of the non-managing sponsor members has expressed to us an interest in purchasing more than 9.9% of the units to be sold in this offering;
• “ordinary shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares and our Class B ordinary shares, collectively;
• “private placements” are to (i) the private placement by us to our sponsor of an aggregate of 450,000 private placement units (or 484,500 private placement units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per private placement unit, which will occur simultaneously with the completion of this offering; and (ii) the private placement by us to the underwriter of an aggregate of up to 170,000 BTIG units (or 195,500 BTIG units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per BTIG unit, which will occur simultaneously with the completion of this offering;
1
• “private placement shares” are to the Class A ordinary shares issued as part of the private placement units issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering (such Class A ordinary shares will not be “public shares”);
• “private placement units” are to the units issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering;
• “private placement warrants” are to the warrants issued as part of the private placement units to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering;
• “public shareholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our initial shareholders, any non-managing sponsor members, directors and officers to the extent such persons purchase public shares, provided their status as a “public shareholder” shall only exist with respect to such public shares;
• “public shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market);
• “public warrants” are to our warrants sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market);
• “representative founder shares” are to the 100,000 ordinary shares to be purchased by BTIG or its designees prior to the commencement of this offering for a purchase price of $100, or $0.001 per share;
• “special resolution” are to a resolution of the company passed by at least a two-thirds (2/3) majority (or such higher approval threshold as specified in the company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of the company of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been duly given, or a resolution approved in writing by all of the holders of the issued shares entitled to vote on such matter (or such lower threshold as may be allowed under the Companies Act from time to time);
• “sponsor” are to Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, our sponsor formed on June 4, 2024, which directly holds (i) all of the founder shares and (ii) upon consummation of the private placement of units that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering 620,000 private placement units or 680,000 private placement units if the underwriter exercises the over-allotment option in full;
• “Transfer” are to the transfer, sale, assignment or other disposition, directly or indirectly, of an ordinary share, unit or warrant;
• “underwriter” are to BTIG, LLC, the underwriter of this offering;
• “units” are to our public units and private units;
• “warrants” are, collectively, to the public warrants and the private placement warrants, as well as any warrants issued as part of units issued on conversion of working capital loans upon or following the consummation of our initial business combination;
• “warrant agreement” are to our warrant agreement governing the warrants;
• “we,” “us,” “our” or our “company” are to Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a Cayman Islands exempted company; and
• “$,” “US$” and “U.S. dollar” each are to the United States dollar.
All references in this prospectus to shares of the Company being forfeited shall take effect as surrenders for no consideration of such shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. All references to the conversion of our Class B ordinary shares shall take effect as a redemption of such Class B ordinary shares and issuance of the corresponding
2
Class A ordinary shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Any share dividends described in this prospectus shall take effect as share capitalizations as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriter will not exercise its over-allotment option and assumes the forfeiture by our sponsor (and the other holders thereof as applicable) of an aggregate of 798,000 founder shares.
All share and per share information included in this prospectus has been adjusted to give effect to the issuance on July 12, 2024 of 368,000 founder shares (“Bonus Shares”) to our sponsor in a share capitalization resulting in our sponsor holding a total of 6,118,000 founder shares.
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, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus, and only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least two units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.
3
PROPOSED BUSINESS
Our Company
We are a blank check company incorporated on June 18, 2024 as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We may pursue an initial business combination target in any business or industry. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering.
Our Management Team
In conducting our search for a target business, we will seek to capitalize on the deal making and business building experience of our management team, which is led by Thomas Bushey, our Chief Executive Officer, the founder CEO of Sunderland Capital Partners L.P., an operationally focused, long-term oriented investment management firm with a focus on emerging technologies and the consumer Internet, and Matthew Hong, our Chairman nominee, who is President and Chief Operating Officer of 2080 Media Inc. (d/b/a PlayOn! Sports), a company engaged in streaming live and on-demand high school sports operating the NFHS Network, and GoFan, a high school ticketing solution in the United States, and the former Chief Operating Officer of Turner Sports. During his tenure with Turner Sports, Mr. Hong oversaw the management of various sports businesses and properties including Bleacher Report, NBA TV, NBA Digital, NCAA Digital and March Madness Live, SI Digital, NASCAR.com, PGATOUR.com, PGA.com and PGA Championship Live, GOLF.com, and the B/R Live OTT offering.
Mr. Bushey and Mr. Hong have experience identifying, acquiring, investing in and operating businesses, and provide depth of knowledge in capital markets. Over the course of their careers, they have developed a network of business operators, entrepreneurs, corporate officers, board members, family office principals, investment bankers and institutional investors.
Our Board of Directors will include Jennifer Vescio, formerly the global head of business development for Uber Technologies Inc., Josh Gold, a general partner of Inverness LLC and Blue Flag Partners LLC and the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Three Bays Capital L.P. and previously a Managing Director at Jefferies & Co., and Ted Seides, the founder and managing member of Capital Allocators Partners, LLC and TDS Advisers, LLC, a platform that includes podcasts, gatherings and advice on best practices in the asset management industry, and who served as founder, president and co-chief investment officer of Protégé Partners LLC, a leading multibillion-dollar alternative investment firm he founded that invested in and seeded small hedge funds.
For a more complete description of the business experience of the members of our management team, see “Management — Officers, Directors and Director Nominees.”
Our team has experience in target selection, negotiation, transaction structuring, capital raising and merger execution.
Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that any members of our management team will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process.
We believe our management team’s operating and transaction experience and relationships with companies will provide us with a number of potential business combination targets. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team have developed a network of contacts and corporate relationships.
Past performance of our management team is not a guarantee either (i) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or (ii) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical performance record of our management team as indicative of our future performance. Our officers and directors may have conflicts of interest with other entities to which they owe fiduciary or contractual obligations with respect to initial business combination opportunities. For a list of our
4
officers and directors and entities for which a conflict of interest may or does exist between such persons and the company, as well as the priority and preference that such entity has with respect to performance of obligations and presentation of business opportunities to us, please refer to the table and subsequent explanatory paragraph under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
Prior SPAC Experience
In November 2020, Thomas Bushey founded, and members of our management team worked together as executive officers or members of the board of directors of, Newbury Street Acquisition Corporation (“Newbury Street I”), a blank check company formed for substantially similar purposes as ours. Newbury Street I completed its initial public offering in March 2021 in which it sold 12,000,000 units, each consisting of one share of common stock and one-half of one warrant to purchase one share of common stock, for an offering price of $10.00 per unit, generating aggregate proceeds of $120,000,000. Newbury Street I has entered into a Merger Agreement for a business combination pursuant to which it would acquire Infinite Reality, Inc., an innovative technology and entertainment company specializing in the development of cutting-edge, AI-powered immersive experiences. There can be no assurance that the business combination with Infinite Reality, Inc. will be completed by September 25, 2024, or such later date that stockholders approve in accordance with the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Newbury Street I for an extension of the date by which proposed transaction must occur.
Our Business Strategy and Competitive Strengths
We intend to focus our search for an initial business combination with private companies that have compelling unit economics. Our selection process is expected to leverage a set of relationships with proven deal-sourcing capabilities to provide us with a pipeline of potential targets. We expect to distinguish ourselves with our ability to:
Leverage our Network of Relationships to Create a Pipeline of Acquisition Opportunities. We believe the combination of our officers’ and directors’ investment and operating experience in addition to our ability to access a network of public and private enterprises, experienced operators, restructuring advisors, attorneys, accountants, family offices, hedge funds, and private equity firms will enable us to identify and evaluate compelling target businesses. Our officers and directors all remain active in identifying special opportunities and situations where there are clear catalysts for value transformation, solid growth trajectory and ability to scale beyond the domestic market.
Employ a Rigorous Systematic Process of Identifying Target Companies and Acquiring a Business that will Be Well-Received by the Public Markets. We believe that our management’s M&A and investment track record in both private and public markets, combined with public market trading experience, will provide an advantage for identifying, valuing and completing a business combination that will meet our investors’ expectations.
Provide an Alternative Path to Becoming Public. We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to prospective target businesses that desire to become a publicly listed company. A merger with us will offer a target business an alternative path to a public listing rather than the traditional initial public offering process. We believe that target businesses may favor this alternative, which we believe is less expensive, while offering greater certainty of execution than the traditional initial public offering. Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is approved by our shareholders and the transaction is consummated, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions that could prevent the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business would have greater access to capital and additional means of creating management incentives that are better aligned with shareholders’ interests than it would as a private company. A public company can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented management.
Offer Solid Execution and Structuring Capability. We believe that our management team’s and sponsor’s combined industry expertise and reputation will allow them to source and complete transactions possessing structural attributes that create an attractive investment thesis. These types of transactions are typically complex and require creativity, industry knowledge and expertise, rigorous due diligence, and extensive negotiations and documentation. We believe that by focusing our investment activities on these types of transactions, we are able to generate investment opportunities that have attractive risk/reward profiles based on their valuations and structural characteristics.
5
Build and Operate Successful Multi-Billion Dollar Companies. Our management and board have decades of experience building and operating multibillion-dollar companies and we believe they have the ability to identify attractive candidates for our initial business combination. A distinguishing factor for our organization is the potential for any of our management or board to remain involved in an operating or board capacity of the newly public company post transaction. Our team has experience fostering relationships with sellers, capital providers and target management teams. Our team also has experience integrating businesses acquired in mergers and acquisitions, and is capable of growing a business organically or inorganically if needed.
Strong and Stable Financial Position with Flexibility. With funds in the trust account of $200 million (or approximately $230 million if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) available to use for a business combination, we offer a target business a variety of options such as providing the owners of a target business with shares in a public company and a public means to sell such shares, 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 consummate 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.
Acquisition Criteria
We have identified the following general criteria and guidelines which we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. We will use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet these criteria and guidelines. We intend to acquire one or more businesses that we believe has the following characteristics:
Benefits from a Public Currency and Access to Public Equity Markets. Access to the public equity markets could allow the target company to utilize additional forms of capital, enhancing its ability to pursue accretive acquisitions, high-return capital projects, and/or strengthen its balance sheet and recruit and retain key employees through the use of publicly-traded equity compensation.
Has a Strong Competitive Position and Growing Platform. We will seek to acquire companies that we believe possess not only established business models and sustainable competitive advantages, but also a growing platform for equity investors.
Has an Ability to Scale beyond Domestic Market. We will look for a company with a product or platform which can be relevant internationally. We aim to replicate the competitive advantages within new markets as we assist the company expand.
Operated by a Talented and Incentivized Management Team. We will focus on companies with strong and experienced management teams that desire a significant equity stake in the post-business combination company. We will seek to partner with a management team and/or sellers who are well-incentivized and aligned in an effort to create shareholder value.
Benefits from Our Ability to Structure Transaction to Unlock and Maximize Value. We will look for situations where our experience and creativity can architect a win-win solution for both sides of the transaction.
Has Revenue and Earnings Growth Potential. We will seek to acquire one or more businesses that have multiple, diverse potential drivers of revenue and earnings growth.
These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our shareholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the SEC.
6
Effecting our Initial Business Combination
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering.
We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. Additionally, we have not engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate, to conduct any research or take any measures, directly or indirectly, to locate or contact a target business, other than our officers and directors. Accordingly, there is no current basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination. To the extent we effect our business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors. In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review, which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as applicable, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information that will be made available to us. If we determine to move forward with a particular target, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the business combination transaction.
We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. Subject to this requirement, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we will not be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.
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 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. The company will not pay any consulting fees to members of our management team, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to or in connection with our initial business combination.
We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, our shares, debt 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 may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust account.
If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other businesses or assets or for working capital.
In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by applicable law, we would seek shareholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to issue securities or incur debt in connection with our initial business combination. We are not currently a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities, the incurrence of debt or otherwise.
7
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated (as defined in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) with our sponsor or our directors or officers, or making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, directors or officers. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated our sponsor, directors or officers, 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.
Our sponsor and its members, members of our management team and our independent directors will directly or indirectly own founder shares, private placement shares and/or private warrants following this offering and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity.
We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of our Initial Business Combination
Nasdaq listing rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination.
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. However, we will only complete a business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise is not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% fair market value test. If the initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% fair market value test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the transactions and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for seeking shareholder approval or for purposes of a tender offer, as applicable.
8
Sponsor Information
Our sponsor is a Delaware limited liability company, which was formed to invest in us. Although our sponsor is permitted to undertake any activities permitted under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and other applicable law, our sponsor’s business is focused on investing in our company. The managing member of the sponsor is Thomas Bushey, our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our Board of Directors. Mr. Bushey will control the management of our sponsor, including the exercise of voting and investment discretion over the securities of our company held by our sponsor. As the manager of our sponsor, Mr. Bushey beneficially owns membership interests in our sponsor, which represent approximately 100% of the economic interests in our sponsor. The non-managing members of our sponsor have expressed an interest to acquire non-managing membership interests in our sponsor, representing indirect interests in an aggregate of 404,500 private placement units and an aggregate of 3,235,936 founder shares, in a private placement that will close simultaneously with this offering. See “Summary — The Offering — Private Placement Units.” In addition, our independent directors will receive for their services as a director an indirect interest in the founder shares through membership interests in our sponsor. Other than our management team, none of the other members of our sponsor will participate in our Company’s activities.
The following table sets forth the payments to be received by our sponsor and its affiliates from us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and the securities issued and to be issued by us to our sponsor or its affiliates:
|
Entity/Individual |
Amount of Compensation to be Received or |
Consideration Paid or |
||
|
Sunderland Capital Partners LP |
$10,000 per month, commencing on the first date on which our securities are listed on NASDAQ |
Office space, administrative and shared personnel support services |
||
|
Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC |
6,118,000 Class B Ordinary Shares, of which up to 798,000 shares are subject to forfeiture if the Over-Allotment Option is not exercised and full and subject to the issuance of up to 3,235,936 founder shares to the non-management members as described elsewhere herein |
$25,000 |
||
|
Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC |
450,000 Private Placement Units to be purchased simultaneously with the closing of this offering(1) |
$4,500,000 |
||
|
Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC |
Up to $300,000 |
Repayment of loan for organizational and other expenses until the closing of the IPO |
____________
(1) The sponsor non-managing members have expressed an interest to purchase, indirectly through the purchase of non-managing membership interests, an aggregate of 404,500 private placement units (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($4,045,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering.
Because our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, our public shareholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution upon the closing of this offering, assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units. See the section titled “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to our Sponsor and Management Team — The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination.”
9
Pursuant to a letter agreement to be entered with us, each of our sponsor, directors and officers has agreed to restrictions on its ability to transfer, assign, or sell the founder shares and private placement units (and the underlying securities), as summarized in the table below.
|
Subject Securities |
Expiration Date |
Persons Subject to |
Exceptions to Transfer Restrictions |
|||
|
Founder Shares |
Earlier of one year after the date of the consummation of an initial business combination; or if the closing price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and other similar transactions) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing any time 150 days after completion of our initial business combination. |
Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC Thomas Bushey Matthew Hong Jake Gudoian Jennifer Vescio Josh Gold Ted Seides |
Transfers permitted (i) to any officer or director of the Company, including to a family member or affiliate of such officer or director; (ii) by private sales or transfers, in each case, made in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased; (iii) in the event of our liquidation prior to the completion of our initial business combination; (iv) by virtue of our sponsor’s or BTIG’s operating agreement; and (v) in the event of our completion of a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property subsequent to the completion of our initial business combination. |
|||
|
Private Placement Units (and Underlying Securities) |
30 days after the completion of our initial business combination |
Same as above |
Same as above |
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 warrants 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.
Corporate Information
Our executive offices are located at 121 High Street, Floor 3, Boston, MA 02110, and our telephone number is (617) 334-2805.
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, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations will apply to us or our operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax will be payable (i) on or in respect of our shares, debentures or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of dividends 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.
In addition, after completion of this offering and prior to the consummation of a business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors. As a result, Nasdaq will consider us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq corporate governance standards. Under Nasdaq corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the appointment of directors is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements. We currently do not intend to rely on the
10
“controlled company” exemption, but may do so in the future. Accordingly, if we choose to do so, you will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements.
Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act applicable to Exchange Act registered companies. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to SEC rules from time to time), or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to emerging growth company shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (i) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $250 million as of the end of the prior June 30th or (ii) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the end of the prior June 30th.
11
The Offering
In making your decision on whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the backgrounds of the members of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company and the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section of this prospectus entitled “Risk Factors.”
|
Securities offered |
20,000,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of: |
|
|
• one Class A ordinary share; and • one-half of one warrant. |
||
|
Proposed Nasdaq symbols |
We anticipate that the units, the Class A ordinary shares, and warrants, once they begin separate trading, will be listed on Nasdaq under the following symbols: |
|
|
Units: “NTWOU” |
||
|
Class A ordinary shares: “NTWO” |
||
|
Warrants: “NTWOW” |
||
|
Trading commencement and separation of Class A ordinary shares and warrants |
|
|
|
Separate trading of the Class A ordinary shares and warrants is prohibited until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K |
|
12
|
Units: |
||
|
Number outstanding before this offering |
0 |
|
|
Number of private placement units to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering |
|
|
|
Number outstanding after this offering and private placement |
|
|
|
Ordinary Shares: |
||
|
Number outstanding before this offering |
6,218,000(2)(3) |
|
|
Number outstanding after this offering and private placement |
|
|
|
Warrants: |
||
|
Number of private placement warrants to be sold as part of private placement units in a private placement |
|
|
|
Number of warrants to be outstanding after this offering and the private placement |
|
|
|
Exercisability |
Each whole warrant is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. |
|
|
Exercise price |
$11.50 per whole share, subject to adjustment as described herein. |
____________
(1) Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option and the forfeiture by our sponsor of 798,000 founder shares.
(2) Includes up to 798,000 founder shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised.
(3) Includes 100,000 representative founder shares to be issued to BTIG or its designees prior to the commencement of this offering.
(4) The ordinary shares included in the units are Class A ordinary shares. Founder shares are classified as Class B ordinary shares, which shares are convertible into Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights.”
(5) Includes 20,000,000 public shares, 5,320,000 founder shares, 100,000 representative founder shares and 620,000 private placement shares.
(6) Includes 10,000,000 public warrants and 310,000 private placement warrants.
13
|
Exercise period |
The warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination; provided that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis” under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement including as a result of a notice of redemption described under “Redemption of warrants for cash when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00”). |
|
|
We are registering the issuance of Class A ordinary shares that are issuable upon exercise of the warrants because the warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of the initial business combination, which may be within one year of this offering. However, because the warrants will be exercisable until their expiration date of up to five years after the completion of the initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation, in order to comply with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act following the consummation of the 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 the initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part or a new registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants. We will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days after the closing of the initial business combination and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration or redemption of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. 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. We will be required to use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. |
||
|
The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. On the exercise of any warrant, the warrant exercise price will be paid directly to us and not placed in the trust account. |
14
|
Redemption of warrants for cash when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00 |
|
|
|
• in whole and not in part; • at a price of $0.01 per warrant; • upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, which we refer to as the “30-day redemption period”; and • if, and only if, the last reported sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted and described under “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants — Anti-Dilution Adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrantholders (such price, the “market value”). |
||
|
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 effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout such 30 trading day period and the 30-day redemption period. If and when the public warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. |
||
|
Appointment of directors and continuing the company outside of the Cayman Islands; voting rights |
|
15
|
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). Holders of our Class A ordinary shares will not be entitled to vote on these matters during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended if approved by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of our initial business combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. With respect to any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, including any vote in connection with our initial business combination, except as required by law, holders of the founder shares and holders of our public shares will vote together as a single class, with each share entitling the holder to one vote. If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. A quorum for such meeting will be present if the holders of at least one third of issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at the meeting are represented in person or by proxy. Our initial shareholders will count toward this quorum and, pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions, aside from shares they may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act, which would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction) 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 initial shareholders’ founder shares and private placement shares, we would need 7,250,001, or 36.25%, of the 20,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved, assuming all outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the parties to the letter agreement do not acquire any Class A ordinary shares. Assuming that only the holders of one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, vote their shares at a general meeting of the company, we will not need any public shares in addition to our founder shares to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to approve an initial business combination. However, if our initial business combination is structured as a statutory merger or consolidation with another company under Cayman Islands law, the approval of our initial business combination will require a special resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. In addition, prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares (i) will have the right to appoint and remove directors prior to or in connection with the completion |
16
|
of our initial business combination and (ii) will be entitled to vote 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). The quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial shareholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. |
||
|
Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or 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. |
||
|
Founder shares |
On June 20, 2024, our sponsor subscribed for an aggregate of 5,750,000 Class B ordinary shares, or founder shares, for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or $0.004 per share, to cover certain of our offering and formation costs. On July 12, 2024, the Company issued an additional 368,000 founder shares (“Bonus Shares”) to our sponsor in a share capitalization resulting in our sponsor holding a total of 6,118,000 founder shares. Subject to each non-managing sponsor member purchasing the public units allocated to it in connection with the closing of this offering, our sponsor will issue for a nominal consideration up to an aggregate of 3,235,936 founder shares to the non-managing sponsor members. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by our sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The purchase price of these founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to us by the number of founder shares issued. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined initially (prior to the share capitalization) based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 23,000,000 units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering. 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. As a result of the issuance of the Bonus Shares to our sponsor in the share capitalization, our sponsor and its permitted transferees will collectively beneficially own approximately 22% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (including the Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units and assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering, without giving effect to the public shares, founder shares and Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units which may be acquired by the investors who have expressed interest in purchasing them). Up to 798,000 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised. |
17
|
The founder shares are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, except that: |
||
|
• the founder shares are Class B ordinary shares that automatically convert into our Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination (with such conversion taking place immediately prior to, simultaneously with, or immediately following the time of our initial business combination, as may be determined by our directors), or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described herein; |
||
|
• prior to our initial business combination, only holders of the founder shares have the right to vote on the appointment and removal of directors and on continuing the company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (as further described herein); |
||
|
• the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below; |
||
|
• our initial shareholders, directors and executive officers have entered into a letter agreement with us pursuant to which they have agreed to waive (i) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares and private placement shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares, public shares and private placement shares held by them in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within 24 months following the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity or (iii) rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares or private placement shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months following the closing of this offering; although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame). For purposes of seeking approval of the requisite majority of our outstanding ordinary shares voted, abstentions and non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. If the non-managing sponsor members vote all of their founder shares in favor of the initial business combination which they are not obligated to do, we will not need the vote of any of the public shares sold as part of the public units in this offering for approval of our initial business combination. However, if the non-managing sponsor members do not vote their shares in favor of our initial business combination, in respect of such ordinary resolution, we would need 7,250,001, or 36.25% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the underwriter’s overallotment option is not exercised), of the 20,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved, subject to any higher consent threshold as may be required by Cayman Islands or other applicable law; |
18
|
• The non-managing sponsor members are not granted any shareholder or other rights in addition to those afforded to our other public shareholders, and will only receive founder shares from our sponsor. The non-managing sponsor members are not required to (i) hold any public units, Class A ordinary shares or public units they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination. The non-managing sponsor members will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders; |
||
|
• the founder shares are entitled to registration rights as described under “Principal Shareholders — Registration Rights.” |
||
|
Transfer restrictions on founder shares |
Our sponsor has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the founder shares until the earlier of (A) one year after the date of the consummation of an initial business combination; and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination (x) if the last reported sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share dividends, rights issuances, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property (except with respect to permitted transferees as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units”). We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up. Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial shareholders with respect to any founder shares. |
|
|
Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights |
|
19
|
outstanding upon the completion of this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units) plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, or issuable upon the conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, in connection with the business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units issued to our sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans). |
||
|
Private placement units and underlying securities |
|
|
|
The non-managing sponsor members have indicated to us an interest to purchase, indirectly through the purchase of membership interests of our sponsor, an aggregate of 404,500 private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit ($4,045,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Subject to each non-managing sponsor member purchasing, through the sponsor, the private placement units allocated to it in connection with the closing of this offering, the sponsor will issue non-managing sponsor membership units to the non-managing sponsor members for a nominal amount reflecting interests in an aggregate of 3,235,936 founder shares held by the sponsor. A portion of the purchase price of the private placement units will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account such that at the time of closing $200 million (or $230 million if the underwriter exercises its overallotment option in full) will be held in the trust account. Each private placement warrant is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. The private placement warrants comprising part of the private placement units will be identical to the warrants sold in this offering, except that they (i) will not be redeemable by us, (ii) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders (and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of these warrants may not be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders) until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, and (iii) will be entitled to registration rights. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private placement warrants will expire worthless. |
20
|
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their private placement shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to their private placement shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect their private placement shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering. In addition, our sponsor, directors and executive officers have agreed to vote any private placement shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. BTIG has committed to purchase an aggregate of 170,000 BTIG units (or 195,500 BTIG units if the underwriter exercises the over-allotment option in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit or an aggregate of $1,700,000 ($1,955,000 if the underwriter exercises the over-allotment option in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. |
||
|
Transfer restrictions on private placement units |
The private placement units (including the underlying private placement shares, the private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, except as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units.” In addition, for as long as BTIG units are held by BTIG or its designees or affiliates, they will be subject to the lock-up and registration rights limitations imposed by FINRA Rule 5110 and the private placement warrants may not be exercised after five years from the commencement of sales of this offering. |
|
|
Proceeds to be held in trust account |
Nasdaq rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units be deposited in a trust account. Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units described in this prospectus, $200 million, or $10.00 per unit ($230 million, or $10.00 per unit, if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full) will be placed into a U.S.-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee and $700,000 will be used to pay expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and $1,500,000 for working capital following this offering. The proceeds to be placed in the trust account includes $7,000,000 (or $8,050,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting discounts and commissions. The funds in the trust account will be invested or held only in either (i) U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. Treasuries, (ii) uninvested cash, or (iii) an interest bearing bank demand deposit account or other accounts at a bank. 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 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 |
21
|
in an interest bearing demand deposit account. For more information about the risk of the company being considered to be operating as an unregistered investment company, see “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to our Search for, Consummation of, or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination and Post-Business Combination Risks — 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.” |
||
|
Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (a) the completion of our initial business combination (including the release of funds to pay any amounts due to any public shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights in connection therewith), (b) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, or (c) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public shareholders. |
||
|
Ability to extend time to complete initial business combination |
|
22
|
Expressions of Interest |
Twelve institutional investors have expressed to us an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of approximately $18.8 million of the public units in this offering at the offering price (assuming the exercise in full of the underwriter’s over-allotment option). None of these institutional investors has expressed an interest in purchasing more than 9.9% of the public units to be sold in this offering. There can be no assurance that these institutional investors will acquire any public units, either directly or indirectly, in this offering, or as to the number of public units these institutional investors will retain, if any, prior to or upon the consummation of our initial business combination. Because these expressions of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, these institutional investors may determine to purchase a different number of public units in this offering, or none at all. Depending on how many units are purchased by the non-managing sponsor members, the post-offering trading volume, volatility and liquidity of our securities may be reduced relative to what they would have been had the units been more widely offered and sold to other public investors. We do not expect any purchase of units by the non-managing sponsor members to negatively impact our ability to meet Nasdaq listing eligibility requirements. In addition, the underwriter has full discretion to allocate the units to investors and may determine to sell fewer public units to these institutional investors in this offering, or none at all. The underwriter will receive the same upfront discounts and commissions and deferred underwriting commissions on public units purchased by the institutional investors, if any, as it will on the other public units sold to the public in this offering. In addition, none of these institutional investors has any obligation to vote any of their public shares in favor of our initial business combination. In the event that these institutional investors purchase such public units (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, no affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. However, because these institutional investors are not obligated to continue owning any public shares following the closing and are not obligated to vote any public shares in favor of our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that any of these institutional investors will be public shareholders at the time our shareholders vote on our initial business combination, and, if they are public shareholders, we cannot assure you as to how such institutional investors will vote on any business combination. The institutional investors also have expressed an interest to purchase, indirectly through the purchase of non-managing sponsor membership interests in our sponsor, an aggregate of 404,500 private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit ($4,045,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Subject to each non-managing sponsor members purchasing, through the sponsor, the private placement units allocated to it in connection with the closing of this offering, the sponsor will issue to these institutional investors non-managing sponsor membership interests at a nominal price reflecting interests in an aggregate of 3,235,936 founder shares held by the sponsor, with no right to control the sponsor or vote or dispose of any securities held by the sponsor, including the founder shares and the private placement units held by the sponsor. The interests of the members of the sponsor are denominated in two classes of membership interest units: (i) Class A membership units representing interests in the founder shares and (ii) Class B membership units that will represent an interest in the private placement units. All members of our sponsor, including any member that may join concurrently with this offering, will hold both classes of membership units representing their proportional interest in the founder shares and private placement units. |
23
|
Pursuant to the operating agreement of our sponsor, the management and control of our sponsor is vested exclusively in Thomas Bushey, our chief executive officer, the manager of our sponsor, without any voting, veto, consent or other participation rights by any member regardless of their unit ownership. As a result of this management structure, non-managing sponsor members will have no right to control the sponsor, or participate in any decision regarding the disposal of any security held by the sponsor, or otherwise. Further, unlike certain arrangements of other blank check companies, the non-managing sponsor members are not required to (i) hold any public units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination. The non-managing sponsor members will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the public units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders. BTIG will receive the same underwriting discount on any units purchased by these institutional investors as it will on any other units sold to the public in this offering. Any trading decisions made by any of these institutional investors will be made by them based on market conditions at the time of the proposed sale or redemption. BTIG’s affiliates will not receive any economic or other interest in our sponsor. |
||
|
Anticipated expenses and funding sources |
|
|
|
• the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not held in the trust account, which will be approximately $1,500,000 in working capital after the payment of approximately $700,000 in expenses (other than underwriting commissions) relating to this offering; and |
||
|
• any loans or additional investments from our co-sponsors, members of our management team or any of their affiliates or other third parties, although they are under no obligation to loan funds to, or otherwise invest in, us; and provided that any such loans will not have any claim on the proceeds held in the trust account unless such proceeds are released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. |
||
|
Conditions to completing our initial business combination |
|
24
|
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. Our shareholders may not be provided with a copy of such opinion nor will they be able to rely on such opinion. |
||
|
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. However, we will only complete a business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise is not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, 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 transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new Class A ordinary shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new Class A ordinary shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% fair market value test. If the initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% fair market value test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the transactions and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for seeking shareholder approval or for purposes of a tender offer, as applicable. |
||
|
Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities |
|
25
|
have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or public warrants in such transactions. |
||
|
If our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates engage in such transactions, they will be restricted from making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. 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. To the extent such securities are purchased, such public securities will not be voted as required by Tender Offers and Schedules Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations Question 166.01 promulgated by the SEC. See “Proposed Business — Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities” for a description of how our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates will select the shareholders with whom to enter into private transactions. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. Our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates will be restricted from making any purchases if such purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. |
||
|
Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination |
|
|
|
The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriter. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our sponsor, directors and officers have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares, public shares and private placement shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. The non-managing sponsor members are not required to (i) hold any public units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business |
26
|
combination. The non-managing sponsor members will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders. However, if the non-managing sponsor members purchase all of the units for which they have expressed to us an interest in purchasing or otherwise hold a substantial number of our units, then the non-managing sponsor members will potentially have different interests than our other public shareholders in approving our initial business combination and otherwise exercising their rights as public shareholders because of their indirect ownership of founder shares as further discussed in this prospectus. |
||
|
Manner of conducting redemptions |
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial business combination, all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (1) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (2) 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. 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 memorandum and articles of association would typically require shareholder approval. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with Nasdaq’s shareholder approval rules. We intend to conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless shareholder approval is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement or we choose to seek shareholder approval for business or other reasons. |
|
|
If a shareholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association: |
||
|
• conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and |
||
|
• file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
||
|
Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we and our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act. |
27
|
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 we are permitted to redeem, as may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete such initial business combination. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete such initial business combination. |
||
|
If, however, shareholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, we will: |
||
|
• conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules; and |
||
|
• file proxy materials with the SEC. |
||
|
We expect that a final proxy statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least 10 calendar days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Although we are not required to do so, we currently intend to comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any shareholder vote even if we are not able to maintain our Nasdaq listing or Exchange Act registration. |
||
|
Our initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. In such case, pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, our initial shareholders have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree) to vote their founder shares and any public shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. We expect that at the time of any shareholder vote relating to our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees will own at least approximately 22% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares entitled to vote thereon. Our directors and officers also have agreed to vote in favor of our initial business combination with respect to any public shares acquired by them. These voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial shareholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares without voting, and if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. The non-managing sponsor members are not required to (i) hold any public units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination. The non-managing sponsor members will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders. |
28
|
Tendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights |
|
|
|
Limitation on redemption rights of shareholders holding 15% or more of the shares sold in this offering if we hold shareholder vote |
|
29
|
Redemption rights in connection with proposed amendments to our memorandum and articles of association |
|
30
|
In such event, we will conduct a proxy solicitation and distribute proxy materials pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act seeking shareholder approval of such proposal, and in connection therewith, provide our public shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon shareholder approval of such amendment. This redemption right shall apply in the event of the approval of any such amendment, whether proposed by our sponsor, any executive officer, director or director nominee, or any other person. |
||
|
Release of funds in trust account on closing of our initial business combination |
|
|
|
Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination |
|
31
|
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our initial shareholders acquire public shares, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time frame. The underwriter has agreed to waive its rights to its deferred underwriting commission held in the trust account in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the allotted time frame and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the trust account that will be available to fund the redemption of our public shares. |
||
|
If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the 24-month period, we may seek an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the period of time we have to complete an initial business combination beyond 24 months. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require at least a special resolution of our shareholders as a matter of Cayman Islands law, meaning that such an amendment be approved by at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a shareholder meeting of the company. |
||
|
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect 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 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision 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 ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares. |
||
|
Limited payments to insiders |
We are not prohibited from paying any fees (including advisory fees), reimbursements or cash payments to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, including the following payments, all of which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from funds held outside the trust account: |
|
|
• repayment of up to an aggregate of $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses; • reimbursement for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support made available to us by our sponsor or an affiliate thereof, in an amount equal to $10,000 per month; |
32
|
• payment 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 combination; • reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating and completing an initial business combination; and • repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors to us to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such 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 lender. The units and underlying securities would be identical to the private placement units. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. |
||
|
Audit Committee |
We will establish and maintain an audit committee composed entirely of independent directors immediately prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, as required by Nasdaq rules and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. Among its responsibilities, the audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, and monitor compliance with the other terms relating to this offering. If any noncompliance is identified, then the audit committee will be charged with the responsibility to promptly take all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise to cause compliance with the terms of this offering. For more information, see the section entitled “Management — Committees of the Board of Directors — Audit Committee.” |
|
|
Conflicts of Interest |
Our management team, in their capacities as directors or officers or their respective affiliates or in their other endeavors, may choose to present potential business combinations to the related entities described above, current or future entities affiliated with or managed by either of our sponsor, its members or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law and any other applicable fiduciary duties. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law: (i) 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 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 may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other. For more information, see the section entitled “Management — Conflicts of Interest.” |
33
|
As described in “Proposed Business — Our Management Team” and “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” and “Risk Factors,” our directors and officers presently have, and any of them in the future may have, additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our directors or officers 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 may need to honor these fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, or in the case of a non-compete restriction, may not present such opportunity to us at all, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. See “Risk Factors — Certain of our directors and officers are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.” We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our directors or officers will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. |
||
|
The potential conflicts described above may limit our ability to enter into a business combination or other transactions. These circumstances could give rise to numerous situations where interests may conflict. There can be no assurance that these or other conflicts of interest with the potential for adverse effects on the Company and investors will not arise. |
34
The following table summarizes the relevant financial data for our business and should be read with our financial statements, which are included in this prospectus. We have not had any significant operations to date, so only balance sheet data is presented.
|
June 30, 2024 |
||||||||
|
Actual |
As Adjusted |
|||||||
|
Balance Sheet Data: |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Working (deficiency) capital(1) |
$ |
(35,827 |
) |
$ |
1,102,078 |
|
||
|
Total assets(2) |
$ |
57,098 |
|
$ |
201,509,178 |
|
||
|
Total liabilities(3) |
$ |
47,920 |
|
$ |
7,407,100 |
|
||
|
Value of ordinary shares subject to possible conversion(4) |
$ |
— |
|
$ |
200,000,000 |
|
||
|
Shareholders’ equity (deficit)(5) |
$ |
9,178 |
|
$ |
(5,897,922 |
) |
||
____________
(1) The “as adjusted” calculation includes $1,500,000 of cash held outside the trust account including $350,000 of assumed director and officer insurance premiums to be paid post close $9,178 of actual shareholder’s equity at June 30, 2024, less the overallotment liability of $407,100.
(2) The “as adjusted” calculation equals $200,000,000 cash held in trust from the proceeds of this offering, plus $1,500,000 in cash held outside the trust account including $350,000 of assumed director and officer insurance premiums to be paid post close plus $9,178 of actual shareholder’s equity at June 30, 2024.
(3) The “as adjusted” calculation includes $407,100 related to the fair value of the over-allotment option and deferred underwriting fee of $7,000,000.
(4) The “as adjusted” calculation equals the “as adjusted” total assets, less the “as adjusted” total liabilities, less the “as adjusted” shareholder’s equity.
(5) Excludes 20,000,000 public shares which are subject to redemption in connection with our initial business combination. The “as adjusted” calculation equals the “as adjusted” total assets, less the “as adjusted” total liabilities, less the value of Class A ordinary shares that may be redeemed in connection with our initial business combination (initially $10.00 per share).
RISKS
We are a blank check company that has conducted no operations and has generated no revenues to date. Until we complete our initial business combination, we will have no operations and will generate no operating revenues. In making your decision whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the background of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company. This offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. For additional information concerning how Rule 419 blank check offerings differ from this offering, please see “Proposed Business — Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.” You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” of this prospectus.
Summary of Risk Factors
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in the section titled “Risk Factors,” alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Such risks include, but are not limited to:
• Our public shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such a combination.
• If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote.
35
• Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash, unless we seek shareholder approval of such business combination.
• The ability of our public shareholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a business combination with a target.
• The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares and the amount of deferred underwriting compensation may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure, and may substantially dilute your investment in us.
• The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within 24 months following the closing of this offering may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may limit the time we have in which to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets, in particular as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our initial business combination on terms that would produce value for our shareholders.
• If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares or public warrants from public shareholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares or public warrants.
• Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the status of debt and equity markets.
• We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case 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 without value to the holder.
• You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
• Nasdaq may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
• 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 may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the warrant could be converted into cash or shares (at a ratio different than initially provided), the exercise period could be shortened and the number of our Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without your approval.
• We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants without value to the holder.
• 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.
36
• Since our sponsor, officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our business combination is not completed (other than with respect to public shares they may acquire during or after this offering), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
• 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.
• Our initial shareholders will control the appointment and removal of our board of directors until consummation of our initial business combination and will hold a substantial interest in us. As a result, they will appoint and remove all of our directors prior to our initial business combination and may exert substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote and board approval, potentially in a manner that you do not support.
• The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination, and our sponsor is likely to make a substantial profit on its investment in us in the event we consummate an initial business combination, even if the business combination causes the trading price of our ordinary shares to materially decline.
• The value of the founder shares following completion of our initial business combination is likely to be substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our ordinary at such time is substantially less than $10.00 per share.
• To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, we may, at any time (based on our management team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to our potential status under the Investment Company Act), instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank until the earlier of the consummation of our initial business combination or our liquidation. As a result, following the liquidation of investments in the trust account, we would likely receive less interest on the funds held in the trust account, which would likely reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption or liquidation.
• If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
• Military or other conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East or elsewhere may lead to increased volume and price volatility for publicly traded securities, or affect the operations or financial condition of potential target companies, which could make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
• The other risks and uncertainties discussed in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus.
37
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, before making a decision to invest in our units. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Relating to our Search for, Consummation of, or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination and Post-Business Combination Risks
Our public shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such a combination.
We may choose not to hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination if the business combination would not require shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements. Except as required by applicable law or stock exchange requirement, the decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow shareholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors, such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to seek shareholder approval. Accordingly, we may complete our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our public shares do not approve of the business combination we complete. Please see “Proposed Business — Effecting Our Initial Business Combination — Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination” for additional information.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote.
Our initial shareholders, directors and officers have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. In the event that the non-managing sponsor members purchase public units (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, no affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. We expect that our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees will own at least approximately 22% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares at the time of any such shareholder vote, and that together with non-managing members will have sufficient votes to approve a business combination. However, because the non-managing sponsor members are not obligated to continue owning any public shares following the closing and are not obligated to vote any public shares in favor of our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that any of the non-managing sponsor members will be public shareholders at the time our shareholders vote on our initial business combination, and, if they are public shareholders, we cannot assure you as to how such non-managing sponsor members will vote on any business combination. If the non-managing sponsor members do not vote their shares in favor of our initial business combination, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares and private placement shares, we would need 7,250,001, or 36.25% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the underwriter’s overallotment option is not exercised and the parties to the letter agreement do not acquire any Class A ordinary shares), of the 20,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved, subject to any higher consent threshold as may be required by Cayman Islands or other applicable law. Our directors and officers have also entered into the letter agreement, imposing similar obligations on them with respect to public shares acquired by them, if any. We expect that our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees will own at least approximately 22% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares at the time of any such shareholder vote. Assuming that only the holders of one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares at the time of any such shareholder vote, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, vote their ordinary shares at a general meeting of the company, we will not need any public shares in addition to our founder shares to be voted in favor of an initial business combination. However, if our initial business combination is structured as a statutory merger or consolidation with another company under Cayman Islands law, the approval of our initial business combination will require a special resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at
38
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. Accordingly, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, it is more likely that the necessary shareholder approval will be received than would be the case if such persons agreed to vote their founder shares in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by our public shareholders.
Potential participation in this offering by the non-managing sponsor members could reduce the public float for our securities.
The non-managing sponsor members have indicated an interest to purchase up to an aggregate of approximately $18.8 million of the public units offered in this offering at the initial public offering price (assuming the exercise in full of the underwriter’s over-allotment option). These indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase. As a result, such parties could determine to purchase less or no public units in this offering, or the underwriter could determine to sell less or no public units to them. If the non-managing sponsor members are not allocated all or a portion of the public units in which they have indicated an interest in this offering, and they purchase any such units, such purchase or purchases could reduce the available public float for our securities if such parties hold these securities long-term.
Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash, unless we seek shareholder approval of such business combination.
At the time of your investment in us, you will not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of our initial business combination. Since our board of directors may complete a business combination without seeking shareholder approval, public shareholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the business combination, unless we seek such shareholder approval. Accordingly, if we do not seek shareholder approval, your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to exercising your redemption rights within the period of time (which will be at least 20 business days) set forth in our tender offer documents mailed to our public shareholders in which we describe our initial business combination.
The redemption of our 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.
We may seek to enter into a business combination transaction agreement with a minimum cash requirement for (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. If too many public shareholders exercise their redemption rights, we would not be able to meet such closing condition and, as a result, would not be able to proceed with the business combination. The amount of the deferred underwriting commissions payable to the underwriter will not be adjusted for any shares that are redeemed in connection with a business combination and such amount of deferred underwriting commissions is not available for us to use as consideration in an initial business combination. If we are able to consummate an initial business combination, the per-share value of shares held by non-redeeming shareholders will reflect our obligation to pay and the payment of the deferred underwriting commissions. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would make us unable to satisfy a minimum cash condition as described above, we would not proceed with such business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination. Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into a business combination transaction with us.
The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure and could increase the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your shares.
At the time we enter into an agreement for our initial business combination, we will not know how many shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, and therefore will need to structure the transaction based on our expectations as to the number of shares that will be submitted for redemption. If our business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, we will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the trust account to meet such requirements,
39
or arrange for third party financing. In addition, if a larger number of shares is submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for third party financing. Raising additional third party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure. The amount of the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions payable to the underwriters will not be adjusted for any shares that are redeemed in connection with a business combination. The per-share amount we will distribute to shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and after such redemptions, the amount held in trust will continue to reflect our obligation to pay the entire deferred underwriting discounts and commissions.
If our business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful is increased. If our initial business combination is unsuccessful, you would not receive your pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account until we liquidate the trust account. If you are in need of immediate liquidity, you could attempt to sell your shares in the open market; however, at such time our shares may trade at a discount to the pro rata amount per share in the trust account. In either situation, you may suffer a material loss on your investment or lose the benefit of funds expected in connection with our redemption until we liquidate or you are able to sell your shares in the open market.
The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may limit the time we have in which to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets, in particular as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our initial business combination on terms that would produce value for our shareholders.
Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware that we must complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination with any target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the end of such time period. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our initial business combination on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.
Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the status of debt and equity markets.
Our ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by certain events, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all.
We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public shareholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.
Our sponsor, directors and officers have agreed that we must complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, or such later time as may be agreed by our shareholders. We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within such time period. Our ability to complete our initial business combination may be negatively impacted by general market conditions, volatility in the capital and debt markets and the other risks described herein. For example, geopolitical instability emanating from the ongoing conflict between Russia and the Ukraine as well as tensions in the Middle East stemming from the ongoing Israel-Hamas War, could limit our ability to complete our initial business combination, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all. Additionally, geopolitical stability may negatively impact businesses we may seek to acquire.
40
If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, our public shareholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less than $10.00 per share, on the redemption of their shares, and our warrants will expire worthless. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.
If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the 24-month period, we may seek an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the period of time we have to complete an initial business combination beyond 24 months. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require at least a special resolution of our shareholders as a matter of Cayman Islands law, meaning that such an amendment be approved by at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a shareholder meeting of the company. If we seek shareholder approval to extend the initial 24-month period in which to complete an initial business combination to a later date, we will offer our public shareholders the right to have their public ordinary shares redeemed for a pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, as described in greater detail in this prospectus.
Changes in the market for directors’ and officers’ liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and complete an initial business combination.
In recent years, the market for directors’ and officers’ liability insurance for special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”)has changed in ways adverse to us and our management team. The premiums charged for such policies have generally increased and the terms of such policies have generally become less favorable. These trends may continue into the future.
The increased cost and decreased availability of directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate an initial business combination. In order to obtain directors and officers liability insurance or modify its coverage as a result of becoming a public company, the post-business combination entity might need to incur greater expense, accept less favorable terms or both. However, any failure to obtain adequate directors and officers liability insurance could have an adverse impact on the post-business combination’s ability to attract and retain qualified officers and directors.
In addition, even after completing an initial business combination, our directors and officers could still be subject to potential liability from claims arising from conduct alleged to have occurred prior to the initial business combination. As a result, in order to protect our directors and officers, the post-business combination entity may need to purchase additional insurance with respect to any such claims (“run-off insurance”). The need for run-off insurance would be an added expense for the post-business combination entity, and could interfere with or frustrate our ability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors.
We may not be able to complete an initial business combination because such initial business combination may be subject to regulatory review and approval requirements, including foreign investment regulations and review by government entities such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”), or may be ultimately prohibited.
Our initial business combination may be subject to regulatory review and approval requirements by governmental entities, or ultimately prohibited. For example, CFIUS has authority to review direct or indirect foreign investments in U.S. companies. Among other things, CFIUS is empowered to require certain foreign investors to make mandatory filings, to charge filing fees related to such filings, and to self-initiate national security reviews of foreign direct and indirect investments in U.S. companies if the parties to that investment choose not to file voluntarily. In the case that CFIUS determines an investment to be a threat to national security, CFIUS has the power to unwind or place restrictions on the investment. Whether CFIUS has jurisdiction to review an acquisition or investment transaction depends on — among other factors — the nature and structure of the transaction, including the level of beneficial
41
ownership interest and the nature of any information or governance rights involved. For example, investments that result in “control” of a U.S. business by a foreign person always are subject to CFIUS jurisdiction. CFIUS’s expanded jurisdiction under the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 and implementing regulations that became effective on February 13, 2020 further includes investments that do not result in control of a U.S. business by a foreign person but afford certain foreign investors certain information or governance rights in a U.S. business that has a nexus to “critical technologies,” “critical infrastructure” and/or “sensitive personal data.”
If a particular proposed initial business combination with a U.S. business falls within CFIUS’s jurisdiction, we may determine that we are required to make a mandatory filing or that we will submit to CFIUS review on a voluntary basis, or to proceed with the transaction without submitting to CFIUS and risk CFIUS intervention, before or after obtaining CFIUS approval, which may limit the attractiveness of, delay or prevent us from pursuing certain target companies that we believe would otherwise be beneficial to us and our shareholders. As a result, the pool of potential targets with which we could complete an initial business combination may be limited and we may be adversely affected in terms of competing with other special purpose acquisition companies which do not have any foreign ownership issues. In addition, certain federally licensed businesses may be subject to rules or regulations that limit foreign ownership.
The process of government review, whether by CFIUS or otherwise, could be lengthy. Because we have only a limited time to complete our initial business combination, our failure to obtain any required approvals within the requisite time period may require us to liquidate. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the applicable time period required under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, including as a result of extended regulatory review of a potential initial business combination, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such event, our shareholders will miss the opportunity to benefit from an investment in a target company and the appreciation in value of such investment. Additionally, our warrants may be worthless.
Adverse developments affecting the financial services industry, including events or concerns involving liquidity, defaults or non-performance by financial institutions, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, or our prospects.
The funds in our operating account and our trust account will initially be held in banks or other financial institutions and will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations; the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended business combination. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, we may, at any time (based on our management team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to our potential status under the Investment Company Act) instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest-bearing demand deposit account at a bank. Our cash held in these accounts may exceed any applicable Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance limits. Should events, including limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments occur with respect to the banks or other financial institutions that hold our funds, or that affect financial institutions or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, the value of the assets in our trust account could be impaired, which could have a material impact on our operating results, liquidity, financial condition and prospects. For example, on March 10, 2023, the FDIC announced that Silicon Valley Bank had been closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. We cannot guarantee that the banks or other financial institutions that will hold our funds will not experience similar issues. See “Risk Factors — General Risk Factors — 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
42
liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank until the earlier of the consummation of an initial business combination or our liquidation.”
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates may elect to purchase shares or public warrants from public shareholders, which may increase the likelihood of closing our initial business combination and reduce the public “float” 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, directors, officers, advisors or any of 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. Any such price per share may be different than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of 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, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates are under no obligation or duty to do so and 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. See “Proposed Business — Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities” for a description of how our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates will select which shareholders to enter into private transactions with. The purpose of such purchases could be to vote such shares in favor of our initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of our initial business combination or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of shares or public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such public warrants on any matters submitted to the public warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. This may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. To the extent such securities are purchased, such public securities will not be voted as required by Tender Offers and Schedules Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations Question 166.01 promulgated by the SEC.
In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares or public warrants and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange. Additionally, in the event our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates were to purchase shares or warrants from public shareholders, such purchases would be structured in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act including, in pertinent part, through adherence to the following:
• our registration statement/proxy statement filed for our business combination transaction would disclose the possibility that our sponsor and our directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates may purchase shares or warrants from public shareholders outside the redemption process, along with the purpose of such purchases;
• if our sponsor, our directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates were to purchase shares or warrants from public shareholders, they would do so at a price no higher than the price offered through our redemption process;
• our registration statement/proxy statement filed for our business combination transaction would include a representation that any of our securities purchased by our sponsor, our directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates would not be voted in favor of or against approving the business combination transaction;
• our sponsor, our directors, executive officers, advisors or any of 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
43
• we would disclose in a Form 8-K, before our security holder meeting to approve the business combination transaction, the following material items:
• the amount of our securities purchased outside of the redemption offer by our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates, along with the purchase price;
• the purpose of the purchases by our sponsor, our directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates;
• the impact, if any, of the purchases by our sponsor, our directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates on the likelihood that the business combination transaction will be approved;
• the identities of our security holders who sold to our sponsor, our directors, executive officers, advisors or any of 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, our directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates; and
• the number of our securities for which we have received redemption requests pursuant to our redemption offer.
If a shareholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our initial business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.
We will be required to comply with the proxy rules or tender offer rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a shareholder fails to receive our proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, such shareholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly redeem or tender public shares. For example, we may require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the business combination (or any later date determined by our board of directors) in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically. In the event that a shareholder fails to comply with these or any other procedures, its shares may not be redeemed. See “Proposed Business — Tendering Share Certificates in Connection with a Tender Offer or Redemption Rights.”
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a “group” of shareholders are deemed to hold in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering without our prior consent, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including the Excess Shares) for or against our business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell the Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
44
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 have not completed our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on our redemption of their shares, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, in the event we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we are obligated to pay cash for our Class A ordinary shares that are redeemed, it will potentially reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination. Any of these obligations may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.
As the number of SPAC targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive targets or such attractive targets may not be interested to consummate a business combination with a SPAC due to a negative public perception of mergers involving SPACs. This could increase the cost of our initial business combination and could even result in our inability to find a target or to consummate an initial business combination.
In recent years, the number of SPACs that have been formed has increased substantially. Many potential targets for SPACs have already entered into an initial business combination, and there are still many SPACs preparing for an initial public offering, as well as many such companies currently in registration. As a result, at times, fewer attractive targets may be available to consummate an initial business combination.
In addition, because there are more SPACs seeking to enter into an initial business combination with available targets, the competition for available targets with attractive fundamentals or business models may increase, which could cause targets companies to demand improved financial terms. Attractive deals could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry sector downturns (including a negative public perception of mergers involving SPACs), geopolitical tensions, or increases in the cost of additional capital needed to close business combinations or operate targets post-business combination. This could increase the cost of, delay or otherwise complicate or frustrate our ability to find and consummate an initial business combination and may result in our inability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors altogether.
If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not being held in the trust account are insufficient, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination, in which case our public shareholders may only receive $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder.
The funds available to us outside of the trust account may not be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months, assuming that our initial business combination is not completed during that time. We believe that, upon the closing of this offering, the funds available to us outside of the trust account will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Of the funds available to us, we could use a portion of the funds available to us to pay fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business. We could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision in letters of intent or merger agreements designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions
45
with other companies on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent or merger agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a target business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share upon our liquidation. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors described in this “Risk Factors” section.
If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not being held in the trust account are insufficient, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination and we may depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search for a business combination, to pay our taxes and to complete our initial business combination.
Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, only approximately $1,150,000 after payment of premiums for D&O liability insurance will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $700,000 (excluding underwriting commissions), we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $700,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor or management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Neither our sponsor, members of our management team nor any of their affiliates is under any obligation to loan funds to, or otherwise invest in, us in such circumstances. Any such loans may be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the required time period because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. In such case, our public shareholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.
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 our share price, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.
Even if we conduct extensive due diligence on a target business with which we combine, we cannot assure you that this diligence will identify all material issues in relation to a particular target business, that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through a customary amount of due diligence, or that factors outside of the target business and outside of our control will not later arise.
There can be no assurance that extensive and customary diligence will identify all material issues in relation to a particular business combination target or that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through such diligence. As a result of these factors, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in our reporting losses.
Even if our due diligence successfully identifies certain risks, unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with our preliminary risk analysis. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our securities. In addition, charges of this nature may cause us to violate net worth or other covenants to which we may be subject as a result of assuming pre-existing debt held by a target business or by virtue of our obtaining post-combination debt financing. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
46
The securities in which we invest the funds held in the trust account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested or held only in either (i) U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less, or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, (ii) as uninvested cash, or (iii) an interest bearing bank demand deposit account or other accounts at a bank. 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 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. For more information about the risk of the company being considered to be operating as an unregistered investment company, see “— 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.” While short-term U.S. government treasury obligations currently yield a positive rate of interest, they have briefly yielded negative interest rates in the recent past. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the possibility that it may in the future adopt similar policies in the United States. In the event that we are unable to complete our initial business combination or make certain amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, our public shareholders are entitled to receive their pro-rata share of the proceeds held in the trust account, plus any interest income, net of taxes paid or payable (less, in the case we are unable to complete our initial business combination, $100,000 of interest). Negative interest rates could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
Because we are not limited to a particular industry, sector or any specific target businesses with which to pursue our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.
We may complete a business combination with an operating company in any industry or sector. However, we will not, under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, be permitted to effectuate our business combination solely with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet selected or approached any specific target business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenues or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses, we may enter into our initial business combination with a target that does not meet such criteria and guidelines, and as a result, the target business with which we enter into our initial business combination may not have attributes entirely consistent with our general criteria and guidelines.
Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines for evaluating prospective target businesses, it is possible that a target business with which we enter into our initial business combination will not have all of these positive attributes. If we complete our initial business combination with a target that does not meet some or all of these guidelines, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does meet all of
47
our general criteria and guidelines. In addition, if we announce a prospective business combination with a target that does not meet our general criteria and guidelines, a greater number of shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a target business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash.
In addition, if shareholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain shareholder approval of our initial business combination if the target business does not meet our general criteria and guidelines. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We may seek business combination opportunities with an early stage company, a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue or earnings, which could subject us to volatile revenues, cash flows or earnings or difficulty in retaining key personnel.
To the extent we complete our initial business combination with an early stage company, a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenues, cash flows or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine. These risks include investing in a business without a proven business model and with limited historical financial data, volatile revenues, cash flows or earnings and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors and we may not have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.
We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm and consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Unless we complete our business combination with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that such initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our shareholders will be relying on the judgment of our board of directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to 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. However, our shareholders may not be provided with a copy of such opinion, nor will they be able to rely on such opinion.
Transactions in connection with or in anticipation of our initial business combination and our structure thereafter may not be tax-efficient to our shareholders and warrantholders. As a result of our business combination, our tax obligations may be more complex, burdensome and uncertain.
Although we will attempt to structure transactions in connection with our initial business combination in a tax-efficient manner, tax structuring considerations are complex, the relevant facts and law are uncertain and may change, and we may prioritize commercial and other considerations over tax considerations. For example, in anticipation of or as a result of our initial business combination, we may enter into one or more transactions that require shareholders and/or warrantholders to recognize gain or income for tax purposes or otherwise increase their tax burden without prior notice to or approval from our shareholders and warrantholders. We do not intend to make any cash distributions to shareholders or warrantholders to pay taxes in connection with our business combination or thereafter. Accordingly, a shareholder or a warrantholder may be required to satisfy any liability resulting from any such transactions with cash from its own funds or by selling all or a portion of such holder’s shares or public warrants.
Furthermore, we will likely effect a business combination with a target company that has business operations outside of the Cayman Islands and, possibly, business operations in multiple jurisdictions, and we may reincorporate in a different jurisdiction in connection therewith (including, but not limited to, the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located). For example, in anticipation of engaging in a business combination with certain
48
target companies, we may unilaterally convert into a U.S. company without notice pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles, even if such a business combination ultimately is not achieved. If we effect any such transaction, including such a conversion, we could be subject to significant income, withholding and other tax obligations in a number of jurisdictions with respect to income, operations and subsidiaries related to those jurisdictions. Due to the complexity of tax obligations and filings in many jurisdictions, we may have a heightened risk related to audits or examinations by taxing authorities. This additional complexity and risk could have an adverse effect on our after-tax profitability and financial condition. In addition, shareholders and warrantholders may be subject to additional income, withholding or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after any such transaction.
We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a business combination, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our shareholders’ investment in us.
Although we have no commitments as of the date of this prospectus to issue any notes or other debt securities, or to otherwise incur outstanding debt following this offering, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our business combination. We have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held in the trust account. As such, no issuance of debt will affect the per share amount available for redemption from the trust account. Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:
• default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;
• acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;
• our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand;
• our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding;
• our inability to pay dividends on our ordinary shares;
• using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our ordinary shares if declared, to pay expenses, make capital expenditures and acquisitions and fund other general corporate purposes;
• limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;
• increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation;
• limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, and execution of our strategy; and
• other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.
We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operations and profitability.
Of the net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units, up to $200 million (or up to $230 million if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full) will be available to complete our business combination and pay related fees and expenses (which includes $7,000,000, or up to $8,050,000 if the overallotment option is exercised in full, for payment of deferred underwriting discounts and commissions). Of the up to $200 million (or up to $230 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), $1,150,000 after payment of premiums for D&O liability insurance will be held outside the trust account for business, legal and accounting due diligence on prospective acquisitions and continuing general and administrative expenses.
49
We may effectuate our business combination with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, we may not be able to effectuate our business combination with more than one target business because of various factors, including the existence of complex accounting issues and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present operating results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. In addition, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combination in a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
• solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset, or
• dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.
This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our business combination.
We may attempt to simultaneously complete business combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to complete our business combination and may give rise to increased costs and risks that could negatively impact our operations and profitability.
If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses that are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete our initial business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.
We may attempt to complete our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
In pursuing our business combination strategy, we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately held company. Very little public information generally exists about private companies, and we could be required to make our decision on whether to pursue a potential initial business combination on the basis of limited information, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
In order to effectuate our initial business combination, we may seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or other governing instruments in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination but that our shareholders or warrantholders may not support.
Amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require at least a special resolution of our shareholders as a matter of Cayman Islands law, and amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least 50% of the public warrants. In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association require us to provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash if we propose an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (i) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within 24 months following the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity. To the extent any of such amendments would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of any of the securities offered through this registration statement, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities.
50
In order to effectuate a business combination, we may amend various provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and other governing instruments, including the warrant agreement, the underwriting agreement relating to this offering, the letter agreement among us and our sponsor, officers and directors, and the registration rights agreement among us and our initial shareholders. These agreements contain various provisions that our public shareholders might deem to be material. While we do not expect our board to approve any amendment to any of these agreements prior to our initial business combination, it may be possible that our board, in exercising its business judgment and subject to its fiduciary duties, chooses to approve one or more amendments to any such agreement in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Except in relation to certain provisions of the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, any such amendments would not require approval from our shareholders and may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or other governing instruments or change our industry focus in order to effectuate our initial business combination.
We may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder.
Although we believe that the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units will be sufficient to allow us to complete our initial business combination, because we have not yet selected any prospective target business, we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction. If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units prove to be insufficient, either because of the size of our initial business combination, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, the obligation to redeem for cash a significant number of shares from shareholders who elect redemption in connection with our initial business combination or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase shares in connection with our initial business combination, we may be required to seek additional financing or to abandon the proposed business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our business combination.
Because we must furnish our shareholders with target business financial statements, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial business combination with some prospective target businesses.
The federal proxy rules require that a proxy statement with respect to a vote on a business combination meeting certain financial significance tests include target historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with our tender offer documents, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP, or international financial reporting standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such financial statements in time for us to disclose such financial statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.
51
Other than amendments relating to the appointment or removal of directors prior to our initial business combination and amendments relating to the company’s continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (which would require the approval of a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares voting at the applicable general meeting), the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account) may be amended with the approval of holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote (in person or by proxy) at a general meeting, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the trust agreement to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our shareholders may not support.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that any of its provisions (other than amendments relating to the appointment or removal of directors prior to our initial business combination and the continuation of our existence in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands, which would require the approval of a special resolution passed by a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares voting at the applicable general meeting) related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement of warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public shareholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by a resolution passed by at least a two-thirds majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of the company of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been duly given. Corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote (in person or by proxy) in a general meeting. Our initial shareholders, who will collectively beneficially own approximately 22% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (including the Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units and assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering, but without giving effect to any public shares, founder shares or Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units which may be acquired by the investors who have expressed interest in purchasing them), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association which govern our pre-business combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to complete a business combination with which you do not agree. Our shareholders may seek to pursue remedies against us for any breach of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
Our sponsor, officers, directors and director nominees have agreed that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (i) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. These agreements are contained in a letter agreement, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, that we have entered into with our sponsor, officers, directors and director nominees. Our public shareholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our sponsor, officers, directors or director nominees for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our shareholders would need to pursue a shareholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.
After our initial business combination, it is possible that a majority of our directors and officers will live outside the United States and all of our assets will be located outside the United States; therefore, investors may not be able to enforce federal securities laws or their other legal rights.
It is possible that after our initial business combination, a majority of our directors and officers will reside outside of the United States and all of our assets will be located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult, or in some cases not possible, for investors in the United States to enforce their legal rights, to effect service of process upon all of our directors or officers or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal penalties on our directors and officers under United States laws.
52
Our current officers may not remain in their positions following our business combination. We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may complete our initial business combination with a target business whose management may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company, which could, in turn, negatively impact the value of our shareholders’ investment in us.
When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’s management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target business’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target business’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted.
The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The loss of a business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
The role of an acquisition candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an acquisition candidate’s management team will remain associated with the acquisition candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place.
If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering our public shareholders may be forced to wait beyond such time period before redemption from our trust account.
If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 24 months following the closing of this offering, we will distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $100,000 of interest earned thereon to pay dissolution expenses), pro rata to our public shareholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up of our affairs, as further described herein. Any redemption of public shareholders from the trust account shall be effected automatically by function of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to any voluntary winding up. If we are required to wind up, liquidate the trust account and distribute such amount therein, pro rata, to our shareholders as part of any liquidation process, such winding up, liquidation and distribution must comply with the applicable provisions of the Companies Act. In that case, investors may be forced to wait beyond the initial 24 months before the redemption proceeds of our trust account become available to them and they receive the return of their pro rata portion of the proceeds from our trust account. We have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to the date of our redemption or liquidation unless we consummate our initial business combination prior thereto and only then in cases where investors have sought to redeem their ordinary shares. Only upon our redemption or any liquidation will public shareholders be entitled to distributions if we are unable to complete our initial business combination.
Resources could be wasted in researching business combinations that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders and our warrants will expire without value to the holder.
We anticipate that the investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys, consultants and others. If we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder.
53
If we pursue a target business with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we may face additional burdens in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing such initial business combination, and if we effect such initial business combination, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.
If we pursue a target company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we would be subject to risks associated with cross-border business combinations, including in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing our initial business combination, conducting due diligence in a foreign jurisdiction, having such transaction approved by any local governments, regulators or agencies and changes in the purchase price based on fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.
If we effect our initial business combination with such a company, we would be subject to special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in an international setting, including any of the following:
• higher costs and difficulties inherent in executing cross-border transactions, managing cross-border business operations and complying with different commercial and legal requirements of overseas markets;
• rules and regulations regarding currency redemption;
• laws governing the manner in which future business combinations may be effected;
• exchange listing and/or delisting requirements;
• tariffs and trade barriers;
• regulations related to customs and import/export matters;
• local or regional economic policies and market conditions;
• unexpected changes in regulatory requirements;
• longer payment cycles;
• tax issues, including complex withholding or other tax regimes which may apply in connection with our business combination or to our structure following our business combination, variations in tax laws as compared to the United States, and potential changes in the applicable tax laws in the United States and/or relevant non-U.S. jurisdictions;
• currency fluctuations and exchange controls;
• rates of inflation;
• challenges in collecting accounts receivable;
• cultural and language differences;
• employment regulations;
• underdeveloped or unpredictable legal or regulatory systems;
• corruption;
• protection of intellectual property;
• social unrest, crime, strikes, riots and civil disturbances;
• regime changes and political upheaval;
• terrorist attacks, natural disasters and wars;
• deterioration of political relations with the United States; and
• government appropriation of assets.
54
We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, we may be unable to complete such initial business combination, or, if we complete such combination, our operations might suffer, either of which may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If our management following our initial business combination is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws, which could lead to various regulatory issues.
Following our initial business combination, our management may resign from their positions as officers or directors of the company and the management of the target business at the time of the business combination could remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with United States securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.
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.
The economic, political and social conditions, as well as government policies, of the country in which our operations are located could affect our business. Economic growth could be uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy and such growth may not be sustained in the future. If in the future such country’s economy experiences a downturn or grows at a slower rate than expected, there may be less demand for spending in certain industries. A decrease in demand for spending in certain industries could materially and adversely affect our ability to find an attractive target business with which to consummate our initial business combination and if we effect our initial business combination, the ability of that target business to become profitable.
Exchange rate fluctuations and currency policies may cause a target business’s ability to succeed in the international markets to be diminished.
In the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, all revenues and income would likely be received in a foreign currency, and the dollar equivalent of our net assets and distributions, if any, could be adversely affected by reductions in the value of the local currency. The value of the currencies in non-U.S. regions fluctuates and is affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions. Any change in the relative value of such currency against our reporting currency may affect the attractiveness of any target business or, following consummation of our initial business combination, our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, if a currency appreciates in value against the dollar prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, the cost of a target business as measured in dollars will increase, which may make it less likely that we are able to consummate such transaction.
If we acquire a non-U.S. target, our results of operations may be negatively impacted because of the costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations.
We may pursue a target company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination. Managing a business, operations, personnel or assets in another country is challenging and costly. Any management that we may have (whether based abroad or in the U.S.) may be inexperienced in cross-border business practices and unaware of significant differences in accounting rules, legal regimes and labor practices. Even with a seasoned and experienced management team, the costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations, personnel and assets can be significant (and much higher than in a purely domestic business) and may negatively impact our financial and operational performance.
55
If social unrest, acts of terrorism, regime changes, changes in laws and regulations, political upheaval or policy changes or enactments occur in a country in which we may operate after we effect our initial business combination, it may result in a negative impact on our business.
In the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, political events in another country may significantly affect our business, assets or operations. Social unrest, acts of terrorism, regime changes, changes in laws and regulations, political upheaval, and policy changes or enactments could negatively impact our business in a particular country.
Many countries have difficult and unpredictable legal systems and underdeveloped laws and regulations that are unclear and subject to corruption and inexperience, which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.
In the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, our ability to seek and enforce legal protections, including with respect to intellectual property and other property rights, or to defend ourselves with regard to legal actions taken against us in a given country, may be difficult or impossible, which could adversely impact our operations, assets or financial condition.
Rules and regulations in many countries are often ambiguous or open to differing interpretation by responsible individuals and agencies at the municipal, state, regional and federal levels. The attitudes and actions of such individuals and agencies are often difficult to predict and inconsistent.
Delay with respect to the enforcement of particular rules and regulations, including those relating to customs, tax, environmental and labor, could cause serious disruption to operations abroad and negatively impact our results.
Because foreign law could govern almost all of our material agreements, we may not be able to enforce our rights within such jurisdiction or elsewhere, which could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital.
In the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, foreign law could govern almost all of our material agreements. The target business may not be able to enforce any of its material agreements or enforce remedies for breaches of those agreements outside of such foreign jurisdiction’s legal system. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws and contracts in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. As a result, the inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business and business opportunities.
We may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination, and the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements and we may not be able to enforce our legal rights.
In connection with our initial business combination, we may relocate the home jurisdiction of our business from the Cayman Islands to another jurisdiction. If we determine to do this, the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require the affirmative vote of a majority of our board of directors, which must include a majority of our independent directors and each of the non-independent directors nominated by our sponsor, to approve our initial business combination, which may have the effect of delaying or preventing a business combination that our public shareholders would consider favorable.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require the affirmative vote of a majority of our board of directors, which must include a majority of our independent directors and each of the non-independent directors nominated by our sponsor, to approve our initial business combination. Accordingly, it is unlikely that we will be able to enter into an initial business combination unless our sponsor’s members find the target and the business combination attractive. This may make it more difficult for us to approve and enter into an initial business combination than other blank check companies and could result in us not pursuing an acquisition target or other board or corporate action that our public shareholders would find favorable.
56
Risks Relating to our Sponsor and Management Team
Since our sponsor, officers and directors, any other holder of our founder shares, including any non-managing sponsor members, will lose their entire investment in us if our business combination is not completed (other than with respect to public shares they may acquire during or after this offering), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
On June 20, 2024, our sponsor acquired an aggregate of 5,750,000 founder shares, acquired for approximately $0.004 per share. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by our sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per share purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 23,000,000 units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units). On July 12, 2024, the Company issued an additional 368,000 founder shares to our sponsor as a share capitalization resulting in our sponsor holding a total of 6,118,000 founder shares. Our initial shareholders will forfeit up to 798,000 founder shares depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised. The founder shares will be without value to the holder if we do not complete an initial business combination in the prescribed timeframe. In addition, our sponsor has subscribed to purchase an aggregate of 450,000 private placement units (or up to 484,500 private placement units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,500,000 (or up to $4,845,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement warrant contained in the private placement units is exercisable to purchase one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share. The private placement warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, as described in this prospectus. The founder shares are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, except that (i) only holders of the founder shares have the right to vote on the appointment and removal of directors prior to our initial business combination and on an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to continue our existence in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and (ii) they are Class B ordinary shares that automatically convert into our Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination (with such conversion taking place immediately prior to, simultaneously with, or immediately following the time of our initial business combination, as may be determined by our directors), or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights. 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. However, the holders of the founder shares and private placement shares have agreed (A) to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination and (B) not to redeem any founder shares or private placement shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination. In addition, we may obtain loans from our sponsor, affiliates of our sponsor or an officer or director. Accordingly, our officers and directors have a significant economic interest in our sponsor. As a result, the low acquisition cost of the founder shares creates an economic incentive whereby our officers and directors could potentially make a substantial profit even if we acquire a target business that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public investors. In addition, our sponsor and BTIG have committed to purchase an aggregate of 620,000 private placement units (or 680,000 private placement units if the underwriter exercises the over-allotment option in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering (or to the extent the over-allotment option is exercised, the closing of the additional units sold pursuant to the exercise of the over-allotment option). Of the private placement units, our sponsor will purchase 450,000 private units for an aggregate purchase price of $4,500,000 (or 484,500 private placement units for an aggregate purchase price of $4,845,000 if the underwriter exercises the over-allotment option in full), and BTIG will purchase 170,000 private placement units for an aggregate purchase price of $1,700,000 (or 195,500 private placement units for an aggregate purchase price of $1,955,000 if the underwriter exercises the over-allotment option in full). The non-managing sponsor members have indicated an interest to indirectly purchase, through the purchase of non-managing sponsor membership interests, an aggregate of 404,500 private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit ($4,045,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Subject to each non-managing
57
sponsor investor purchasing, through the sponsor, the private placement units allocated to it in connection with the closing of this offering, the sponsor will issue membership interests at a nominal purchase price to the non-managing sponsor investors reflecting interests in an aggregate of 3,235,936 founder shares held by the sponsor.
The non-managing sponsor members will not be subject to transfer restrictions or a lock-up agreement on any Class A ordinary shares that they may purchase in this offering pursuant to the expressions of interest described elsewhere in this prospectus or otherwise. The private placement units will be worthless if we do not complete our initial business combination. The personal and financial interests of our officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following our initial business combination. This risk may become more acute as the end of the 24 months following the closing of this offering nears.
Our sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per founder share, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our Class A ordinary shares to the benefit of our sponsor and certain of our directors and officers.
The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the Class A ordinary shares and none to the warrant included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per Class A ordinary share after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon the closing of this offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units, you and the other public shareholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 109.80% (or $10.98 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering of $(0.98) (assuming maximum redemption) and the initial offering price of $10.00 per unit. This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the founder shares result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the founder shares at the time of our initial business combination and would become exacerbated to the extent that public shareholders seek redemptions from the trust for their public shares. In addition, because of the anti-dilution protection in the founder shares, any equity or equity-linked securities issued in connection with our initial business combination would be disproportionately dilutive to our Class A ordinary shares. Moreover, although we are of the view that our sponsor paid fair value for the founder shares, there is no assurance that a taxing authority would agree with us, and if a taxing authority were to successfully assert otherwise, we may be subject to material withholding and other tax liabilities that could adversely affect our financial condition.
The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may significantly dilute the implied value of your public shares in the event we consummate an initial business combination, and our sponsor is likely to make a substantial profit on its investment in us in the event we consummate an initial business combination, even if the business combination causes the trading price of our ordinary shares to decline materially.
While we are offering our units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit and the amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share, implying an initial value of $10.00 per public share, our sponsor paid only a nominal aggregate purchase price of $25,000 for the founder shares, or approximately $0.004 per share. As a result, the value of your public shares may be significantly diluted in the event we consummate an initial business combination. Our sponsor has committed to invest an aggregate of $4,525,000 in us in connection with this offering, comprised of the $25,000 purchase price for the founder shares and the $4,500,000 purchase price for the private placement units. As a result, even if the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares significantly declines, our sponsor will stand to make significant profit on its investment in us. In addition, our sponsor could potentially recoup its entire investment in us if the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares is $0.78 or more per share, even if our sponsor is required to forfeit all of the unvested founder shares and even if the private placement warrants contained in the private placement units are worthless. As a result, our sponsor is likely to make a substantial profit on its investment in us even if we select and consummate an initial business combination that causes the trading price of our ordinary shares to decline, while our public shareholders who purchased their units in this offering could lose significant value in their public shares. Our sponsor may therefore be economically incentivized to consummate an initial business combination with a riskier, weaker performing or less established target business than would be the case if our sponsor had paid the same per share price for the founder shares as our public shareholders paid for their public shares. The sponsor
58
non-managing members will share in any appreciation of the founder shares through their membership interests in the sponsor if we successfully complete a business combination. Accordingly, sponsor non-managing members’ interests in the founder shares owned by them indirectly through their membership interests in the sponsor may provide them with an incentive to vote any public shares they own in favor of a business combination, and make a substantial profit on such interests, even if the business combination is with a target that ultimately declines in value and is not profitable for other public shareholders.
The value of the founder shares following completion of our initial business combination is likely to be substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our ordinary shares at such time is substantially less than $10.00 per public share.
Upon the closing of this offering and assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option, our sponsor and the sponsor non-managing members (if any) will have invested in us an aggregate of $4,525,000 comprised of the $25,000 purchase price for the founder shares and the $4,500,000 purchase price for the private placement units. Assuming a trading price of $10.00 per public share upon consummation of our initial business combination, the 5,320,000 founder shares would have an aggregate implied value of $53,200,000. Even if the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares were as low as $0.78 per share, and the private placement warrants are worthless, the value of the founder shares would be equal to our sponsor’s, and the sponsor non-managing members’ (if any) aggregate initial investment in us. As a result, our sponsor is, and the sponsor non-managing members (if any) are likely to be able to make a substantial profit on its investment in us at a time when our public shares have lost significant value. Accordingly, members of our management team, who own interests in our sponsor, may be more willing to pursue a business combination with a riskier or less-established target business than would be the case if our sponsor had paid the same per share price for the founder shares as our public shareholders paid for their public shares. In addition, our sponsor non-managing members (if any) may have different interests than other public shareholders due to their additional upfront investment in the company and their membership interests in the sponsor.
We may seek acquisition opportunities in any business or industry (which business or industry may or may not be outside of our management’s areas of expertise).
We may pursue an initial business combination target in any business or industry. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in any particular business combination candidate, we cannot assure you that we will adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors in this offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a business combination candidate. In the event we elect to pursue an acquisition, our management’s expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation. As a result, our management may not be able to adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following our business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
Our officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for an initial business combination and their other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Each of our officers is engaged in other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. Our independent directors may also serve as officers or board members for other entities. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination. For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs, please see the section of this prospectus entitled “Management — Directors, Director Nominees and Executive Officers.”
59
Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Our sponsor and its affiliates and our officers and directors are, and may in the future become, affiliated with entities (such as operating companies or investment vehicles) that are engaged in a similar business, including other SPACs before we have entered into a definitive agreement regarding our initial business combination.
Our officers and directors also may become aware of business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us and the other entities to which they owe certain fiduciary or contractual duties.
In addition, our management team and sponsor are, and/or may in the future become affiliated with other SPACs or other entities that may have acquisition objectives that are similar to ours. For example, all but one member of our management team is an officer and/or director of Newbury Street I, which is a blank check company incorporated in Delaware for the purpose of effecting its own business combination, and each of those officers and directors owes fiduciary duties under Delaware law to Newbury Street I. Our management team and sponsor are also not prohibited from sponsoring, investing or otherwise becoming involved with, any other blank check companies, including in connection with their initial business combinations, prior to us completing our initial business combination. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law: (i) 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 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 may be a corporate opportunity for to any director or officer on the one hand, and us, on the other.
For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ business affiliations and the potential conflicts of interest that you should be aware of, please see the sections of this prospectus entitled “Management — Directors, Director Nominees and Executive Officers,” “Management — Conflicts of Interest” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”
Our officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates may have competitive pecuniary interests that conflict with our interests.
We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or affiliates from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact, we may enter into an initial business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor or its affiliates, our directors or officers, although we do not intend to do so. We do not have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.
We may engage in an initial business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with members of our management team or our sponsor or existing holders which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
In light of the involvement of our sponsor and its affiliates and our management team, on the one hand, with other entities, on the other hand, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor and its affiliates or our management team. Our directors and officers also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Management — Conflicts of Interest.” Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. Our sponsor and management team are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our initial business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no preliminary discussions concerning an initial
60
business combination with any such entity or entities. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria for an initial business combination as set forth in the section of this prospectus entitled “Proposed Business — Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of our Initial Business Combination” and such transaction was approved by a majority of our disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, regarding the fairness to our shareholders from a financial point of view of an initial business combination with one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor, management or existing holders, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the initial business combination may not be as advantageous to our public shareholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.
Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination.
We may structure an initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for us not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We will not consider any transaction that does not meet such criteria. Even if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the initial business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new Class A ordinary shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new ordinary shares, our shareholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding ordinary shares subsequent to such transaction. In addition, other minority shareholders may subsequently combine their holdings resulting in a single person or group obtaining a larger share of the company’s stock than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that our management will not be able to maintain our control of the target business. We cannot provide assurance that, upon loss of control of a target business, new management will possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be totally dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. The role of our key personnel in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory positions following our initial business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we employ after our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct.
These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a company regulated by the SEC, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements. In addition, the officers and directors of an initial business combination candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The departure of an initial business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business. The role of an initial business combination candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an initial business combination candidate’s management team will remain associated with the initial business combination candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an initial business combination candidate will not wish to remain in place. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
61
We are dependent upon our executive officers and directors, and their departure or loss could adversely affect our ability to operate.
Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, our executive officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our executive officers and directors, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or executive officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or executive officers could have a detrimental effect on us.
We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or executive officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or executive officers could have a detrimental effect on us.
Our 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 business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is the most advantageous.
Our key personnel may be able to remain with our company after the completion of our business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to us after the completion of the business combination. Such negotiations also could make such key personnel’s retention or resignation a condition to any such agreement. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business.
Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us, including another blank check company, and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Our sponsor and officers and directors are, or may in the future become, affiliated with entities (such as operating companies or investment vehicles) that are engaged in a similar business. We do not have employment contracts with our officers and directors that will limit their ability to work at other businesses. In addition, certain of our officers and directors are now, or some may in the future, participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, other blank check companies prior to completion of our initial business combination. Since 2021, Thomas Bushey, our Chief Executive Officer and a director of our company, has served as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Newbury Street Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC, and Matthew Hong, the Chairman of our Board of Directors, has served as Chairman of the Board of Newbury Street Acquisition Corporation. As a result, our sponsor, officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other blank check company with which they may become involved. Our sponsor, officers and directors have complete discretion, subject to applicable fiduciary duties, as to which blank check company they choose to pursue a business combination and the order in which they pursue business combinations for any of their existing or future blank check companies. As a result, our sponsor, officers and directors may pursue business combinations for blank check companies that it has sponsored in any order, which could result in its more recent blank check companies completing business combinations prior to its blank check companies that were launched earlier. There are no contractual obligations governing the allocation of opportunities among the various blank check companies. Any determination as to which blank check company will pursue a particular acquisition target will be made based on the circumstances of the particular situation, including but not limited to the relative sizes of the blank check companies compared to the sizes of the targets, the need or desire for additional financings and the relevant experience of the directors and officers involved with a particular blank check company.
62
As described in “Proposed Business — Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” and “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Please see “Management — Officers, Directors and Director Nominees,” “Management — Conflicts of Interest” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” for a discussion of our officers’ and directors’ business affiliations and potential conflicts of interest.
Members of our management team and companies affiliated with them have been, and may from time to time become, involved in legal proceedings, litigation, governmental investigations or other proceedings, including related to those affiliated companies or otherwise which are unrelated to our business. 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 companies affiliated with them have been involved in a wide variety of businesses due to their experience serving as founders, board members, officers, executive or employees of other companies. Such involvement has, and may lead to, media coverage and public awareness. As a result of such involvement, members of our management team and companies affiliated with them have been, and may from time to time become, involved in legal proceedings, litigation, governmental investigations or other proceedings, including related to those affiliated companies or otherwise which are unrelated to our business. Any such proceedings or investigations may be detrimental to our or their reputation or result in other negative consequences or damages, which could negatively affect our ability to identify and complete an initial business combination and may have an adverse effect on the price of our securities.
A conflict of interest may arise from the need to obtain the consent of our sponsor to our business combination.
Our sponsor will not cause us to enter into any agreements with respect to our initial business combination without its approval. Interests of our sponsor or its affiliates may conflict with those of the rest of the shareholders, and our sponsor can prevent us from consummating a business combination if they do not wish to proceed with such business combination, even if such business combination might be in the best interest of our public shareholders.
We may not hold an annual general meeting until after the consummation of our initial business combination, which could delay the opportunity for our public shareholders to discuss company affairs with management, and the holders of our Class A ordinary shares will not have the right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors or continuing the company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands until after the consummation of our initial business combination.
In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual general meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. There is no requirement under the Companies Act for us to hold annual or extraordinary general meetings to appoint directors. Until we hold an annual general meeting, public shareholders may not be afforded the opportunity to discuss company affairs with management or elect directors. Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being appointed in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term. In addition, as holders of our Class A ordinary shares, our public shareholders will not have the right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors or continuing the company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands until after the consummation of our initial business combination.
63
Our initial shareholders will control the appointment and removal of our board of directors until consummation of our initial business combination and will hold a substantial interest in us. As a result, they will appoint and remove all of our directors prior to our initial business combination and may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote and board approval, potentially in a manner that you do not support.
Upon closing of this offering, our sponsor will own approximately 22% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares (including the Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units and assuming our sponsor does not purchase any public shares in this offering, without giving effect to the public shares, founder shares and Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units which may be acquired by the investors who have expressed interest in purchasing them). Accordingly, they may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. This potential concentration of influence could be disadvantageous to other shareholders with interests different from those of our sponsor. To the extent that any non-managing sponsor members acquire membership interests in the sponsor, they will only be issued membership interests in the sponsor, and they will have no right to control the sponsor or vote or dispose of any securities held by the sponsor. In addition, the founder shares, all of which are held by our sponsor, will entitle the holders to appoint all of our directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination. Holders of our public shares will have no right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors during such time. Further, prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote on continuing our company 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 provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended if approved by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of our initial business combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. As a result, you will not have any influence over the appointment or removal of directors prior to our initial business combination or any influence over our continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands prior to our initial business combination. If our sponsor purchases any units in this offering or if our sponsor purchases any additional Class A ordinary shares in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase its control. Neither our sponsor nor, to our knowledge, any of our officers or directors, have any current intention to purchase additional securities, other than as disclosed in this prospectus. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, our board of directors, whose members were appointed by our sponsor, is and will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term for three years with only one class of directors being appointed in each year. We may not hold an annual or extraordinary general meeting to appoint new directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the completion of the business combination. If there is an annual general meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for appointment and our sponsor, because of its ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. In addition, since only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on directors prior to our initial business combination, our initial shareholders will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination. Accordingly, our sponsor will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination.
Because we are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, you may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. federal courts may be limited.
We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon our directors or executive officers, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against our directors or officers.
Our corporate affairs will be governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act and the common law of the Cayman Islands. We will also be subject to the federal securities laws of the United States. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the
64
common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English common law, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are different from what they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and certain states, such as Delaware, may have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholders’ derivative action in a Federal court of the United States.
We have been advised by Ogier (Cayman) LLP, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is currently no statutory enforcement or treaty between the United States and the Cayman Islands providing for enforcement of judgments obtained in the United States. The courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive, given by a court of competent jurisdiction (the courts of the Cayman Islands will apply the rules of the Cayman Islands private international law to determine whether the foreign court is a court of competent jurisdiction), and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, and or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands Furthermore, it is uncertain that Cayman Islands courts would enforce: (1) judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions against us or other persons that are predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws; or (2) original actions brought against us or other persons predicated upon the Securities Act. Ogier (Cayman) LLP has informed us that there is uncertainty with regard to Cayman Islands law relating to whether a judgment obtained from the U.S. courts under civil liability provisions of the securities laws will be determined by the courts of the Cayman Islands as penal, punitive in nature. A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.
As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a United States company.
Risks Relating to Our Securities
We may issue our shares to investors in connection with our initial business combination at a price which is less than the prevailing market price of our shares at that time.
In connection with our initial business combination, we may issue shares to investors in private placement transactions (so-called PIPE transactions) at a price of $10.00 per share or less, or at a price which approximates the per-share amounts in our trust account at such time. The purpose of such issuances will be to enable us to provide sufficient liquidity to the post-business combination entity. The price of the shares we issue may therefore be less, and potentially significantly less, than the market price for our shares at such time.
If we issue new shares to investors in connection with our initial business combination at a price which is less than the prevailing market price of our shares at that time, you will not have certain warrant exercise price protections that other blank check companies provide.
Many blank check companies have provisions in their warrant agreements which facilitate the downward adjustment of the warrant exercise price if they issue securities below a certain threshold amount, generally $9.20 per share, subject to certain additional conditions including that the amount sold at such price be a certain percentage of the total amount raised in connection with the initial business combination and that the volume weighted average
65
price per share for a certain time period following the initial business combination be below a certain price. We do not have such a provision in our warrant agreement. As a result, to the extent we choose to issue any such shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination at a value materially less than the $10.00 per unit at which we are offering them under the prospectus of which this registration statement forms a part, there would be no adjustment to your warrant exercise price (aside from typical anti-dilution adjustments that may be applicable), which adjustment would typically be 115% of the lower share price. This increases the risk that you may be unable to profitably exercise your warrants for our Class A ordinary shares, as the warrant exercise price will remain higher than it would have otherwise, and your investment in us will be at greater risk of generating a loss.
You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with our completion of an initial business combination (including the release of funds to pay any amounts due to any public shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights in connection therewith), (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, or (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering, 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 in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
Nasdaq may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
We intend to apply to have our units listed on Nasdaq. We expect that our units will be listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. Following the date our Class A ordinary shares and warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that our Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be separately listed on Nasdaq. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. Although after giving effect to this offering we expect to meet, on a pro forma basis, the minimum initial listing standards set forth in the Nasdaq listing standards, we cannot assure you that our securities will be, or will continue to be, listed on Nasdaq in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on Nasdaq prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and share price levels. Generally, we must maintain an average global market capitalization and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 400 public holders). Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with Nasdaq’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on Nasdaq. For instance, our share price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share and we would be required to have a minimum of 400 round lot holders of our securities. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.
If Nasdaq delists any of our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list such securities on another national securities exchange, we expect such securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
• a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;
• reduced liquidity for our securities;
• a determination that our Class A ordinary shares are a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our Class A ordinary shares to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities;
66
• a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and
• a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because we expect that our units and eventually our Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq, our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be covered securities. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case.
Certain state securities regulators view blank check companies unfavorably and might use these powers, or threaten to use these powers, to hinder the sale of securities of blank check companies in their states. Further, if we were no longer listed on Nasdaq, our securities would not be covered securities and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities, including in connection with our initial business combination.
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units are intended to be used to complete an initial business combination with a target business that has not been selected, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the United States securities laws. However, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means our units will be immediately tradable and we have a longer period of time to complete our initial business combination than do companies subject to Rule 419. Moreover, if this offering were subject to Rule 419, that rule would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless and until the funds in the trust account were released to us in connection with our completion of an initial business combination. For a more detailed comparison of our offering to offerings that comply with Rule 419, please see “Proposed Business — Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.”
Since only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors, upon the listing of our shares on Nasdaq, Nasdaq will consider us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq rules and, as a result, we may qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.
After completion of this offering and prior to the consummation of a business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors. As a result, Nasdaq will consider us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq corporate governance standards. Under Nasdaq corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the appointment of directors is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirements that:
• we have a board that includes a majority of “independent directors,” as defined under the rules of Nasdaq; and
• we have a compensation committee of our board that is comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities.
We currently do not intend to rely on the “controlled company” exemption, but may do so in the future. Accordingly, if we choose to do so, you will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements.
67
If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements, they may not be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account, including, but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Making such a request of potential target businesses may make our acquisition proposal less attractive to them and, to the extent prospective target businesses refuse to execute such a waiver, it may limit the field of potential target businesses that we might pursue.
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 we are unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders could be less than the $10.00 per public share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Pursuant to the letter agreement, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party that executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
Our directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public shareholders.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of taxes payable, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations.
68
While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment, and subject where relevant to their fiduciary duties, may choose not to do so in any particular instance. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public shareholders may be reduced below $10.00 per share.
If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a winding up petition or a winding up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a liquidator or a bankruptcy or other court may seek to recover such proceeds, and the members of our board of directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to us or our creditors, thereby potentially exposing the members of our board of directors and us to claims of punitive damages.
If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a winding up petition or a winding up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or insolvency laws as a “voidable preference” or a “fraudulent conveyance, preference or disposition.” As a result, a liquidator or a bankruptcy or other court could seek to challenge the transaction and recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. In addition, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to us or our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a winding up petition or a winding up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority over the claims of our shareholders and the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our shareholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a winding up petition or a winding up 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 liquidation or bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any liquidation or bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our shareholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.
Our shareholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.
If we are forced to enter into an insolvent liquidation, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed as an unlawful payment if it was proved that immediately following the date on which the distribution was made, we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. As a result, a liquidator could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to us or our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, thereby exposing themselves and our company to claims, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons. We and our directors and officers who knowingly and willfully authorized or permitted any distribution to be paid out of our share premium account while we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business would be guilty of an offence and may be liable to a fine of $18,293 and to imprisonment for five years in the Cayman Islands, or both.
You will not be permitted to exercise your warrants unless we register and qualify the issuance of the underlying Class A ordinary shares or certain exemptions are available.
We are registering the issuance of Class A ordinary shares that are issuable upon exercise of the warrants because the warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of the initial business combination, which may be within one year of this offering. However, because the warrants will be exercisable until their expiration date of up to five years after the completion of the initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation, in order to comply with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act following the consummation of the 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 the initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of
69
which this prospectus forms a part or a new registration statement registering, under the Securities Act, the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants. We will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration or redemption of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. 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 it satisfies 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, but we will be required to use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. To exercise warrants on a cashless basis, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants in exchange for a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of (i) the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, and (ii) the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) such fair market value. Solely for purposes of the preceding sentence, “fair market value” shall mean the 10-day average trading price ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the issuance of such shares under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws, and there is no exemption available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant shall not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire without value to the holder. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the Class A ordinary shares included in the units. If and when the public warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the issuance of any underlying Class A ordinary shares for sale under all applicable state securities laws.
The grant of registration rights to our initial shareholders may make it more difficult to complete our initial business combination, and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our Class A ordinary shares.
Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, we have agreed with our initial shareholders to register the Class A ordinary shares into which founder shares are convertible, the private placement units (including the underlying securities and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants), any Class A ordinary shares held upon the completion of this offering or acquired prior to or in connection with our initial business combination and units (and their underlying securities) that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans or the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants. Assuming the founder shares convert on a one for one basis, that no units are issued upon conversion of working capital loans and that our initial shareholders do not hold any Class A ordinary shares other than the private placement shares at the completion of this offering and do not acquire any shares prior to or in connection with our initial business combination, an aggregate of up to 620,000 Class A ordinary shares and up to 310,000 warrants (or up to 680,000 Class A ordinary shares and up to 340,000 warrants if the overallotment option is exercised in full) are subject to registration under these agreements.
We will bear the cost of registering these securities. The registration and availability of such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, the existence of the registration rights may make our initial business combination more costly or difficult to conclude. This is because the shareholders of the target business may increase the equity stake they seek in the combined entity or ask for more cash consideration to offset the negative impact on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares that is expected when the securities owned by our initial shareholders or their permitted transferees are registered.
70
We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the warrant could be converted into cash or shares (at a ratio different than initially provided), the exercise period could be shortened and the number of our Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without your approval.
Our warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants.
Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or shares (at a ratio different than initially provided), shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of our Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.
We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants without value to the holder.
We have the ability to redeem the outstanding public warrants beginning 30 days after completion of our initial business combination and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the last reported sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we give proper notice of such redemption and provided certain other conditions are met. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the issuance of any underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem the warrants as set forth above even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise the warrants. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you (i) to exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) to sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) to accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants.
Our warrants and founder shares may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares and make it more difficult to effectuate our business combination.
We will be issuing warrants to purchase 10,000,000 Class A ordinary shares (or up to 11,500,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full) as part of the units offered by this prospectus and, simultaneously with the closing of this offering, we will be issuing in a private placement an aggregate of 620,000 private placement units (or up to 680,000 private placement units if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full), each unit containing one private placement share and one-half of one private placement warrant, each warrant exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share. Our initial shareholders currently own an aggregate of 6,118,000 founder shares, of which up to 798,000 shares are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised.
The founder shares are convertible into Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and subject to further adjustment as set forth herein. In addition, if our sponsor makes any working capital loans, it may convert those loans into up to an additional 150,000 private placement units, at the price of $10.00 per unit. To the extent we issue Class A ordinary shares to effectuate a business combination, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of these warrants could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Any such issuance will increase the number of issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares and reduce the value of the Class A ordinary shares issued to complete the business combination. Therefore, our warrants and founder shares may make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
71
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 blank check companies.
Each unit contains one-half of one warrant. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, no fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units, and only whole warrants will trade. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include Class A ordinary shares and one warrant to purchase one whole share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for one-half of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive business combination for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if they included a warrant to purchase one whole share.
Our warrant agreement will designate the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our warrants, which could limit the ability of warrantholders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.
Our warrant agreement will provide that, subject to applicable law, (i) any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement, including under the Securities Act, will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and (ii) that we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. We will waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. We note, however, that there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce this provision and that investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for state and federal courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, these provisions of the public warrant agreement will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our public warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our public warrant agreement. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope of the forum provisions of the public warrant agreement is filed in a court other than a court 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 (a “foreign action”) in the name of any holder of our public warrants, such holder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in the State of New York in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the forum provisions, and (y) having service of process made upon such warrantholder in any such action brought in such court to enforce the forum provisions by service upon such warrantholder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such warrantholder.
This choice-of-forum provision may limit a warrantholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with our company, which may discourage such lawsuits. Warrantholders who are unable to bring their claims in the judicial forum of their choosing may be required to incur additional costs in pursuit of actions which are subject to our choice-of-forum provisions. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our public warrant agreement inapplicable or unenforceable with respect to one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and result in a diversion of the time and resources of our management and board of directors.
The determination of the offering price of our units and the size of this offering is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities and size of an offering of an operating company in a particular industry. You may have less assurance, therefore, that the offering price of our units properly reflects the value of such units than you would have in a typical offering of an operating company.
Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants were negotiated between us and the underwriter. In determining the size of this offering, management held customary organizational meetings with underwriter with respect to the state of capital
72
markets, generally, and the amount the underwriter believed it reasonably could raise on our behalf. Factors considered in determining the size of this offering, prices and terms of the units, including the Class A ordinary shares and warrants underlying the units, include:
• the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies;
• prior offerings of those companies;
• our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values;
• a review of debt to equity ratios in leveraged transactions;
• our capital structure;
• an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies;
• general conditions of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and
• other factors as were deemed relevant.
Although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities of an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results.
We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete a business combination with which a substantial majority of our shareholders do not agree.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold. As a result, we may be able to complete our business combination even though a substantial majority of our public shareholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.
There is currently no market for our securities and a market for our securities may not develop, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities.
There is currently no market for our securities. Shareholders therefore have no access to information about prior market history on which to base their investment decision. Following this offering, the price of our securities may vary significantly due to one or more potential business combinations and general market or economic conditions. Furthermore, an active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established and sustained.
If you exercise your warrants on a “cashless basis,” you will receive fewer Class A ordinary shares from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.
There are circumstances in which the exercise of the warrants may be required or permitted to be made on a “cashless basis.” 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 our Class A ordinary shares satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. To exercise warrants on a cashless basis, each holder would pay the exercise price
73
by surrendering the warrants in exchange for a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of (i) the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, and (ii) the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) such fair market value. Solely for the purposes of the preceding sentence, “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares shall mean the 10-day average trading price ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent.
We may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and officers or our sponsor and its members (present and former), managers and affiliates and their respective present and former officers and directors.
We have agreed to indemnify our officers and directors, and our sponsor and its members (present and former), managers and affiliates and their respective present and future officers and directors, to the fullest extent permitted by law. However, our officers and directors, and our sponsor and its members (present and former), managers and affiliates and their respective present and future officers and directors, have agreed, and any persons who may become officers or directors prior to the initial business combination will agree, to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account and to not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will be able to be satisfied by us only if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination. Our indemnification obligations may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our shareholders. Furthermore, a shareholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
Unlike some other similarly structured blank check companies, our initial shareholders will receive additional Class A ordinary shares if we issue shares to consummate an initial business combination.
The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination (with such conversion taking place immediately prior to, simultaneously with, or immediately following the time of our initial business combination, as may be determined by our directors), or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities convertible or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in this offering and related to the closing of the initial business combination, the ratio at which founder shares will convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the sum of our ordinary shares outstanding upon completion of this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units) plus the number of Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, or issuable upon the conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, in connection with our initial business combination, excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in our initial business combination and any Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units or private placement warrants issued to our sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans.
An investment in our securities, and certain subsequent transactions with respect to our securities, may result in uncertain or adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences for an investor.
An investment in our securities, and certain subsequent transactions with respect to our securities, may result in uncertain or adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences for an investor. For instance, because there is no authority that directly addresses the U.S. federal income tax implications of instruments similar to the units we are issuing in this offering, the allocation an investor makes of the purchase price of a unit between the Class A ordinary share and the partial public warrant to purchase Class A ordinary shares included in each unit could be challenged by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) or the courts. Furthermore, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of public warrants is unclear under current law. Additionally, it is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to our Class A ordinary shares suspend the running of a U.S. Holder’s (as defined in the section captioned “Certain Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holder and Non-U.S. Holder
74
Defined” below) holding period for purposes of determining whether any gain or loss realized by such holder on the sale or exchange of Class A ordinary shares is long-term capital gain or loss and for determining whether any dividend we pay would be eligible for favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment. See “Certain Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” below for a summary of the principal U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in our securities. Each prospective investor is urged to consult with and rely solely upon its own tax advisors with respect to these and other tax consequences when purchasing, holding or disposing of our securities.
Whether a redemption of Class A ordinary shares will be treated as a sale of such Class A ordinary shares for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on a shareholder’s specific facts.
The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a redemption of Class A ordinary shares will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as a sale of such Class A ordinary shares under Section 302(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), which will depend largely on the total number of our shares treated as held by the shareholder electing to redeem Class A ordinary shares (including any shares constructively owned by the holder as a result of owning private placement warrants or public warrants or otherwise) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after the redemption. If such redemption is not treated as a sale of Class A ordinary shares for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the redemption will instead be treated as a corporate distribution of cash from us. For more information about the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the redemption of Class A ordinary shares, see the sections entitled “Certain Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — Considerations for U.S. Holders — Redemption or Repurchase of Class A Ordinary Shares for Cash” or “Certain Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders — Redemption or Repurchase of Class A Ordinary Shares for Cash,” as applicable.
We are likely to be treated as a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”), which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors.
If we are treated as a PFIC for any taxable year in which a U.S. Holder holds our Class A ordinary shares or warrants (regardless of whether we remain a PFIC for subsequent taxable years), such U.S. Holder may be subject to certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences and may be subject to additional reporting requirements. Our PFIC status for our current and subsequent taxable years may depend on, among other things, the timing of our business combination, the amount of our passive income and assets in the year of the business combination, whether we combine with a U.S. or non-U.S. target company, and the amount of passive income and assets of the acquired business. Our actual PFIC status for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. However, we anticipate that we are likely to be treated as a PFIC in our current taxable year.
If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, upon written request by a U.S. Holder, we will endeavor to provide to such U.S. Holder such information as the IRS may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable such U.S. Holder to make and maintain a “qualified electing fund” (“QEF”) election with respect to its Class A ordinary shares, but there is no assurance that we will timely provide such required information. Furthermore, a U.S. Holder may not make a QEF election with respect to its warrants to acquire our Class A ordinary shares. The rules dealing with PFICs and with the QEF election are very complex and are affected by various factors in addition to those described in this prospectus. Accordingly, U.S. investors are strongly urged to consult with and rely solely upon their own tax advisors regarding the application of the PFIC rules to them in their particular circumstances.
For a more detailed discussion of the PFIC rules and the related tax considerations for U.S. Holders, see the section of this prospectus captioned “Certain Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — Considerations for U.S. Holders — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”
We may, without prior notice or shareholder approval, change our jurisdiction of incorporation, which may result in adverse legal, tax or other consequences to us, our shareholders and/or warrantholders.
We may, without prior notice or shareholder approval, change our jurisdiction of incorporation for any reason. We might change our jurisdiction of incorporation in anticipation of executing an agreement to consummate an initial business combination or the closing of an initial business combination; however, we are not limited from doing so at any other time or for any other reason. We may change our jurisdiction of incorporation in order to facilitate an initial business combination or our post-business combination holding structure. For example, if we anticipate signing an
75
agreement to consummate an initial business combination with a target that is organized in the United States, we may change our jurisdiction of incorporation to Delaware prior to the execution of such agreement and without prior notice to or approval of our shareholders.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association permits us to change our jurisdiction of incorporation after approval by our board of directors. We are not required to notify our shareholders prior to such change or to seek the approval of our shareholders if we change our jurisdiction of incorporation prior to our initial business combination, and we anticipate that we will not be required to register such transaction under the Securities Act. If, however, we reincorporate to another jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands in connection with our initial business combination, and if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we anticipate that such transaction will be registered under the Securities Act. To effect the change in our jurisdiction of incorporation, we would deregister as an exempted company in the Cayman Islands and continue and domesticate as a body corporate limited by shares under the laws of another jurisdiction. In connection therewith, we expect that our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares would be exchanged for an equal number of corresponding Class A or Class B ordinary shares or common shares, as applicable, of our successor entity, and our warrants would become exercisable for Class A common or ordinary shares of our successor entity. We expect that the Class A and Class B ordinary shares or common shares in our successor entity would have rights substantially similar to those of our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. However, the system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws of the new jurisdiction of our incorporation may not be as favorable to you as a shareholder as the laws of the Cayman Islands.
Although we will attempt to structure any change in our jurisdiction of incorporation in a tax-efficient manner (including, if possible, in a manner that is tax-deferred for U.S. federal income tax purposes), tax structuring considerations are complex, the relevant facts and law may be uncertain and may change, we may prioritize commercial and other considerations over tax considerations, and we may prioritize company-level tax considerations over the tax considerations of our shareholders and warrantholders. As a result, the change in our jurisdiction of incorporation may have adverse tax consequences to us or to our shareholders and warrantholders, including the recognition of substantial gain for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and because you may not have prior notice of our change in jurisdiction, you may not be able to avoid such consequences. For example, under certain circumstances, including if we are treated as a PFIC, a U.S. Holder may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain or a deemed dividend upon the exchange of our ordinary shares or warrants for our successor’s shares or warrants, and such taxes may be substantial. For a more detailed discussion of the PFIC rules and the related tax considerations for U.S. Holders, see the section of this prospectus captioned “Certain Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — Considerations for U.S. Holders — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”
In addition to the immediate consequences of a change in our jurisdiction of incorporation, holding our successor’s shares or warrants following a change in our jurisdiction of incorporation could have different, potentially adverse, consequences as compared to those of holding our shares or warrants prior to any such change. For example, if we were to change our jurisdiction of incorporation from the Cayman Islands to Delaware, this could have a number of adverse consequences to Non-U.S. Holders who own our successor’s shares or warrants by exposing them to U.S. taxation and reporting obligations, such as the taxation of dividends from our successor or the taxation of dispositions of our successor’s shares or warrants. Because such persons may not have prior notice of our change in jurisdiction, they may not be able to change the manner in which they hold our shares or warrants or dispose of our shares or warrants prior to any such change in our jurisdiction of incorporation, and therefore such persons may not be able to avoid any adverse consequences of holding our successor’s shares or warrants after such change.
Further, it is possible that we would change our jurisdiction of incorporation in anticipation of consummating a specific business combination but not complete that business combination for any number of reasons. If we are unable to consummate a business combination with a specific business combination target following such a change in our jurisdiction of incorporation, our new jurisdiction of incorporation could have disadvantages to us or our shareholders and/or warrantholders, particularly if we subsequently pursue a business combination with a target that is incorporated in a different jurisdiction. In such circumstances, we may not be competitive with other SPACs incorporated in the Cayman Islands when pursuing certain target companies, the consummation of our initial business combination could be more complex, or it may be more difficult to structure such an initial business combination in a tax-efficient manner. For example, we may change our jurisdiction of incorporation to the United States in anticipation of a business combination with a U.S. target company but ultimately effect our initial business combination with a non-U.S. target company. In such a case, we may be unable to structure our initial business combination in a tax-deferred manner, and our shareholders and/or warrantholders may be required to pay substantial U.S. federal income or other taxes in
76
connection with the consummation of the initial business combination. In addition, the initial business combination may result in tax inefficiencies for the post-business combination company, including that, if the post-business combination company is organized outside of the United States, it may nevertheless be treated as a U.S. corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which treatment may result in substantial tax inefficiencies for both the post-business combination company and for our shareholders and/or warrantholders.
We cannot assure you when or whether we will change our jurisdiction of incorporation or, if we do change our jurisdiction of incorporation, the jurisdiction in which we will ultimately be incorporated. Accordingly, there is significant uncertainty as to the legal, tax and other considerations that may be applicable to us or to our shareholders and warrantholders, and we cannot provide you with specific or comprehensive examples of such potential consequences. The rules governing a change in our jurisdiction of incorporation and the transactions that may occur in connection with our initial business combination are complex, and the consequences arising from such rules or transactions will depend on a holder’s particular circumstances and on the circumstances surrounding our change in jurisdiction and initial business combination. All investors considering a purchase of units in this offering are urged to consult with and rely solely upon their own legal and tax advisors regarding the potential consequences to them of any change in our jurisdiction of incorporation.
If our initial business combination involves a company organized under the laws of the United States (or any subdivision thereof), a U.S. federal excise tax could be imposed on us in connection with any redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares after or in connection with such initial business combination.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides for, among other things, a new 1% U.S. federal excise tax on certain repurchases (including redemptions) of stock by publicly traded U.S. corporations after December 31, 2022 (the “stock buyback tax”), subject to certain exceptions. If applicable, the amount of the stock buyback tax is generally 1% of the aggregate fair market value of any stock repurchased by the corporation during a taxable year, net of the aggregate fair market value of certain new stock issuances by the repurchasing corporation during the same taxable year. The Biden administration has proposed increasing the stock buyback tax rate from 1% to 4%; however, it is unclear whether such a change will be enacted and, if enacted, how soon it could take effect. In addition, the U.S. Treasury Department and IRS have released preliminary guidance that would potentially cause a non-U.S. corporation’s U.S. subsidiaries to be subject to the stock buyback tax with respect to any share repurchases made by the non-U.S. corporation under certain circumstances.
As an entity incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company, the stock buyback tax is currently not expected to apply to redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares (absent any regulations or other additional guidance that may be issued in the future). However, in connection with an initial business combination involving a company organized under the laws of the United States (or any subdivision thereof), it is possible that we domesticate and continue as a Delaware corporation prior to certain redemptions. Because we expect that, following such a domestication, our securities would continue to trade on Nasdaq, in such a case we could be subject to the stock buyback tax with respect to any subsequent redemptions (including redemptions in connection with the initial business combination) that are treated as repurchases for this purpose. In all cases, whether and to what extent we would be subject to the stock buyback tax will depend on a number of factors, including (i) the structure of the initial business combination, including the extent to which the initial business combination involves a U.S. corporation and the extent to which we issue shares in the initial business combination or otherwise during the same taxable year that are eligible to offset any redemptions or other repurchases, (ii) the fair market value of the shares redeemed and (iii) the extent such redemptions could be treated as dividends and not as repurchases. The applicability of the stock buyback tax to us could be further affected by the content of any regulations, clarifications or other additional guidance from the U.S. Treasury Department that may be issued and applicable to the redemptions.
Any stock buyback tax that becomes payable as a result of any redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares (or other shares into which such Class A ordinary shares may be converted) in connection with our initial business combination or otherwise would be payable by us and not by the redeeming holder. To the extent such taxes are applicable, the amount of cash available to pay redemptions or to transfer to the target business in connection with our initial business combination may be reduced, which could result in our inability to meet conditions in the agreement relating to our initial business combination related to a minimum cash requirement, if any, or otherwise result in the shareholders of the combined company (including any of our shareholders who do not exercise their redemption rights in connection with the initial business combination) to economically bear the impact of such stock buyback tax.
77
Provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our Class A ordinary shares and could entrench management.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that shareholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include a staggered board of directors and the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preference shares, which may make the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
The nominal purchase price paid by our initial shareholders for the founder shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination.
We are offering our units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit and the amount in our trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share, implying an initial value of $10.00 per public share. However, prior to this offering, our initial shareholders paid a nominal aggregate purchase price of $25,000 for the founder shares, or approximately $0.004 per share (which does not include the private placement units to be purchased at the date of the offering). As a result, the value of your public shares may be significantly diluted upon the consummation of our initial business combination, when the founder shares are converted into Class A ordinary shares. For example, the following table shows the dilutive effect of the founder shares on the implied value of the public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination assuming that our equity value at that time is $10.00, which is the amount we would have for our initial business combination in the trust account assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised, no interest is earned on the funds held in the trust account, and no public shares are redeemed in connection with our initial business combination, and without taking into account any other potential impacts on our valuation at such time, such as the trading price of our public shares, the business combination transaction costs (excluding payment of $7,000,000 of deferred underwriting commissions assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised), any equity issued or cash paid to the target’s sellers or other third parties, or the target’s business itself, including its assets, liabilities, management and prospects, as well as the value of our public and private placement warrants. At such valuation, each of our ordinary shares would have an implied value of $7.41 per share upon consummation of our initial business combination, which is a 25.9% decrease as compared to the initial implied value per public share of $10.00.
|
Public shares |
|
20,000,000 |
|
|
Founder shares |
|
5,320,000 |
|
|
Private placement shares |
|
620,000 |
|
|
Representative founder shares |
|
100,000 |
|
|
Total shares |
|
26,040,000 |
|
|
Total funds in trust available for initial business combination |
$ |
193,000,000 |
|
|
Initial implied value per public share |
$ |
10.00 |
|
|
Implied value per share upon consummation of initial business combination |
$ |
7.41 |
|
|
Initial shareholders’ investment per share (not including the private placement units) |
$ |
0.004 |
The value of the founder shares following completion of our initial business combination is likely to be substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our ordinary shares at such time is substantially less than $10.00 per public share.
Upon the closing of this offering and assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option, our initial shareholders will have invested in us an aggregate of $4,525,000, comprised of the $25,000 purchase price for the founder shares and the $4,500,000 purchase price for the private placement units. Assuming a trading price of $10.00 per public share upon consummation of our initial business combination, the 5,320,000 founder shares would have an aggregate implied value of $53,200,000. Even if the trading price of our ordinary shares were as low as $0.78 per share, and the private placement units are worthless, the value of the founder shares would be equal to our sponsor’s aggregate initial investment in us. As a result, our sponsor is likely to be able to make a substantial profit on its investment in us at a time when our public shares have lost significant value. Accordingly, members of our management team, who own interests in our sponsor, may be more willing to pursue a business combination with a riskier or less-established target business than would be the case if our sponsor had paid the same per share price for the founder shares as our public shareholders paid for their public shares.
78
General Risk Factors
We are a newly incorporated company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
We are a newly incorporated Cayman Islands exempted company with no operating results, and we will not commence operations until obtaining funding through this offering. Because we lack an operating history, you have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective of completing our initial business combination with one or more target businesses. We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning an initial business combination and may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we fail to complete our initial business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.
We may issue additional 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 Class B ordinary shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our shareholders and likely present other risks.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will authorize the issuance of up to 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and 5,000,000 undesignated preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering, there will be 479,280,000 and 44,680,000 (assuming, in each case, that the underwriters have not exercised their overallotment option) authorized but unissued Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, respectively, available for issuance, which amount does not take into account Class A ordinary shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants or shares issuable upon conversion of Class B ordinary shares. Our Class B ordinary shares are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination (with such conversion taking place immediately prior to, simultaneously with, or immediately following the time of our initial business combination, as may be determined by our directors), or earlier at the option of the holder, initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment and forfeiture as set forth herein. Immediately after the consummation of this offering, there will be no preference shares issued and outstanding. Class B ordinary shares are convertible into our Class A ordinary shares initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth herein, including in certain circumstances in which we issue Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities related to our initial business combination.
We may issue a substantial number of additional ordinary shares or preference shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. However, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, we may not, except in connection with the conversion of Class B ordinary shares into Class A ordinary shares where the holders of such shares have waived any rights to receive funds from the trust account, issue additional ordinary shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination or any other proposal presented to our shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, like all provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may be amended with a shareholder vote. The issuance of additional ordinary shares or preference shares:
• may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering;
• may subordinate the rights of holders of ordinary shares if preference shares are issued with rights senior to those afforded our ordinary shares;
• could cause a change in control if a substantial number of ordinary shares are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and
• may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A ordinary shares and/or warrants.
79
Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination and results of operations.
We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we will be required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly.
Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination and results of operations.
Effective July 1, 2024, the SEC issued final rules relating to, among other items, enhancing disclosures in business combination transactions involving SPACs and private operating companies; amending the financial statement requirements applicable to transactions involving shell companies; effectively limiting the use of projections in SEC filings in connection with proposed business combination transactions; and increasing the potential liability of certain participants in proposed business combination transactions. These rules may materially adversely affect our ability to engage financial and capital market advisors, negotiate and complete our initial business combination and may increase the costs and time related thereto.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
As described in the risk factor above entitled “Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations,” the SEC’s adopting release with respect to the SPAC Rules provided guidance describing the extent to which SPACs could become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act and the regulations thereunder. Whether a SPAC is an investment company will be a question of facts and circumstances. If our facts and circumstances change over time, we will update our disclosure to reflect how those changes impact the risk that we may be considered to be operating as an unregistered investment company. We can give no assurance that a claim will not be made that we have been operating as an unregistered investment company.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may have to change our operations, wind down our operations, or register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Our activities may be restricted, including:
• restrictions on the nature of our investments; and
• restrictions on the issuance of securities, each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
We may also have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including:
• registration as an investment company;
• adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and
• reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations.
In order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading in securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. We are mindful of the SEC’s investment company definition and guidance and intend to identify and complete an initial business combination with an operating business, and not with an investment company, or to acquire minority interests in other businesses exceeding the permitted threshold.
80
We do not believe that our anticipated activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the trust account will initially be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations; the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended business combination. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, we may, at any time (based on our management team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to our potential status under the Investment Company Act), instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank. Our cash held in these accounts may exceed any applicable Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance limits. Should events, including limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments occur with respect to the banks or other financial institutions that hold our funds, or that affect financial institutions or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, the value of the assets in our trust account could be impaired, which could have a material impact on our operating results, liquidity, financial condition and prospects. See “Risk Factors — General Risk Factors — To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we may, at any time (based on our management team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to our potential status under the Investment Company Act), instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank until the earlier of the consummation of an initial business combination or our liquidation.”
Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in securities or assets other than as described above. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. This offering is not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended solely as a temporary depository for funds pending the earliest to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering; or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) absent an initial business combination within 24 months following the closing of this offering, our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public shareholders as part of our redemption of the public shares.
We are aware of litigation claiming that certain SPACs should be considered to be investment companies. Although we believe that these claims were without merit, we cannot guarantee that we will not be deemed to be an investment company and thus subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete an initial business combination or may result in our winding down our operations and our liquidation. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless, and our public shareholders would also lose the possibility of an investment opportunity in a target company as well as any potential price appreciation in the combined company following a business combination.
To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we may, at any time (based on our management team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to our potential status under the Investment Company Act), instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank until the earlier of the consummation of an initial business combination or our liquidation.
The funds to be held in the trust account will, following this offering, be initially held only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less, in money market funds investing solely in U.S. government treasury obligations and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act and in cash or cash like items (including demand deposit accounts) at a bank. However, to mitigate the risk of us being deemed to be an unregistered investment company (including under the subjective test of Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment
81
Company Act) and thus subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act, we may, at any time (based on our management team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to our potential status under the Investment Company Act), instruct Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the trust account, to liquidate the U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds held in the trust account and thereafter to hold all funds in the trust account in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank until the earlier of the consummation of our initial business combination or our liquidation. Following such liquidation, we will likely receive less interest on the funds held in the trust account than we would earn if the trust account remained invested in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. government treasury obligations and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. However, interest previously earned on the funds held in the trust account still may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, and certain other expenses as permitted. As a result, any decision to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and thereafter to hold all funds in the trust account in an interest-bearing demand deposit at a bank could reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption or liquidation of the Company as compared to what they would have received had the investments not been so liquidated.
Notwithstanding the investment activities described above, we may still be deemed to be operating as an investment company at any time since our inception. The longer that the funds in the trust account are held in short-term U.S. government treasury obligations or in money market funds invested exclusively in such securities, the greater the risk that we may be deemed to be an unregistered investment company, in which case we may be required to liquidate. If our facts and circumstances change over time, we will update our disclosure to reflect how those changes impact the risk that we may be considered to be operating as an unregistered investment company. As disclosed above, we may determine, in our discretion, to liquidate the securities held in the trust account at any time and instead hold all funds in the trust account in an interest bearing demand deposit account or as cash or cash items at a bank, which could further reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption or liquidation of the Company as compared to what they would have received had the investments not been so liquidated. Were we to liquidate the Company, our warrants would expire worthless, and our securityholders would lose the investment opportunity associated with an investment in the target company with which we could have consummated an initial business combination. In addition, upon moving the funds from the trust account to a deposit account, we will maintain the cash items in bank accounts which, at times, may exceed federally insured limits as guaranteed by the FDIC. While we intend to place our deposits in high-quality banks, only a small portion of the funds in our trust account will be guaranteed by the FDIC.
Our search for an initial business combination, and any target business with which we may ultimately consummate an initial business combination, may be materially adversely affected by current global geopolitical conditions resulting from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the recent escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
United States and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption following the geopolitical instability resulting from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the recent escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict. In response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (“NATO”) deployed additional military forces to eastern Europe, and the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and other countries have announced various sanctions and restrictive actions against Russia, Belarus and related individuals and entities, including the removal of certain financial institutions from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (“SWIFT”) payment system. Certain countries, including the United States, have also provided and may continue to provide military aid or other assistance to Ukraine and to Israel, increasing geopolitical tensions among a number of nations. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict and the resulting measures that have been taken, and could be taken in the future, by NATO, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Israel and its neighboring states and other countries have created global security concerns that could have a lasting impact on regional and global economies. Although the length and impact of the ongoing conflicts are highly unpredictable, they could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as supply chain interruptions and increased cyber-attacks against U.S. companies. Additionally, any resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets.
Any of the abovementioned factors, or any other negative impact on the global economy, capital markets or other geopolitical conditions resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict and subsequent sanctions or related actions, could adversely affect our search for an initial business combination and any target business with which we may ultimately consummate an initial business combination. The extent and duration of the ongoing conflicts, resulting sanctions and any related market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be
82
substantial, particularly if current or new sanctions continue for an extended period of time or if geopolitical tensions result in expanded military operations on a global scale. Any such disruptions may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this section. If these disruptions or other matters of global concern continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate an initial business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we may ultimately consummate an initial business combination, may be materially adversely affected.
Military or other conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East or elsewhere may lead to increased volume and price volatility for publicly traded securities, or affect the operations or financial condition of potential target companies, which could make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
Military or other conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East or elsewhere may lead to increased volume and price volatility for publicly traded securities, or affect the operations or financial condition of potential target companies, and to other company or industry-specific, national, regional or international economic disruptions and economic uncertainty, any of which could make it more difficult for us to identify a business combination target and consummate an initial business combination on acceptable commercial terms, or at all.
Recent increases in inflation in the United States and elsewhere could make it more difficult for us to consummate a business combination.
Recent increases in inflation in the United Stated and elsewhere may be leading to increased price volatility in publicly traded securities, including ours, and may lead to other national, regional and international economic disruptions, any of which could make it more difficult for us to consummate a business combination.
Cyber incidents or attacks directed at us could result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss.
We depend on digital technologies, including information systems, infrastructure and cloud applications and services, including those of third parties with which we may deal. Sophisticated and deliberate attacks on, or security breaches in, our systems or infrastructure, or the systems or infrastructure of third parties or the cloud, could lead to corruption or misappropriation of our assets, proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data. Notwithstanding any data security protections we may implement, we may not be sufficiently protected against such occurrences. We may not have sufficient resources to adequately protect against, or to investigate and remediate any vulnerability to, cyber incidents. It is possible that any of these occurrences, or a combination of them, could have adverse consequences on our business and lead to financial loss.
We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.
We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our shareholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are
83
required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (i) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $250 million as of the end of the prior June 30th or (ii) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the end of the prior June 30th. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.
Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our business combination, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing our initial business combination.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2025. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome for us as compared to other public companies because a target business with which we seek to complete our business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that the courts of the Cayman Islands will be the exclusive forums for certain disputes between us and our shareholders, which could limit our shareholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for complaints against us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the courts of the Cayman Islands shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim or dispute arising out of or in connection with our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or otherwise related in any way to each shareholder’s shareholding in us, including but not limited to (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of any fiduciary or other duty owed by any of our current or former directors, officers or other employees to us or our shareholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Companies Act or our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine (as such concept is recognized under the laws of the United States of America) and that each shareholder irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Cayman Islands over all such claims or disputes. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association also provide that, without prejudice to any other rights or remedies that we may have, each of our shareholders acknowledges that damages alone would not be an adequate remedy for any breach of the selection of the courts of the Cayman Islands as exclusive forum and that accordingly we shall be entitled, without proof of special damages, to the remedies of injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief for any threatened or actual breach of the selection of the courts of the Cayman Islands as exclusive forum. The forum selection provision in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will not apply to actions or suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act, Exchange Act or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are, as a matter of the laws of the United States of America, the sole and exclusive forum for determination of such a claim.
84
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association also provide that, without prejudice to any other rights or remedies that we may have, each of our shareholders acknowledges that damages alone would not be an adequate remedy for any breach of the selection of the courts of the Cayman Islands as exclusive forum and that accordingly we shall be entitled, without proof of special damages, to the remedies of injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief for any threatened or actual breach of the selection of the courts of the Cayman Islands as exclusive forum.
This choice of forum provision may increase a shareholder’s cost and limit the shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any of our shares or other securities, whether by transfer, sale, operation of law or otherwise, shall be deemed to have notice of and have irrevocably agreed and consented to these provisions. There is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provisions, and the enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ charter documents has been challenged in legal proceedings. It is possible that a court could find this type of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable, and if a court were to find this provision in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, which could have adverse effect on our business and financial performance.
85
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this prospectus may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about:
• our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses;
• our ability to complete our initial business combination;
• our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses;
• our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination;
• our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination;
• our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination;
• actual and potential conflicts of interest relating to our Sponsor and our directors, officers and other affiliates;
• the adverse impacts of certain events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of infectious diseases) on our ability to consummate an initial business combination;
• the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential acquisition opportunities;
• our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;
• the lack of a market for our securities;
• the available pool of prospective target businesses;
• the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or
• our financial performance following this offering.
The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
86
We are offering 20,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering, in addition to the funds we will receive from the sale of the private units (all of which will be deposited into the trust account), will be as set forth in the following table:
|
Without |
Over- |
|||||||
|
Gross proceeds |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
From the offering of units to public |
$ |
200,000,000 |
|
$ |
230,000,000 |
|
||
|
From private placement offerings |
|
6,200,000 |
|
|
6,800,000 |
|
||
|
Total gross proceeds |
|
206,200,000 |
|
|
236,800,000 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
Offering expenses(1) |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Underwriting discount (2.0% of gross proceeds from units offered to public) |
$ |
4,000,000 |
(2) |
$ |
4,600,000 |
(2) |
||
|
Legal fees and expenses |
|
310,000 |
|
|
310,000 |
|
||
|
Nasdaq listing fees (including deferred amount) |
|
80,000 |
|
|
80,000 |
|
||
|
Printing and engraving expenses |
|
25,000 |
|
|
25,000 |
|
||
|
Accounting fees and expenses |
|
50,000 |
|
|
50,000 |
|
||
|
FINRA filing fee |
|
54,840 |
|
|
54,840 |
|
||
|
SEC registration fee |
|
53,470 |
|
|
53,470 |
|
||
|
Reimbursement of Underwriter expenses |
|
50,000 |
|
|
50,000 |
|
||
|
Trustee fees and expenses |
|
40,000 |
|
|
40,000 |
|
||
|
Miscellaneous expenses |
|
36,690 |
|
|
36,690 |
|
||
|
Total offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) |
|
700,000 |
|
|
700,000 |
|
||
|
Proceeds after estimated offering expenses |
$ |
201,500,000 |
|
$ |
231,500,000 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
Net proceeds |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Held in trust |
$ |
200,000,000 |
|
$ |
230,000,000 |
|
||
|
Not held in trust |
$ |
1,500,000 |
|
$ |
1,500,000 |
|
||
|
% of public offering size |
|
100.0 |
% |
|
100.0 |
% |
||
The following table shows the use of the approximately $1,500,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account if the overallotment option is not exercised:
|
Amount |
Percentage |
|||||
|
Use of net proceeds not held in trust(3)(4) |
|
|
||||
|
Legal, accounting and other third-party expenses attendant to the search for target businesses and to the due diligence investigation, structuring and negotiation of a business combination(5) |
$ |
200,000 |
13.3 |
% |
||
|
Due diligence of prospective target businesses by officers, directors |
|
150,000 |
10.0 |
% |
||
|
Legal and accounting fees relating to regulatory reporting obligations |
|
150,000 |
10.0 |
% |
||
|
Reimbursement for office space and administrative support ($10,000 per month) for up to 24 months |
|
240,000 |
16.0 |
% |
||
|
Directors’ and Officers’ liability insurance premiums |
|
350,000 |
23.3 |
% |
||
|
Working capital to cover miscellaneous expenses |
|
410,000 |
27.4 |
% |
||
|
Total |
$ |
1,500,000 |
100.0 |
% |
||
____________
(1) Includes amounts payable to public shareholders who properly redeem their shares in connection with our successful completion of our initial business combination.
The net proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we ultimately complete our business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in
87
connection with our business combination, we may apply the balance of the cash released from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other businesses or assets or for working capital. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination.
We believe that amounts not held in trust will be sufficient to pay the costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated. This belief is based on the fact that while we may begin preliminary due diligence of a target business in connection with an indication of interest, we intend to undertake in-depth due diligence, depending on the circumstances of the relevant prospective acquisition, only after we have negotiated and signed a letter of intent or other preliminary agreement that addresses the terms of a business combination. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. If we are required to seek additional capital, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or any of their affiliates, but such persons are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.
We will reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof in an amount equal to $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support made available to us. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of (x) June 30, 2025, or (y) or the closing of this offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of this offering as part of the estimated $700,000 of offering expenses.
In addition, in order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor, or an affiliate of our sponsor may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into units of the post business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units and their underlying securities would be identical to the private placement units. Except as set forth above, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and Nasdaq rules. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. Such persons will be subject to restrictions in making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will be required to comply with such rules.
88
A public shareholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with our completion of an initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity or (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination within 24 months following the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law and as further described herein 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.
Our initial shareholders, directors and officers will not be entitled to redemption rights with respect to any founder shares or private placement shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. In addition, our initial shareholders, directors and officers will not be entitled to rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares or private placement shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. However, if our initial shareholders or any of our officers, directors or affiliates acquires public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.
89
We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our initial business combination. A Cayman Islands company may pay a dividend on its shares out of either profit or the share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if following such payment the company would be unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination.
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act and any rights attaching to any class or classes of shares under and in accordance with the Articles:
(a) the directors may declare dividends or distributions out of our funds which are lawfully available for that purpose; and
(b) our shareholders may, by ordinary resolution, declare dividends but no such dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the directors.
Subject to the requirements of the Companies Act regarding the application of a company’s share premium account and with the sanction of an ordinary resolution, dividends may also be declared and paid out of any share premium account. The directors when paying dividends to shareholders may make such payment either in cash or in specie. Unless provided by the rights attached to a share, no dividend shall bear interest. 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 other share dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of this offering, in which case we will effect a share dividend or other appropriate mechanism immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in an amount necessary to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units). Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
90
The following table illustrates the difference between the public offering price and our net tangible book value (“NTBV”), as adjusted to give effect to this offering and to redemptions of our public shares at varying levels, assuming the full exercise and no exercise of the over-allotment option.
The below calculations (A) assume that (i) no ordinary shares are issued to shareholders of a potential business combination target as consideration or issuable by a post-business combination company, for instance under an equity or employee share purchase plan, (ii) no ordinary shares and convertible equity or debt securities are issued in connection with additional financing that we may seek in connection with an initial business combination, and (iii) no working capital loans are converted into private placement units, as further described in this prospectus, and (B) assumes the issuance of 20,000,000 Class A ordinary shares (or 23,000,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), 6,200,000 private placement shares and 6,118,000 founder shares (up to 798,000 of which are assumed to be forfeited in the scenario in which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full). The issuance of additional ordinary or preference shares may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering, which dilution would even further increase if the anti-dilution provisions in the Class B ordinary shares resulted in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares.
At June 30, 2024, our net tangible book value was $(35,827), or approximately $(0.01) per Class B ordinary share. Assuming various redemption scenarios and after giving effect to the sale of 20,000,000 Class A ordinary shares included in the units we are offering by this prospectus, the sale of the private placement units and the deduction of underwriting commissions and estimated expenses of this offering, our pro forma net tangible book value at June 30, 2024 would have been the following to the public shareholders on a per-share basis immediately after this offering:
|
As of June 30, 2024 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Offering Price |
25% of Maximum |
50% of Maximum |
75% of Maximum |
Maximum |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
NTBV |
NTBV |
Difference |
NTBV |
Difference |
NTBV |
Difference |
NTBV |
Difference |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
Assuming Full Exercise of Over-Allotment Option |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
$ |
7.47 |
$ |
6.87 |
$ |
3.13 |
$ |
5.90 |
$ |
4.10 |
$ |
4.03 |
$ |
5.97 |
$ |
(0.95) |
$ |
10.95 |
||||||||
|
|
Assuming No Exercise of Over-Allotment Option |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
$ |
7.45 |
$ |
6.85 |
$ |
3.15 |
$ |
5.87 |
$ |
4.13 |
$ |
3.99 |
$ |
6.01 |
$ |
(0.98) |
$ |
10.98 |
||||||||
For purposes of presenting the Maximum Redemption scenario, we have reduced our NTBV after this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units) by $200,000,000 because holders of up to approximately 100% of our public shares may redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account at a per share redemption price equal to the amount in the trust account as set forth in our tender offer or proxy materials (initially anticipated to be the aggregate amount held in trust two business days prior to the commencement of our tender offer or shareholders meeting, including interest, divided by the number of Class A ordinary shares sold in this offering).
91
For each of the redemption scenarios above, the NTBV was calculated as follows:
|
No Redemptions |
25% of Maximum |
50% of Maximum |
75% of Maximum |
Maximum |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Public offering price |
$ |
10.00 |
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
||||||||||
|
Net tangible book deficit before this offering |
|
(0.01 |
) |
|
(0.01 |
) |
|
(0.01 |
) |
|
(0.01 |
) |
|
(0.01 |
) |
|
(0.01 |
) |
|
(0.01 |
) |
|
(0.01 |
) |
|
(0.01 |
) |
|
(0.01 |
) |
||||||||||
|
Increase attributable to public shareholders |
|
7.46 |
|
|
7.48 |
|
|
6.86 |
|
|
6.88 |
|
|
588 |
|
|
5.91 |
|
|
4.00 |
|
|
4.04 |
|
|
(0.97 |
) |
|
(0.94 |
) |
||||||||||
|
Pro forms net tangible book value after this offering and the sale of the private placement shares |
|
7.45 |
|
|
7.47 |
|
|
6.85 |
|
|
6.87 |
|
|
5.87 |
|
|
5.90 |
|
|
3.99 |
|
|
4.03 |
|
|
(0.98 |
) |
|
(0.95 |
) |
||||||||||
|
Dilution to public shareholders |
$ |
2.55 |
|
$ |
2.53 |
|
$ |
3.15 |
|
$ |
3.13 |
|
$ |
4.13 |
|
$ |
4.10 |
|
$ |
6.01 |
|
$ |
5.97 |
|
$ |
10.98 |
|
$ |
10.95 |
|
||||||||||
|
Percentage of dilution to public shareholders |
|
25.50 |
% |
|
25.30 |
% |
|
31.50 |
% |
|
3.30 |
% |
|
41.30 |
% |
|
41.0 |
% |
|
60.10 |
% |
|
59.70 |
% |
|
109.80 |
% |
|
109.50 |
% |
||||||||||
|
No Redemptions |
25% of Maximum |
50% of Maximum |
75% of Maximum |
Maximum |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Numerator: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Net tangible book deficit before this offering |
$ |
(35,827 |
) |
$ |
(35,827 |
) |
$ |
(35,827 |
) |
$ |
(35,827 |
) |
$ |
(35,827 |
) |
$ |
(35,827 |
) |
$ |
(35,827 |
) |
$ |
(35,827 |
) |
$ |
(35,827 |
) |
$ |
(35,827 |
) |
||||||||||
|
Net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement shares(1) |
|
201,500,000 |
|
|
231,500,000 |
|
|
201,500,000 |
|
|
231,500,000 |
|
|
201,500,000 |
|
|
231,500,000 |
|
|
201,500,000 |
|
|
231,500,000 |
|
|
201,500,000 |
|
|
231,500,000 |
|
||||||||||
|
Plus: Offering costs accrued for or paid in advance, excluded from tangible book value |
|
45,005 |
|
|
45,005 |
|
|
45,005 |
|
|
45,005 |
|
|
45,005 |
|
|
45,005 |
|
|
45,005 |
|
|
45,005 |
|
|
45,005 |
|
|
45,005 |
|
||||||||||
|
Less: Deferred underwriting commissions(2) |
|
(7,000,000 |
) |
|
(8,050,000 |
) |
|
(7,000,000 |
) |
|
(8,050,000 |
) |
|
(7,000,000 |
) |
|
(8,050,000 |
) |
|
(7,000,000 |
) |
|
(8,050,000 |
) |
|
(7,000,000 |
) |
|
(8,050,000 |
) |
||||||||||
|
Less: Over-allotment liability |
|
(407,100 |
) |
|
|
|
(407,100 |
) |
|
|
|
(407,100 |
) |
|
|
|
(407,100 |
) |
|
|
|
(407,100 |
) |
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
Less: Amounts paid for redemptions(3) |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(50,000,000 |
) |
|
(57,500,000 |
) |
|
(100,000,000 |
) |
|
(115,000,000 |
) |
|
(150,000,000 |
) |
|
(172,500,000 |
) |
|
(200,000,000 |
) |
|
(230,000,000 |
) |
||||||||||
|
|
194,102,078 |
|
|
223,459,178 |
|
|
144,102,078 |
|
|
165,959,178 |
|
|
94,102,078 |
|
|
108,459,178 |
|
|
44,102,078 |
|
|
50,959,178 |
|
|
(5,897,922 |
) |
|
(6,540,822 |
) |
|||||||||||
|
Denominator: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ordinary shares outstanding prior to this offering(4) |
|
6,118,000 |
|
|
6,118,000 |
|
|
6,118,000 |
|
|
6,118,000 |
|
|
6,118,000 |
|
|
6,118,000 |
|
|
6,118,000 |
|
|
6,118,000 |
|
|
6,118,000 |
|
|
6,118,000 |
|
||||||||||
|
Ordinary shares forfeited if over-allotment is not exercised |
|
(798,000) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(798,000) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(798,000) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(798,000) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(798,000) |
|
|
— |
|
||||||||||
|
Ordinary shares offered and sale of private placement shares |
|
20,000,000 |
|
|
23,000,000 |
|
|
20,000,000 |
|
|
23,000,000 |
|
|
20,000,000 |
|
|
23,000,000 |
|
|
20,000,000 |
|
|
23,000,000 |
|
|
20,000,000 |
|
|
23,000,000 |
|
||||||||||
|
Less: Ordinary shares redeemed |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(5,000,000) |
|
|
(5,750,000) |
|
|
(10,000,000) |
|
|
(11,500,000) |
|
|
(15,000,000) |
|
|
(17,250,000) |
|
|
(20,000,000) |
|
|
(23,000,000) |
|
||||||||||
|
Representative shares |
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000 |
|
||||||||||
|
Private Placement Shares |
|
620,000 |
|
|
680,000 |
|
|
620,000 |
|
|
680,000 |
|
|
620,000 |
|
|
680,000 |
|
|
620,000 |
|
|
680,000 |
|
|
620,000 |
|
|
680,000 |
|
||||||||||
|
|
26,040,000 |
|
|
29,898,000 |
|
|
21,040,000 |
|
|
24,148,000 |
|
|
16,040,000 |
|
|
18,398,000 |
|
|
11,040,000 |
|
|
12,648,000 |
|
|
6,040,000 |
|
|
6,898,000 |
|
|||||||||||
____________
(1) Expenses applied against gross proceeds include offering expenses of approximately $700,000 and underwriting commissions of 4,000,000 in the aggregate (or up to $4,600,000 in the aggregate if the underwriter’s option to purchase additional units is exercised (excluding deferred underwriting commissions). of $7,000,000 in the aggregate or up to $8,050,000 in the aggregate if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full). See “Use of Proceeds” and “Underwriting” for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriter.
(2) Deferred underwriting commissions of $7,000,000 in the aggregate (or up to $8,050,000 in the aggregate if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full). See “Underwriting” for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriter.
92
(3) If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, executive officers or their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants in previously negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. In the event of any such purchase of our ordinary shares prior to the completion of our initial business combination, the number of ordinary shares subject to redemption will be reduced by the amount of any such purchases, increasing the pro forma net tangible book value per share. See “Proposed Business — Permitted Purchases of Our Securities.”
(4) Includes 100,000 Representative Shares.
93
The following table sets forth our capitalization at June 30, 2024, and as adjusted to give effect to the filing of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the sale of our public units in this offering and the sale of the private placement units and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities, assuming no exercise by the underwriters of their overallotment option:
|
June 30, 2024 |
||||||||
|
Actual |
As Adjusted(1) |
|||||||
|
Note payable to related party(1) |
$ |
|
$ |
— |
|
|||
|
Deferred underwriting discounts and commissions |
|
— |
|
|
7,000,000 |
|
||
|
Over-allotment liability(5) |
|
— |
|
|
407,100 |
|
||
|
Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized; zero and 20,000,000 shares subject to possible redemption, actual and as adjusted, respectively(2) |
|
— |
|
|
200,000,000 |
|
||
|
Preference shares, $0.0001 par value per share, 5,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding, actual and as adjusted |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
||
|
Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized; zero and 20,720,000 shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted, respectively |
|
— |
|
|
72 |
|
||
|
Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized; and 6,118,000 and 5,320,000 shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted, respectively(3) |
|
612 |
|
|
532 |
|
||
|
Additional paid-in capital(4) |
|
24,388 |
|
|
— |
|
||
|
Accumulated deficit |
|
(15,822 |
) |
|
(5,898,526 |
) |
||
|
Total shareholders’ equity (deficit) |
$ |
9,178 |
|
$ |
(5,897,922) |
|
||
|
Total capitalization |
$ |
9,178 |
|
$ |
201,509,178 |
|
||
____________
(1) Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of June 30, 2024, we have no borrowings under the note. The “as adjusted” information gives effect to the repayment of any loans made under this note out of the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units.
(2) All of the 20,000,000 Class A ordinary shares sold as part of the units in the offering contain a redemption feature which allows for the redemption of such public shares in connection with our liquidation, if there is a shareholders’ vote or tender offer in connection with the business combination and in connection with certain amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. In accordance with SEC guidance on redeemable equity instruments, which has been codified in ASC 480-10-S99, redemption provisions not solely within the control of a company require ordinary shares subject to redemption to be classified outside of permanent equity. Given that the 20,000,000 Class A ordinary shares sold as part of the units in the offering will be issued with other freestanding instruments (i.e., public warrants), the initial carrying value of Class A ordinary shares classified as temporary equity will be the allocated proceeds determined in accordance with ASC 470-20. Our Class A ordinary shares are subject to ASC 480-10-S99. If it is probable that the equity instrument will become redeemable, we have the option to either (i) accrete changes in the redemption value over the period from the date of issuance (or from the date that it becomes probable that the instrument will become redeemable, if later) to the earliest redemption date of the instrument or (ii) recognize changes in the redemption value immediately as they occur and adjust the carrying amount of the instrument to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. We have elected to recognize the changes immediately.
(3) Actual share amount is prior to any forfeiture of founder shares and as adjusted share amount assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
(4) The ‘as adjusted’ additional paid-in capital includes the proceeds from the sale of the private placement units over their estimated fair value at issuance as a deemed capital contribution from our sponsor, less the immediate accretion of the carry value of Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption value to reduce additional paid-in capital to zero.
(5) The underwriter’s over-allotment option is deemed to be a freestanding financial instrument indexed on the shares subject to redemption and will be accounted for as a liability pursuant to ASC 480 if not fully exercised at the time of the initial public offering.
94
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on June 18, 2024 for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, our shares, debt or a combination of the foregoing.
The issuance of additional ordinary or preference shares in connection with a business combination to the owners of the target or other investors:
• may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering, which dilution would increase if the anti-dilution provisions in the Class B ordinary shares resulted in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares;
• may subordinate the rights of holders of our ordinary shares if preference shares are issued with rights senior to those afforded our ordinary shares;
• could cause a change in control if a substantial number of our ordinary shares are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors;
• may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us by diluting the share ownership or voting rights of a person seeking to obtain control of us; and
• may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our Class A ordinary shares and/or warrants.
Similarly, if we issue debt securities or otherwise incur significant debt to bank or other lenders or the owners of a target, it could result in:
• default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;
• acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;
• our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand;
• our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding;
• our inability to pay dividends on our ordinary shares;
• using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our ordinary shares if declared, our ability to pay expenses, make capital expenditures and acquisitions and fund other general corporate purposes;
• limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;
• increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation;
• limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, and execution of our strategy; and
• other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.
95
As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, at June 30. 2024, we had no cash and deferred offering costs of $45,005. Further, we expect to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our initial business combination will be successful.
Results of Operations and Known Trends or Future Events
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities since inception have been organizational activities and those necessary to prepare for this offering. Following this offering, we will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of our initial business combination. We will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income after this offering. There has been no significant change in our financial or trading position and no material adverse change has occurred since the date of our audited financial statements. After this offering, we expect to incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as expenses as we conduct due diligence on prospective business combination candidates. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our liquidity needs have been satisfied prior to completion of this offering through the payment of $25,000 of expenses on our behalf by our sponsor in exchange for the issuance of the founder shares and loans to us of up to $300,000 by our sponsor under an unsecured promissory note. As of June 30, 2024, we had no borrowings under the note. We estimate that the net proceeds from (i) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $700,000, underwriting discounts and commissions of $4,000,000 ($4,600,000 if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full) (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of $7,000,000 (or $8,050,000 if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full)), and (ii) the sale of the private placement units for a purchase price of $6,200,000 (or up to $6,800,000 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be $201,500,000 (or $231,500,000 if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full). Of this amount, $200,000,000 (or $230,000,000 if the underwriter’s overallotment option is exercised in full) will be held in the trust account, which includes $7,000,000 (or $8,050,000 if the underwriter’s overallotment option is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting discounts and commissions. The proceeds held in the trust account will initially be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations; the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended business combination. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, we may, at any time (based on our management team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to our potential status under the Investment Company Act), instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank. We will disclose in each quarterly and annual report filed with the SEC prior to our initial business combination whether the proceeds deposited in the trust account are invested in U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds or a combination thereof or as cash or cash items, including in demand deposit accounts. The remaining approximately $1,500,000 will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $700,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $700,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the trust account (less deferred underwriting discounts and commissions) to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest to pay our taxes, if any. Our annual tax obligations generally will depend on the nature and amount of interest and other income earned on the amounts held in the trust account. Based on current interest rates and the taxes we currently expect to be applicable to us, we expect that the interest earned on the trust account will be sufficient to pay our taxes. To the extent that our shares or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.
96
After the closing of this offering, we will have available to us the approximately $1,500,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account. We will use these funds 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.
We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business prior to our initial business combination. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into units of the post business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units and their underlying securities would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our Sponsor or any of its affiliates as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
We expect our primary liquidity requirements during that period to include approximately $200,000 for legal, accounting, other third-party expenses attendant to the search for target businesses and to the due diligence investigation, structuring and negotiation of a business combination; $150,000 for due diligence of prospective target businesses by our officers, directors and our sponsor; $150,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting requirements; $240,000 for office space, utilities and administrative support; $350,000 for directors’ and officers’ liability insurance premiums and $410,000 for working capital to cover miscellaneous expenses.
These amounts are estimates and may differ materially from our actual expenses. In addition, we could use a portion of the funds not being placed in trust to pay commitment fees for financing, fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business or as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into an agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business, the amount that would be used as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision would be determined based on the terms of the specific business combination and the amount of our available funds at the time. Our forfeiture of such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise) could result in our not having sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conducting due diligence with respect to, prospective target businesses.
Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing to complete our business combination, either because the transaction requires more cash than is available from the proceeds held in our trust account or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of the business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. If we raise additional funds through equity or convertible debt issuances, our public shareholders may suffer significant dilution and these securities could have rights that rank senior to our public shares. If we raise additional funds through the incurrence of indebtedness, such indebtedness 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 mya incur material dilution. In addition, we intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, and, as a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemptions by public shareholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. We may also obtain financing prior to the closing of our initial business combination to fund our working capital needs and transaction costs in connection with our search for and completion of our initial business combination. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial
97
business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following consummation of this offering. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. In addition, following our initial business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.
Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to maintain an effective system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control reporting requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.
Prior to the closing of this offering, we have not completed an assessment, nor has our independent registered public accounting firm tested our systems, of our internal controls. We expect to assess the internal controls of our target business or businesses prior to the completion of our initial business combination and, if necessary, to implement and test additional controls as we may determine are necessary in order to state that we maintain an effective system of internal controls. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. Many small and mid-sized target businesses we may consider for our business combination may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:
• staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties;
• reconciliation of accounts;
• proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate;
• evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions;
• documentation of processes, assumptions and conclusions underlying significant estimates; and
• documentation of accounting policies and procedures.
Because it will take time, management involvement and perhaps outside resources to determine what internal control improvements are necessary for us to meet regulatory requirements and market expectations for our operation of a target business, we may incur significant expenses in meeting our public reporting responsibilities, particularly in the areas of designing, enhancing, or remediating internal and disclosure controls. Doing so effectively may also take longer than we expect, thus increasing our exposure to financial fraud or erroneous financing reporting.
Once our management’s report on internal controls is complete, we will retain our independent registered public accounting firm to audit and render an opinion on such report when required by Section 404. The independent registered public accounting firm may identify additional issues concerning a target business’s internal controls while performing their audit of internal control over financial reporting.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account will initially be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations; the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended business combination. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, we may, at any time (based on our management team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to our potential status under the Investment Company Act), instruct the trustee to liquidate the
98
investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.
Related Party Transactions
On June 20, 2024, our sponsor acquired an aggregate of 5,750,000 founder shares, acquired for approximately $0.004 per share. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent approximately 20% of the outstanding shares upon completion of this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units). The per share purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. Our Class B ordinary shares, or founder shares, are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination (with such conversion taking place immediately prior to, simultaneously with, or immediately following the time of our initial business combination, as may be determined by our directors), or earlier at the option of the holder, initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment and forfeiture as set forth herein. 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. On July 12, 2024, the Company issued an additional 368,000 founder shares (“Bonus Shares”) to our sponsor in a share capitalization resulting in our sponsor holding a total of 6,118,000 founder shares. Up to 798,000 of the founder shares will be surrendered for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment is exercised.
Commencing on the date that our securities are first listed on Nasdaq, we have agreed to reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof in an amount equal to $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support made available to us. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Our sponsor, directors and officers, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.
Prior to the consummation of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of June 30, 2024, we had no borrowings under the note. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of (x) June 30, 2025 or (y) the closing of this offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of this offering as part of the estimated $700,000 of offering proceeds that have been allocated for the payment of offering expenses.
Prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, there may be payment by the company to our sponsor, directors and officers, 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.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor, or our directors and officers, may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into units of the post business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units and their underlying securities would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
99
Our sponsor has subscribed to purchase an aggregate of 450,000 private placement units (or up to 484,500 private placement units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,500,000 (or up to $4,845,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement warrant contained in the private placement units is exercisable to purchase one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share. The private placement warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination.
Our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private placement units (including their underlying securities) until 30 days after the date we complete our initial business combination, except that our initial shareholders will be permitted to transfer the private placement units held by them to certain permitted transferees, including our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with or related to it, but the transferees receiving such securities will be subject to the same agreements with respect to such securities as our sponsor.
Pursuant to a registration rights agreement we will enter into with our initial shareholders on or prior to the closing of this offering, we may be required to register certain securities for sale under the Securities Act. These holders and holders of units issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any, are entitled under the registration rights agreement to make up to three demands that we offer securities held by them for sale under the Securities Act and to have the securities covered thereby registered for resale pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to certain underwritten offerings we may conduct. We will bear the costs and expenses of registering these securities.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Results
As of June 30, 2024, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K and did not have any commitments or contractual obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus as we have not conducted any operations to date.
JOBS Act
The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We will qualify as an “emerging growth company” and under the JOBS Act will be allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company,” we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an independent registered public accounting firm’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the independent registered public accounting firm’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis), and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the CEO’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of this offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.
100
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated on June 18, 2024 as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We may pursue an initial business combination target in any business or industry. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering.
Our Management Team
We will seek to capitalize on the experience of our management team in consummating an initial business combination.
Our management team is led by Thomas Bushey, our Chief Executive Officer, and Matthew Hong, our Chairman nominee and Chief Operating Officer of PlayOn! Sports, a company engaged in streaming live and on-demand high school sports operating the NFHS Network, and GoFan, a high school ticketing solution in the United States, and the former Chief Operating Officer of Turner Sports. During his tenure with Turner Sports, Mr. Hong oversaw the management of various sports businesses and properties including Bleacher Report, NBA TV, NBA Digital, NCAA Digital and March Madness Live, SI Digital, NASCAR.com, PGATOUR.com, PGA.com and PGA Championship Live, GOLF.com, and the B/R Live OTT offering.
Mr. Bushey and Mr. Hong have experience identifying, acquiring, investing in and operating businesses, and provide depth of knowledge in capital markets. Over the course of their careers, they have developed a network of business operators, entrepreneurs, corporate officers, board members, family office principals, investment bankers and institutional investors.
Our Board of Directors will include Jennifer Vescio, formerly the global head of business development for Uber Technologies Inc., Josh Gold, a general partner of Inverness LLC and Blue Flag Partners LLC and the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Three Bays Capital and previously a Managing Director at Jefferies & Co., and Ted Seides, the founder of Capital Allocators Partners, LLC and TDS Advisers, LLC, a platform that includes podcasts, gatherings and advice on best practices in the asset management industry, and who served as president and co-chief investment officer of Protégé Partners LLC, a leading multibillion-dollar alternative investment firm he founded that invested in and seeded small hedge funds.
For a more complete description of the business experience of the members of our management team, see “Management — Officers, Directors and Directors Nominees.”
Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that any members of our management team will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process.
We believe our management team’s operating and transaction experience and relationships with companies will provide us with a number of potential business combination targets. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team have developed a network of contacts and corporate relationships.
Past performance of our management team is not a guarantee either (i) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or (ii) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical performance record of our management team as indicative of our future performance. Our officers and directors may have conflicts of interest with other entities to which they owe fiduciary or contractual obligations with respect to initial business combination opportunities. For a list of our officers and directors and entities for which a conflict of interest may or does exist between such persons and the
101
company, as well as the priority and preference that such entity has with respect to performance of obligations and presentation of business opportunities to us, please refer to the table and subsequent explanatory paragraph under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
In November 2020, Thomas Bushey founded, and members of our management team worked together as executive officers or members of the board of directors of, Newbury Street Acquisition Corporation (“Newbury Street I”), a blank check company formed for substantially similar purposes as ours. Newbury Street I completed its initial public offering in March 2021 in which it sold 12,000,000 units, each consisting of one share of common stock and one-half of one warrant to purchase one share of common stock, for an offering price of $10.00 per unit, generating aggregate proceeds of $120,000,000. Newbury Street I has entered into a Merger Agreement for a business combination pursuant to which it would acquire Infinite Reality, Inc., an innovative technology and entertainment company specializing in the development of cutting-edge, AI-powered immersive experiences. There can be no assurance that the business combination with Infinite Reality, Inc. will be completed by September 25, 2024, or such later date that stockholders approve in accordance with the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Newbury Street I for an extension of the date by which proposed transaction must occur.
Our Business Strategy and Competitive Strengths
We intend to focus our search for an initial business combination with private companies that have compelling unit economics. Our selection process is expected to leverage a set of relationships with proven deal-sourcing capabilities to provide us with a pipeline of potential targets. We expect to distinguish ourselves with our ability to:
Leverage our Network of Relationships to Create a Pipeline of Acquisition Opportunities. We believe the combination of our officers’ and directors’ investment and operating experience in addition to our ability to access a network of public and private enterprises, experienced operators, restructuring advisors, attorneys, accountants, family offices, hedge funds, and private equity firms will enable us to identify and evaluate compelling target businesses. Our officers and directors all remain active in identifying special opportunities and situations where there are clear catalysts for value transformation, solid growth trajectory and ability to scale beyond the domestic market.
Employ a Rigorous Systematic Process of Identifying Target Companies and Acquiring a Business that will Be Well-Received by the Public Markets. We believe that our management’s M&A and investment track record in both private and public markets, combined with public market trading experience, will provide an advantage for identifying, valuing and completing a business combination that will meet our investors’ expectations.
Provide an Alternative Path to Becoming Public. We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to prospective target businesses that desire to become a publicly listed company. A merger with us will offer a target business an alternative path to a public listing rather than the traditional initial public offering process. We believe that target businesses may favor this alternative, which we believe is less expensive, while offering greater certainty of execution than the traditional initial public offering. Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is approved by our shareholders and the transaction is consummated, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions that could prevent the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business would have greater access to capital and additional means of creating management incentives that are better aligned with shareholders’ interests than it would as a private company. A public company can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented management.
Offer Solid Execution and Structuring Capability. We believe that our management team’s and sponsor’s combined industry expertise and reputation will allow them to source and complete transactions possessing structural attributes that create an attractive investment thesis. These types of transactions are typically complex and require creativity, industry knowledge and expertise, rigorous due diligence, and extensive negotiations and documentation. We believe that by focusing our investment activities on these types of transactions, we are able to generate investment opportunities that have attractive risk/reward profiles based on their valuations and structural characteristics.
Build and Operate Successful Multi-Billion Dollar Companies. Our management and board have experience building and operating multibillion-dollar companies and have the ability to identify attractive candidates for our initial business combination. A distinguishing factor for our organization is the potential for any of our management or board to remain involved in an operating or board capacity of the newly public company post transaction. Our team
102
has experience fostering relationships with sellers, capital providers and target management teams. Our team has also has experience integrating businesses acquired in mergers and acquisitions, and are capable of growing a business organically or inorganically if needed.
Strong and Stable Financial Position with Flexibility. With funds in the trust account of $200 million (or approximately $230 million if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) available to use for a business combination, we offer a target business a variety of options such as providing the owners of a target business with shares in a public company and a public means to sell such shares, 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 consummate 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.
Acquisition Criteria
We have identified the following general criteria and guidelines which we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. We will use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet these criteria and guidelines. We intend to acquire one or more businesses that we believe has the following characteristics:
Benefits from a Public Currency and Access to Public Equity Markets. Access to the public equity markets could allow the target company to utilize additional forms of capital, enhancing its ability to pursue accretive acquisitions, high-return capital projects, and/or strengthen its balance sheet and recruit and retain key employees through the use of publicly-traded equity compensation.
Has a Strong Competitive Position and Growing Platform. We will seek to acquire companies that we believe possess not only established business models and sustainable competitive advantages, but also a growing platform for equity investors.
Has an Ability to Scale beyond Domestic Market. We will look for a company with a product or platform which can be relevant internationally. We aim to replicate the competitive advantages within new markets as we assist the company expand.
Operated by a Talented and Incentivized Management Team. We will focus on companies with strong and experienced management teams that desire a significant equity stake in the post-business combination company. We will seek to partner with a management team and/or sellers who are well-incentivized and aligned in an effort to create shareholder value.
Benefits from Our Ability to Structure Transaction to Unlock and Maximize Value. We will look for situations where our extensive experience and creativity can architect a win-win solution for both sides of the transaction.
Has Revenue and Earnings Growth Potential. We will seek to acquire one or more businesses that have multiple, diverse potential drivers of revenue and earnings growth.
These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our shareholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the SEC.
103
Sponsor Information
Our sponsor is a Delaware limited liability company, which was formed to invest in us. Although our sponsor is permitted to undertake any activities permitted under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and other applicable law, our sponsor’s business is focused on investing in our company. The managing member of the sponsor is Thomas Bushey, our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our Board of Directors. Mr. Bushey will control the management of our sponsor, including the exercise of voting and investment discretion over the securities of our company held by our sponsor. As manager of our sponsor, Mr. Bushey beneficially owns membership interests in our sponsor, which represent approximately 100% of the economic interests in our sponsor. The sponsor non-managing members have expressed an interest to acquire non-managing membership interests in our sponsor, representing indirect interests in an aggregate of 404,500 private placement units and an aggregate of 3,235,936 founder shares, in a private placement that will close simultaneously with this offering. See “Summary — The Offering — Private Placement Units.” In addition, our independent directors will receive for their services as a director an indirect interest in the founder shares through membership interests in our sponsor. Other than our management team, none of the other members of our sponsor will participate in our Company’s activities.
The following table sets forth the payments to be received by our sponsor and its affiliates from us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and the securities issued and to be issued by us to our sponsor or its affiliates:
|
Entity/Individual |
Amount of Compensation to be |
Consideration Paid or to be Paid |
||
|
Sunderland Capital Partners LP |
$10,000 per month, commencing on the first date on which our securities are listed on NASDAQ |
Office space, administrative and shared personnel support services |
||
|
Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC |
6,118,000 Class B Ordinary Shares, of which up to 798,000 shares are subject to forfeiture if the Over-Allotment Option is not exercised and full and subject to the issuance of up to 3,235,936 founder shares to the non-management members as described elsewhere herein. |
$25,000 |
||
|
Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC |
450,000 Private Placement Units to be purchased simultaneously with the closing of this offering(1) |
$4,500,000 |
||
|
Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC |
Up to $300,000 |
Repayment of loan for organizational and other expenses until the closing of the IPO |
____________
(1) The sponsor non-managing members have expressed an interest to purchase, indirectly through the purchase of non-managing membership interests, an aggregate of 404,500 private placement units (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($4,045,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering.
Because our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, our public shareholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution upon the closing of this offering, assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units. See the section titled “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to our Sponsor and Management Team — The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination.”
104
Pursuant to a letter agreement to be entered with us, each of our sponsor, directors and officers has agreed to restrictions on its ability to transfer, assign, or sell the founder shares and private placement units (and the underlying securities), as summarized in the table below.
|
Subject Securities |
Expiration Date |
Persons Subject to |
Exceptions to Transfer Restrictions |
|||
|
Founder Shares |
Earlier of one year after the date of the consummation of an initial business combination; or if the closing price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and other similar transactions) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing any time 150 days after completion of our initial business combination. |
Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC Thomas Bushey Matthew Hong Jake Gudoian Jennifer Vescio Josh Gold Ted Seides |
Transfers permitted (i) to any officer or director of the Company, including to a family member or affiliate of such officer or director; (ii) by private sales or transfers, in each case, made in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased; (iii) in the event of our liquidation prior to the completion of our initial business combination; (iv) by virtue of our sponsor’s or BTIG’s operating agreement; and (v) in the event of our completion of a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property subsequent to the completion of our initial business combination |
|||
|
Private Placement Units (and Underlying Securities) |
30 days after the completion of our initial business combination |
Same as above |
Same as above |
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 warrants 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.
Effecting our Initial Business Combination
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering.
We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. Additionally, we have not engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate, to conduct any research or take any measures, directly or indirectly, to locate or contact a target business, other than our officers and directors. Accordingly, there is no current basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination. To the extent we effect our business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors. In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review, which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as applicable, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information that will be made available to us. If we determine to move forward with a particular target, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the business combination transaction.
105
We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. Subject to this requirement, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we will not be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.
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 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. The company will not pay any consulting fees to members of our management team, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to or in connection with our initial business combination.
We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, our shares, debt 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 may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust account.
If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other businesses or assets or for working capital.
In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by applicable law, we would seek shareholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to issue securities or incur debt in connection with our initial business combination. We are not currently a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities, the incurrence of debt or otherwise.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated (as defined in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) with our sponsor, directors or officers, or making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, directors or officers. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated our sponsor, directors or officers, 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.
Our sponsor and its members, members of our management team and our independent directors will directly or indirectly own founder shares, private placement shares and/or private warrants following this offering and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or
106
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.
We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of our Initial Business Combination
Nasdaq listing rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination.
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. However, we will only complete a business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise is not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% fair market value test. If the initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% fair market value test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the transactions and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for seeking shareholder approval or for purposes of a tender offer, as applicable.
Executive Office and Registered Office
Our executive offices are located at 121 High Street, Floor 3, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110 United States of America and our telephone number is +1 (617) 334-2805.
Mail addressed to the Company and received at its registered office will be forwarded unopened to the forwarding address supplied by the Company to be dealt with. None of the Company or its directors, officers, advisors or service providers (including the organization which provides registered office services in the Cayman Islands) will bear any responsibility for any delay howsoever caused with regards to mail reaching the forwarding address.
Status as a Public Company
We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination with us. In a business combination transaction with us, the owners of the target business may, for example, exchange their shares of stock, shares or other equity interests in the target business for our Class A ordinary shares (or shares of a new holding company) or for a combination of our Class A ordinary shares and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. Although there are various costs and obligations associated with being a public company, we believe target businesses will find this method a more certain and cost effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. The typical initial
107
public offering process takes a significantly longer period of time than the typical business combination transaction process, and there are significant expenses in the initial public offering process, including underwriting discounts and commissions, that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us.
Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring or could have negative valuation consequences. Once public, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital, an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with shareholders’ interests and the ability to use its equity as currency for acquisitions. Being a public company can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
While we believe that our structure and our management team’s backgrounds will make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view our status as a blank check company, such as our lack of an operating history and our ability to seek shareholder approval of any proposed initial business combination, negatively.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to SEC rules from time to time), or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to emerging growth company shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (i) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $250 million as of the end of the prior June 30th or (ii) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the end of the prior June 30th.
Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act applicable to Exchange Act registered companies. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.
In addition, after completion of this offering and prior to the consummation of a business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors and an amendment to continue our existence in a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands. As a result, Nasdaq will consider us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq corporate governance standards.
108
Under Nasdaq corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the appointment of directors is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements. We currently do not intend to rely on the “controlled company” exemption, but may do so in the future. Accordingly, if we choose to do so, you will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements.
Financial Position
With funds available for a business combination from this offering and the sale of the private placement securities initially in the amount of $194,500,000 assuming no redemptions and after payment of $7,000,000 of deferred underwriting fees (or $223,450,000 assuming no redemptions and after payment of up to $8,050,000 of deferred underwriting fees if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), in each case, after estimated offering expenses of $700,000, we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third-party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.
Effecting our Initial Business Combination
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, our shares, debt or a combination of the foregoing. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other businesses or assets or for working capital.
We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. [Additionally, we have not engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate, to conduct any research or take any measures, directly or indirectly, to locate or contact a target business, other than our officers and directors. Accordingly, there is no current basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination. Although our management will assess the risks inherent in a particular target business with which we may combine, we cannot assure you that this assessment will result in our identifying all risks that a target business may encounter. Furthermore, some of those risks may be outside of our control, meaning that we can do nothing to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely affect a target business.]
We may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust account.
In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by applicable law, we would seek shareholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to issue securities or incur debt in connection with our initial business combination. We are not currently a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities, the incurrence of debt or otherwise.
109
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of our Initial Business Combination
Nasdaq listing rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. The fair market value of the target or targets will be determined by our board of directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as discounted cash flow valuation or value of comparable businesses. If our board is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. Subject to this requirement, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we will not be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.
In any case, we will only complete an initial business combination in which we own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or if the post-transaction company is otherwise not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. If we own or acquire less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses, the portion of such business or businesses that are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company is what will be taken into account for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% fair market value test. There is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination.
To the extent we effect our business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors. In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review, which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as applicable, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information that will be made available to us. If we determine to move forward with a particular target, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the business combination transaction.
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review which will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information which will be made available to us.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of, and negotiation with, a prospective target business with which our 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. The company will not pay any consulting fees to members of our management team, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to or in connection with our initial business combination.
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. In addition, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combination in a single industry. By completing our business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
• subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory risks, 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.
110
Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target’s Management Team
Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our business combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’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 business combination, it is unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
Following a business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve our Initial Business Combination
We may conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC subject to the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. However, we will seek shareholder approval if it is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we may decide to seek shareholder approval for business or other reasons.
Under Nasdaq listing rules, shareholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
• we issue Class A ordinary shares that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of Class A ordinary shares then outstanding (other than in a public offering);
• any of our directors, officers or substantial security holders (as defined by Nasdaq rules) has a 5% or greater interest (or such persons collectively have a 10% or greater interest), directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired or otherwise and the present or potential issuance of ordinary shares (or securities convertible into or exercisable for 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 Companies Act and Cayman Islands law do not currently require, and we are not aware of any other applicable law that will require, shareholder approval of our initial business combination.
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 law will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on business and reasons, which include a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:
• the timing of the transaction, including in the event we determine shareholder approval would require additional time and there is either not enough time to seek shareholder approval or doing so would place the company at a disadvantage in the transaction or result in other additional burdens on the company;
• the expected cost of holding a shareholder vote;
• the risk that the shareholders would fail to approve the proposed business combination;
• other time and budget constraints of the company; and
111
• additional legal complexities of a proposed business combination that would be time consuming and burdensome to present to shareholders.
So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, shareholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
• we issue Class A ordinary shares that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of our Class A ordinary shares then issued and outstanding (other than in a public offering);
• any of our directors, officers or substantial shareholders (as defined by Nasdaq rules) has a 5% or greater interest (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 issued and 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.
Permitted Purchases and Other Transactions With Respect to our Securities
In the event 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, directors, officers, advisors or any of 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. There is no limit on the number of securities such persons may purchase. 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, directors, officers, advisors or any of 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. In the event our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates determine to undertake any such transactions, such transactions could have the effect of influencing the vote necessary to approve such transaction. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or public warrants in such transactions. They will be restricted from making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such shareholder, although still the record holder of our shares, is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. Subsequent to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt an insider trading policy which will require insiders to (1) refrain from purchasing securities during certain blackout periods and when they are in possession of any material non-public information and (2) clear certain trades prior to execution. We cannot currently determine whether our insiders will make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, as it will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to, the timing and size of such purchases. Depending on such circumstances, our insiders may either make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan or determine that such a plan is not necessary.
In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates purchase public shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights or submitted a proxy to vote against our initial business combination, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares and any proxy to vote against our initial business combination. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will be required to comply with such rules.
The purpose of such transaction could be to (1) vote in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of our initial business combination, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or vote such public warrants 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. This may result in the completion
112
of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. To the extent such securities are purchased, such public securities will not be voted as required by Tender Offers and Schedules Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations Question 166.01 promulgated by the SEC.
In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our securities and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
Our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and/or any of their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the shareholders with whom our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated transactions by either the shareholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by shareholders (in the case of public shares) following our mailing of tender offer or proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates enter into a private transaction, they would identify and contact only potential selling or redeeming shareholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against our initial business combination. Such persons would select the shareholders from whom to acquire shares based on the number of shares available, the negotiated price per share and such other factors as any such person may deem relevant at the time of purchase. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates will be restricted from purchasing shares if such purchases do not comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
Any purchases by our sponsor, directors, officers and/or any of their affiliates who are affiliated purchasers under Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act will be restricted unless such purchases are made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Rule 10b-18 has certain technical requirements that must be complied with in order for the safe harbor to be available to the purchaser. Our sponsor, directors, officers and/or any of their affiliates will be restricted from making purchases of ordinary shares if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act.
Redemption Rights for Public Shareholders upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial business combination, all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. At the completion of our initial business combination, we will be required to purchase any ordinary shares properly delivered for redemption and not withdrawn. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriter. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its public shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our public warrants. Our initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. The non-managing members of our Sponsor are not required to (i) hold any units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination. The non-managing members of our Sponsor will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders.
Manner of Conducting Redemptions
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial business combination, all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (1) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business
113
combination or (2) 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. Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would typically require shareholder approval. We intend to conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless shareholder approval is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement or we choose to seek shareholder approval for business or other reasons.
If a shareholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:
• conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and
• file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.
Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we and our Sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than we are permitted to redeem, as may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete such initial business combination.
If, however, shareholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:
• conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules; and
• file proxy materials with the SEC.
We expect that a final proxy statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least 10 days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Although we are not required to do so, we currently intend to comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any shareholder vote even if we are not able to maintain our Nasdaq listing or Exchange Act registration.
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.
Our initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our board of directors, and a majority of our independent directors.
If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as,
114
being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. A quorum for such meeting will be present if the holders of at least one third of issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at the meeting are represented in person or by proxy. Our sponsor, officers and directors will count toward this quorum and, pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination. 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 initial shareholders’ founder shares and the private placement shares, we would need 7,250,001 or 36.25%, of the 20,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved, assuming all outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and the parties to the letter agreement do not acquire any Class A ordinary shares. Assuming that only the holders of one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association vote their shares at a general meeting of the company, we will not need any public shares in addition to our founder shares to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to approve an initial business combination. The non-managing members of our sponsor are not required to (i) hold any units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination. The non-managing members of our sponsor will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders.
However, if our initial business combination is structured as a statutory merger or consolidation with another company under Cayman Islands law, the approval of our initial business combination will require a special resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. In addition, prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares (i) will have the right to appoint and remove directors prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) will be entitled to vote on continuing our company 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). The quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreement of our sponsor, officers and directors, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction, or whether they do not vote or abstain from voting on the proposed transaction, or whether they were a public shareholder on the record date for the general meeting held to approve the proposed transaction.
Redemptions of our public shares may be subject to a net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (1) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners; (2) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes; or (3) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all public shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.
Limitation on Redemption Upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination If we Seek Shareholder Approval
Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to Excess Shares, without our prior consent. We believe this restriction will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their
115
redemption rights against a proposed business combination as a means to force us, our sponsor or its affiliates to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our sponsor or its affiliates at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.
Tendering Share Certificates in Connection with a Tender Offer or Redemption Rights
Public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” will be required to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents (as applicable) mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the business combination (or any later date determined by our board of directors) in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using DTC’s DWAC System, at the holder’s option. The proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents (as applicable) that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate the applicable delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Given the relatively short period in which to exercise redemption rights, it is advisable for shareholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.
There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker a fee of approximately $80.00 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 holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.
Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the business combination set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, unless otherwise agreed to by us.
Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our business combination.
If our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public shareholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.
If our initial proposed business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a business combination until 24 months from the closing of this offering or until such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, to consummate an initial business combination.
Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if no Initial Business Combination
Our sponsor, directors and officers have agreed that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such 24-month period, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash,
116
equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of 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 public warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the 24-month time period.
Our initial shareholders have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our initial shareholders acquire public shares, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted 24-month time period.
Our sponsor, our directors and officers have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect 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 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision 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 Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and 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 $1,500,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay taxes, 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.
Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public 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 perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver only if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where we are unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we have not completed our initial business combination within the required time period, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (1) $10.00 per public share or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to
117
reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriter of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, then our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our other officers 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 (1) $10.00 per public share or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce their respective indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce their respective indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be substantially less than $10.00 per share.
We will seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriter of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to $1,150,000 from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, after payment of premiums for D&O liability insurance, with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $100,000). In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, shareholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $700,000, we may fund such excess with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $700,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
If we file a winding-up or bankruptcy or insolvency petition or an involuntary winding-up or 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 or insolvency estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any insolvency claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.00 per share to our public shareholders. Additionally, if we file a winding-up or bankruptcy or insolvency petition or an involuntary winding-up or 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 insolvency laws as a voidable preference. As a result, a bankruptcy 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 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 you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons.
Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (1) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those Class A ordinary shares that such shareholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect 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 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to
118
any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of our public shares if we have not completed an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants.
Comparison of Redemption or Purchase Prices in Connection with our Initial Business Combination and if We Fail to Complete our Initial Business Combination.
The following table compares the redemptions and other permitted purchases of public shares that may take place in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and if we are unable to complete our business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering.
|
Redemptions in Connection |
Other Permitted |
Redemptions if we fail to |
||||
|
Calculation of redemption price |
Redemptions at the time of our initial business combination may be made pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a shareholder vote. The redemption price will be the same whether we conduct redemptions pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a shareholder vote. In either case, our public shareholders may redeem their public shares for cash equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination (which is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share), including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses, which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitation that no redemptions will take place if all of the redemptions would cause any limitation (including but not limited to cash requirements) agreed to in connection with the negotiation of terms of a proposed business combination. |
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates may purchase public shares or warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following completion of our initial business combination. Such purchases will be restricted, except to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares in such transactions. |
If we have not completed our business combination within 24 months from the closing of the offering, we will redeem all public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount, then on deposit in the trust account (which is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share), including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses, which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. |
119
|
Redemptions in Connection |
Other Permitted |
Redemptions if we fail to |
||||
|
Impact to remaining shareholders |
The redemptions in connection with our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for our remaining shareholders, who will bear the burden of the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and interest withdrawn in order to pay our taxes (to the extent not paid from amounts accrued as interest on the funds held in the trust account). |
If the permitted purchases described above are made there would be no impact to our remaining shareholders because the purchase price would not be paid by us. |
The redemption of our public shares if we fail to complete our business combination will reduce the book value per share for the shares held by our initial shareholders, who will be our only remaining shareholders after such redemptions. |
Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419
The following table compares the terms of this offering to the terms of an offering by a blank check company subject to the provisions of Rule 419. This comparison assumes that the gross proceeds, underwriting discounts and commissions and underwriting expenses of our offering would be identical to those of an offering undertaken by a company subject to Rule 419, and that the underwriter will not exercise its overallotment option. None of the provisions of Rule 419 apply to our offering.
|
Terms of Our Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
|||
|
Escrow of offering proceeds |
Nasdaq rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units be deposited in a U.S.-based trust account. $200,000,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units will be placed into a U.S.-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. |
Approximately $174,600,000 of the offering proceeds, representing the gross proceeds of the offering less allowable underwriting commissions, expenses and company deductions under Rule 419, would be required to be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker-dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in the account. |
||
|
Investment of net proceeds |
$200,000,000 of the net offering proceeds and the sale of the private placement units held in trust will initially be invested only in either (i) U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act, the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended business combination, (ii) as uninvested cash, or (iii) an interest bearing bank account demand deposit account or other accounts at a bank. |
Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act or in securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal or interest by, the United States. |
120
|
Terms of Our Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
|||
|
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. |
||||
|
Receipt of interest on escrowed funds |
Interest on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to shareholders is reduced by (i) any taxes paid or payable, and (ii) in the event of our liquidation for failure to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time, up to $100,000 of net interest that may be released to us to fund the costs and expenses of our dissolution and liquidation. |
Interest on funds in escrow account would be held for the sole benefit of investors, unless and only after the funds held in escrow were released to us in connection with our completion of a business combination. |
||
|
Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business |
Nasdaq listing rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more operating businesses having assets with a fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned in the trust account). |
The fair value or net assets of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds. |
||
|
Trading of securities issued |
The units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or, if such date is not a business day, the following business day) unless BTIG informs us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering. If the overallotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the overallotment option. |
No trading of the units or the underlying Class A ordinary shares and warrants would be permitted until the completion of a business combination. During this period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account. |
121
|
Terms of Our Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
|||
|
Exercise of the warrants |
The warrants cannot be exercised until the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and 12 months from the closing of this offering. |
The warrants could be exercised prior to the completion of a business combination, but securities received and cash paid in connection with the exercise would be deposited in the escrow or trust account. |
||
|
Election to remain an investor |
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest, which interest shall be net of taxes payable, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein. We may not be required by law to hold a shareholder vote. If we are not required by applicable law or stock exchange rules and do not otherwise decide to hold a shareholder vote to approve out initial business combination, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC and file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. |
A prospectus containing information pertaining to the business combination required by the SEC would be sent to each investor. Each investor would be given the opportunity to notify the company in writing, within a period of no less than 20 business days and no more than 45 business days from the effective date of a post-effective amendment to the company’s registration statement, to decide if he, she or it elects to remain a shareholder of the company or require the return of his, her or its investment. If the company has not received the notification by the end of the 45th business day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow account are automatically returned to the shareholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all funds on deposit in the escrow account must be returned to all of the investors and none of the securities are issued. |
||
|
Our initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our board of directors, and a majority of our independent directors. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem its public shares without voting and, if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. |
122
|
Terms of Our Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
|||
|
Business combination deadline |
If we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem 100% of the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. |
If an acquisition has not been completed within 18 months after the effective date of the company’s registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors. |
||
|
Release of funds |
The proceeds from this offering held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination (including the release of funds to pay any amounts due to any public shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights in connection therewith), (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or with respect to |
The proceeds held in the escrow account are not released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or the failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. |
123
|
Terms of Our Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
|||
|
any other provision relating to holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity or (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. |
||||
|
Limitation on redemption rights of shareholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a shareholder vote |
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to the Excess Shares (more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering) without our prior consent. Our public shareholders’ inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and they could suffer a material loss on their investment in us if they sell the Excess Shares in open market transactions. |
Most blank check companies provide no restrictions on the ability of shareholders to redeem shares based on the number of shares held by such shareholders in connection with an initial business combination. |
||
|
Tendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights |
We may require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve our initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using DTC’s DWAC System, at the holder’s option. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. |
In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, holders could vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holders were seeking to exercise their redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such shareholders to arrange for them to deliver their certificate to verify ownership. |
124
|
Terms of Our Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
|||
|
Accordingly, a public shareholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. |
Competition
We expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, in the event we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we are obligated to pay cash for our Class A ordinary shares, it will potentially reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination. Any of these obligations may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination.
Conflicts of Interest
Our management team, in their capacities as directors, officers or employees of our co-sponsors or their respective affiliates or in their other endeavors, may choose to present potential business combinations to the related entities described above, current or future entities affiliated with or managed by either of our co-sponsors, or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law and any other applicable fiduciary duties. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law: (i) 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 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 may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other. For more information, see the section entitled “Management — Conflicts of Interest.” In addition, members of our management team and our board of directors will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private placement units following this offering, as set forth in “Principal Shareholders,” and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination.
Our directors and officers presently have, and any of them in the future may have, additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our directors or officers 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 may need to honor these fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, or in the case of a non-compete restriction, may not present such opportunity to us at all, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. See “Risk Factors — Certain of our directors and officers are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.”
We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our directors or officers will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
125
Indemnity
Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (1) $10.00 per public share or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriter of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy their respective indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations.
Facilities
Our executive offices are located at 121 High Street, Floor 3, Boston, MA 02110, and our telephone number is (617) 334-2805. The cost for this space is included in the $10,000 per month fee that we will pay an affiliate of our sponsor for office space, administrative and support services. We believe, based on rents and fees for similar services, that the fee charged by our sponsor is at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an unaffiliated person. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We currently have two officers and do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that any such person will devote in any time period to our company will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process.
Periodic Reporting and Financial Information
We have registered our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accounting firm.
We will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents (as applicable) sent to shareholders. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with GAAP, 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 acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.
We cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential acquisition 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 any applicable requirements cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business. While this may limit the pool of potential acquisition candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.
126
We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer will we be required to have our internal control procedures audited. A target 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 acquisition.
Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act applicable to Exchange Act registered companies. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies conducting business mainly outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Act. 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, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations will apply to us or our operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax will be payable (i) on or in respect of our shares, debentures or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of dividends 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.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (i) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to SEC rules from time to time), or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (ii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.
127
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (i) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $250 million as of the end of the prior June 30th or (ii) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the end of the prior June 30th.
Legal Proceedings
There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such.
128
Officers, Directors and Director Nominees
Our current directors, director nominees and executive officers are as follows:
|
Name |
Age |
Title |
||
|
Matthew Hong* |
51 |
Chairman Nominee |
||
|
Thomas Bushey |
44 |
Chief Executive Officer and Director |
||
|
Jake Gudoian |
28 |
Chief Financial Officer |
||
|
Jennifer Vescio* |
53 |
Director Nominee |
||
|
Josh Gold* |
53 |
Director Nominee |
||
|
Ted Seides* |
53 |
Director Nominee |
____________
* These individuals have indicated his/her consent to occupy such position upon the commencement of trading of our units on Nasdaq.
Upon consummation of this offering, our directors and officers will be as follows:
Thomas Bushey, Chief Executive Officer and a Director
Thomas Bushey has served as our Chief Executive Officer and director since June 19, 2024. Mr. Bushey brings a wealth of experience from his two-decades long career as a successful investor, board member and capital allocator. He is the founder and has served as CEO of Sunderland Capital Partners L.P. (“Sunderland Capital”) since 2015. Sunderland Capital is an operationally focused, long-term oriented investment firm with a focus on emerging technologies and the consumer Internet. Since November 2020, Mr. Bushey also has served as Chief Executive Officer, President and a director of Newbury Street Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC. Prior to founding Sunderland Capital, he was a portfolio manager at Blackrock. Prior to Blackrock, Mr. Bushey was a senior analyst for Mayo Capital Partners and Millennium Partners. Mr. Bushey began his career as an analyst for Credit Suisse First Boston (“CSFB”) and later moved to HCI Equity Partners (Thayer Capital). At CSFB from 2002 to 2005, he executed and analyzed mergers, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, divestitures, takeover defenses, restructurings and debt and equity financing for corporate clients and financial sponsors. From 2020 to October 2023, Mr. Bushey served on the board of Ondas Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: ONDS), a developer of private licensed wireless data networks for mission-critical industrial markets. Mr. Bushey has a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Bushey is qualified to serve on the Board of Directors due to his significant investment banking and management experience.
Jake Gudoian, Chief Financial Officer
Jake Gudoian, who has served as our Chief Financial Officer since June 19, 2024, has been Chief Operating Officer of Sunderland Capital Partners since 2023 and an Analyst for Sunderland Capital Partners from 2019 to 2024. Mr. Gudoian has a BS in Economics from the University of Rhode Island.
Matthew Hong, Chairman Nominee
Matthew Hong has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of 2080 Media Inc. (d/b/a PlayOn! Sports), a company engaged in streaming live and on-demand high school sports operating the NFHS Network, and GoFan, a high school ticketing solution in the United States, since January 2023. In this role, Mr. Hong oversees day-to-day operations for PlayOn! Sports. Since February 2021, Mr. Hong has served as the Chairman of the Board of Newbury Street Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC.
From May 2008 to June 2019, Mr. Hong served in various roles, culminating in serving as the chief operating officer, between March 2017 and June 2019, of Turner Sports, a subsidiary of WarnerMedia and AT&T. In this role, he oversaw teams responsible for long-term business strategy, rights acquisitions, league partnerships, programming, marketing, revenue and sales inventory planning, and day-to-day operations for the division. In addition to his division-wide responsibilities, Mr. Hong oversaw the management of various sports businesses and properties including Bleacher Report, NBA TV, NBA Digital, NCAA Digital and March Madness Live, SI Digital, NASCAR.com, PGATOUR.com, PGA.com and PGA Championship Live, GOLF.com, and the B/R Live OTT offering.
129
Prior to Turner Sports, from January 2006 to May 2008, he served as vice president and general manager of interactive media at Thomson Learning. From November 1999 to January 2006, he served in multiple roles at AOL, including as executive director of business development and executive director of search. While at AOL, he architected and oversaw the company’s partnership with, and equity stake in, Google, and managed the search business across the AOL portfolio of properties.
Mr. Hong served as an independent director of Advocado, Inc., a data-as-a-service company, from July 2020 to July 2023. He previously served on the board of directors of PlayOn! Sports between August 2022 and January 2023; of Inception Growth Acquisition Limited, a SPAC, between March 2021 and December 2022; of iStreamPlanet, a company that processes and delivers live video broadcasts over the Internet, between August 2015 and June 2019; and as a board observer of FanDuel, a gaming company, between June 2015 and October 2017. Mr. Hong received a JD, with honors, from Harvard Law School, and a BA in economics from NC State University. Mr. Hong is qualified to serve on the Board of Directors due to his significant experience as a senior executive of media and Internet companies.
Jennifer Vescio, Director Nominee
Jennifer Vescio formerly served as the global head of business development for Uber Technologies Inc. from 2019 to 2023, where she was responsible for launching new strategic initiatives, closing partnership deals and managing partner operations. Ms. Vescio is a principal of Awestruck Ventures, a venture and strategy consulting firm she co-founded in 2015, where she currently serves as an advisor, investor, strategy and management consultant to tech, entertainment, sports and digital media firms, as well as an executive coach to CEOs and their teams. Since February 2021, she has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Newbury Street Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC. From 2015 to 2020, Ms. Vescio served as a member of the board of directors of the PGA Tour, the organizer of the main professional golf tours played by men in the United States and North America. From 2017 to 2018, Ms. Vescio served as senior vice president, global head of corporate development and partnerships for Verizon Media where she focused on strategic growth, new business development, partnerships, and investments. From 2013 to 2016, she served as the head of global strategy and business development at eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY). While at eBay, she managed over $600 million in GMV (Global Merchandise Volume) through its partner network, which included partnerships with Samsung, HP, Yahoo!, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Telefonica. She also launched new strategic initiatives and incubated new businesses such as eBay Now, an on-demand local ordering and delivery platform which launched in San Francisco and New York. From 2010 to 2013, Ms. Vescio was the vice president of global business development at ESPN. In 2009, CBS hired Ms. Vescio to lead its strategy & business development efforts until 2011. During her time at CBS, Ms. Vescio led its digital content distribution strategy and signed partnerships with YouTube, DailyMotion, eBay, Hulu and Yahoo!. Ms. Vescio earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology/Biology from Allegheny College and her MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She also holds her ICF and NCF certifications for executive coaching. Ms. Vescio is qualified to serve on the Board of Directors due to her experience as an executive in technology, entertainment, sports or digital media, as well as her significant experience on business, development and management.
Josh Gold, Director Nominee
Josh Gold serves as a general partner of Inverness LLC and Blue Flag Partners LLC in Boston, MA. Mr. Gold was the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Three Bays Capital L.P. in Boston, MA. Previously, he was a Managing Director at Jefferies & Co., where he served as Head of Client Relationship Management. Prior to Jefferies & Co., Mr. Gold served in various roles at Goldman Sachs & Co., Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette, Inc., DeMatteo Monness LLC and Bear Stearns & Co. Inc. Since November 2022, Mr. Gold has served as a director of Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. (CSE: AAWH-U.CN | OTCQX: AAWH), a vertically integrated multistate cannabis operator with licenses and assets in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. He recently served on the board of Uprooted Inc. (d/b/a Urbn Leaf) in San Diego, CA. Mr. Gold has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Managed Funds Association (MFA) in Washington D.C. He also served on the Investment and Finance Committees at The Rivers School in Weston, MA. Mr. Gold is the Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Team IMPACT and the Co-Founder of the Boston Investment Conference. He received a B.A. in Government & Law from Lafayette College in Easton, PA. Mr. Gold is qualified to serve on the Board of Directors due to his experience in the financial services industry.
130
Ted Seides, Director Nominee
Ted Seides is the founder of Capital Allocators Partners, LLC and TDS Advisers, LLC, a platform that includes podcasts, gatherings and advice on best practices in the asset management industry. Since February 2021, Mr. Seides has served as a senior adviser to Newbury Street Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC. From 2002 to 2015, Mr. Seides served as the president and co-chief investment officer of Protégé Partners LLC, a leading multibillion-dollar alternative investment firm he founded that invested in and seeded small hedge funds. In 2010, Mr. Seides was profiled in the book “Top Hedge Fund Investors.” In 2016, Mr. Seides authored “So You Want to Start a Hedge Fund: Lessons for Managers and Allocators.” Mr. Seides began his career in 1992 under the tutelage of David Swensen at the Yale University Investments Office. Mr. Seides is qualified to serve on the Board of Directors due to his significant experience in the asset management industry.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
Our board of directors will consist of five members and will be divided into three classes with only one class of directors being appointed in each year, and with each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term. Prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote on the appointment and removal of directors or 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). Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on such matters during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to these rights of holders of Class B ordinary shares may be amended by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of our initial business combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual general meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. The term of office of the first class of directors, which will be Ted Seides, will expire at our first annual general meeting. The term of office of the second class of directors, which will consist of Jennifer Vescio and Josh Gold, will expire at the second annual general meeting. The term of office of the third class of directors, which will consist of Matthew Hong and Thomas Bushey will expire 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 persons to the offices set forth in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association as it deems appropriate. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that our officers may consist of a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, a Chief Executive Officer, a President, a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Financial Officer, Vice Presidents, a Secretary, Assistant Secretaries, a Treasurer and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.
Director Independence
Nasdaq listing standards 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 other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship which in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. We have three “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our board has determined that each of Matthew Hong, Jennifer Vescio, Josh Gold and Ted Seides is an independent director under applicable SEC rules and the Nasdaq listing standards.
Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
131
Officer and Director Compensation
None of our directors or officers have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Commencing on the date that our securities are first listed on Nasdaq through the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation, we will pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Our sponsor, directors and officers, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, directors, officers or any of their respective affiliates.
After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other compensation from the combined company. All compensation will be fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed business combination. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our officers after the completion of our initial business combination will be determined by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors.
We are not party to any agreements with our directors and officers that provide for benefits upon termination of employment. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business, and we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination should be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our board of directors will establish two standing committees: an audit committee and a compensation committee. Subject to phase-in rules, the rules of Nasdaq and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Each committee will operate under a charter that will be approved by our board and will have the composition and responsibilities described below.
Audit Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish an audit committee of the board of directors. The members of our audit committee will be Matthew Hong, Jennifer Vescio and Josh Gold. Matthew Hong will serve as chairman of the audit committee.
Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules and has accounting or related financial management expertise.
We will adopt an audit committee charter, which will detail the purpose and 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 registered public accounting firm and any other 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;
132
• reviewing and discussing with the independent registered public accounting firm all relationships the independent registered public accounting firm has with us in order to evaluate their continued independence;
• setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent registered public accounting firm;
• 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 audit firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues;
• meeting to review and discuss our annual audited financial statements and quarterly financial statements with management and the independent registered public accounting firm, including reviewing our specific disclosures under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations;”
• reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; and
• reviewing with management, the independent registered public accounting firm, and our legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
Compensation Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a compensation committee of the board of directors. The members of our compensation committee will be Jennifer Vescio and Josh Gold. Jennifer Vescio will serve as chairman of the compensation committee. We will adopt a compensation committee charter, which will detail the purpose and responsibility 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 officers and employees;
• producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and
• reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.
133
The charter will also provide that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, independent legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by Nasdaq and the SEC.
Director Nominations
We do not have a standing nominating committee though we intend to form a corporate governance and nominating committee as and when required to do so by law or Nasdaq rules. In accordance with Rule 5605(e)(2) of the Nasdaq rules, a majority of the independent directors may recommend a director nominee for selection by our board of directors. Our board of directors believes that the independent directors can satisfactorily carry out the responsibility of properly selecting or approving director nominees without the formation of a standing nominating committee. The directors who will participate in the consideration and recommendation of director nominees are Messrs. Gold and Seides and Ms. Vescio. In accordance with Rule 5605(e)(1)(A) of the Nasdaq rules, all such directors are independent. As there is no standing nominating committee, we do not have a nominating committee charter in place.
The board of directors will also consider director candidates recommended for nomination by our shareholders during such times as they are seeking proposed nominees to stand for appointment at the next annual general meeting (or, if applicable, an extraordinary general meeting). Our shareholders that wish to nominate a director for appointment to our board of directors should follow the procedures set forth in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
We have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, our board of directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our shareholders. Prior to our initial business combination, holders of our public shares will not have the right to recommend director candidates for nomination to our board of directors.
Clawback Policy
We will adopt a compensation recovery policy that is compliant with Nasdaq listing rules as required by the Dodd-Frank Act.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our officers currently serves, or in the past year has served, as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more officers serving on our board of directors.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will adopt a code of ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees (“Code of Ethics”). We have filed a copy of our form Code of Ethics and our audit committee and compensation committee charters as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. You will be able to review this document by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics and the charters of the committees of our board of directors will be provided without charge upon request from us. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find Additional Information.” If we make any amendments to our Code of Ethics other than technical, administrative or other non-substantive amendments, or grant any waiver, including any implicit waiver, from a provision of the Code of Ethics applicable to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing similar functions requiring disclosure under applicable SEC or Nasdaq rules, we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver in a Current Report on Form 8-K.
134
Conflicts of Interest
Under Cayman Islands law, directors and officers owe the following fiduciary duties:
• duty to act in good faith in what the director or officer believes to be in the best interests of the company as a whole;
• duty to exercise powers for the purposes for which those powers were conferred and not for a collateral purpose;
• duty to not improperly fetter the exercise of future discretion;
• duty to exercise authority for the purpose for which it is conferred and a duty to exercise powers fairly as between different sections of shareholders;
• duty not to put themselves in a position in which there is a conflict between their duty to the company and their personal interests; and
• duty to exercise independent judgment.
In addition to the above, directors also owe a duty of care, which is not fiduciary in nature. This duty has been defined as a requirement to act as a reasonably diligent person having both the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person carrying out the same functions as are carried out by that director in relation to the company and the general knowledge, skill and experience which that director has.
As set out above, directors have a duty not to put themselves in a position of conflict and this includes a duty not to engage in self-dealing, or to otherwise benefit as a result of their position. However, in some instances what would otherwise be a breach of this duty can be forgiven and/or authorized in advance by the shareholders; provided that there is full disclosure by the directors. This can be done by way of permission granted in the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or alternatively by shareholder approval at general meetings.
Our management team is responsible for the management of our affairs. As described above and below, each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to another entity pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
In addition, members of our management team and our board of directors will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private placement units following this offering, as set forth in “Principal Shareholders,” 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.
Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:
• None of our officers or directors is required to commit his or her full time to our affairs and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating his or her time among various business activities.
135
• In the course of their other business activities, our officers and directors may become aware of investment and business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated. Our management may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. Please see “— Directors, Director Nominees and Executive Officers” for a description of our management’s other affiliations.
• Our sponsor, officers and directors will enter into an agreement with us pursuant to which they will agree to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares held by them in connection with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed 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 24 months, or such earlier date as our board of directors may approve, from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provision relating to the rights or pre-initial business combination activity of holders of our Class A ordinary shares. Additionally, our initial shareholders, officers and directors have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares or private placement shares held by them if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering. However, if our initial shareholders or any of our officers, directors or affiliates acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering. If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement warrants will expire worthless. Except as described herein, our sponsor and our directors and executive officers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earliest of (A) 12 months after the completion of our initial business combination, or (B) one year after the date of the consummation of an initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. With certain limited exceptions, the private placement units (and the underlying securities will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Since our sponsor, officers and directors will directly or indirectly own ordinary shares and private placement units following this offering, our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination.
• Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation following our initial business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether to proceed with a particular business combination.
• Our key personnel may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such key personnel was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
• 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. See “Risk Factors — We may engage one or more affiliates of our sponsor, officers or directors or their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after this offering, which may include acting as financial advisor in connection with an initial business combination. These financial incentives may cause them to have potential conflicts of interest in rendering any such additional services to us after this offering, including, for example, in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination.”
136
The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our favor.
Accordingly, as a result of multiple business affiliations, our directors and officers have similar legal obligations relating to presenting business opportunities meeting the above-listed criteria to multiple entities. Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our directors and officers and certain of our affiliates currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may present a conflict of interest:
|
Name of Individual |
Entity Name |
Entity’s Business |
Affiliation |
|||
|
Thomas Bushey |
Sunderland Capital Partners LP |
Private equity firm |
Founder and Managing Partner |
|||
|
Newbury Street Acquisition Corporation |
Blank check company |
Chief Executive Officer and Director |
||||
|
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp |
Blank check company |
Chief Executive Officer, President and a Director |
||||
|
Matthew Hong |
Newbury Street Acquisition Corporation |
Blank check company |
Chairman |
|||
|
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp |
Blank check company |
Chairman |
||||
|
Jennifer Vescio |
Newbury Street Acquisition Corporation |
Blank check company |
Director |
|||
|
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp |
Blank check company |
Director |
||||
|
Josh Gold |
Inverness Capital LLC Blue Flag Partners LLC Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp |
Private equity firm Private equity firm Blank check company |
General Partner General Partner Director |
|||
|
Ted Seides |
Newbury Street Acquisition Corporation |
Blank check company |
Adviser |
|||
|
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp |
Blank check company |
Director |
||||
|
Jake Gudoian |
Sunderland Capital Partners LP |
Private equity firm |
Chief Operating Officer |
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated (as defined in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested 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.
In addition, our sponsor or any of its affiliates may make additional investments in the company in connection with the initial business combination, although our sponsor and its affiliates have no obligation or current intention to do so. If our sponsor or any of its affiliates elects to make additional investments, such proposed investments could influence our sponsor’s motivation to complete an initial business combination.
In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our initial shareholders, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote any founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination, and our officers and directors have also agreed to vote public shares purchased by them (if any) during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination.
137
The non-managing sponsor members are not required to (i) hold any public units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination. The non-managing sponsor members will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default, willful neglect, actual fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that our officers and directors will be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by law, as it now exists or may in the future be amended, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud, willful default or willful neglect. We expect to purchase a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors.
Our officers and directors have agreed, and any persons who may become officers or directors prior to the initial business combination will agree, to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account, and to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied by us if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination.
Our indemnification obligations may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our shareholders. Furthermore, a shareholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
We believe that these provisions, the insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers and directors.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
138
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of the date of this prospectus, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our ordinary shares included in the units offered by this prospectus, and assuming no purchase of units in this offering, by:
• each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares;
• each of our named executive officers, directors and director nominees that beneficially owns ordinary shares upon completion of this offering; and
• all of our executive officers, directors and director nominees as a group.
Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all ordinary shares beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
On June 20, 2024, our Sponsor acquired an aggregate of 5,750,000 founder shares for $25,000, approximately $0.004 per share. On July 12, 2024, the Company issued an additional 368,000 founder shares to our sponsor, resulting in our sponsor holding a total of 6,118,000 founder shares The following table presents the number of shares and percentage of our ordinary shares owned by our initial shareholders before and after this offering. Prior to the offering, there were outstanding 6,118,000 Class B founder shares issued to the sponsor and 100,000 Class A representative founder shares issued to [designees of] BTIG for nominal consideration. The post-offering numbers and percentages presented assume that the underwriter does not exercise its overallotment option, that our sponsor forfeits 798,000 founder shares, and that there are 26,040,000 ordinary shares issued and outstanding after this offering. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a capitalization or share repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our founder shares immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of our issued and ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering.
|
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1) |
Number |
Approximate |
Number |
Approximate |
|||||||||||
|
Before |
After |
Before |
After |
||||||||||||
|
Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC(3)(5) |
450,000 |
— |
2.17 |
% |
5,320,000 |
100 |
% |
100 |
% |
||||||
|
Thomas Bushey(3) |
450,000 |
— |
2.17 |
% |
5,320,000 |
100 |
% |
100 |
% |
||||||
|
Matthew Hong(4) |
— |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
|
— |
|
||||||
|
Jennifer Vescio(4) |
— |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
|
— |
|
||||||
|
Josh Gold(4) |
— |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
|
— |
|
||||||
|
Ted Seides(4) |
— |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
|
— |
|
||||||
|
Jake Gudoian(4) |
— |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
|
— |
|
||||||
|
All officers, directors and director nominees as a group (six persons) |
450,000 |
— |
2.17 |
% |
5,320,000 |
100 |
% |
100 |
% |
||||||
____________
* Less than one percent.
(1) Unless otherwise indicated, the business address of each of the individuals and Newbury Street Acquisition Sponsor LLC is c/o Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, 121 High Street, Floor 3, Boston, MA 02110.
(2) Includes up to 798,000 founder shares that will be surrendered for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. Interests shown consist solely of founder shares, classified as Class B ordinary shares. Such shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination (with such conversion taking place immediately prior to, simultaneously with, or immediately following the time of our initial business combination, as may be determined by our directors), or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment and forfeiture, as described in the section entitled “Description of Securities.” After Offering interests shown consist of founder shares and private placement shares.
139
(3) Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC, our sponsor, is the record holder of 6,118,000 founder shares. Investment and voting decisions are made by Thomas Bushey, the managing member of our sponsor, who may be deemed to beneficially own the founder shares held by Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC. Mr. Bushey disclaims beneficial ownership of the founder shares held by Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC. Each of our other officers and directors is a member of our sponsor or has direct or indirect economic interests in our sponsor, and each of them disclaims any beneficial ownership other than to the extent of his or her pecuniary interest.
(4) Does not include indirect interest as a member of Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC.
(5) Twelve investors have expressed to us an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of approximately $18.8 million of the public units in this offering at the offering price (assuming the exercise in full of the underwriter’s over-allotment option) and up to an aggregate of approximately $4,045,000 of private placement units assuming the underwriter exercises the over-allotment option in full, and subject to those institutional investors purchasing, through the sponsor, the private placement units allocated to it in connection with the closing of this offering, the sponsor will issue membership interests at a nominal purchase price to the non-managing sponsor members at the closing of this offering reflecting interests in an aggregate of 3,235,936 founder shares held by sponsor. The non-managing sponsor members will not be granted any shareholder or other rights in addition to those afforded to our other public shareholders, and will only be issued membership interests in the sponsor, with no right to control the sponsor or vote or dispose of any securities held by the sponsor, including the founder shares held by the sponsor.
Immediately after this offering, our initial shareholders will beneficially own approximately 22% of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares (including the Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units and assuming our sponsor does not purchase any public units in this offering, without giving effect to the public shares, founder shares and Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units which may be acquired by the investors who have expressed interest in purchasing them). Prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote on the appointment and removal of directors or continuing 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). Because of this ownership block, our initial shareholders may be able to effectively influence the outcome of all other matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including the appointment of directors or continuing the 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), and approval of significant corporate transactions including our initial business combination.
Our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 450,000 private placement units (or 484,500 private placement units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit, or $4,500,000 in the aggregate (or $4,845,000 in the aggregate if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Assuming the underwriter exercises the over-allotment option is exercised in full, subject to allotment by the underwriter, certain institutional investors have expressed to us an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of 18.8 million public units in this offering and up to an aggregate of 404,500 private placement units as a non-managing member of the sponsor at the private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this public offering].
BTIG has committed to purchase an aggregate of 170,000 private placement units (or 195,500 private placement units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit, or $1,700,000 in the aggregate (or $1,955,000 in the aggregate if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering.
If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement warrants will expire worthless.
The private placement units are identical to units sold in this offering, except that: (1) the private placement units and private placement equivalent units issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any (including the underlying securities and Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, as described below; and (2) the private placement units and private placement equivalent units issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any (including the underlying securities and Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) are entitled to registration rights, as described below.
140
In addition, for as long as the representative founder shares, private placement units (and the underlying securities) and Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants are held by BTIG or its designees or affiliates, they will be subject to the lock-up and registration rights limitations imposed by FINRA Rule 5110 and the private placement warrants underlying the private placement units may not be exercised after five years from the commencement of sales of this offering in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8).
Our sponsor, its affiliates and our officers and directors are deemed to be our “promoters” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws.
Expression of Interest
Twelve institutional investors have expressed to us an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of approximately $18.8 million of the public units in this offering at the offering price (assuming the exercise in full of the underwriter’s over-allotment option). None of these institutional investors has expressed to us an interest in purchasing more than 9.9% of the public units to be sold in this offering.
Subject to these institutional investors purchasing public units allocated to it in connection with the closing of this offering, our sponsor will issue to these institutional investors a number of founder shares at the same per share purchase price paid by the sponsor, up to an aggregate of 3,235,936 founder shares if all of the subscriptions for public units submitted by these institutional investors are accepted in full by the underwriter and paid for by the institutional investors. These institutional investors are not granted any shareholder or other rights in addition to those afforded to our other public shareholders. Further, unlike certain arrangements of other blank check companies, the non-managing sponsor members are not required to (i) hold any public units, Class A ordinary shares or public units they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination. The non-managing sponsor members will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders. Depending on how many units are purchased by the non-managing sponsor members, the post-offering trading volume, volatility and liquidity of our securities may be reduced relative to what they would have been had the units been more widely offered and sold to other public investors. If the non-managing sponsor members purchase all of the units for which they have expressed to us an interest in purchasing or otherwise hold a substantial number of our units, then the non-managing sponsor members will potentially have different interests than our other public shareholders in approving our initial business combination and otherwise exercising their rights as public shareholders because of their indirect ownership of founder shares as further discussed in this prospectus. We do not expect any purchase of units by the non-managing sponsor members to negatively impact our ability to meet Nasdaq listing eligibility requirements.
There can be no assurance that these institutional investors will acquire any public units, either directly or indirectly, in this offering, or as to the amount of the units these institutional investors will retain, if any, prior to or upon the consummation of our initial business combination. Because these expressions of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, these institutional investors may determine to purchase a different number of public units in this offering, or none at all. In addition, the underwriter has full discretion to allocate the public units to investors and may determine to sell fewer public units to these institutional investors, or none at all. The underwriter will receive the same upfront discounts and commissions and deferred underwriting commissions on units purchased by these institutional investors, if any, as it will on the other units sold to the public in this offering. In the event that the institutional investors purchase the number of public units in which they have expressed an interest (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, no affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. However, because these institutional investors are not obligated to continue owning any public shares following the closing and are not obligated to vote any public shares in favor of our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that any of these institutional investors will be public shareholders at the time our shareholders vote on our initial business combination, and, if they are public shareholders, we cannot assure you as to how such institutional investors will vote on any business combination.
141
Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units
The founder shares and the private placement units (including the underlying securities) and any Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in the letter agreement with us to be entered into by our initial shareholders, directors and officers. Those lock-up provisions provide that such securities are not transferable or salable (1) in the case of the founder shares, until the earlier of: (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination; and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination (x) if the last reported sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share dividends, rights issuances, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, and (2) in the case of the private placement units (and the underlying securities), until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, except in each case (unless otherwise described below) The founder shares and private placement units (including the underlying securities) are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in the agreements entered into by our sponsor and directors and executive officers. Our sponsor and each of our directors and executive officers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares (or Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion thereof) until the earliest of (a) 12 months after the completion of our initial business combination, or (b) one year after the date of the consummation of an initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction after our initial business combination that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Our sponsor and our directors and executive officers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private placement units (including the underlying securities) until 30 days after the date that we complete our initial business combination. The foregoing restrictions are not applicable to transfers (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of our officers or directors, any members or partners of our sponsor or their affiliates; (b) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of one of the individual’s immediate family or to a estate planning vehicle or trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of the individual’s immediate family, an affiliate of such person or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) by private sales or transfers made in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the founder shares, private placement units or Class A ordinary shares, as applicable, were originally purchased; (f) pro rata distributions from our sponsor to its members, partners, or shareholders pursuant to our sponsor’s operating agreement; (g) by virtue of the laws of the Cayman Islands and our sponsor’s organizational documents upon liquidation or dissolution of our sponsor; (h) to the Company for no value for cancellation in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination; (i) in the event of our liquidation prior to the completion of our initial business combination; (j) in the event of our completion of a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination; (k) in the event the holder must forfeit units if the over-allotment option is not exercised, as provided for in the letter agreement, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part; or (l) to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a Transfer would be permissible under clauses (a) through (j) above; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (g) and clause (l) these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and the other restrictions contained in the letter agreement.
142
In addition, for as long as the representative founder shares, BTIG units (and the underlying securities) are held by BTIG or its designees or affiliates, they will be subject to the lock-up and registration rights limitations imposed by FINRA Rule 5110 and the private placement warrants underlying the private placement units may not be exercised after five years from the commencement of sales of this offering.
No member of our sponsor may Transfer all or any portion of its membership interests in our sponsor, except (i) with the prior written consent of the managing member of our sponsor, or (ii) to such member’s affiliates, immediate family, or to a trust, the primary beneficiary(ies) of which is a member or members of such member’s immediate family; provided that such recipient shall be required to become a member of our sponsor pursuant to the terms of our sponsor’s operating agreement and, therefore, be bound by the restrictions on transfers as set forth therein.
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares, representative founder shares, private placement units (including the underlying securities) and any private placement equivalent units (and underlying securities) that may be issued on conversion of working capital loans and upon conversion of the founder shares will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering 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 these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not be required to effect or permit any registration or cause any registration statement to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period as described under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units.” Notwithstanding the foregoing, BTIG and/or its designees may not exercise their demand and “piggyback” registration rights after five and seven years after the commencement of sales of this offering and may not exercise their demand rights on more than one occasion. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
143
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
On June 20, 2024, our sponsor paid $25,000 to cover certain of our offering and formation costs in exchange for the issuance of 5,750,000 founder shares, or approximately $0.004 per share. On July 12, 2024, the Company issued an additional 368,000 founder shares to our sponsor in a share capitalization resulting in our sponsor holding a total of 6,118,000 founder shares. Up to 798,000 founder shares are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised. Our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees will collectively beneficially own approximately 98% of our issued and outstanding shares prior to this offering, and approximately 22% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering, including the Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units and assuming our sponsor does not purchase any public shares in this offering, without giving effect to the public shares, founder shares and Class A shares underlying the private placement units which may be acquired by the investors who have expressed interest in purchasing them.
Our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 450,000 private placement units (or an aggregate of 484,500 private placement units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a purchase price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,500,000 (or $4,845,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The private placement units are identical to the public units to be sold in this offering, except as otherwise described in this prospectus.
Twelve institutional investors have expressed to us an interest in purchasing up to 18.8 million units in this offering and 404,500 private placement units in the private placement closing simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. Subject to each institutional investor purchasing the public units and, through our sponsor, private placement units allocated to it in connection with this offering and the private placement, our sponsor will issue to such institutional investors at a nominal purchase price non-managing sponsor membership interests in the sponsor reflecting interests in an aggregate of 3,235.936 founder shares held by the sponsor. These institutional investors will not be granted any shareholder or other rights in addition to those afforded to our other public shareholders.
As more fully discussed in “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our directors or officers becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us. Our directors and officers currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.
Members of our management team and our board of directors will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private placement units following this offering, as set forth in “Principal Shareholders,” 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.
We will enter into an Administrative Services Agreement with an affiliate of our sponsor, pursuant to which we will pay a total of $10,000 per month to such affiliate for office space, administrative and support services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees. Accordingly, in the event the consummation of our initial business combination takes the maximum 24 months, an affiliate of our sponsor will be paid a total of $240,000 ($10,000 per month) for office space, administrative and support services and will be entitled to be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses.
Our sponsor, directors and officers, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, directors, officers or any of their respective affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.
Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note, dated June 20, 2024, to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of June 30, 2025 and the closing of this offering. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $700,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) not held in the trust account. As of June 30, 2024, there was no amount outstanding under such promissory note.
144
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or any of its affiliates or our directors and officers may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans for each such person may be convertible into private placement equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than 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.
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 tender offer or proxy solicitation 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 officer and director compensation.
We have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the founder shares, private placement units (including the underlying securities), private placement equivalent units (including the underlying securities) issued upon conversion of working capital loans (if any), which is described under the heading “Principal Shareholders — Registration Rights.”
Related Party Policy
We have not yet adopted a formal policy for the review, approval or ratification of related party transactions. Accordingly, the transactions discussed above were not reviewed, approved or ratified in accordance with any such policy.
Prior to the closing of this offering, we will adopt our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics requiring us to avoid, wherever possible, all conflicts of interests, except under guidelines or resolutions approved by our board of directors (or the appropriate committee of our board of directors) or as disclosed in our public filings with the SEC. Under our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, conflict of interest situations will include any financial transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) involving the company.
In addition, our audit committee, pursuant to a written charter that we will adopt prior to the consummation of this offering, will be responsible for reviewing and approving related party transactions to the extent that we enter into such transactions. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the audit committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present will be required in order to approve a related party transaction. A majority of the members of the entire audit committee will constitute a quorum. Without a meeting, the unanimous written consent of all of the members of the audit committee will be required to approve a related party transaction. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, directors or officers, or our or any of their respective affiliates.
These procedures are intended to determine whether any such related party transaction impairs the independence of a director or presents a conflict of interest on the part of a director, employee or officer.
To further minimize conflicts of interest, we have agreed not to consummate an initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our sponsor, directors or officers unless we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, have obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. In addition, pursuant to Nasdaq listing rules, our initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors.
145
Furthermore, there will be no finder’s fees, reimbursements or cash payments made by us to our sponsor, directors or officers, or our or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, other than the following payments, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:
• repayment of an aggregate of up to $300,000 in loans made to us by our Sponsor, to cover offering-related and organizational expenses;
• payment to an affiliate of our sponsor of a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services;
• reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination; and
• repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or its affiliates or certain of our directors and officers to finance to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans for each such person may be convertible into private placement equivalent units, at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender.
The above payments may be funded using the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not held in the trust account or, upon completion of the initial business combination, from any amounts remaining from the proceeds of the trust account released to us in connection therewith.
146
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company with limited liability and our affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (as amended and restated from time to time), the Companies Act and the common law of the Cayman Islands. Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, our authorized share capital consists of 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, and 5,000,000 undesignated preference shares, $0.0001 par value. The following description summarizes certain terms of our share capital as set out more particularly in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.
Units
Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one whole 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, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrantholder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of Class A ordinary shares. This means that only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrantholder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least two units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. The Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or, if such date is not a business day, the following business day) unless BTIG informs us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the Class A ordinary shares and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into Class A ordinary shares and warrants. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least two units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.
In no event will the Class A ordinary shares and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K that includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K that includes this audited balance sheet upon the completion of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days after the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option.
Additionally, the units that have not already been separated will automatically separate into their component parts in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and will no longer be listed thereafter.
Private Placement Units
The private placement units (including the underlying securities) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, except, among other limited exceptions as described under “Principal Shareholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units,” to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor. The private placement units will be identical to the units sold as part of this offering, except as set forth below under “Private Placement Warrants.”
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Such units and their underlying securities would be identical to the private placement units, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period of the underlying warrants. The terms of such working capital loans by our sponsor or its affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans.
147
Ordinary Shares
Upon the closing of this offering, 26,040,000 ordinary shares will be outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 798,000 founder shares by our sponsor), consisting of:
• 20,000,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the units being offered in this offering;
• 620,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the units sold as part of the private placement;
• 100,000 shares issued to the BTIG prior to the closing of this offering; and
• 5,320,000 Class B ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders.
If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a share dividend or share surrender or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our initial shareholders prior to this offering at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering and not including their ownership of the Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units).
Holders of our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders and vote together as a single class, except as required by law or the applicable stock exchange rules then in effect; provided that holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to appoint and remove all of our directors prior to our initial business combination and holders of our Class A ordinary shares will not be entitled to vote on the election or removal of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended if approved by a special resolution passed by 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 our ordinary shares voting at the applicable general meeting. Unless specified in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or as required by applicable provisions of the Companies Act or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of our ordinary shares that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our shareholders (other than the election or removal of directors and continuing the company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands), and an ordinary resolution of the founder shares (only) is required to approve the election or removal of directors. Approval of certain actions will require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law and pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; such actions include amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company (other than with a 90% subsidiary of ours). Our board of directors will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares eligible to vote and voted for the appointment of directors can appoint all of the directors. Our shareholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
Because our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association authorizes the issuance of up to 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, if we were to enter into a business combination, we may (depending on the terms of such a business combination) be required to increase the number of Class A ordinary shares which we are authorized to issue at the same time as our shareholders vote on the business combination to the extent we seek shareholder approval in connection with our business combination.
In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual general meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. There is no requirement under the Companies’ Act for us to hold annual or extraordinary general meetings or appoint directors other than to ensure that the company has at least one director at all times. We may not hold an annual general meeting to elect new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination.
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares (including any securities for which such shares are exchanged in any prior migration or other restructuring) 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
148
combination including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be approximately $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions we will pay to the underwriter. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial owner must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. Our initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination or certain amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association as described elsewhere in this prospectus. Permitted transferees of our initial shareholders, directors or officers will be subject to the same obligations with respect to their founder shares. The non-managing sponsor members are not required to (i) hold any public units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination. The non-managing sponsor members will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the public units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders.
Unlike many blank check companies that hold shareholder votes and conduct proxy solicitations in conjunction with their initial business combinations and provide for related redemptions of public shares for cash upon completion of such initial business combinations even when a vote is not required by law, if a shareholder vote is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require these tender offer documents to contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If, however, shareholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. Our initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our board of directors, and a majority of our independent directors. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. However, the participation of our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates in privately-negotiated transactions (as described in this prospectus), if any, could result in the approval of our initial business combination even if a majority of our public shareholders vote, or indicate their intention to vote, against such business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding ordinary shares voted, abstentions and non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our business combination once a quorum is obtained. We intend to give not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination. The quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial shareholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to the Excess Shares without our prior consent. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including the Excess Shares) for or against our business combination. Our shareholders’ inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our 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 the business combination. And, as a result, such shareholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose such shares would be required to sell their shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
149
If we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our initial shareholders have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote their founder shares, any public shares and private placement shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. Our directors and officers also have entered into the letter agreement imposing similar obligations on them with respect to public shares acquired by them, if any. In the event that the non-managing sponsor members purchase public units (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, [no affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required] to approve our initial business combination. However, because the non-managing sponsor members are not obligated to continue owning any public shares following the closing and are not obligated to vote any public shares in favor of our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that any of the non-managing sponsor members will be public shareholders at the time our shareholders vote on our initial business combination, and, if they are public shareholders, we cannot assure you as to how such non-managing sponsor members will vote on any business combination.
If the non-managing sponsor members do not vote their shares in favor of our initial business combination, we would need 7,250,001, or 36.25% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the underwriter’s overallotment option is not exercised), of the 20,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved, subject to any higher consent threshold as may be required by Cayman Islands or other applicable law. We expect that our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees will own at least approximately 22% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares at the time of any such shareholder vote. Accordingly, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, it is more likely that the necessary shareholder approval will be received than would be the case if such persons agreed to vote their founder shares in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by our public shareholders. The non-managing sponsor members are not required to (i) hold any public units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination. The non-managing sponsor members will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem its public shares without voting and, if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. The non-managing sponsor members are not required to (i) hold any public units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination. The non-managing sponsor members will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the public units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders.
Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, if we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our initial shareholders have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our initial shareholders, directors acquire public shares, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time period.
If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the 24-month period, we may seek an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the period of time we have to complete an initial business combination beyond 24 months. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require at least a special resolution of our shareholders as a matter of Cayman Islands law,
150
meaning that such an amendment be approved by at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a shareholder meeting of the company. If we seek shareholder approval to extend the initial 24-month period in which to complete an initial business combination to a later date, we will offer our public shareholders the right to have their public ordinary shares redeemed for a pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, as described in greater detail in this prospectus.
In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the company after a business combination, our shareholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of shares, if any, having preference over the ordinary shares. Our shareholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the ordinary shares, except that we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.
Founder Shares
The founder shares are designated as Class B ordinary shares and are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, and holders of founder shares have the same shareholder rights as public shareholders, except that: (1) prior to our initial business combination, only holders of the founder shares have the right (A) to vote on the appointment of directors and holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason and (B) to vote 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); (2) founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below; (3) our initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive: (i) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them, as applicable, in connection with the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect 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 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (iii) their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame); (4) the founder shares will automatically convert into our Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described in more detail below; and (5) the founder shares are entitled to registration rights. If we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our initial shareholders have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote their founder shares and any public shares held by them purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. The non-managing sponsor members are not required to (i) hold any public units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants they may purchase in this offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any Class A ordinary shares they may own at the applicable time in favor of our initial business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising their right to redeem their public shares at the time of our initial business combination. The non-managing sponsor members will have the same rights to the funds held in the trust account with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the public units they may purchase in this offering as the rights afforded to our other public shareholders.
The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination (with such conversion taking place immediately prior to, simultaneously with, or immediately following the time of our initial business combination, as may be determined by our directors), or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis (subject to adjustment for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like), and subject to further 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 this offering and related to the closing of the business combination, the ratio at which Class B ordinary shares convert into Class A
151
ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis 20% of the sum of the total number of all ordinary shares outstanding upon completion of this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units) plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, or issuable upon the conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, in connection with the business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the business combination and any Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units or private placement equivalent units issued to our sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans). The term “equity-linked securities” refers to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for our Class A ordinary shares issued in a financing transaction in connection with our initial business combination, including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt.
With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or salable until the earlier of: (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination; and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination (x) if the last reported sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share dividends, rights issuances, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. For more information on the exceptions, see “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units.” Except in certain limited circumstances, no member of our sponsor may Transfer all or any portion of its membership interests in our sponsor. For more information, see “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units.”
Register of Members
Under Cayman Islands law, we must keep a register of members and there will be entered therein:
• the names and addresses of the members, a statement of the shares held by each member, and of the amount paid or agreed to be considered as paid, on the shares of each member and the voting rights of shares of each member;
• whether voting rights are attached to the share in issue;
• the date on which the name of any person was entered on the register as a member; and
• the date on which any person ceased to be a member.
Under Cayman Islands law, the register of members of our company is prima facie evidence of the matters set out therein (i.e. the register of members will raise a presumption of fact on the matters referred to above unless rebutted) and a member registered in the register of members will be deemed as a matter of Cayman Islands law to have legal title to the shares as set against its name in the register of members. Upon the closing of this public offering, the register of members will be immediately updated to reflect the issue of shares by us. Once our register of members has been updated, the shareholders recorded in the register of members will be deemed to have legal title to the shares set against their name. However, there are certain limited circumstances where an application may be made to a Cayman Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct legal position. Further, the Cayman Islands court has the power to order that the register of members maintained by a company should be rectified where it considers that the register of members does not reflect the correct legal position. If an application for an order for rectification of the register of members were made in respect of our ordinary shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a Cayman Islands court.
Preference Shares
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association authorize 5,000,000 preference shares and will provide that preference shares may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors will be authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each
152
series. Our board of directors will be able to, without shareholder approval, issue preference shares with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of the ordinary shares and could have anti-takeover effects. The ability of our board of directors to issue preference shares without shareholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing management. We have no preference shares issued and outstanding at the date hereof. Although we do not currently intend to issue any preference shares, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future. No preference shares are being issued or registered in this offering.
Warrants
Public Shareholders’ 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 herein, at any time commencing 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, provided that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis” under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement) and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrantholder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of Class A ordinary shares. This means that only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrantholder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least four units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
We will not be obligated to deliver any Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of a warrant unless the Class A ordinary shares 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 without value to the holder. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the Class A ordinary share underlying such unit.
We have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days, after the closing of the initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement for this offering or a new registration statement registering, under the Securities Act, the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants. We will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration or redemption of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. 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 it satisfies 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, but we will be required to use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the issuance of shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. To exercise warrants on a cashless basis, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants in exchange for a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of (i) the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, and (ii) the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) such fair market value. Solely for the purposes of the preceding sentence, “fair market value” shall mean the 10-day average trading price ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent.
153
Redemption of warrants for cash when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00.
Beginning 30 days after completion of our initial business combination, we may redeem the outstanding public warrants for cash:
• in whole and not in part;
• at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
• upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”); and
• if, and only if, the last reported sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrantholders. We will not redeem the warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout such 30 trading day period and the 30 day redemption period.
If and when the public warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.
We have established the last of the redemption criterion discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrantholder will be entitled to exercise its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the Class A ordinary shares may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) as well as the $11.50 (for whole shares) warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
Redemption Procedures
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 9.8% (or such other amount as a holder may specify) of the Class A ordinary shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
Anti-Dilution Adjustments
If the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares is increased by a share dividend payable in Class A ordinary shares, or by a subdivision of Class A ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share dividend, 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 Class A ordinary shares. A rights offering to holders of Class A ordinary shares entitling holders to purchase Class A ordinary shares at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a share dividend 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) multiplied by (ii) one (1) minus the quotient of (x) the price per Class A ordinary share paid in such rights offering divided by (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, (ii) 10-day average closing price means, as of any date, the average last reported sale price of the Class A ordinary shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to such date and (iii) fair market value means the 10-day average closing price the first date on which the Class A ordinary shares trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.
In addition, if we, at any time while the warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of Class A ordinary shares on account of such Class A ordinary shares (or other shares into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) certain
154
ordinary cash dividends, (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a proposed initial business combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our Class A ordinary shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, or (e) in connection with the redemption of our public shares upon our failure to complete our initial business combination, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each Class A ordinary share in respect of such event.
If the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination, or reclassification of Class A ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reclassification or similar event, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding Class A ordinary shares.
Whenever the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants is adjusted, as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of Class A ordinary shares so purchasable immediately thereafter. The warrant agreement provides that no adjustment to the number of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of a warrant will be required until cumulative adjustments amount to 1% or more of the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of a warrant as last adjusted. Any such adjustments that are not made will be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All such carried forward adjustments will be made (i) in connection with any subsequent adjustment that (taken together with such carried forward adjustments) would result in a change of at least 1% in the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of a warrant and (ii) on the exercise date of any warrant.
In addition, if (x) we issue additional ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our Sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our Sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the completion of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our Class A ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the public warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, the $18.00 per share redemption trigger prices described above under “— Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00” and “— Redemption of public warrants” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Class A ordinary shares (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such Class A ordinary shares), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another entity in which any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Section 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) acquires more than 50% of the voting power of the securities, or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of our Class A ordinary shares immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their warrants immediately prior to such event. If less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of Class A ordinary shares in such a transaction is payable in the form of shares in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly
155
exercises the warrant within thirty days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the warrant agreement based on the Black-Scholes warrant value (as defined in the warrant agreement) of the warrant. The purpose of such exercise price reduction is to provide additional value to holders of the warrants when an extraordinary transaction occurs during the exercise period of the warrants pursuant to which the holders of the warrants otherwise do not receive the full potential value of the warrants. The warrant exercise price will not be adjusted for other events.
The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for a complete description of the terms and conditions applicable to the warrants. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the warrants and the warrant agreement set forth in this prospectus, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants to make generally any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public 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 warrantholders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of Class A ordinary shares or 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 (1) vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.
We have agreed that, subject to applicable law, any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York located in the County of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction will be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. See “Risk Factors — Our warrant agreement will designate the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our warrants, which could limit the ability of warrantholders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.” This provision applies to claims under the Securities Act but does not apply to claims under the Exchange Act or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the warrantholder.
Private Placement Warrants
The private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the public units in this offering, except as described herein. With certain limited exceptions, the private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and they will not be redeemable by us. For more information on the exceptions, see “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units.”
Our sponsor and its permitted transferees have certain registration rights described herein.
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 a business combination. A Cayman Islands company may pay a dividend on its shares out of either profit or the share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if following such payment the company would be unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial conditions subsequent to completion of a business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. Our board
156
of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any share dividends in the foreseeable future. Further, if we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
Our Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent for our ordinary shares and warrant agent for our warrants is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. We have agreed to indemnify Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company in its roles as transfer agent and warrant agent, its agents and each of its shareholders, directors, officers and employees against all claims and losses that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the indemnified person or entity.
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company has agreed that it has no right of set-off or any right, title, interest or claim of any kind to, or to any monies in, the trust account, and has irrevocably waived any right, title, interest or claim of any kind to, or to any monies in, the trust account that it may have now or in the future. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied, or a claim will only be able to be pursued, solely against us and our assets outside the trust account and not against any monies in the trust account or interest earned thereon.
Certain Differences in Corporate Law
Cayman Islands companies are governed by the Companies Act. The Companies Act is modeled on English law but does not follow recent English law statutory enactments, and differs from laws applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of the material differences between the provisions of the Companies Act applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.
Mergers and Similar Arrangements. In certain circumstances, the Companies Act allows for mergers or consolidations between two Cayman Islands companies, or between a Cayman Islands company and a company incorporated in another jurisdiction (provided that is facilitated by the laws of that other jurisdiction).
Where the merger or consolidation is between two Cayman Islands companies, the directors of each company must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation containing certain prescribed information. That plan or merger or consolidation must then be authorized by either (i) a special resolution of the shareholders of each company; and (ii) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company’s articles of association. No shareholder resolution is required for a merger between a parent company (i.e., a company that holds issued shares that together represent 90% of the votes at a general meeting of the subsidiary company) and its subsidiary company, provided the parent company is the surviving entity and a copy of the plan of merger is given to every member of each subsidiary company to be merged unless that member agrees otherwise. The consent of each holder of a fixed or floating security interest of a constituent company must be obtained, unless the court waives such requirement. If the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies is satisfied that the requirements of the Companies Act (which includes certain other formalities) have been complied with, the Registrar of Companies will register the plan of merger or consolidation.
Where the merger or consolidation involves a foreign company, the procedure is similar, save that with respect to the foreign company, the directors of the Cayman Islands company are also required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, they are of the opinion that certain requirements have been met, including the following requirements: (i) that the merger or consolidation is permitted or not prohibited by the constitutional documents of the foreign company and by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the foreign company is incorporated, and that those laws and any requirements of those constitutional documents have been or will be complied with; (ii) that no petition or other similar proceeding has been filed and remains outstanding or order made or resolution adopted to wind up or liquidate the foreign company in any applicable jurisdictions; (iii) that no receiver, trustee, administrator or other similar person has been appointed in any jurisdiction and is acting in respect of the foreign company, its affairs or its property or any part thereof; (iv) that no scheme, order, compromise or other similar arrangement has been entered into or made in any jurisdiction whereby the rights of creditors of the foreign company are and continue to be suspended or restricted; and (v) there is no other reason why it would be against the public interest to permit the merger or consolidation.
157
Where the surviving company is the Cayman Islands exempted company, the directors of the Cayman Islands exempted company are further required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, they are of the opinion that the following requirements have been met: (i) that the foreign company is able to pay its debts as they fall due and that the merger or consolidation is bona fide and not intended to defraud unsecured creditors of the foreign company; (ii) that in respect of the transfer of any security interest granted by the foreign company to the surviving or consolidated company (A) consent or approval to the transfer has been obtained, released or waived; (B) the transfer is permitted by and has been approved in accordance with the constitutional documents of the foreign company; and (C) the laws of the jurisdiction of the foreign company with respect to the transfer have been or will be complied with; and (iii) that the foreign company will, upon the merger or consolidation becoming effective, cease to be incorporated, registered or exist under the laws of the relevant foreign jurisdiction.
The Companies Act provides for a right of dissenting shareholders to be paid the fair value of their shares upon their dissenting to the merger or consolidation in certain circumstances if they follow a prescribed procedure. In essence, where such rights apply, that procedure is as follows: (i) the shareholder must give his written objection to the merger or consolidation to the constituent company before the vote on the merger or consolidation, including a statement that the shareholder proposes to demand payment for their shares if the merger or consolidation is authorized by the vote; (ii) within 20 days following the date on which the merger or consolidation is authorized by the shareholders, the constituent company must give written notice to each shareholder who made a written objection; (iii) a shareholder must within 20 days following receipt of such notice from the constituent company, give the constituent company a written notice of his intention to dissent including, among other details, a demand for payment of the fair value of their shares; (iv) within seven days following the date of the expiration of the period set out in paragraph (ii) above or seven days following the date on which the plan of merger or consolidation is filed, whichever is later, the constituent company, the surviving company or the consolidated company must make a written offer to each dissenting shareholder to purchase their shares at a price that the company determines is the fair value and if the company and the shareholder agree the price within 30 days following the date on which the offer was made, the company must pay the shareholder such amount; and (v) if the company and the shareholder fail to agree on a price within such 30 day period, within 20 days following the date on which such 30 day period expires, the company must (and any dissenting shareholder may) file a petition with the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands to determine the fair value of all dissenting shares and such petition must be accompanied by a list of the names and addresses of the dissenting shareholders with whom agreements as to the fair value of their shares have not been reached by the company. At the hearing of that petition, the court has the power to determine the fair value of the shares together with a fair rate of interest, if any, to be paid by the company upon the amount determined to be the fair value. Any dissenting shareholder whose name appears on the list filed by the company may participate fully in all proceedings until the determination of fair value is reached. A shareholder who dissents must do so in respect of all shares that that person holds in the constituent company. Upon the giving of a notice of dissent under paragraph (iii) above, the shareholder to whom the notice relates shall cease to have any of the rights of a shareholder except the right to be paid the fair value of that person’s shares and certain rights specified in the Companies Act. These rights of a dissenting shareholder are not available in certain circumstances, for example, to dissenting shareholders holding shares of any class in respect of which an open market exists on a recognized stock exchange or recognized interdealer quotation system at the relevant date, where the consideration for such shares to be contributed are shares of any company listed on a national securities exchange or shares of the surviving or consolidated company.
Moreover, Cayman Islands law has separate statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction or amalgamation of companies in certain circumstances, commonly referred to in the Cayman Islands as a “scheme of arrangement,” which may be tantamount to a merger. Schemes of arrangement will generally be more suited for complex mergers or other transactions involving widely held companies. In the event that a merger was sought pursuant to a scheme of arrangement (the procedures for which are more rigorous and take longer to complete than the procedures typically required to consummate a merger in the United States), the arrangement in question must be approved (i) in relation to a compromise or arrangement between a company and its creditors or any class of them, a majority in number of such creditors or class of creditors with whom the arrangement is to be made and who must in addition represent 75% in value of such creditors or class of creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting summoned for that purpose; and (ii) in relation to a compromise or arrangement between a company and its shareholders or any class of them, shareholders who represent 75% in value of the company’s shareholders or class of shareholders, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting summoned for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the terms of the arrangement must be sanctioned by
158
the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder would have the right to express to the court the view that the transaction should not be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it satisfies itself that:
• we are not proposing to act illegally or beyond the scope of our corporate authority and the statutory provisions as to majority vote have been complied with;
• the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question;
• the arrangement is such as a businessman would reasonably approve; and
• the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Companies Act or that would amount to a “fraud on the minority.”
If a scheme of arrangement or takeover offer (as described below) is approved, any dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to dissenters’ rights or appraisal rights (providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares), which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of United States corporations.
Squeeze-out Provisions. When a takeover offer is made and accepted by holders of 90% in value of the shares to whom the offer relates within four months, the offeror may, within a two-month period after the expiration of the initial four-month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, but this is unlikely to succeed unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith, collusion or inequitable treatment of the shareholders.
Further, transactions similar to a merger, reconstruction and/or an amalgamation may in some circumstances be achieved through means other than these statutory provisions, such as a share capital exchange, asset acquisition or control, or through contractual arrangements of an operating business.
Shareholders’ Suits. Ogier (Cayman) LLP, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, is not aware of any reported class action having been brought in a Cayman Islands court. Derivative actions have been brought in the Cayman Islands courts, and the Cayman Islands courts have confirmed the availability of such actions. In most cases, we will be the proper plaintiff in any claim based on a breach of duty owed to us, and a claim against (for example) our officers or directors usually may not be brought by a shareholder. However, based both on Cayman Islands authorities and on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority and be applied by a court in the Cayman Islands, exceptions to the foregoing principle apply in circumstances in which:
• a company is acting, or proposing to act, illegally or beyond the scope of its authority;
• the act complained of, although not beyond the scope of the authority, could be effected if duly authorized by more than the number of votes which have actually been obtained; or
• those who control the company are perpetrating a “fraud on the minority.”
A shareholder may have a direct right of action against us where the individual rights of that shareholder have been infringed or are about to be infringed.
Enforcement of Civil Liabilities. The Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States and provides less protection to investors. Additionally, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the Federal courts of the United States.
We have been advised by Ogier (Cayman) LLP, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is currently no statutory enforcement or treaty between the United States and the Cayman Islands providing for enforcement of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment
159
debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive given by a court of competent jurisdiction (the courts of the Cayman Islands will apply the rules of Cayman Islands private international law to determine whether the foreign court is a court of competent jurisdiction), and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, and or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands. Furthermore, it is uncertain that Cayman Islands courts would enforce: (1) judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions against us or other persons that are predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws; or (2) original actions brought against us or other persons predicated upon the Securities Act.
Special Considerations for Exempted Companies. We are an exempted company with limited liability under the Companies Act. The Companies Act distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except for the exemptions and privileges listed below:
• annual reporting requirements are minimal and consist mainly of a statement that the company has conducted its operations mainly outside of the Cayman Islands and has complied with the provisions of the Companies Act;
• an exempted company’s register of members is not open to inspection and can be kept outside of the Cayman Islands;
• an exempted company does not have to hold an annual general meeting;
• an exempted company may issue shares with no nominal or par value;
• an exempted company may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation (such undertakings are usually given for 30 years in the first instance); and
• an exempted company may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands;
“Limited liability” means that the liability of each shareholder is limited to the amount unpaid by the shareholder on the shares of the company (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstance in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).
Our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the completion of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without a special resolution. As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a special resolution is a resolution that (i) has been passed by a majority of at least two-thirds (or any higher threshold specified in a company’s articles of association) of such of a company’s shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting for which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been given; or (ii) if so authorized by a company’s articles of association, has been approved by a unanimous written resolution of all of the company’s shareholders who are entitled to vote on such matter (or such lower threshold as may be allowed under the Companies Act from time to time). The provisions regulating the appointment and removal of directors and continuing the company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands may only be amended by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of our initial business combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting. Other than as described above, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that special resolutions must be approved either by 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 (i.e., the lowest threshold permissible under Cayman Islands law), or by a written resolution passed in accordance with the Companies Act.
160
Our initial shareholders, who will collectively beneficially own approximately 22% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (including the Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units and assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering, without giving effect to the public shares, founder shares and Class A shares underlying the private placement units which may be acquired by the investors who have expressed interest in purchasing them), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Specifically, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides, among other things, that:
• If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law;
• Prior to our initial business combination, we may not, except in connection with the conversion of Class B ordinary shares into Class A ordinary shares where the holders of such shares have waived any rights to receive funds from the trust account, issue additional shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination or any other proposal presented to our shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination;
• If a shareholder vote on our initial business combination is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons, we will offer to redeem our public shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, and will file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act; whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on Nasdaq, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above;
• So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination;
• If our shareholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (i) in a manner that would affect the substance and timing of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within 24 months following the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares; and
• We will not effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the courts of the Cayman Islands shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim or dispute arising out of or in connection with our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or otherwise related in any way to each shareholder’s shareholding in us, including but not limited to (i) any derivative
161
action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of any fiduciary or other duty owed by any of our current or former directors, officers or other employees to us or our shareholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Companies Act or our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine (as such concept is recognized under the laws of the United States of America) and that each shareholder irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Cayman Islands over all such claims or disputes. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association also provide that, without prejudice to any other rights or remedies that we may have, each of our shareholders acknowledges that damages alone would not be an adequate remedy for any breach of the selection of the courts of the Cayman Islands as exclusive forum and that accordingly we shall be entitled, without proof of special damages, to the remedies of injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief for any threatened or actual breach of the selection of the courts of the Cayman Islands as exclusive forum. The forum selection provision in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will not apply to actions or suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act, Exchange Act or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are, as a matter of the laws of the United States of America, the sole and exclusive forum for determination of such a claim.
Anti-Money Laundering, Counter Terrorist Financing, Prevention of Proliferation Financing and Financial Sanctions Compliance — Cayman Islands
If any person resident in the Cayman Islands knows or suspects, or has reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting, that another person is engaged in criminal conduct, is involved with terrorism or terrorist property or proliferation financing or is the business combination partner of a financial sanction and the information for that knowledge or suspicion came to their attention in the course of business in the regulated sector or other trade, profession, business or employment, the person will be required to report such knowledge or suspicion to (i) the Financial Reporting Authority of the Cayman Islands, pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands if the disclosure relates to criminal conduct, money laundering or proliferation financing or is the business combination partner of a financial sanction; or (ii) a police officer of the rank of constable or higher, or the Financial Reporting Authority, pursuant to the Terrorism Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands, if the disclosure relates to involvement with terrorism or terrorist financing and property. Such a report will not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by any enactment or otherwise. We reserve the right to refuse to make any payment to a shareholder if our directors or officers suspect or are advised that the payment to such shareholder might result in a breach of applicable anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, prevention of proliferation financing and financial sanctions or other laws or regulations by any person in any relevant jurisdiction, or if such refusal is considered necessary or appropriate to ensure our compliance with any such laws or regulations in any applicable jurisdiction.
Should a shareholder or its duly authorized delegates or agents be, or become (or is believed by the company or its affiliates (“Agents”) to be or become) at any time while it owns or holds an interest in the company, (a) an individual or entity named on any sanctions list maintained by the United Kingdom (including as extended to the Cayman Islands by Orders in Council) or the Cayman Islands or any similar list maintained under applicable law or is otherwise subject to applicable sanctions in the Cayman Islands (a “Sanctions Subject”) or (b) an entity owned or controlled directly or indirectly by a Sanctions Subject, as determined by the company in its sole discretion, then (i) the company or its Agents may immediately and without notice to the shareholder cease any further dealings with the shareholder or freeze any dealings with the interests or accounts of the shareholder (e.g., by prohibiting payments by or to the shareholder or restricting or suspending dealings with the interests or accounts) or freeze the assets of the company (including interests or accounts of other shareholders who are not Sanctions Subjects), until the relevant person ceases to be a Sanctions Subject or a license is obtained under applicable law to continue such dealings (a “Sanctioned Persons Event”), (ii) the company and its Agents may be required to report such action or failure to comply with information requests and to disclose the shareholder’s identity (and/or the identity of the shareholder’s beneficial owners and control persons) to the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, the Cayman Islands Financial Reporting Authority, or other applicable governmental or regulatory authorities (without notifying the Subscriber that such information has been so provided) and (iii) the company and its Agents have no liability whatsoever for any liabilities, costs, expenses, damages and/or losses (including but not limited to any direct, indirect or consequential losses, loss of profit, loss of revenue, loss of reputation and all interest, penalties and legal costs and all other professional costs and expenses) incurred by the shareholder as a result of a Sanctioned Persons Event.
162
Data Protection — Cayman Islands
We have certain duties under the Data Protection Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands, as amended from time to time and any regulations, codes of practice, or orders promulgated pursuant thereto (the “DPA”) based on internationally accepted principles of data privacy.
Privacy Notice
Introduction
This privacy notice puts our shareholders on notice that through your investment in the company you will provide us with certain personal information which constitutes personal data within the meaning of the DPA (“personal data”). In the following discussion, the “company” refers to us and our affiliates and/or delegates, except where the context requires otherwise.
We are committed to processing personal data in accordance with the DPA. In our use of personal data, we will be characterized under the DPA as a “data controller,” whilst certain of our service providers, affiliates, and delegates may act as “data processors” under the DPA. These service providers may process personal data for their own lawful purposes in connection with services provided to us. For the purposes of this Privacy Notice, “you” or “your” shall mean the subscriber and shall also include any individual connected to the subscriber.
By virtue of your investment in the company, we and certain of our service providers may collect, record, store, transfer, and otherwise process personal data by which individuals may be directly or indirectly identified. We may combine personal data that you provide to use with personal data that we collect from, or about you. This may include personal data collected in an online or offline context including from credit reference agencies and other available public databases or data sources, such as news outlines, websites and other media sources and international sanctions lists.
Your personal data will be processed fairly and for lawful purposes, including (a) where the processing is necessary for us to perform a contract to which you are a party or for taking pre-contractual steps at your request, (b) where the processing is necessary for compliance with any legal, tax, or regulatory obligation to which we are subject, (c) where the processing is for the purposes of legitimate interests pursued by us or by a service provider to whom the data are disclosed, or (d) where you otherwise consent to the processing of personal data for any other specific purpose. As a data controller, we will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it. If we need to use your personal data for an unrelated purpose, we will contact you.
We anticipate that we will share your personal data with our service providers for the purposes set out in this privacy notice. We may also share relevant personal data where it is lawful to do so and necessary to comply with our contractual obligations or your instructions or where it is necessary or desirable to do so in connection with any regulatory reporting obligations. In exceptional circumstances, we will share your personal data with regulatory, prosecuting, and other governmental agencies or departments, and parties to litigation (whether pending or threatened), in any country or territory including to any other person where we have a public or legal duty to do so (e.g. to assist with detecting and preventing fraud, tax evasion, and financial crime or compliance with a court order).
Your personal data shall not be held by the company for longer than necessary with regard to the purposes of the data processing.
We will not sell your personal data. Any transfer of personal data outside of the Cayman Islands shall be in accordance with the requirements of the DPA. Where necessary, we will ensure that separate and appropriate legal agreements are put in place with the recipient of that data.
We will only transfer personal data in accordance with the requirements of the DPA, and will apply appropriate technical and organizational information security measures designed to protect against unauthorized or unlawful processing of the personal data and against the accidental loss, destruction, or damage to the personal data.
163
Investor Data
We will collect, use, disclose, retain and secure personal data to the extent reasonably required only and within the parameters that could be reasonably expected during the normal course of business. We will only process, disclose, transfer or retain personal data to the extent legitimately required to conduct our activities of on an ongoing basis or to comply with legal and regulatory obligations to which we are subject. We will only transfer personal data in accordance with the requirements of the DPA, and will apply appropriate technical and organizational information security measures designed to protect against unauthorized or unlawful processing of the personal data and against the accidental loss, destruction or damage to the personal data.
In our use of this personal data, we will be characterized as a “data controller” for the purposes of the DPL, while our affiliates and service providers who may receive this personal data from us in the conduct of our activities may either act as our “data processors” for the purposes of the DPA or may process personal information for their own lawful purposes in connection with services provided to us.
We may also obtain personal data from other public sources. Personal data includes, without limitation, the following information relating to a shareholder and/or any individuals connected with a shareholder as an investor: name, residential address, email address, contact details, corporate contact information, signature, nationality, place of birth, date of birth, tax identification, credit history, correspondence records, passport number, bank account details, source of funds details and details relating to the shareholder’s investment activity.
Who this Affects
If you are a natural person, this will affect you directly. If you are a corporate investor (including, for these purposes, legal arrangements such as trusts or exempted limited partnerships) that provides us with personal data on individuals connected to you for any reason in relation to your investment in the company, this will be relevant for those individuals and you should transmit the content of this Privacy Notice to such individuals or otherwise advise them of its content.
How the Company May Use a Shareholder’s Personal Data
The company, as the data controller, may collect, store and use personal data for lawful purposes, including, in particular:
• where this is necessary for the performance of our rights and obligations under any purchase agreements;
• where this is necessary for compliance with a legal and regulatory obligation to which we are subject (such as compliance with anti-money laundering, counter terrorist financing, prevention of proliferation financing, financial sanctions and FATCA/CRS requirements); and/or
• where this is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and such interests are not overridden by your interests, fundamental rights or freedoms.
Should we wish to use personal data for other specific purposes (including, if applicable, any purpose that requires your consent), we will contact you.
Why We May Transfer Your Personal Data
In certain circumstances we may be legally obliged to share personal data and other information with respect to your shareholding with the relevant regulatory authorities such as the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority or the Tax Information Authority. They, in turn, may exchange this information with foreign authorities, including tax authorities.
We anticipate disclosing personal data to persons who provide services to us and their respective affiliates (which may include certain entities located outside the United States, the Cayman Islands or the European Economic Area), who will process your personal data on our behalf.
164
The Data Protection Measures We Take
Any transfer of personal data by us or our duly authorized affiliates and/or delegates outside of the Cayman Islands shall be in accordance with the requirements of the DPL.
We and our duly authorized affiliates and/or delegates shall apply appropriate technical and organizational information security measures designed to protect against unauthorized or unlawful processing of personal data, and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.
We shall notify you of any personal data breach that is reasonably likely to result in a risk to your interests, fundamental rights or freedoms or those data subjects to whom the relevant personal data relates.
Rights of Individual Data Subjects
Individual data subjects have certain data protection rights, including the right to:
• be informed about the purposes for which your personal data are processed;
• access your personal data;
• stop direct marketing;
• restrict the processing of your personal data;
• have incomplete or inaccurate personal data corrected;
• ask us to stop processing your personal data;
• be informed of a personal data breach (unless the breach is unlikely to be prejudicial to you);
• complain to the Data Protection Ombudsman; and
• require us to delete your personal data in some limited circumstances.
If you consider that your personal data has not been handled correctly, or you are not satisfied with our responses to any requests you have made regarding the use of your personal data, you have the right to complain to the Cayman Islands’ Ombudsman. The Ombudsman can be contacted by email at info@ombudsman.ky or by accessing their website here: ombudsman.ky.
Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that our board of directors will be classified into three classes of directors. In addition, prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to appoint and remove directors prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. As a result, in most circumstances, a person can gain control of our board only by successfully engaging in a proxy contest at two or more annual general meetings and obtaining the support of our sponsor. In addition, prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote 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).
Our authorized but unissued ordinary shares and preference shares are available for future issuances without shareholder approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved ordinary shares and preference shares could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
165
Extraordinary General Meetings
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that extraordinary general meetings may be called only by a majority vote of our board of directors, by our Chief Executive Officer or by our Chairman.
Advance Notice Requirements for Shareholder Proposals and Director Nominations
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that shareholders seeking to bring business before our annual general meeting, or to nominate candidates for appointment as directors at our annual general meeting must provide timely notice of their intent in writing. To be timely, a shareholder’s notice will need to be received by the company secretary at our principal executive offices not later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the close of business on the 150th day prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual general meeting. Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, proposals seeking inclusion in our annual proxy statement must comply with the notice periods contained therein. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will also specify certain requirements as to the form and content of a shareholders’ meeting. These provisions may preclude our shareholders from bringing matters before our annual general meeting or from making nominations for directors at our annual general meeting. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will allow the chairman of the meeting at a meeting of the shareholders to adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings which may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the rules and regulations are not followed. These provisions may also defer, delay or discourage a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to influence or obtain control of us.
Written Resolutions
Subsequent to the consummation of the offering, any action required or permitted to be taken by our shareholders may be effected by a duly called annual general meeting or extraordinary general meeting or by a written resolution passed in accordance with the Companies Act.
Classified Board of Directors
Our board of directors will initially be divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, with members of each class serving staggered three year terms. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors. Subject to the terms of any preference shares, any or all of the directors may be removed from office at any time by an ordinary resolution which required 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. Prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment and removal of directors. Any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by a vote of a majority of our directors then in office.
Redomestication
Prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote 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).
Securities Eligible for Future Sale
Immediately after the consummation of this offering, we will have 26,040,000 (or 29,898,000 if the underwriter’s overallotment option is exercised in full) ordinary shares outstanding. Of these shares, the 20,000,000 shares (or 23,000,000 if the underwriter’s overallotment option is exercised in full) sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the remaining 5,320,000 (or 6,118,000 if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full) founder shares, all 620,000 private placement units (or up to
166
680,000 private placement units if the underwriter’s overallotment option is exercised in full) including their underlying securities, and the 100,000 representative founder shares are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering, and the Class B ordinary shares and private placement units (and their underlying securities) are subject to transfer restrictions as set forth elsewhere in this prospectus. These restricted securities will be subject to registration rights as more fully described below under “— Registration Rights.”
Rule 144
Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares or warrants for at least one year would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the 12 months (or such shorter period as we were required to file reports) preceding the sale.
Persons who have beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares or warrants for at least one year but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:
• 1% of the total number of Class A ordinary shares then outstanding, which will equal 207,200 shares immediately after this offering (or 237,800 if the underwriter exercises its overallotment option in full); or
• the average weekly reported trading volume of the Class A ordinary shares during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.
Sales by our affiliates under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies
Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:
• the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;
• the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;
• the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and materials required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Current Reports on Form 8-K; and
• at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.
As a result, our initial shareholders will be able to sell their founder shares and private placement warrants, as applicable, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination.
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares, private placement units (and their underlying securities) and units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and their underlying securities) and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of the founder shares and any Class A ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders at the completion of this offering or acquired prior to or in connection with our initial business combination, will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, 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 these securities are
167
entitled to make up to three demands that we offer such securities in an underwritten offering. These holders also have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to certain underwritten offerings we may conduct. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with registering these securities.
The holders of the BTIG units (including the underlying securities) and the representative founder shares also will be entitled to registration rights. These registration rights are limited to one demand and unlimited “piggy-back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the commencement of sales of this offering. The warrants underlying the private placement units may not be exercised more than five years from commencement of sales of this offering in compliance with Rule 5110(g)(8)(A).
Listing of Securities
We intend to apply to list our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants on Nasdaq under the symbols “NTWOU,” “NTWO” and “NTWOW,” respectively. We expect that our units will be listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. Following the date our Class A ordinary shares and warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that our Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed separately and as a unit on Nasdaq. Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination.
168
CERTAIN INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following is a discussion of the material Cayman Islands and U.S. federal income tax considerations with respect to an investment in our units, Class A ordinary shares and public warrants, which we refer to collectively as our securities. This discussion is based upon laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this prospectus, all of which are subject to change. This discussion does not address all possible tax considerations with respect to an investment in our securities, such as the tax considerations under state, local and other tax laws.
Prospective investors should consult with and rely solely upon their own tax advisors regarding the possible tax consequences of investing in our securities under the laws of their country of citizenship, residence or domicile.
Cayman Islands Taxation
The following is a discussion on certain Cayman Islands income tax consequences of an investment in our securities. The discussion is a general summary of present law, which is subject to prospective and retroactive change. It is not intended as tax advice, does not consider any investor’s particular circumstances, and does not consider tax consequences other than those arising under Cayman Islands law.
Under Existing Cayman Islands Laws
The Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or corporations based upon profits, income, gains, or appreciation and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax, gift tax or estate duty. There are no other taxes likely to be material to us levied by the Government of the Cayman Islands except for stamp duties which may be applicable on instruments executed in, or, after execution, brought within the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands. No stamp duty is payable in the Cayman Islands on the issue of shares by, or any transfers of shares of, Cayman Islands companies (except those which hold interests in land in the Cayman Islands). There are no exchange control regulations or currency restrictions in the Cayman Islands.
Payments of dividends and capital in respect of our securities will not be subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands and no withholding will be required on the payment of a dividend or capital to any holder of the securities, as the case may be, nor will gains derived from the disposal of the securities be subject to Cayman Islands income or corporate tax.
No stamp duty is payable in respect of the issue of the warrants, the units or the Class A ordinary shares. An instrument of transfer in respect of a warrant, a unit or a Class A ordinary share is stampable if executed in or brought into the Cayman Islands.
The Company has been incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability and, as such, has applied for and received an undertaking from the Financial Secretary of the Cayman Islands in a form substantially similar to the following on June 25, 2024:
“The Tax Concessions Act
(Revised)
Undertaking as to Tax Concessions
In accordance with the Tax Concessions Act (Revised), the following undertaking is hereby given to the Company:
1. That no law which is hereafter enacted in the Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations shall apply to the Company or its operations; and
2. In addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax shall be payable:
2.1 on or in respect of the shares, debentures or other obligations of the Company; or
2 2 by way of the withholding in whole or in part of any relevant payment as defined in the Tax Concessions Act (Revised).
These concessions shall be for a period of 30 years from the 25th day of June 2024.”
169
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
General
The following is a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations related to the acquisition, ownership and disposition by U.S. Holders (as defined below) and Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below) of our units, Class A ordinary shares and public warrants, which we refer to collectively as our securities. Although not entirely clear, we intend to treat, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the holder of a unit as the owner of two separate securities (i.e., the one Class A ordinary share and the fraction of one public warrant that are the components of the unit). See “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit” below. This disclosure assumes this treatment is appropriate, in which case the discussion below with respect to actual holders of our Class A ordinary shares and public warrants should also apply to holders of units. This discussion applies only to our securities that are held as a capital asset for U.S. federal income tax purposes (generally property held for investment) and is applicable only to holders who purchased units in this offering. Further, this discussion assumes any distributions on Class A ordinary shares and public warrants will be paid in U.S. dollars.
This discussion is based on the provisions of the Code, U.S. Treasury regulations, administrative rulings and judicial decisions, all as in effect on the date hereof, and all of which are subject to change or differing interpretations, possibly with retroactive effect. We cannot assure you that a change in law will not significantly alter the tax considerations that we describe in this summary. We have not sought any ruling from the IRS or formal written opinion from our tax advisors with respect to the statements made and the positions or conclusions described in the following summary. Such statements, positions and conclusions are not free from doubt, and there can be no assurance that your tax advisor, the IRS or a court will agree with such statements and conclusions.
This summary does not discuss the alternative minimum tax or the application of Section 451(b) of the Code, and does not address the Medicare tax on certain investment income, U.S. federal estate or gift tax laws, any state, local or non-U.S. tax laws, any tax treaties or any other tax law other than U.S. federal income tax law. Furthermore, this discussion does not address all U.S. federal income tax considerations that may be relevant to a particular holder in light of the holder’s circumstances or that may be relevant to certain categories of investors that may be subject to special rules, such as:
• our founders, sponsor, officers or directors or other holders of our Class B ordinary shares or private placement warrants;
• banks, insurance companies or other financial institutions;
• tax-exempt or governmental organizations;
• “qualified foreign pension funds” as defined in Section 897(l)(2) of the Code (or any entities all of the interests of which are held by a qualified foreign pension fund);
• dealers in securities or foreign currencies;
• U.S. Holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;
• traders in securities that use the mark-to-market method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
• “controlled foreign corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies” and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax;
• entities or arrangements treated as partnerships or pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes or holders of interests therein;
• persons deemed to sell our securities under the constructive sale provisions of the Code;
• persons that acquired our securities through the exercise of employee share options or otherwise as compensation or through a tax-qualified retirement plan;
• persons that actually or constructively own five percent or more (by vote or value) of any class of our shares;
170
• persons that hold our securities as part of a straddle, appreciated financial position, synthetic security, hedge, conversion transaction or other integrated investment or risk reduction transaction;
• certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States;
• regulated investment companies; and
• real estate investment trusts.
PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONSULT WITH AND RELY SOLELY UPON THEIR TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS (INCLUDING ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE CHANGES THERETO) TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATION, AS WELL AS ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES ARISING UNDER ANY OTHER TAX LAWS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE OR GIFT TAX LAWS OR UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY STATE, LOCAL, NON-U.S. OR OTHER TAXING JURISDICTION OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE INCOME TAX TREATY.
Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit
No statutory, administrative or judicial authority directly addresses the treatment of our units or instruments similar to our units for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, that treatment is not entirely clear. We intend to treat, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the acquisition of a unit as the acquisition of the one Class A ordinary share and the fraction of one public warrant that are the components of the unit and, by purchasing a unit, you will agree to adopt such treatment for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This discussion assumes that the characterization of the units described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
As a result, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, each holder of a unit must allocate the purchase price paid by such holder for such unit between the one Class A ordinary share and the fraction of one public warrant based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. Under U.S. federal income tax law, each investor must make its own determination of such value based on all the relevant facts and circumstances. Therefore, each investor is strongly urged to consult with and rely solely upon its own tax advisor regarding the determination of value for these purposes. The purchase price allocated to each of our Class A ordinary shares and the fraction of one public warrant should be the holder’s tax basis in such share or fraction of one public warrant, as the case may be. In addition, any disposition of a unit should be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as a disposition of the Class A ordinary share and the fraction of one public warrant that make up the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the Class A ordinary share and the fraction of one public warrant based on their relative fair market values at the time of disposition. The separation of Class A ordinary shares and public warrants constituting units should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The foregoing treatment of our Class A ordinary shares and public warrants and a holder’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts, and because there is no authority that directly addresses the U.S. federal income tax implications of instruments that are similar to the units, there can be no assurance that your tax advisor, the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below.
Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult with and rely solely upon its own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of an investment in a unit (including any potential alternative characterizations of a unit). The remainder of this discussion assumes that the characterization of the units described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
U.S. Holder and Non-U.S. Holder Defined
A “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of our units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is:
• an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;
• a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;
171
• an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or
• a trust (A) the administration of which is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and which has one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code) who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (B) that has made a valid election under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person.
A “Non-U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of our units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, an individual, corporation, estate or trust, in each case that is not a U.S. Holder, but such term generally does not include an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of a disposition of such securities. If you are such an individual, you should consult with and rely solely upon your tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable to your particular situation.
If a partnership (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our units, Class A ordinary shares or public warrants, the tax treatment of a partner in such partnership might depend upon the status of the partner or the partnership, upon the activities of the partnership and upon certain determinations made at the partnership or partner level. Accordingly, we urge partners in partnerships (including entities or arrangements treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) considering the purchase of our securities to consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income and other tax considerations of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our securities by such partnership.
Considerations for U.S. Holders
This section applies to you if you are a U.S. Holder.
Tax Characterization of Distributions with Respect to Class A Ordinary Shares
If we pay distributions of cash or other property to U.S. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares, such distributions generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles, and will be treated as described under “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Distributions Treated as Dividends.”
Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a non-taxable return of capital to the extent of the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our Class A ordinary shares, that will be applied against and reduce (but not below zero) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our Class A ordinary shares. Any remaining portion of the distribution will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of our Class A ordinary shares and will be treated as described under “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants” below.
Possible Constructive Distributions with Respect to Public Warrants
The terms of the public warrants provide for an adjustment to the number of our Class A ordinary shares for which public warrants may be exercised or to the exercise price of the public warrants in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants.” An adjustment that has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. U.S. Holders of public warrants would, however, be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the warrantholders’ proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of Class A ordinary shares that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease in the exercise price of the public warrant) as a result of a distribution of cash or other property to the holders of our ordinary shares. Any such constructive distribution would be treated in the same manner as if U.S. Holders of public warrants received a cash distribution from us generally equal to the fair market value of the increased interest and would be taxed in a manner similar to distributions to holders of our Class A ordinary shares described herein. See “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Tax Characterization of Distributions with Respect to Class A Ordinary Shares” above. For certain information reporting purposes, we are required to determine the date and amount of any such constructive distributions. Proposed U.S. Treasury regulations, which we may rely on prior to the issuance of final regulations, specify how the date and amount of constructive distributions are determined.
172
Distributions Treated as Dividends
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, any portion of a distribution that is treated as a dividend paid by us will be taxable to a corporate U.S. Holder at regular rates and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally allowed to domestic corporations in respect of dividends received from other domestic corporations. If we are not classified as a PFIC during the taxable year in which the dividend is paid or a preceding taxable year, any portion of a distribution that is treated as a dividend paid to a non-corporate U.S. Holder generally will constitute a “qualified dividend” that will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the lower applicable long-term capital gains rate only if our Class A ordinary shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States and certain holding period and other requirements are met. It is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to the Class A ordinary shares described in this prospectus may be deemed to be a limitation of a shareholder’s risk of loss and suspend the running of the applicable holding period of such shares for this purpose during the period in which the U.S. Holder has redemption rights with respect to the Class A ordinary shares (i.e., the period prior to the consummation of our initial business combination). If the applicable holding period requirements are not satisfied, a non-corporate U.S. Holder may be subject to tax on the dividend at regular ordinary income tax rates instead of the preferential income tax rate that applies to qualified dividend income. U.S. Holders should consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the availability of the lower preferential income tax rate for qualified dividend income for any dividends paid with respect to our Class A ordinary shares.
Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, upon a sale or other taxable disposition of our Class A ordinary shares or public warrants (which in general would include a redemption of our Class A ordinary shares or public warrants that is treated as a sale of such securities as described below, including as a result of a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time period), a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis with respect to its Class A ordinary shares or public warrants. Generally, the amount of gain or loss recognized by a U.S. Holder will be an amount equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in such disposition (or, if the Class A ordinary shares or public warrants are held as part of units at the time of the disposition, the portion of the amount realized on such disposition that is allocated to the Class A ordinary shares or the public warrants based upon the then-fair market values of the Class A ordinary shares and the public warrants included in the units) and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the relevant Class A ordinary shares or public warrants. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares or public warrants generally will equal the U.S. Holder’s acquisition cost (that is, as discussed above, the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to a share of our Class A ordinary shares or fraction of one public warrant or, as discussed below, the U.S. Holder’s initial basis for our Class A ordinary shares received upon exercise of public warrants) less, in the case of our Class A ordinary shares, any prior distributions treated as a return of capital, as discussed above.
Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares or public warrants, as applicable, so disposed of exceeds one year. It is unclear, however, whether the redemption rights with respect to the Class A ordinary shares described in this prospectus may be deemed to be a limitation of a shareholder’s risk of loss and suspend the running of the applicable holding period of such shares for this purpose during the period in which the U.S. Holder has redemption rights with respect to the Class A ordinary shares (i.e., the period prior to the consummation of our initial business combination). If the one-year holding period is not satisfied, any gain on a sale or other taxable disposition of the Class A ordinary shares or public warrants, as applicable, would be subject to short-term capital gain treatment and would be taxed at regular ordinary income tax rates. Long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate U.S. Holders may be eligible to be taxed at reduced rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
Redemption or Repurchase of Class A Ordinary Shares for Cash
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, in the event that a U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares are redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under the section entitled “Description of Securities — Ordinary Shares” or if we repurchase a U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares in an open market transaction (generally referred to herein as a “redemption”), the treatment of the redemption for U.S. federal income
173
tax purposes will depend on whether it qualifies as a sale of the Class A ordinary shares under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption qualifies as a sale of Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder will be treated as described under “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants” above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a distribution from us with the tax consequences described above under “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Tax Characterization of Distributions with Respect to Class A Ordinary Shares.”
Whether a redemption qualifies for sale treatment will depend largely on the total number of our shares treated as held by the U.S. Holder (including any shares constructively owned by the U.S. Holder as a result of owning public warrants or otherwise) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after the redemption. The redemption of our Class A ordinary shares generally will be treated as a sale of Class A ordinary shares (rather than as a distribution from us) if the redemption satisfies one of the following tests (which we refer to as the “redemption sale tests”): (i) it is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the U.S. Holder, (ii) it results in a “complete termination” of the U.S. Holder’s interest in us, or (iii) it is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the U.S. Holder. In determining whether any of the redemption sale tests is satisfied, a U.S. Holder takes into account not only shares actually owned by the U.S. Holder, but also shares that are “constructively” owned by it. A U.S. Holder may constructively own (i) shares owned by certain related individuals or entities in which the U.S. Holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. Holder and (ii) any shares the U.S. Holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include the Class A ordinary shares which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the public warrants.
In order to meet the “substantially disproportionate” test, the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately following the redemption of our Class A ordinary shares must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately before the redemption. Prior to our initial business combination, the Class A ordinary shares may not be treated as voting shares for this purpose and, consequently, this substantially disproportionate test may not be applicable. There will be a “complete termination” of a U.S. Holder’s interest if either (i) all of our shares both actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed or (ii) all of our shares actually owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed, the U.S. Holder is eligible to waive and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules the constructive attribution of shares owned by certain family members, and the U.S. Holder does not constructively own any other of our shares (including as a result of owning public warrants). The redemption of our Class A ordinary shares will not be “essentially equivalent to a dividend” if a U.S. Holder’s redemption results in a “meaningful reduction” of the U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us will depend on the particular facts and circumstances, but the IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority shareholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.”
If none of the redemption sale tests is satisfied, the redemption will be treated as a distribution from us and the tax considerations will be as described under “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Tax Characterization of Distributions with Respect to Class A Ordinary Shares” above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the U.S. Holder in the redeemed Class A ordinary shares will be added to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its remaining shares or, if it has none, possibly to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its public warrants or in other shares in us constructively owned by it. U.S. Holders are urged to consult with and rely solely upon their own tax advisors as to the allocation of any remaining basis if there are no remaining Class A ordinary shares.
Cash Exercise of a Public Warrant
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will not recognize gain or loss on the acquisition of Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of a public warrant for cash. The U.S. Holder’s tax basis in our Class A ordinary shares received upon exercise of the public warrant generally will be an amount equal to the sum of the U.S. Holder’s initial investment in the public warrant (i.e., the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for a unit that is allocated to the public warrant, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) and the exercise price of such public warrant. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares received upon exercise of the public warrant will commence on the date of exercise of the public warrant or the immediately following date. In either case, the holding period will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the public warrant.
174
Cashless Exercise of a Public Warrant
The tax characterization of a cashless exercise of a public warrant is not clear under current tax law. Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax characterizations and resultant tax consequences would be adopted by the IRS or upheld by a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a cashless exercise could potentially be characterized as any of the following for U.S. federal income tax purposes: (i) not a realization event and thus tax-deferred, (ii) a realization event that qualifies as a tax-deferred “recapitalization,” or (iii) a taxable realization event. While not free from doubt, we intend to treat any cashless exercise of a public warrant as described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants” as if we redeemed such public warrant for shares in a cashless exchange qualifying as a tax-deferred recapitalization. However, there is some uncertainty regarding our intended tax treatment, and it is possible that a cashless exercise could be characterized differently. Accordingly, the tax consequences of all three characterizations are generally described below. U.S. Holders should consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.
If a cashless exercise were characterized as either not a realization event or as a realization event that qualifies as a recapitalization, the U.S. Holder would not recognize any gain or loss on the exchange of public warrants for Class A ordinary shares. A U.S. Holder’s basis in the Class A ordinary shares received would generally equal the holder’s basis in the exchanged public warrants. If the cashless exercise were not a realization event, it is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period in the Class A ordinary shares would be treated as commencing on the date of exchange of the public warrants or on the immediately following date, but the holding period would not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the public warrants. On the other hand, if the cashless exercise were characterized as a realization event that qualifies as a recapitalization, the holding period of the Class A ordinary shares would include the holding period of the public warrants exercised therefor.
If the cashless exercise were treated as a realization event that does not qualify as a recapitalization, however, the cashless exercise could be treated in whole or in part as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized by the U.S. Holder. For example, a portion of the public warrants to be exercised on a cashless basis could be deemed to have been surrendered in payment of the exercise price of the remaining portion of such public warrants, which remaining portion would be deemed to be exercised. In such a case, a U.S. Holder would effectively be deemed to have sold a number of public warrants having an aggregate value equal to the exercise price of the remaining public warrants deemed exercised. The U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount generally equal to the difference between the value of the portion of the public warrants deemed sold and its adjusted tax basis in such public warrants (generally in the manner described above under “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants”), and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares received would generally equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the remaining public warrants deemed exercised and the exercise price of such public warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares would commence on the date of exercise of the public warrants or on the date following the date of exercise of the public warrants, but the holding period would not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the public warrants.
Redemption or Repurchase of Public Warrants for Cash
Subject to the PFIC rules described below, if we redeem public warrants for cash pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants” or if we repurchase public warrants in an open market transaction, such redemption or repurchase generally will be treated as a taxable disposition by the U.S. Holder, taxed as described above under “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants.”
175
Expiration of a Public Warrant
If a public warrant is allowed to expire unexercised, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holder’s tax basis in the public warrant (i.e., the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for a unit that is allocated to the public warrant, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”). The deductibility of capital losses is subject to certain limitations.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules
Adverse U.S. federal income tax rules apply to U.S. Holders that hold shares in a foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) corporation classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In general, we will be treated as a PFIC with respect to a U.S. Holder in any taxable year in which, after applying certain look-through rules, either:
(i) at least 75% of our gross income for such taxable year, including our pro rata share of the gross income of any corporation in which we are considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, consists of passive income (which generally includes dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other than rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of passive assets); or
(ii) at least 50% of our assets in a taxable year (ordinarily determined based on fair market value and averaged quarterly over the year), including our pro rata share of the assets of any corporation in which we are considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, produce or are held for the production of passive income.
Because we are a blank check company with no current income from an active business (as defined for these purposes), we believe that it is likely that we will meet one or both of the PFIC tests during the taxable years prior to our acquisition of a company or assets in a business combination (including any short taxable year that might result from a business combination), which would generally result in our being treated as a PFIC in those taxable years. In certain circumstances, a foreign corporation may qualify for a “start-up exception,” pursuant to which it would not be treated as a PFIC for the first taxable year it has gross income (the “start-up year”), if (1) no predecessor of the corporation was a PFIC, (2) the corporation satisfies the IRS that it will not be a PFIC for either of the first two taxable years following the start-up year, and (3) the corporation is not in fact a PFIC for either of those years. If the start-up exception were to apply to us, we would not be a PFIC during our start-up year. However, we do not anticipate that the start-up exception will be applicable to us. Our PFIC status for our current and subsequent taxable years may depend on, among other things, the timing of our business combination, the amount of our passive income and assets in the year of the business combination, whether we combine with a U.S. or non-U.S. target company, and the amount of passive income and assets of the acquired business. Our actual PFIC status for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. However, because we anticipate that the start-up exception will not be applicable to us, we anticipate that we are likely to be treated as a PFIC in our current taxable year.
Although our PFIC status is determined in each taxable year, an initial determination that we are a PFIC will generally apply for subsequent years to a U.S. Holder who held (or is deemed to have held) Class A ordinary shares or public warrants while we were a PFIC, whether or not we are treated as a PFIC in those subsequent years. If we are treated as a PFIC for any taxable year in which a U.S. Holder holds our Class A ordinary shares or public warrants (regardless of whether we remain a PFIC for subsequent taxable years) and, in the case of our Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder did not make either a timely qualified electing fund (“QEF”) election or a mark-to-market election (in either case, as described below), such U.S. Holder generally will be subject to special rules with respect to (i) any gain realized on the sale or other disposition of its Class A ordinary shares or public warrants and (ii) any “excess distribution” (generally, the portion of any distributions received by such U.S. Holder during a taxable year in excess of 125% of the average annual distributions received by such U.S. Holder during the three preceding taxable years or, if shorter, such U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares). Under these rules:
• the U.S. Holder’s gain or excess distribution will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares or public warrants;
• the amount allocated to the U.S. Holder’s taxable year in which the U.S. Holder realized the gain or received the excess distribution, or to the portion of the U.S. Holder’s holding period prior to the first day of our first taxable year in which we are a PFIC, will be taxed as ordinary income; and
176
• the amount allocated to each of the other taxable years (or portions thereof) of the U.S. Holder will be subject to tax at the highest tax rate in effect for the U.S. Holder in that year (and would not be eligible for the lower long-term capital gains rate), and an interest charge for the deemed deferral benefit will be imposed with respect to the resulting tax attributable to each such other taxable year (or portion thereof).
In general, if we are treated as a PFIC, a U.S. Holder may be able to avoid the PFIC tax consequences described above in respect of our Class A ordinary shares (but not our public warrants) by making a timely and valid QEF election (if eligible to do so) in the first taxable year in which the U.S. Holder held (or was deemed to hold) Class A ordinary shares in which we are classified as a PFIC. If a U.S. Holder makes a timely QEF election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares, each year such U.S. Holder will be required to include in its income its pro rata share of our net capital gains (as long-term capital gain) and our ordinary earnings (as ordinary income), if any, for our taxable year that ends with or within the taxable year of the U.S. Holder, regardless of whether or not we make distributions to such U.S. Holder (although a U.S. Holder generally may make a separate election to defer the payment of taxes on undistributed income inclusions under the QEF rules, but if deferred, any such taxes will be subject to an interest charge). Such U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our Class A ordinary shares will be increased to reflect taxed but undistributed earnings and profits. Distributions of earnings and profits that had been previously taxed will result in a corresponding reduction in the adjusted tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares and will not be taxed again once distributed. A U.S. Holder that has made a timely QEF election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares will generally recognize capital gain or loss on the sale or other disposition of our Class A ordinary shares, and no additional tax or interest charge will be imposed under the PFIC rules.
It is not entirely clear how various aspects of the PFIC rules apply to the public warrants, and U.S. Holders are strongly urged to consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the application of such rules to their public warrants in their particular circumstances. A U.S. Holder may not make a QEF election with respect to its public warrants to acquire our Class A ordinary shares. As a result, if a U.S. Holder sells or otherwise disposes of such public warrants (other than upon the exercise of such public warrants) and we were treated as a PFIC at any time during the U.S. Holder’s holding period of such public warrants, any gain recognized generally will be treated in the same manner as an excess distribution, taxed as described above. If a U.S. Holder that exercises such public warrants properly makes a QEF election with respect to the newly acquired Class A ordinary shares (or has previously made a QEF election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares), the QEF election will apply to the newly acquired Class A ordinary shares. Notwithstanding any such QEF election, the adverse tax consequences relating to PFIC shares, adjusted to take into account the current income inclusions resulting from the QEF election, generally will continue to apply with respect to such newly acquired Class A ordinary shares (which generally will be deemed to have a holding period for purposes of the PFIC rules that includes the period the U.S. Holder held the public warrants), unless the U.S. Holder makes a purging election under the PFIC rules. Under one type of purging election, the U.S. Holder will be deemed to have sold such shares at their fair market value and any gain recognized on such deemed sale will be treated in the same manner as an excess distribution, taxed as described above. As a result of this purging election, the U.S. Holder will have additional basis (to the extent of any gain recognized on the deemed sale) and, solely for purposes of the PFIC rules, a new holding period in the Class A ordinary shares acquired upon the exercise of the public warrants. The application of the rules related to purging elections described above to a U.S. Holder of a public warrant that already owns Class A ordinary shares is not entirely clear. U.S. Holders are strongly urged to consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the application of the rules governing purging elections to their particular circumstances.
The QEF election is made on a shareholder-by-shareholder basis and, once made, will apply to all subsequent taxable years of the U.S. Holder during which it holds Class A ordinary shares, unless revoked by the U.S. Holder with the consent of the IRS. A U.S. Holder generally makes a QEF election by attaching a completed IRS Form 8621, including the information provided in a PFIC annual information statement (discussed below), to a timely filed U.S. federal income tax return for the tax year to which the election relates. Retroactive QEF elections generally may be made only by filing a protective statement with such return and if certain other conditions are met or with the consent of the IRS. U.S. Holders should consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a retroactive QEF election in their particular circumstances.
In order to comply with the requirements of a QEF election, a U.S. Holder must receive a PFIC annual information statement from us. If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, upon written request by a U.S. Holder, we will endeavor to provide to such U.S. Holder such information as the IRS may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable such U.S. Holder to make and maintain a QEF election, but there is no assurance that we will timely provide such required information. There is also no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of our status as a PFIC in the future or of the required information to be provided.
177
A U.S. Holder that does not make a timely QEF election in the first taxable year (or portion thereof) in which we are a PFIC that is included in the holding period of such U.S. Holder may be able to mitigate the adverse PFIC tax consequences by making a QEF election in a subsequent taxable year and simultaneously making a purging election under the PFIC rules. Under one type of purging election, the U.S. Holder will be deemed to have sold its Class A ordinary shares at their fair market value, and any gain recognized on such deemed sale will be treated in the same manner as an excess distribution, taxed as described above. As a result of this purging election, the U.S. Holder will have additional basis (to the extent of any gain recognized on the deemed sale). U.S. Holders are strongly urged to consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the application of the rules governing purging elections to their particular circumstances.
Alternatively, if we are treated as a PFIC and our Class A ordinary shares are treated as “marketable stock,” a U.S. Holder that holds our Class A ordinary shares at the close of a taxable year may make a mark-to-market election with respect to such Class A ordinary shares, provided the U.S. Holder completes and files IRS Form 8621 in accordance with the relevant instructions and related U.S. Treasury regulations. The mark-to-market election is available only for “marketable stock,” which generally includes stock that is regularly traded on a national securities exchange that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Nasdaq (on which we intend to list the Class A ordinary shares), or on a foreign exchange or market that the IRS determines has rules sufficient to ensure that the market price represents a legitimate and sound fair market value. If made, a mark-to-market election would be effective for the taxable year for which the election was made and for all subsequent taxable years unless the Class A ordinary shares ceased to qualify as “marketable stock” for purposes of the PFIC rules or the IRS consented to the revocation of the election. U.S. Holders should consult with and rely solely upon their own tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a mark-to-market election in respect of our Class A ordinary shares in their particular circumstances.
If the U.S. Holder makes a valid mark-to-market election for the first taxable year of the U.S. Holder in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) our Class A ordinary shares and in which we are treated as a PFIC, such U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to the PFIC rules described above in respect of Class A ordinary shares. Instead, in general, such U.S. Holder will include as ordinary income in each taxable year the excess, if any, of the fair market value of its Class A ordinary shares at the end of the taxable year over its adjusted basis in its Class A ordinary shares. These amounts of ordinary income would not be eligible for the favorable tax rates applicable to qualified dividend income or long-term capital gains. Such U.S. Holder also will be permitted an ordinary loss in respect of the excess, if any, of its adjusted basis of its Class A ordinary shares over the fair market value of its Class A ordinary shares at the end of the taxable year, but only to the extent of the net amount previously included in income as a result of the mark-to-market election. Such U.S. Holder’s basis in its Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss amounts. Any gain recognized by such U.S. Holder on a sale or other disposition of its Class A ordinary shares will be treated as ordinary income, and any loss recognized on the sale or other disposition of its Class A ordinary shares will be treated as ordinary loss to the extent that such loss does not exceed the net mark-to-market gains previously included by the U.S. Holder. Currently, a mark-to-market election may not be made with respect to public warrants.
If we are a PFIC and, at any time, have a direct or indirect interest in another entity that is treated as a PFIC (a “subsidiary PFIC”), each U.S. Holder generally would be treated as owning its pro rata share by value of the stock of such subsidiary PFIC, and generally could incur liability for the deferred tax and interest charge described in the general PFIC rules above if we receive a distribution from, or dispose of all or part of our interest in, the subsidiary PFIC or the U.S. Holder is otherwise deemed to have disposed of an interest in the subsidiary PFIC. Upon written request by a U.S. Holder, we will endeavor to cause any subsidiary PFIC to provide to such U.S. Holder the information that may be required to make or maintain a QEF election with respect to the subsidiary PFIC. There can be no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of the status of any such subsidiary PFIC. In addition, we may not hold a controlling interest in any such subsidiary PFIC and thus there can be no assurance we will be able to cause the subsidiary PFIC to provide such required information. A mark-to-market election generally would not be available with respect to a subsidiary PFIC. U.S. Holders are urged to consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the tax issues raised by subsidiary PFICs.
A U.S. Holder that owns (or is deemed to own) shares in a PFIC during any taxable year of the U.S. Holder may have to file an IRS Form 8621 (whether or not a QEF or mark-to-market election is made) and such other information as may be required by the United States Department of the Treasury. Failure to do so, if required, may subject such U.S. Holder to substantial penalties and will extend the statute of limitations on the assessment and collection of all U.S. federal income taxes of such person for the related tax year until such required information is furnished to the IRS.
178
The rules dealing with PFICs and with the QEF, purging and mark-to-market elections are very complex and are affected by various factors in addition to those described above. Accordingly, U.S. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares and public warrants are strongly urged to consult with and rely solely upon their own tax advisors regarding the application of the PFIC rules to them in their particular circumstances.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Information reporting requirements generally will apply to dividends paid to a U.S. Holder and to the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of our securities unless the U.S. Holder is an exempt recipient and certifies to such exempt status. Backup withholding may apply to such payments if the U.S. Holder fails to provide a taxpayer identification number or a certification of exempt status or has been notified by the IRS that it is subject to backup withholding (and such notification has not been withdrawn). Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the U.S. federal income tax liability (if any) of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If backup withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund generally may be obtained, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Certain U.S. Holders may be required to file an IRS Form 926 (Return by a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation) to report a transfer of property (including cash) to us. Substantial penalties may be imposed on a U.S. Holder that fails to comply with this reporting requirement and the period of limitations on assessment and collection of U.S. federal income taxes will be extended in the event of a failure to comply. Furthermore, certain U.S. Holders who are individuals and certain entities will be required to report information with respect to such U.S. Holder’s investment in “specified foreign financial assets” on IRS Form 8938 (Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets), subject to certain exceptions. Specified foreign financial assets generally include any financial account maintained with a non-U.S. financial institution and should also include our securities unless held in an account maintained with a U.S. financial institution. Persons who are required to report specified foreign financial assets and fail to do so may be subject to substantial penalties and the period of limitations on assessment and collection of U.S. federal income taxes will be extended in the event of a failure to comply. Potential investors are urged to consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the foreign financial asset and other reporting obligations and their application to an investment in our Class A ordinary shares and public warrants.
Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders
This section applies to you if you are a Non-U.S. Holder.
Tax Characterization of Distributions with Respect to Class A Ordinary Shares
The determination of the extent to which a distribution will be treated as a dividend, return of capital or gain from the sale of Class A ordinary shares is generally the same for Non-U.S. Holders as that described in “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Tax Characterization of Distributions with Respect to Class A Ordinary Shares.” To the extent a distribution constitutes gain from the sale of our Class A ordinary shares, see “— Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants” below, and to the extent such distribution constitutes a dividend, see “— Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders — Distributions Treated as Dividends.”
Possible Constructive Distributions with Respect to Public Warrants
The determination for Non-U.S. Holders of whether a constructive distribution from us has occurred as a result of an adjustment to the number of our Class A ordinary shares for which public warrants may be exercised or to the exercise price of the public warrants in certain events (as discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants”) is generally the same as the determination for U.S. Holders as described in “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Possible Constructive Distributions with Respect to Public Warrants.” To the extent such adjustment is treated as a constructive distribution, see “— Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders — Tax Characterization of Distributions with Respect to Class A Ordinary Shares” for the consequences of such characterization.
179
Distributions Treated as Dividends
Any portion of a distribution that is treated as a dividend paid to a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, unless the dividend is effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, that is treated as attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States). Any such effectively connected dividends generally will be taxed on a net income basis at the rates and in the manner generally applicable to United States persons. If the Non-U.S. Holder is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, they may also be subject to a branch profits tax (at a 30% rate or such lower rate as specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on its effectively connected earnings and profits (as adjusted for certain items), which will include effectively connected dividends.
Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants
Subject to the discussion below under “— Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders — Information Reporting and Backup Withholding,” a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on any gain realized upon the sale or other disposition of our Class A ordinary shares or our public warrants (including a redemption of our Class A ordinary shares as a result of a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time period), unless such gain is effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, that is treated as attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States). Any such effectively connected gain generally will be taxed on a net income basis at the rates and in the manner generally applicable to United States persons. If the Non-U.S. Holder is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it may also be subject to a branch profits tax (at a 30% rate or such lower rate as specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on its effectively connected earnings and profits (as adjusted for certain items), which will include effectively connected gain.
Redemption or Repurchase of Class A Ordinary Shares for Cash
The characterization for U.S. federal income tax purposes of the redemption of a Non-U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Ordinary Shares” or our repurchase of a Non-U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares in an open market transaction generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of such a redemption or repurchase of a U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares, as described under “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Redemption or Repurchase of Class A Ordinary Shares for Cash” above, and the consequences of the redemption or repurchase to the Non-U.S. Holder will correspond to that described above in “— Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders — Distributions Treated as Dividends” and “— Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants,” as applicable.
Exercise or Redemption of a Public Warrant
The U.S. federal income tax characterization of a Non-U.S. Holder’s exercise of a public warrant generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of the exercise of a public warrant by a U.S. Holder, as described under “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Cash Exercise of a Public Warrant” or “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Cashless Exercise of a Public Warrant” above, as the case may be. To the extent a cashless exercise is characterized as a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described above in “— Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants.” The U.S. federal income tax treatment for a Non-U.S. Holder of a redemption of public warrants for cash described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants” (or if we purchase public warrants in an open market transaction) generally will correspond to that described above in “— Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants.”
180
Expiration of a Public Warrant
The U.S. federal income tax characterization of the expiration of a public warrant held by a Non-U.S. Holder generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of the expiration of a public warrant by a U.S. Holder, as described above in “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Expiration of a Public Warrant.”
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Information reporting requirements and United States backup withholding may apply to payments of dividends to a Non-U.S. Holder and to the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of our securities unless the Non-U.S. Holder is an exempt recipient and certifies to such exempt status. A Non-U.S. Holder generally will eliminate the requirement for information reporting and backup withholding by providing certification of its foreign status, under penalties of perjury, on a duly executed applicable IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or other applicable or successor form). Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the U.S. federal income tax liability (if any) of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If backup withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund generally may be obtained, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
INVESTORS CONSIDERING THE PURCHASE OF OUR SECURITIES ARE URGED TO CONSULT WITH AND RELY SOLELY UPON THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AND THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF ANY OTHER TAX LAWS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE AND GIFT TAX LAWS AND ANY STATE, LOCAL OR NON-U.S. TAX LAWS AND TAX TREATIES.
181
BTIG, LLC is acting as sole bookrunner and underwriter of the offering. Subject to the terms and conditions stated in the underwriting agreement, the underwriter has agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to the underwriter, the number of units set forth opposite the underwriter’s name below at a public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. The underwriter may offer and sell units to the public through one or more of its affiliates or other registered broker-dealers or selling agents.
|
Underwriter |
Number of |
|
|
BTIG, LLC |
|
|
|
Total |
20,000,000 |
The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriter to purchase the units included in this offering are subject to approval of legal matters by counsel and to other conditions. The underwriter is obligated to purchase all of the units (other than those covered by the over-allotment option described below) if it purchases any of the units.
The underwriting agreement provides that following the completion of this offering, the obligations of the underwriter with respect to this offering will be deemed satisfied and the underwriter is not bound by any commitment or obligation to offer or sell to the public any securities of the company or any business combination transaction counterparty or otherwise solicit holders of securities of the company or any business combination transaction counterparty to approve the business combination.
Units sold by the underwriter to the public will initially be offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. If all of the units are not sold at the initial offering price, the underwriter may change the offering price and the other selling terms. The underwriter has advised us that it does not intend to make sales to discretionary accounts.
We have granted to the underwriter an option, exercisable for 45 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to 3,000,000 additional units at the public offering price less the underwriting discount. The underwriter may exercise this option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, in connection with this offering. Any units issued or sold under the option will be issued and sold on the same terms and conditions as the other units that are the subject of this offering.
We, our sponsor and our officers and directors have agreed that, for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus, we and they will not, without the prior written consent of the underwriter, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any units, warrants, ordinary shares or any securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, ordinary shares, whether or not such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise; provided, however, that we may (1) issue and sell the private placement units; (2) issue and sell the additional units to cover our underwriter’s over-allotment option (if any); (3) register with the SEC pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, the resale of the private placement units (including the underlying securities) and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants and the founder shares; and (4) issue securities in connection with our initial business combination. The foregoing shall not apply to the forfeiture of any founder shares pursuant to their terms or any transfer of founder shares to any current or future independent director of the company (as long as such current or future independent director is subject to the terms of the letter agreement, filed herewith, at the time of such transfer; and as long as, to the extent any Section 16 reporting obligation is triggered as a result of such transfer, any related Section 16 filing includes a practical explanation as to the nature of the transfer). The underwriter in its sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice. Our sponsor and our directors and executive officers are also subject to separate transfer restrictions on their founder shares and private placement units and the component securities thereof pursuant to the insider letters as described herein.
Our sponsor and our directors and executive officers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earliest of (A) 12 months after the completion of our initial business combination, or (B) one year after the date of the consummation of an initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations,
182
recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units”). Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our sponsor with respect to any founder shares. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up. The private placement units (including the underlying private placement shares, the private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or saleable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except with respect to permitted transferees as described herein under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Shareholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units”). Except in certain limited circumstances, no member of our sponsor may Transfer all or any portion of its membership interests in our sponsor. For more information, see “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units.”
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our securities. Consequently, the initial public offering price for the units was determined by negotiations between us and the underwriter. Among the factors considered in determining the initial public offering price were the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies, prior offerings of those companies, an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies, our capital structure, our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values and currently prevailing general conditions in the equity securities markets, including current market valuations of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company. We cannot assure you, however, that the price at which the units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants will sell in the public market after this offering will not be lower than the initial public offering price or that an active trading market in our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants will develop and continue after this offering.
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriter against certain liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribute to payments that the underwriter may be required to make in that respect.
The following table shows the underwriting commissions that we are to pay to the underwriter in connection with this offering. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option.
|
Per Unit |
Total |
|||||||||||
|
Without |
With |
Without |
With |
|||||||||
|
Underwriting Commissions paid by us(1) |
$ |
0.55 |
$ |
0.55 |
$ |
11,000,000 |
$ |
12,650,000 |
||||
____________
(1) Includes (i) $0.20 per unit, or $4,000,000 in the aggregate (or $4,600,000 in the aggregate if the over-allotment option is fully exercised), is payable upon the closing of this offering, plus (ii) up to $0.35 per unit, or up to $7,000,000 in the aggregate (or up to $8,050,000 in the aggregate if the over-allotment option is fully exercised) in deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein. The deferred commissions will be released to BTIG for its own account concurrently with completion of an initial business combination in the amounts set forth above, as described in this prospectus. Does not include certain fees and expenses payable to the underwriters described below in connection with this offering.
If we do not complete our initial business combination within the 24 months following the closing of this offering and subsequently liquidate, the trustee and the underwriter have agreed that (i) the underwriter will forfeit any rights or claims to their deferred underwriting commissions, including any accrued interest thereon, then in the trust account upon liquidation, and (ii) that the deferred underwriting commissions will be distributed on a pro rata basis, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), to the public shareholders.
We have agreed to issue to BTIG or its designees at or prior to the closing of this offering 100,000 representative founder shares for $0.001 per share. The holders of the representative founder shares have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any such shares without our prior consent until the completion of our initial business combination. In addition, the holders of the representative founder shares have agreed (i) to waive their conversion rights (or right to participate
183
in any tender offer) with respect to such shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering.
The representative founder shares have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the date of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part pursuant to Rule 5110(e)(1) of the FINRA Manual. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), these securities will not be sold during the offering, or sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, or hypothecated, or be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part or commencement of sales of the public offering, except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the offering and their bona fide officers or partners, provided that all securities so transferred remain subject to the lockup restriction above for the remainder of the time period.
We have granted the holders of these shares the registration rights as described under the section “Shares Eligible for Future Sale — Registration Rights.” The demand and piggyback registration rights being granted to the underwriter and related persons are subject to FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8).
We have agreed to reimburse the underwriter for certain of its accountable and out-of-pocket costs for this offering up to an aggregate expense allowance of $50,000, plus additional amounts related to background searches of our principals and directors and our sponsor, not to exceed $4,000 per person (in the case of U.S. jurisdictions) and $5,000 (in the case of non-U.S. jurisdictions). We have also agreed to reimburse the underwriter for legal fees related to the review by FINRA of up to $20,000. We have paid the underwriter an initial retainer of $25,000 as an advance against anticipated out-of-pocket expenses, including the background searches. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110, that reimbursement is deemed underwriting compensation for this offering.
We have granted BTIG s a right of first refusal to act as the exclusive capital markets advisor, placement agent, or book-running lead manager, as the case may be, in connection with any private placement or public offering of equity, equity-linked or debt (including, without limitation, asset-backed) securities of the Company until the first anniversary of the date of the Underwriting Agreement.
BTIG Units
The underwriter has committed that in connection with the 20 million units being offered in this offering (the “base offering”), it and/or its designees will purchase from us 170,000 BTIG units for a total purchase price of $1,700,000. This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. The underwriter has also agreed that, if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriter in full or in part, it and/or its designees will purchase from us an additional number of BTIG units (up to a maximum of an aggregate of 195,500 BTIG units, including the BTIG units purchased in connection with the base offering) necessary to maintain in the trust account $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering. The BTIG units are identical to the units sold in this offering except as described elsewhere in this prospectus. The BTIG units and underlying ordinary shares and warrants have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110. The BTIG units purchased by the underwriter may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated or be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a 180-day period following the commencement of sales of this offering except to any selected dealer participating in the offering and the officers or partners, registered persons or affiliates of the underwriter and any such participating selected dealer. The underwriter has agreed that the BTIG units it purchases will not be sold or transferred by it (except to certain permitted transferees) until after we have completed an initial business combination. We have granted the holders of private placement units, including the underwriter, the registration rights as described under the section “Description of Securities — Registration and Shareholder Rights.” In compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8), the registration rights granted to the underwriter are limited to one demand and unlimited “piggy back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the commencement of sales of this offering with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the BTIG units and the underlying securities. The warrants underlying the BTIG units may not be exercised more than five years from the commencement of sales of this offering in compliance with Rule 5110(g)(8)(A).
184
Expressions of Interest
Twelve institutional investors have expressed to us an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of approximately $18.8 million of the public units in this offering at the offering price (assuming the exercise in full of the underwriter’s over-allotment option). None of these institutional investors has expressed to us an interest in purchasing more than 9.9% of the public units to be sold in this offering. There can be no assurance that these institutional investors will acquire any public units, either directly or indirectly, in this offering, or as to the amount of the public units these institutional investors will retain, if any, prior to or upon the consummation of our initial business combination. Because these expressions of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, these institutional investors may determine to purchase a different number of public units in this offering, or none at all. Depending on how many units are purchased by these institutional investors, the post-offering trading volume, volatility and liquidity of our securities may be reduced relative to what they would have been had the units been more widely offered and sold to other public investors. We do not expect any purchase of units by the non-managing sponsor members to negatively impact our ability to meet Nasdaq listing eligibility requirements. In addition, the underwriter has full discretion to allocate the public units to investors and may determine to sell fewer units to these institutional investors, or none at all. The underwriter will receive the same upfront discounts and commissions and deferred underwriting commissions on public units purchased by these institutional investors, if any, as it will on the other public units sold to the public in this offering. In addition, none of the institutional investors has any obligation to vote any of their public shares in favor of our initial business combination. In the event that the institutional investors purchase such public units (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, no affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. However, because these institutional investors are not obligated to continue owning any public shares following the closing and are not obligated to vote any public shares in favor of our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that any of these institutional investors will be public shareholders at the time our shareholders vote on our initial business combination, and, if they are public shareholders, we cannot assure you as to how such institutional investors will vote on any business combination.
The underwriter will receive the same underwriting discount on any units purchased by these institutional investors as it will on any other units sold to the public in this offering. Any trading decisions made by any of these institutional investors will be made by them based on market conditions at the time of the proposed sale or redemption. BTIG’s affiliates will not receive any economic or other interest in our sponsor.
Listing
We intend to apply to list our public units on the Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “NTWOU” on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. We expect that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the public units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or, if such date is not a business day, the following business day) unless BTIG informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to certain conditions. Once the securities comprising the public units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “NTWO” and “NTWOW,” respectively. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq.
Stabilization and Other Transactions
The underwriter pursuant to Regulation M under the Exchange Act may engage in short sale transactions, stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions or the imposition of penalty bids in connection with this offering. These activities may have the effect of stabilizing or maintaining the market price of the units at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Establishing short sales positions may involve either “covered” short sales or “naked” short sales.
“Covered” short sales are sales made in an amount not greater than the underwriter’s option to purchase additional units in this offering. The underwriter may close out any covered short position by either exercising the overallotment option or purchasing our securities in the open market or from market participants. In determining the source of units to close out the covered short position, the underwriter will consider, among other things, the price of units available for purchase in the market as compared to the price at which it may purchase units through the overallotment option.
185
“Naked” short sales are sales in excess of the option to purchase additional units. The underwriter must close out any naked short position by purchasing units in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriter is concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the units in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.
A stabilizing bid is a bid for the purchase of securities on behalf of the underwriter for the purpose of fixing or maintaining the price of the securities. A syndicate covering transaction is the bid for or the purchase of securities on behalf of the underwriter to reduce a short position incurred by the underwriter in connection with the offering. Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriter’s purchases to cover the syndicate short sales may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our securities or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our securities. As a result, the price of our securities may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. A penalty bid is an arrangement permitting the underwriter to reclaim the selling concession otherwise accruing to a syndicate member in connection with the offering if the securities originally sold by such syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction and therefore have not been effectively placed by such syndicate member.
Neither we nor the underwriter makes any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our securities. The underwriter is not obligated to engage in these activities and, if commenced, may end any of these activities at any time. These transactions may be effected on Nasdaq, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.
We are not under any contractual obligation to engage the underwriter to provide any services for us after this offering, and do not have any understanding with the underwriter with respect to any services that it may provide in the future. However, the underwriter may introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital in the future and we may pay the underwriter or any entity with which it is affiliated a finder’s fee or other compensation for services rendered to us in connection with the completion of a business combination as applicable.
If the underwriter provides services to us after this offering, we may pay the underwriter fair and reasonable fees that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation. The underwriter’s provision of any such additional services in connection with our initial business combination will require our separate engagement of such underwriter in connection with our initial business combination and the entry into a related written engagement agreement between the underwriter and us setting forth the terms and conditions of the additional services to be provided by the underwriter to us. No agreement will be entered into with the underwriter and no fees for such services will be paid to the underwriter prior to the date that is 60 days from the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriter’s compensation in connection with this offering.
In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, the underwriter and its affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. The underwriter and its affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
Selling Restrictions
NOTICE TO INVESTORS
Canada
This prospectus constitutes an “exempt offering document” as defined in and for the purposes of applicable Canadian securities laws. No prospectus has been filed with any securities commission or similar regulatory authority in Canada in connection with the offer and sale of the securities. No securities commission or similar regulatory authority in Canada has reviewed or in any way passed upon this prospectus or on the merits of the securities and any representation to the contrary is an offence.
Canadian investors are advised that this prospectus has been prepared in reliance on section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (“NI 33-105”). Pursuant to section 3A.3 of NI 33-105, this prospectus is exempt from the requirement that the issuer and the underwriter(s) provide investors with certain conflicts of interest disclosure pertaining to “connected issuer” and/or “related issuer” relationships that may exist between the issuer and the underwriter(s) as would otherwise be required pursuant to subsection 2.1(1) of NI 33-105.
186
Resale Restrictions
The offer and sale of the securities in Canada is being made on a private placement basis only and is exempt from the requirement that the issuer prepares and files a prospectus under applicable Canadian securities laws. Any resale of the securities acquired by a Canadian investor in this offering must be made in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, which may vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made in accordance with Canadian prospectus requirements, pursuant to a statutory exemption from the prospectus requirements, in a transaction exempt from the prospectus requirements or otherwise under a discretionary exemption from the prospectus requirements granted by the applicable local Canadian securities regulatory authority. These resale restrictions may under certain circumstances apply to resales of the securities outside of Canada.
Representations of Purchasers
Each Canadian investor who purchases the securities will be deemed to have represented to the issuer and the underwriter(s) that the investor (i) is purchasing the securities as principal, or is deemed to be purchasing as principal in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, for investment only and not with a view to resale or redistribution; (ii) is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in section 1.1 of National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions (“NI 45-106”) or, in Ontario, as such term is defined in section 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario); and (iii) is a “permitted client” as such term is defined in section 1.1 of National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations.
Taxation and Eligibility for Investment
Any discussion of taxation and related matters contained in this prospectus does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all of the tax considerations that may be relevant to a Canadian investor when deciding to purchase the securities and, in particular, does not address any Canadian tax considerations. No representation or warranty is hereby made as to the tax consequences to a resident, or deemed resident, of Canada of an investment in the securities or with respect to the eligibility of the securities for investment by such investor under relevant Canadian federal and provincial legislation and regulations.
Rights of Action for Damages or Rescission
Securities legislation in certain of the Canadian jurisdictions provides certain purchasers of securities pursuant to an offering memorandum (such as this prospectus), including where the distribution involves an “eligible foreign security” as such term is defined in Ontario Securities Commission Rule 45-501 Ontario Prospectus and Registration Exemptions and in Multilateral Instrument 45-107 Listing Representation and Statutory Rights of Action Disclosure Exemptions, as applicable, with a remedy for damages or rescission, or both, in addition to any other rights they may have at law, where the offering memorandum, or other offering document that constitutes an offering memorandum, and any amendment thereto, contains a “misrepresentation” as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. These remedies, or notice with respect to these remedies, must be exercised or delivered, as the case may be, by the purchaser within the time limits prescribed under, and are subject to limitations and defences under, applicable Canadian securities legislation. In addition, these remedies are in addition to and without derogation from any other right or remedy available at law to the investor.
Language of Documents
Upon receipt of this document, each Canadian investor hereby confirms that it has expressly requested that all documents evidencing or relating in any way to the sale of the securities described herein (including for greater certainty any purchase confirmation or any notice) be drawn up in the English language only. Par la réception de ce document, chaque investisseur Canadien confirme par les présentes qu’il a expressément exigé que tous les documents faisant foi ou se rapportant de quelque manière que ce soit à la vente des valeurs mobilières décrites aux présentes (incluant, pour plus de certitude, toute confirmation d’achat ou tout avis) soient rédigés en anglais seulement.
187
Australia
This document does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Australia’s Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the “Corporations Act”) of Australia. This document has not been lodged with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission and is only directed to the categories of exempt persons set out below. Accordingly, if you receive this document in Australia:
You confirm and warrant that you are either:
• a “sophisticated investor” under section 708(8)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act;
• a “sophisticated investor” under section 708(8)(c) or (d) of the Corporations Act and that you have provided an accountant’s certificate to the company which complies with the requirements of section 708(8)(c)(i) or (ii) of the Corporations Act and related regulations before the offer has been made; or
• a “professional investor” within the meaning of section 708(11)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act.
To the extent that you are unable to confirm or warrant that you are an exempt sophisticated investor or professional investor under the Corporations Act any offer made to you under this document is void and incapable of acceptance.
You warrant and agree that you will not offer any of the shares issued to you pursuant to this document for resale in Australia within 12 months of those securities being issued unless any such resale offer is exempt from the requirement to issue a disclosure document under section 708 of the Corporations Act.
European Economic Area
In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area (each a “Member State”), no securities have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offer described herein in that Member State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, except that the securities may be offered to the public in that Member State at any time:
(i) to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation;
(ii) to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriters for any such offer; or
(iii) in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation,
provided that no such offer of securities shall require the issuer or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.
Each person in a Member State who acquires any securities in the offer or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the issuer and the underwriters that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation.
In the case of any securities being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the Prospectus Regulation, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the issuer and the underwriters that the securities acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer to the public other than their offer or resale in a Member State to qualified investors, in circumstances in which the prior consent of the underwriters has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale. Neither the issuer nor the underwriters have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of securities through any financial intermediary, other than offers made by the underwriters which constitute the final placement of securities contemplated in this document.
The issuer and the underwriters and their affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations, acknowledgements and agreements.
188
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any securities in any Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase, or subscribe for, any securities and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.
In Member States, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, persons who are “qualified investors” within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation (“Qualified Investors”). This document must not be acted on or relied on in any Member State by persons who are not Qualified Investors. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available in any Member State only to Qualified Investors and will be engaged in only with such persons.
Hong Kong
No securities have been, may be or will be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than to persons whose ordinary business is to buy or sell shares or debentures, whether as principal or agent; or to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong (the “SFO”) and any rules made thereunder; or in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies (Winding UP and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong (the “C(WUMP)O”), or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the C(WUMP)O. No document, invitation or advertisement relating to the securities has been issued or may be issued or will be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the SFO and any rules made thereunder.
This document has not been and will not be registered with the Registrar of Companies in Hong Kong. Accordingly, this document may not be issued, circulated or distributed in Hong Kong, and the securities may not be offered for subscription to members of the public in Hong Kong. Each person acquiring the securities will be required, and is deemed by the acquisition of the securities, to confirm that he is aware of the restriction on offers of the securities described in this document and the relevant offering documents and that he is not acquiring, and has not been offered any securities in circumstances that contravene any such restrictions.
Japan
The offering has not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan (Act No. 25 of 1948 of Japan, as amended) (the “FIEA”), and the Initial Purchaser will not offer or sell any securities, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means, unless otherwise provided herein, any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the FIEA and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.
Singapore
This document has not been and will not be lodged or registered with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this document and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or the invitation for subscription or purchase of the securities may not be issued, circulated or distributed, nor may the securities be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to any person in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”), (ii) to a relevant person as defined under Section 275(2) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA and where (where applicable) Regulation 3 of the Securities and Futures (Classes of Investors) Regulations 2018, or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of any other applicable provision of the SFA. In the event that you are not an investor falling within any of the categories set out above, please return this document immediately. You may not forward or circulate this document to any other person in Singapore.
189
No offer is made to you with a view to the securities being subsequently offered for sale to any other party. There are on-sale restrictions that may be applicable to investors who acquire securities. As such, investors are advised to acquaint themselves with the provisions of the SFA relating to resale restrictions and comply accordingly.
Where the securities are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:
• a corporation (which is not an accredited investor as defined under Section 4A of the SFA) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or
• a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary is an accredited investor,
securities or securities-based derivatives contracts (each term as defined in Section 2(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferable within one year after that corporation or that trust has acquired the securities under Section 275 of the SFA except:
• to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person pursuant to an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) or Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;
• where no consideration is given for the transfer;
• where the transfer is by operation of law;
• as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or
• as specified in Regulation 37A of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Securities and Securities-based Derivatives Contracts) Regulations 2018 of Singapore.
Switzerland
The securities may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, or SIX, or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the securities or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the issuer or the securities have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, or FINMA, and the offer of securities has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes, or CISA. The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of securities.
Israel
This document does not constitute a prospectus under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728-1968, or the Securities Law, and has not been filed with or approved by the Israel Securities Authority. In the State of Israel, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer of the shares is directed only at, investors listed in the first addendum, or the Addendum, to the Israeli Securities Law, consisting primarily of joint investment in trust funds, provident funds, insurance companies, banks, portfolio managers, investment advisors, members of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, underwriters, venture capital funds, entities with equity in excess of NIS 50 million and “qualified individuals”, each as defined in the Addendum (as it may be amended from time to time), collectively referred to as qualified investors (in each case purchasing for their own account or, where permitted under the
190
Addendum, for the accounts of their clients who are investors listed in the Addendum). Qualified investors will be required to submit written confirmation that they fall within the scope of the Addendum, are aware of the meaning of same and agree to it.
United Kingdom
In relation to the United Kingdom, no securities have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offer described herein to the public in the United Kingdom prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, except that the securities may be offered to the public in the United Kingdom at any time:
(i) to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation;
(ii) to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriters for any such offer; or
(iii) in any other circumstances falling within Section 86 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended) (the “FSMA”),
provided that no such offer of the securities shall require the issuer or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Section 85 of the FSMA or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the UK Prospectus Regulation.
Each person in the United Kingdom who acquires any securities in the offer or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the issuer and the underwriters that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the UK Prospectus Regulation.
In the case of any securities being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the UK Prospectus Regulation, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the issuer and the underwriters that the securities acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer to the public other than their offer or resale in the United Kingdom to qualified investors, in circumstances in which the prior consent of the underwriters has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale. Neither the issuer nor the underwriters have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of securities through any financial intermediary, other than offers made by the underwriters which constitute the final placement of securities contemplated in this document.
The issuer and the underwriters and their affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations, acknowledgements and agreements.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to the securities in the United Kingdom means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any securities and the expression “UK Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of United Kingdom law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2
In the United Kingdom, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, persons who are “qualified investors” within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the UK Prospectus Regulation who are also: (i) persons who fall within the definition of “investment professionals” in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Order”); (ii) persons falling within Article 49(2) of the Order; or (iii) persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). This document must not be acted on or relied on in the United Kingdom by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available in the United Kingdom only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with such persons.
191
Any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA) may only be communicated or caused to be communicated in connection with the issue or sale of the securities in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply. All applicable provisions of the FSMA and the Order must be complied with in respect of anything done by any person in relation to the securities in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.
Cayman Islands
This document does not constitute a public offer of, or an invitation to the public to purchase, units, warrants or Class A ordinary shares in the company, whether by way of sale or subscription, in the Cayman Islands. Units, warrants and Class A ordinary shares have not been offered or sold, and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in the Cayman Islands. For the avoidance of doubt, no offer or invitation to subscribe for Class A ordinary shares is made to the public in the Cayman Islands.
192
Ellenoff, Grossman & Schole LLP New York, New York, is acting as counsel in connection with the registration of our securities under the Securities Act, and as such, will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to units and warrants. Ogier (Cayman) LLP will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to the ordinary shares and matters of Cayman Islands law. In connection with this offering, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel to the underwriters.
The financial statements of Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp as of June 30, 2024 and for the period from June 18, 2024 (inception) through June 30, 2024, have been audited by WithumSmith+Brown, PC, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, and are included in reliance on the report of such firm given on the authority of such firms as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are materially complete but may not include a description of all aspects of such contracts, agreements or other documents, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.
Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
193
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AS OF JUNE 30, 2024 AND FOR THE PERIOD FROM JUNE 18, 2024 (INCEPTION) THROUGH
JUNE 30, 2024
|
Page |
||
|
F-2 |
||
|
F-3 |
||
|
F-4 |
||
|
F-5 |
||
|
F-6 |
||
|
F-7 |
F-1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholder and Board of Directors of
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp (the “Company”) as of June 30, 2024, the related statements of operations, changes in shareholder’s equity and cash flows for the period from June 18, 2024 (inception) through June 30, 2024, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of June 30, 2024, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from June 18, 2024 (inception) through June 30, 2024, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures include 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/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2024.
New York, New York
August 9, 2024
F-2
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
BALANCE SHEET
June 30, 2024
|
ASSETS |
|
|
||
|
Current asset – prepaid expenses |
$ |
12,093 |
|
|
|
Deferred offering costs |
|
45,005 |
|
|
|
Total assets |
$ |
57,098 |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY |
|
|
||
|
Current liabilities: |
|
|
||
|
Accrued expenses |
$ |
10,420 |
|
|
|
Accrued offering costs |
|
37,500 |
|
|
|
Total current liabilities |
|
47,920 |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Commitments and Contingencies |
|
|
||
|
Shareholder’s Equity |
|
|
||
|
Preference shares, $0.0001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding |
|
— |
|
|
|
Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding |
|
— |
|
|
|
Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; 6,118,000 shares issued and outstanding(1) |
|
612 |
|
|
|
Additional paid-in capital |
|
24,388 |
|
|
|
Accumulated deficit |
|
(15,822 |
) |
|
|
Total shareholder’s equity |
|
9,178 |
|
|
|
Total Liabilities and Shareholder’s Equity |
$ |
57,098 |
|
____________
(1) Includes an aggregate of up to 798,000 Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (Note 5).
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-3
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
For the period from June 18, 2024 (inception) through June 30, 2024
|
Formation, general and administrative costs |
$ |
15,822 |
|
|
|
Net loss |
$ |
(15,822 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted(1) |
|
5,320,000 |
|
|
|
Basic and diluted net loss per share |
$ |
(0.00 |
) |
____________
(1) Excludes an aggregate of up to 798,000 Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (Note 5).
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-4
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY
For the period from June 18, 2024 (inception) through June 30, 2024
|
Class B |
Additional |
Accumulated |
Total |
|||||||||||||
|
Shares |
Amount |
|||||||||||||||
|
Balance as of June 18, 2024 (inception) |
— |
$ |
— |
$ |
— |
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
|||||
|
Issuance of ordinary shares to Sponsor(1) |
6,118,000 |
|
612 |
|
24,388 |
|
— |
|
|
25,000 |
|
|||||
|
Net loss |
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
(15,822 |
) |
|
(15,822 |
) |
|||||
|
Balance as of June 30, 2024 |
6,118,000 |
$ |
612 |
$ |
24,388 |
$ |
(15,822 |
) |
$ |
9,178 |
|
|||||
____________
(1) Includes an aggregate of up to 798,000 Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (Note 5).
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-5
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
For the period from June 18, 2024 (inception) through June 30, 2024
|
Cash Flows from Operating Activities |
|
|
||
|
Net loss |
$ |
(15,822 |
) |
|
|
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
|
|
||
|
Payment of formation costs through issuance of Class B ordinary shares |
|
5,402 |
|
|
|
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
|
|
||
|
Accrued expenses |
|
10,420 |
|
|
|
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
— |
|
|
|
Net increase in cash |
|
— |
|
|
|
Cash – beginning of period |
|
— |
|
|
|
Cash – end of period |
$ |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Supplemental disclosure of noncash investing and financing activities: |
|
|
||
|
Deferred offering costs paid by Sponsor in exchange for issuance of Class B ordinary shares |
$ |
7,505 |
|
|
|
Prepaid expenses paid by Sponsor in exchange for issuance of Class B ordinary shares |
$ |
17,495 |
|
|
|
Deferred offering costs included in accrued offering costs |
$ |
37,500 |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-6
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
JUNE 30, 2024
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations
Organization and General
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp (the “Company”) was incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on June 18, 2024. The Company was incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses that the Company has not yet identified (the “Initial Business Combination”). The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the “Securities Act”, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”).
As of June 30, 2024, the Company had not yet commenced operations. All activity for the period from June 18, 2024 (inception) through June 30, 2024 relates to the Company’s formation and the proposed initial public offering (“Proposed Offering”), which is described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its Initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Offering. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
Sponsor and Proposed Financing
The Company’s sponsor is Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC (the “Sponsor”). The Company intends to finance its Initial Business Combination with proceeds from the Proposed Offering of $200 million of Units (as defined below) (See Note 3) and a private placement of 620,000 of Private Placement Units (as defined below) for an aggregate of $6,200,000 (See Note 4).
The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through the Proposed Offering of 20,000,000 Units at $10.00 per unit (or 23,000,000 Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (Note 3) and the sale of 620,000 units (or 680,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (“Private Placement Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit in a private placement our Sponsor that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Offering (Note 4).
The Trust Account
The proceeds to be held in the Trust Account will be invested or held only in either (i) U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. Treasuries, (ii) uninvested cash, or (iii) an interest bearing bank demand deposit account or other accounts at a bank that meet certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Funds will remain in the Trust Account until the earlier of (i) the consummation of the Initial Business Combination or (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account proceeds as described below.
Initial Business Combination
The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Offering, although substantially all of the net proceeds of the Proposed Offering are intended to be generally applied toward consummating an Initial Business Combination. The Initial Business Combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the Initial Business Combination. Furthermore, there is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect an Initial Business Combination.
The Company, will provide the public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, the initial Business Combination, all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of the initial Business Combination either (1) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (2) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder
F-7
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
JUNE 30, 2024
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations (cont.)
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 the Company to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement. Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with the Company where it does not survive and any transactions where the Company issue more than 20% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would typically require shareholder approval. The Company intends to conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless shareholder approval is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement or we choose to seek shareholder approval for business or other reasons.
The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that the Company will have only 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering or until such earlier liquidation date as the board of directors may approve to consummate an initial Business Combination. If the Company is unable to complete the initial Business Combination within the 24 months following the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, 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 (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining shareholders and the board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to the 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 the warrants, which will expire without value to the holder if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within the 24 months following the closing of the Proposed Public Offering.
The Sponsor, executive officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with the Company, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to their founder shares if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. However, if the initial shareholders acquire public shares, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such public shares if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within the allotted time frame. The underwriter has agreed to waive its rights to its deferred underwriting commission held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete the initial Business Combination within the allotted time frame and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the public shares.
The Sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with the Company, that they will not propose any amendment to the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of the obligation to allow redemption in connection with the initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the public shares if the Company does not complete the initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, in each case unless the Company provides the public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares.
F-8
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
JUNE 30, 2024
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations (cont.)
Risks and Uncertainties
The United States and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption following the geopolitical instability resulting from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the recent escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict. In response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (“NATO”) deployed additional military forces to eastern Europe, and the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and other countries have announced various sanctions and restrictive actions against Russia, Belarus and related individuals and entities, including the removal of certain financial institutions from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication payment system. Certain countries, including the United States, have also provided and may continue to provide military aid or other assistance to Ukraine and to Israel, increasing geopolitical tensions among a number of nations. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict and the resulting measures that have been taken, and could be taken in the future, by NATO, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Israel and its neighboring states and other countries have created global security concerns that could have a lasting impact on regional and global economies. Although the length and impact of the ongoing conflicts are highly unpredictable, they could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as supply chain interruptions and increased cyber-attacks against U.S. companies. Additionally, any resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets.
Any of the above mentioned factors, or any other negative impact on the global economy, capital markets or other geopolitical conditions resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict and subsequent sanctions or related actions, could adversely affect the Company’s search for an initial business combination and any target business with which the Company may ultimately consummate an initial business combination.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of June 30, 2024, the Company had no cash balance and a working capital deficit of $35,827 (excluding deferred offering costs). Further, the Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern”, as of June 30, 2024, the Company does not have sufficient liquidity to meet its current obligations. However, management has determined that the Company has access to funds from the Sponsor (see Note 4) that are sufficient to fund the working capital needs of the Company until the earlier of the consummation of the Proposed Offering or a minimum of one year from the date of issuance of these financial statements. The Company cannot assure that its plans to raise capital or to consummate an Initial Business Combination will be successful.
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America GAAP and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
Emerging Growth Company
As an emerging growth company, the Company 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
F-9
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
JUNE 30, 2024
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
Act of 2002, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its 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.
Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Company’s financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820, “Fair Value Measurement,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
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 ASC Topic 815, ”Derivatives and Hedging.” 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, with changes in the fair value reported in the statement of operations. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative liabilities are classified in the 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 balance sheet date. The underwriters’ over-allotment option is deemed to be a freestanding financial instrument indexed on the shares subject to redemption and will be accounted for as a liability pursuant to ASC 480 if not fully exercised at the time of the initial public offering.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period.
Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgement. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.
Deferred Offering Costs Associated with the Proposed Public Offering
The Company complies with the requirements of the ASC 340-10-S99 and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 5A — “Expenses of Offering.” Deferred offering costs consist principally of professional and registration fees that are related to the Proposed Public Offering. FASB ASC 470-20, “Debt with Conversion and Other Options,”
F-10
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
JUNE 30, 2024
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
addresses the allocation of proceeds from the issuance of convertible debt into its equity and debt components. The Company applies this guidance to allocate Proposed Public Offering proceeds from the Units between Class A ordinary shares and warrants, using the residual method by allocating Proposed Public Offering proceeds first to assigned value of the warrants and then to the Class A ordinary shares. Offering costs allocated to the Class A ordinary shares will be charged to temporary equity offering costs allocated to the Public and Private Placement Warrants will be charged to shareholder’s equity and Public and Private Placement Warrants after management’s evaluation will be accounted for under equity treatment. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to operations.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes,” which requires an asset and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed for differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities that will result in future taxable or deductible amounts, based on enacted tax laws and rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
ASC Topic 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company’s management determined that the Cayman Islands is the Company’s major tax jurisdiction. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. As of June 30, 2024, there were no unrecognized tax benefits and no 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 zero for the period presented.
Net Loss per Ordinary Share
Net loss per ordinary share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding during the period, excluding ordinary shares subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 798,000 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (see Note 6). At June 30, 2024, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into ordinary shares and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per ordinary share is the same as basic loss per ordinary share for the period presented.
Warrant Instruments
The Company will account for the Public and Private Warrants to be issued in connection with the Proposed Public Offering and the private placement in accordance with the guidance contained in FASB ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging.” Accordingly, the Company evaluated and will classify the warrant instruments under equity treatment at their assigned values. There are no Public or Private Warrants currently outstanding as of June 30, 2024.
F-11
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
JUNE 30, 2024
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
Recent Accounting Standards
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, “Debt — Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40)” (“ASU 2020-06”), to simplify certain financial instruments. ASU 2020-06 eliminates the current models that require separation of beneficial conversion and cash conversion features from convertible instruments and simplifies the derivative scope exception guidance pertaining to equity classification of contracts in an entity’s own equity. The new standard also introduces additional disclosures for convertible debt and freestanding instruments that are indexed to and settled in an entity’s own equity. ASU 2020-06 amends the diluted earnings per share guidance, including the requirement to use the if-converted method for all convertible instruments. ASU 2020-06 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and should be applied on a full or modified retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company adopted ASU 2020-06 as of June 18, 2024 (inception). There was no effect to the Company’s presented financial statements.
Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
Note 3 — Public Offering
Pursuant to the Proposed Offering, the Company intends to offer for sale up to 20,000,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit for a total of $200 million (or 23,000,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit for a total of $230 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the “Units”). Each Unit consists of one Public Share and one-half of one warrant (each, a “Public Warrant” and collectively, the “Public Warrants”). Each Public Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per shares, subject to adjustments (see Note 7).
Note 4 — Private Placement
The Sponsor and BTIG, LLC have committed to purchase an aggregate of 620,000 Private Placement Units (680,000 Private Placement Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Offering. Each Unit consists of one Public Share and one-half of one warrant (each, a “Private Warrant”). Each Private Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per shares, subject to adjustments. Each warrant will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of the Initial Business Combination and will not expire except upon liquidation. If the Initial Business Combination is not completed within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants held in the Trust Account will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law).
The Company expects to grant the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 3,000,000 additional Units to cover any over-allotments at the Proposed Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The Units that would be issued in connection with the over-allotment option would be identical to the Units issued in the Proposed Offering.
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions
Founder Shares
On June 20, 2024, the Company issued an aggregate of 5,750,000 Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value (the “Founder Shares”), in exchange for a $25,000 payment (approximately $0.004 per share) from the Sponsor to cover certain expenses on behalf of the Company. On July 12, 2024, the Company issued an additional 368,000 founder shares to our sponsor, resulting in our sponsor holding a total of 6,118,000 founder shares. All shares and
F-12
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
JUNE 30, 2024
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions (cont.)
per share presentation has been retrospectively presented. As used herein, unless the context otherwise requires, “Founder Shares” shall be deemed to include the Public Shares issuable upon conversion thereof. The Founder Shares are identical to the Public Shares included in the Units being sold in the Proposed Offering except that the Founder Shares automatically convert into Public Shares at the time of the Initial Business Combination (with such conversion taking place immediately prior to, simultaneously with, or immediately following the time 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 sponsor has agreed to forfeit up to an aggregate of 798,000 Founder Shares to the extent that the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the underwriters so that the Founder Shares will represent approximately 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Offering. If the Company increases or decreases the size of the offering, the Company will effect a share dividend or share surrender, as applicable, immediately prior to the consummation of the Proposed Offering in such amount as to maintain the Founder Share ownership of the Company’s shareholders prior to the Proposed Offering at 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of the Proposed Offering. The Sponsor will not be 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 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering, the Sponsor will not be entitled to rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any Founder Shares held by it.
The Sponsor has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of its Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of (A) one year after the completion of the Initial Business Combination or (B) subsequent to the Initial Business Combination (x) if the last reported sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share dividends, rights issuances, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the initial Business Combination or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares, representative founder shares, private placement units (including the underlying securities) and any private placement equivalent units (and underlying securities) that may be issued on conversion of working capital loans and upon conversion of the founder shares will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this Proposed Public Offering requiring the Company 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 these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain piggy-back registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of the initial Business Combination and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Administrative Support Agreement
Commencing on the date of the initial public offering, the Company will agree to reimburse the Sponsor or an affiliate thereof in an amount equal to $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. Upon completion of the Initial Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation, the Company will cease paying these monthly fees.
F-13
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
JUNE 30, 2024
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions (cont.)
Related Party Loans
On June 20, 2024, the Company and the Sponsor entered into a loan agreement, whereby the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of up to $300,000 to cover expenses related to the Proposed Offering pursuant to a promissory note (the “Note”). This loan is non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of June 30, 2025, or the date on which the Company consummates the Proposed Offering. As of June 30, 2024, the Company had no borrowings under the Note.
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 $1,500,000 of such 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 lender. The units and their underlying securities would be identical to the private placement units. As of June 30, 2024, the Company had no borrowings under the Working Capital Loans.
Note 6 — Commitments and Contingencies
Underwriting Agreement
The Company expects to pay an underwriting discount of 2.0% of the per Unit offering price to the underwriters at the closing of the Proposed Offering, with an additional fee of 3.5% of the gross offering proceeds payable only upon the Company’s completion of its Initial Business Combination (the “Deferred Discount”). The Deferred Discount will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event the Company completes its Initial Business Combination. In addition, the underwriters have agreed to make a payment to the Company at the closing of the Proposed Offering to reimburse certain of the Company’s expenses and fees in connection with the Proposed Offering.
Representative Founder Shares
The Company intends to issue to the underwriter and/or its designees 100,000 ordinary shares (the “Representative Founder Shares”) upon the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering. The Company will account for the Representative Founder Shares as an expense of the Proposed Public Offering, resulting in a charge directly to share’s equity. The underwriter (and any of its designees to whom the Representative Founder Shares are issued) will agree not to transfer, assign or sell any such shares without the Company’s prior consent until the completion of a Business Combination. In addition, the Representative Founder Shares will be deemed to be underwriting compensation by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 and will, accordingly, be subject to certain transfer restrictions or a period of 180 days beginning on the date of commencement of sales of the Units in the Proposed Public Offering. Furthermore, the underwriter will agree (and any of its designees to whom the Representative Founder Shares are issued will agree) (i) to waive its redemption rights (or right to participate in any tender offer) with respect to such shares in connection with the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination and (ii) to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period.
F-14
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
JUNE 30, 2024
Note 7 — Shareholder’s Equity
Preference Shares
The Company is authorized to issue 5,000,000 preference shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. As of June 30, 2024, there were no preference shares issued or outstanding.
Ordinary Shares
The authorized ordinary shares of the Company includes up to 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share and 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. If the Company enters into an Initial Business Combination, it may (depending on the terms of such an Initial Business Combination) be required to increase the number of Class A ordinary shares which the Company is authorized to issue at the same time as the Company’s shareholder votes on the Initial Business Combination to the extent the Company seeks shareholder approval in connection with the Initial Business Combination. Holders of the Company’s ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each ordinary share (except as otherwise expressed in the Company’s memorandum and articles of association). As of June 30, 2024, there are no Class A ordinary shares issued or outstanding.
The Sponsor has agreed to forfeit up to an aggregate of 798,000 Founder Shares depending on the extent to which the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters so that the Founder Shares will represent 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Offering. As of June 30, 2024, there were 6,118,000 Class B Founder Shares issued and outstanding.
Warrants
As of June 30, 2024, there were no Public Warrants or Private Placement Warrants outstanding. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein, at any time commencing 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination, provided that the Company has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or the Company permits holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis” under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement) and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrantholder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of Class A ordinary shares. This means that only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrantholder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of the initial Business Combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
The Company is not registering Public Shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants at this time. However, the Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days after the closing of the Initial Business Combination, the Company will use its commercially best efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement or a new registration statement registering, under the Securities Act, the issuance of the Public Shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants. The Company will use its best efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the applicable warrant agreement. Notwithstanding the above, if the Public Shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its option, require holders of warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event the Company so elects, it will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but the Company will be required to use its best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.
F-15
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
JUNE 30, 2024
Note 7 — Shareholder’s Equity (cont.)
Redemption of warrants for cash when the price per Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00. Beginning 30 days after completion of the Initial Business Combination, the Company may redeem the outstanding Public Warrants for cash:
• In whole and not in part;
• At a price of $0.01 per warrant;
• Upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”); and
• if, and only if, the last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrantholders. The Company will not redeem the warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout such 30 trading day period and the 30-day redemption period.
The private placement warrants contained in the private placement units will be non-redeemable. The private placement warrants may also be exercised for cash or on a “cashless basis.” The private placement warrants will not expire except upon liquidation.
Note 8 — Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after June 30, 2024, the balance sheet date, up to August 9, 2024, the date the financial statements were available to be issued. Based upon this review, except as noted below, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustments or disclosure in the financial statements.
On July 12, 2024, the Company issued an additional 368,000 founder shares to our sponsor, resulting in our sponsor holding a total of 6,118,000 founder shares. All share and per share data has been retrospectively presented.
F-16
$200,000,000
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp
20,000,000 Units
______________________________________________________
Preliminary Prospectus
, 2024
______________________________________________________
Book-Running Manager:
BTIG, LLC
Until , 2024, all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriter and with respect to unsold allotments or subscriptions.
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discounts and commissions) will be as follows:
|
Legal fees and expenses |
$ |
310,000 |
|
|
Accounting fees and expenses |
|
50,000 |
|
|
Printing and engraving expenses |
|
25,000 |
|
|
SEC registration fee |
|
53,470 |
|
|
FINRA filing fee |
|
54,840 |
|
|
Nasdaq listing fees |
|
80,000 |
|
|
Trustee fees and expenses |
|
40,000 |
|
|
Reimbursement of Underwriter expenses |
|
50,000 |
|
|
Miscellaneous expenses |
|
36,690 |
|
|
Total |
$ |
700,000 |
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default, willful neglect, actual fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide for indemnification of our officers and directors to the maximum extent permitted by law, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud, willful default or willful neglect. We will enter into agreements with our directors and officers to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. We expect to purchase a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors.
Our officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account, and have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever (except to the extent they are entitled to funds from the trust account due to their ownership of public shares). Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied by us if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
On June 20, 2024, Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC, our sponsor, acquired an aggregate of 5,750,000 founder shares for $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per share, of which up to 798,000 shares are subject to forfeiture to the extent the underwriter does not exercise the over-allotment option in full. The number of founder shares was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering (not including the Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units). Such securities were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. On July 12, 2024, the Company issued an additional 368,000 founder shares (“Bonus Shares”) to our sponsor in a share capitalization resulting in our sponsor holding a total of 6,118,000 founder shares.
II-1
Prior to the commencement of this offering, we intend to issue 100,000 ordinary shares to BTIG or its designees for $100 ($0.001 per share).
Each of Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC and [the nominees of] BTIG is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D under the Securities Act.
Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC has committed to purchase an aggregate of 450,000 private placement units (or up to 484,500 private placement units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,500,000 (or up to $4,845,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement warrant contained in the private placement units is exercisable to purchase one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share.
BTIG has committed to purchase an aggregate of 170,000 BTIG units (or up to 195,500 private placement units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,840,000 (or up to $1,955,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement warrant contained in the private placement units is exercisable to purchase one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share.
These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the completion of the Registrant’s initial public offering. This issuance will be made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.
Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
II-2
|
Exhibit |
Description |
|
|
23.3 |
Consent of Ogier (Cayman) LLP, Cayman Islands Legal Counsel to the Registrant (included in Exhibit 5.2)*. |
|
|
99.1 |
||
|
99.2 |
||
|
99.3 |
||
|
99.4 |
Consent of Jennifer Vescio to be named as a Director Nominee. |
|
|
99.5 |
||
|
99.6 |
||
|
107 |
____________
* To be filed by amendment
Item 17. Undertakings.
(a) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
II-3
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, on the 9th day of August, 2024.
|
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp |
||||
|
By: |
/s/ Thomas Bushey |
|||
|
Name: |
Thomas Bushey |
|||
|
Title: |
Chief Executive Officer |
|||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
|
Signature |
Title |
Date |
||
|
/s/ Thomas Bushey |
Chief Executive Officer and a Director |
August 9, 2024 |
||
|
Thomas Bushey |
(Principal Executive Officer) |
|||
|
/s/ Jake Gudoian |
Chief Financial Officer |
August 9, 2024 |
||
|
Jake Gudoian |
(Principal Accounting Officer and |
II-4
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE IN THE UNITED STATES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 6(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, the undersigned has signed this registration statement, solely in its capacity as the duly authorized representative of Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, on the 9th day of August, 2024.
|
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp |
||||
|
By: |
/s/ Thomas Bushey |
|||
|
Name: |
Thomas Bushey |
|||
|
Title: |
Chief Executive Officer |
|||
II-5
Exhibit 3.1.1

Dated 18 June 2024
Companies Act (Revised)
Company Limited by Shares
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp
MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION

| 1 | ||
| Auth Code: K63975138966 www.verify.gov.ky |
Companies Act (Revised)
Company Limited by Shares
Memorandum of Association
of
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp
| 1 | The name of the Company is Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp . |
| 2 | The Company's registered office will be situated at the office of Ogier Global (Cayman) Limited, 89 Nexus Way, Camana Bay, Grand Cayman, KY1-9009, Cayman Islands or at such other place in the Cayman Islands as the directors may at any time decide. |
| 3 | The Company's objects are unrestricted. As provided by section 7(4) of the Companies Act (Revised), the Company has full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by any law of the Cayman Islands. |
| 4 | The Company has unrestricted corporate capacity. Without limitation to the foregoing, as provided by section 27 (2) of the Companies Act (Revised), the Company has and is capable of exercising all the functions of a natural person of full capacity irrespective of any question of corporate benefit. |
| 5 | Nothing in any of the preceding paragraphs permits the Company to carry on any of the following businesses without being duly licensed, namely: |
| (a) | the business of a bank or trust company without being licensed in that behalf under the Banks and Trust Companies Act (Revised); or |
| (b) | insurance business from within the Cayman Islands or the business of an insurance manager, agent, sub-agent or broker without being licensed in that behalf under the Insurance Act (Revised);or |
| (c) | the business of company management without being licensed in that behalf under the Companies Management Act (Revised). |
| 6 | Unless licensed to do so, the Company will not trade in the Cayman Islands with any person, firm or corporation except in furtherance of its business carried on outside the Cayman Islands. Despite this, the Company may effect and conclude contracts in the Cayman Islands and exercise in the Cayman Islands any of its powers necessary for the carrying on of its business outside the Cayman Islands. |
| 7 | The Company is a company limited by shares and accordingly the liability of each member is limited to the amount (if any) unpaid on that member's shares. |
| 2 | ||
| Auth Code: K63975138966 www.verify.gov.ky |
| 8 | The share capital of the Company is USD55,500 divided into 500,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares of par value USD0.0001 each, 50,000,000 Class B Ordinary Shares of par value USD0.0001 each, 5,000,000 Preference Shares of par value USD0.0001 each. However, subject to the Companies Act (Revised) and the Company's articles of association, the Company has 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. |
| 9 | 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. |
| 3 | ||
| Auth Code: K63975138966 www.verify.gov.ky |
We, the subscriber to this memorandum of association, wish to be formed into a company pursuant to this memorandum; and we agree to take the number of shares in the capital of the Company shown opposite our name in the table below.
Dated 18 June 2024
| Name and address of Subscriber | Number of shares taken | Signature | |
| Ogier Global Subscriber (Cayman) Limited | 1 | per: | /s/ Angilynn Baraud |
|
89 Nexus Way Camana Bay Grand Cayman, KY1-9009 Cayman Islands |
Name: | Angilynn Baraud Authorised Signatory | |
| Witness to above signature | /s/ Thorr W Scott | ||
|
Name: Thorr W Scott
Ogier Global (Cayman) Limited 89 Nexus Way Camana Bay Grand Cayman, KY1-9009 Cayman Islands
Occupation: Administrator | |||
4
Auth Code: K63975138966
www.verify.gov.ky
Exhibit 3.1.2
![]() |
|
Dated 18 June 2024
Companies Act (Revised)
Company Limited by Shares
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

CONTENTS
| 1 Definitions, interpretation and exclusion of Table A | 1 |
| Definitions | 1 |
| Interpretation | 3 |
| Exclusion of Table A Articles | 4 |
| 2 Shares | 4 |
| Power to issue Shares and options, with or without special rights | 4 |
| Power to issue fractions of a Share | 4 |
| Power to pay commissions and brokerage fees | 4 |
| Trusts not recognised | 5 |
| Power to vary class rights | 5 |
| Effect of new Share issue on existing class rights | 5 |
| Capital contributions without issue of further Shares | 6 |
| No bearer Shares or warrants | 6 |
| Treasury Shares | 6 |
| Rights attaching to Treasury Shares and related matters | 6 |
| 3 Share certificates | 7 |
| Issue of share certificates | 7 |
| Renewal of lost or damaged share certificates | 7 |
| 4 Lien on Shares | 8 |
| Nature and scope of lien | 8 |
| Company may sell Shares to satisfy lien | 8 |
| Authority to execute instrument of transfer | 8 |
| Consequences of sale of Shares to satisfy lien | 9 |
| Application of proceeds of sale | 9 |
| 5 Calls on Shares and forfeiture | 9 |
| Power to make calls and effect of calls | 9 |
| Time when call made | 10 |
| Liability of joint holders | 10 |
| Interest on unpaid calls | 10 |
| Deemed calls | 10 |
| Power to accept early payment | 10 |
| Power to make different arrangements at time of issue of Shares | 11 |
| Notice of default | 11 |
| Forfeiture or surrender of Shares | 11 |
| Disposal of forfeited or surrendered Share and power to cancel forfeiture or surrender | 11 |
| Effect of forfeiture or surrender on former Member | 12 |
| Evidence of forfeiture or surrender | 12 |
| Sale of forfeited or surrendered Shares | 12 |
| i | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 6 Transfer of Shares | 13 |
| Form of transfer | 13 |
| Power to refuse registration | 13 |
| Notice of refusal to register | 13 |
| Power to suspend registration | 13 |
| Fee, if any, payable for registration | 13 |
| Company may retain instrument of transfer | 13 |
| 7 Transmission of Shares | 13 |
| Persons entitled on death of a Member | 13 |
| Registration of transfer of a Share following death or bankruptcy | 14 |
| Indemnity | 14 |
| Rights of person entitled to a Share following death or bankruptcy | 14 |
| 8 Alteration of capital | 15 |
| Increasing, consolidating, converting, dividing and cancelling share capital | 15 |
| Dealing with fractions resulting from consolidation of Shares | 15 |
| Reducing share capital | 16 |
| 9 Redemption and purchase of own Shares | 16 |
| Power to issue redeemable Shares and to purchase own Shares | 16 |
| Repurchase of subscriber Share | 16 |
| Power to pay for redemption or purchase in cash or in specie | 17 |
| Effect of redemption or purchase of a Share | 17 |
| 10 Meetings of Members | 17 |
| Power to call meetings | 17 |
| Content of notice | 18 |
| Period of notice | 18 |
| Persons entitled to receive notice | 19 |
| Publication of notice on a website | 19 |
| Time a website notice is deemed to be given | 19 |
| Required duration of publication on a website | 19 |
| Accidental omission to give notice or non-receipt of notice | 19 |
| 11 Proceedings at meetings of Members | 20 |
| Quorum | 20 |
| Lack of quorum | 20 |
| Use of technology | 20 |
| Chairman | 21 |
| Right of a director to attend and speak | 21 |
| Adjournment | 21 |
| Method of voting | 21 |
| Outcome of vote by show of hands | 21 |
| Withdrawal of demand for a poll | 22 |
| Taking of a poll | 22 |
| Chairman’s casting vote | 22 |
| Amendments to resolutions | 22 |
| Written resolutions | 23 |
| Sole-member company | 24 |
| ii | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 12 Voting rights of Members | 24 |
| Right to vote | 24 |
| Rights of joint holders | 24 |
| Representation of corporate Members | 24 |
| Member with mental disorder | 25 |
| Objections to admissibility of votes | 25 |
| Form of proxy | 25 |
| How and when proxy is to be delivered | 26 |
| Voting by proxy | 27 |
| 13 Number of directors | 27 |
| 14 Appointment, disqualification and removal of directors | 27 |
| First directors | 27 |
| No age limit | 27 |
| Corporate directors | 27 |
| No shareholding qualification | 28 |
| Appointment of directors | 28 |
| Removal of directors | 28 |
| Resignation of directors | 29 |
| Termination of the office of director | 29 |
| 15 Alternate directors | 29 |
| Appointment and removal | 29 |
| Notices | 30 |
| Rights of alternate director | 30 |
| Appointment ceases when the appointor ceases to be a director | 31 |
| Status of alternate director | 31 |
| Status of the director making the appointment | 31 |
| 16 Powers of directors | 31 |
| Powers of directors | 31 |
| Appointments to office | 32 |
| Remuneration | 32 |
| Disclosure of information | 33 |
| 17 Delegation of powers | 33 |
| Power to delegate any of the directors’ powers to a committee | 33 |
| Power to appoint an agent of the Company | 34 |
| Power to appoint an attorney or authorised signatory of the Company | 34 |
| Power to appoint a proxy | 34 |
| iii | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 18 Meetings of directors | 35 |
| Regulation of directors’ meetings | 35 |
| Calling meetings | 35 |
| Notice of meetings | 35 |
| Period of notice | 35 |
| Use of technology | 35 |
| Place of meetings | 35 |
| Quorum | 35 |
| Voting | 35 |
| Validity | 36 |
| Recording of dissent | 36 |
| Written resolutions | 36 |
| Sole director’s minute | 36 |
| 19 Permissible directors’ interests and disclosure | 37 |
| Permissible interests subject to disclosure | 37 |
| Notification of interests | 37 |
| Voting where a director is interested in a matter | 38 |
| 20 Minutes | 38 |
| 21 Accounts and audit | 38 |
| Accounting and other records | 38 |
| No automatic right of inspection | 38 |
| Sending of accounts and reports | 38 |
| Time of receipt if documents are published on a website | 39 |
| Validity despite accidental error in publication on website | 39 |
| When accounts are to be audited | 39 |
| 22 Financial year | 40 |
| 23 Record dates | 40 |
| 24 Dividends | 40 |
| Declaration of dividends by Members | 40 |
| Payment of interim dividends and declaration of final dividends by directors | 40 |
| Apportionment of dividends | 41 |
| Right of set off | 41 |
| Power to pay other than in cash | 41 |
| How payments may be made | 42 |
| Dividends or other moneys not to bear interest in absence of special rights | 42 |
| Dividends unable to be paid or unclaimed | 42 |
| 25 Capitalisation of profits | 43 |
| Capitalisation of profits or of any share premium account or capital redemption reserve | 43 |
| Applying an amount for the benefit of members | 43 |
| iv | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 26 Share premium account | 44 |
| Directors to maintain share premium account | 44 |
| Debits to share premium account | 44 |
| 27 Seal | 44 |
| Company seal | 44 |
| Duplicate seal | 44 |
| When and how seal is to be used | 44 |
| If no seal is adopted or used | 45 |
| Power to allow non-manual signatures and facsimile printing of seal | 45 |
| Validity of execution | 45 |
| 28 Indemnity | 45 |
| Indemnity | 45 |
| Release | 46 |
| Insurance | 46 |
| 29 Notices | 47 |
| Form of notices | 47 |
| Electronic communications | 47 |
| Persons authorised to give notices | 47 |
| Delivery of written notices | 48 |
| Joint holders | 48 |
| Signatures | 48 |
| Evidence of transmission | 48 |
| Giving notice to a deceased or bankrupt Member | 48 |
| Date of giving notices | 48 |
| Saving provision | 49 |
| 30 Authentication of Electronic Records | 49 |
| Application of Articles | 49 |
| Authentication of documents sent by Members by Electronic means | 50 |
| Authentication of document sent by the Secretary or Officers of the Company by Electronic means | 50 |
| Manner of signing | 51 |
| Saving provision | 51 |
| 31 Transfer by way of continuation | 51 |
| 32 Winding up | 52 |
| Distribution of assets in specie | 52 |
| No obligation to accept liability | 52 |
| The directors are authorised to present a winding up petition | 52 |
| 33 Amendment of Memorandum and Articles | 52 |
| Power to change name or amend Memorandum | 52 |
| Power to amend these Articles | 52 |
| v | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Companies Act (Revised)
Company Limited by Shares
Articles of Association
of
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp
| 1 | Definitions, interpretation and exclusion of Table A |
Definitions
| 1.1 | In these Articles, the following definitions apply: |
| Act means the Companies Act (Revised). | |
| Articles means, as appropriate: |
| (a) | these Articles of Association as amended from time to time: or |
| (b) | two or more particular Articles of these Articles; |
and Article refers to a particular Article of these Articles.
Business Day means a day other than a public holiday in the place where the Company’s registered office is located, a Saturday or a Sunday.
Clear Days, in relation to a period of notice, means that period excluding:
| (a) | the day when the notice is given or deemed to be given; and |
| (b) | the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect. |
Company means the above-named company.
Default Rate means 10% (ten per cent) per annum.
Electronic has the meaning given to that term in the Electronic Transactions Act (Revised).
Electronic Record has the meaning given to that term in the Electronic Transactions Act (Revised).
| 1 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Electronic Signature has the meaning given to that term in the Electronic Transactions Act (Revised).
Fully Paid and Paid Up:
| (a) | in relation to a Share with par value, means that the par value for that Share and any premium payable in respect of the issue of that Share, has been fully paid or credited as paid in money or money’s worth; |
| (b) | in relation to a Share without par value, means that the agreed issue price for that Share has been fully paid or credited as paid in money or money’s worth. |
Islands means the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands.
Member means any person or persons entered on the register of members from time to time as the holder of a Share.
Memorandum means the Memorandum of Association of the Company as amended from time to time.
Officer means a person appointed to hold an office in the Company; and the expression includes a director, alternate director or liquidator, but does not include the Secretary.
Ordinary Resolution means a resolution of a duly constituted general meeting of the Company passed by a simple majority of the votes cast by, or on behalf of, the Members entitled to vote. The expression also includes a unanimous written resolution.
Secretary means a person appointed to perform the duties of the secretary of the Company, including a joint, assistant or deputy secretary.
Share means a share in the share capital of the Company; and the expression:
| (a) | includes stock (except where a distinction between shares and stock is expressed or implied); and |
| (b) | where the context permits, also includes a fraction of a share. |
Special Resolution has the meaning given to that term in the Act; and the expression includes a unanimous written resolution.
Treasury Shares means Shares of the Company held in treasury pursuant to the Act and Article 2.12.
| 2 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Interpretation
| 1.2 | In the interpretation of these Articles, the following provisions apply unless the context otherwise requires: |
| (a) | A reference in these Articles to a statute is a reference to a statute of the Islands as known by its short title, and includes: |
| (i) | any statutory modification, amendment or re-enactment; and |
| (ii) | any subordinate legislation or regulations issued under that statute. |
Without limitation to the preceding sentence, a reference to a revised Act of the Cayman Islands is taken to be a reference to the revision of that Act in force from time to time as amended from time to time.
| (b) | Headings are inserted for convenience only and do not affect the interpretation of these Articles, unless there is ambiguity. |
| (c) | If a day on which any act, matter or thing is to be done under these Articles is not a Business Day, the act, matter or thing must be done on the next Business Day. |
| (d) | A word which denotes the singular also denotes the plural, a word which denotes the plural also denotes the singular, and a reference to any gender also denotes the other genders. |
| (e) | A reference to a person includes, as appropriate, a company, trust, partnership, joint venture, association, body corporate or government agency. |
| (f) | Where a word or phrase is given a defined meaning another part of speech or grammatical form in respect to that word or phrase has a corresponding meaning. |
| (g) | All references to time are to be calculated by reference to time in the place where the Company’s registered office is located. |
| (h) | The words written and in writing include all modes of representing or reproducing words in a visible form, but do not include an Electronic Record where the distinction between a document in writing and an Electronic Record is expressed or implied. |
| (i) | The words including, include and in particular or any similar expression are to be construed without limitation. |
| 3 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Exclusion of Table A Articles
| 1.3 | The regulations contained in Table A in the First Schedule of the Act and any other regulations contained in any statute or subordinate legislation are expressly excluded and do not apply to the Company. |
| 2 | Shares |
Power to issue Shares and options, with or without special rights
| 2.1 | Subject to the provisions of the Act and the Articles about the redemption and purchase of the Company’s own Shares, the directors have general and unconditional authority to allot (with or without confirming rights of renunciation), grant options over or otherwise deal with any unissued Shares of the Company to such persons, at such times and on such terms and conditions as they may decide. No Share may be issued at a discount except in accordance with the provisions of the Act. |
| 2.2 | Without limitation to the preceding Article, the directors may so deal with the unissued Shares of the Company: |
| (a) | either at a premium or at par; |
| (b) | with or without preferred, deferred or other special rights or restrictions whether in regard to dividend, voting, return of capital or otherwise. |
Power to issue fractions of a Share
| 2.3 | Subject to the Act, the Company may issue fractions of a Share of any class. A fraction of a Share shall be subject to and carry the corresponding fraction of liabilities (whether with respect to calls or otherwise), limitations, preferences, privileges, qualifications, restrictions, rights and other attributes of a Share of that class of Shares. |
Power to pay commissions and brokerage fees
| 2.4 | The Company may pay a commission to any person in consideration of that person: |
| (a) | subscribing or agreeing to subscribe, whether absolutely or conditionally; or |
| (b) | procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions, whether absolute or conditional |
for any Shares in the Company. That commission may be satisfied by the payment of cash or the allotment of Fully Paid or partly-paid Shares or partly in one way and partly in another.
| 2.5 | The Company may employ a broker in the issue of its capital and pay him any proper commission or brokerage. |
| 4 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Trusts not recognised
| 2.6 | Except as required by law: |
| (a) | no person shall be recognised by the Company as holding any Share on any trust; and |
| (b) | no person other than the Member shall be recognised by the Company as having any right in a Share. |
Power to vary class rights
| 2.7 | If the share capital is divided into different classes of Shares then, unless the terms on which a class of Shares was issued state otherwise, the rights attaching to a class of Shares may only be varied if one of the following applies: |
| (a) | the Members holding two thirds of the issued Shares of that class consent in writing to the variation; or |
| (b) | the variation is made with the sanction of a Special Resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the Members holding the issued Shares of that class. |
| 2.8 | For the purpose of paragraph (b) of the preceding Article, all the provisions of these Articles relating to general meetings apply, mutatis mutandis, to every such separate meeting except that: |
| (a) | the necessary quorum shall be one or more persons holding, or representing by proxy, not less than one third of the issued Shares of the class; and |
| (b) | any Member holding issued Shares of the class, present in person or by proxy or, in the case of a corporate Member, by its duly authorised representative, may demand a poll. |
Effect of new Share issue on existing class rights
| 2.9 | Unless the terms on which a class of Shares was issued state otherwise, the rights conferred on the Member holding Shares of any class shall not be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further Shares ranking pari passu with the existing Shares of that class. |
| 5 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Capital contributions without issue of further Shares
| 2.10 | With the consent of a Member, the directors may accept a voluntary contribution to the capital of the Company from that Member without issuing Shares in consideration for that contribution. In that event, the contribution shall be dealt with in the following manner: |
| (a) | It shall be treated as if it were a share premium. |
| (b) | Unless the Member agrees otherwise: |
| (i) | if the Member holds Shares in a single class of Shares - it shall be credited to the share premium account for that class of Shares; |
| (ii) | if the Member holds Shares of more than one class - it shall be credited rateably to the share premium accounts for those classes of Shares (in the proportion that the sum of the issue prices for each class of Shares that the Member holds bears to the total issue prices for all classes of Shares that the Member holds). |
| (c) | It shall be subject to the provisions of the Act and these Articles applicable to share premiums. |
No bearer Shares or warrants
| 2.11 | The Company shall not issue Shares or warrants to bearers. |
Treasury Shares
| 2.12 | Shares that the Company purchases, redeems or acquires by way of surrender in accordance with the Act shall be held as Treasury Shares and not treated as cancelled if: |
| (a) | the directors so determine prior to the purchase, redemption or surrender of those shares; and |
| (b) | the relevant provisions of the Memorandum and Articles and the Act are otherwise complied with. |
Rights attaching to Treasury Shares and related matters
| 2.13 | No dividend may be declared or paid, and no other distribution (whether in cash or otherwise) of the Company’s assets (including any distribution of assets to members on a winding up) may be made to the Company in respect of a Treasury Share. |
| 2.14 | The Company shall be entered in the Register as the holder of the Treasury Shares. However: |
| (a) | the Company shall not be treated as a member for any purpose and shall not exercise any right in respect of the Treasury Shares, and any purported exercise of such a right shall be void; |
| 6 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| (b) | a Treasury Share shall not be voted, directly or indirectly, at any meeting of the Company and shall not be counted in determining the total number of issued shares at any given time, whether for the purposes of these Articles or the Act. |
| 2.15 | Nothing in the preceding Article prevents an allotment of Shares as fully paid bonus shares in respect of a Treasury Share and Shares allotted as fully paid bonus shares in respect of a Treasury Share shall be treated as Treasury Shares. |
| 2.16 | Treasury Shares may be disposed of by the Company in accordance with the Act and otherwise on such terms and conditions as the directors determine. |
| 3 | Share certificates |
Issue of share certificates
| 3.1 | Upon being entered in the register of members as the holder of a Share, a Member shall be entitled: |
| (a) | without payment, to one certificate for all the Shares of each class held by that Member (and, upon transferring a part of the Member’s holding of Shares of any class, to a certificate for the balance of that holding); and |
| (b) | upon payment of such reasonable sum as the directors may determine for every certificate after the first, to several certificates each for one or more of that Member’s Shares. |
| 3.2 | Every certificate shall specify the number, class and distinguishing numbers (if any) of the Shares to which it relates and whether they are Fully Paid or partly paid up. A certificate may be executed under seal or executed in such other manner as the directors determine. |
| 3.3 | The Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate for Shares held jointly by several persons and delivery of a certificate for a Share to one joint holder shall be a sufficient delivery to all of them. |
Renewal of lost or damaged share certificates
| 3.4 | If a share certificate is defaced, worn-out, lost or destroyed, it may be renewed on such terms (if any) as to: |
| (a) | evidence; |
| (b) | indemnity; |
| (c) | payment of the expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in investigating the evidence; and |
| 7 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| (d) | payment of a reasonable fee, if any, for issuing a replacement share certificate |
as the directors may determine, and (in the case of defacement or wearing-out) on delivery to the Company of the old certificate.
| 4 | Lien on Shares |
Nature and scope of lien
| 4.1 | The Company has a first and paramount lien on all Shares (whether Fully Paid or not) registered in the name of a Member (whether solely or jointly with others). The lien is for all moneys payable to the Company by the Member or the Member’s estate: |
| (a) | either alone or jointly with any other person, whether or not that other person is a Member; and |
| (b) | whether or not those moneys are presently payable. |
| 4.2 | At any time the directors may declare any Share to be wholly or partly exempt from the provisions of this Article. |
Company may sell Shares to satisfy lien
| 4.3 | The Company may sell any Shares over which it has a lien if all of the following conditions are met: |
| (a) | the sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable; |
| (b) | the Company gives notice to the Member holding the Share (or to the person entitled to it in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of that Member) demanding payment and stating that if the notice is not complied with the Shares may be sold; and |
| (c) | that sum is not paid within 14 Clear Days after that notice is deemed to be given under these Articles. |
| 4.4 | The Shares may be sold in such manner as the directors determine. |
| 4.5 | To the maximum extent permitted by law, the directors shall incur no personal liability to the Member concerned in respect of the sale. |
Authority to execute instrument of transfer
| 4.6 | To give effect to a 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 title of the transferee of the Shares shall not be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in respect of the sale. |
| 8 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Consequences of sale of Shares to satisfy lien
| 4.7 | On sale pursuant to the preceding Articles: |
| (a) | the name of the Member concerned shall be removed from the register of members as the holder of those Shares; and |
| (b) | that person shall deliver to the Company for cancellation the certificate for those Shares. |
Despite this, that person shall remain liable to the Company for all monies which, at the date of sale, were presently payable by him to the Company in respect of those Shares. That person shall also be liable to pay interest on those monies from the date of sale until payment at the rate at which interest was payable before that sale or, failing that, at the Default Rate. The directors may waive payment wholly or in part or enforce payment without any allowance for the value of the Shares at the time of sale or for any consideration received on their disposal.
Application of proceeds of sale
| 4.8 | The net proceeds of the sale, after payment of the costs, shall be applied in payment of so much of the sum for which the lien exists as is presently payable. Any residue shall be paid to the person whose Shares have been sold: |
| (a) | if no certificate for the Shares was issued, at the date of the sale; or |
| (b) | if a certificate for the Shares was issued, upon surrender to the Company of that certificate for cancellation |
but, in either case, subject to the Company retaining a like lien for all sums not presently payable as existed on the Shares before the sale.
| 5 | Calls on Shares and forfeiture |
Power to make calls and effect of calls
| 5.1 | Subject to the terms of allotment, the directors may make calls on the Members in respect of any moneys unpaid on their Shares including any premium. The call may provide for payment to be by instalments. Subject to receiving at least 14 Clear Days’ notice specifying when and where payment is to be made, each Member shall pay to the Company the amount called on his Shares as required by the notice. |
| 9 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 5.2 | Before receipt by the Company of any sum due under a call, that call may be revoked in whole or in part and payment of a call may be postponed in whole or in part. Where a call is to be paid in instalments, the Company may revoke the call in respect of all or any remaining instalments in whole or in part and may postpone payment of all or any of the remaining instalments in whole or in part. |
| 5.3 | A Member on whom a call is made shall remain liable for that call notwithstanding the subsequent transfer of the Shares in respect of which the call was made. He shall not be liable for calls made after he is no longer registered as Member in respect of those Shares. |
Time when call made
| 5.4 | A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the directors authorising the call was passed. |
Liability of joint holders
| 5.5 | Members registered as the joint holders of a Share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect of the Share. |
Interest on unpaid calls
| 5.6 | If a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable the person from whom it is due and payable shall pay interest on the amount unpaid from the day it became due and payable until it is paid: |
| (a) | at the rate fixed by the terms of allotment of the Share or in the notice of the call; or |
| (b) | if no rate is fixed, at the Default Rate. |
The directors may waive payment of the interest wholly or in part.
Deemed calls
| 5.7 | Any amount payable in respect of a Share, whether on allotment or on a fixed date or otherwise, shall be deemed to be payable as a call. If the amount is not paid when due the provisions of these Articles shall apply as if the amount had become due and payable by virtue of a call. |
Power to accept early payment
| 5.8 | The Company may accept from a Member the whole or a part of the amount remaining unpaid on Shares held by him although no part of that amount has been called up. |
| 10 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Power to make different arrangements at time of issue of Shares
| 5.9 | Subject to the terms of allotment, the directors may make arrangements on the issue of Shares to distinguish between Members in the amounts and times of payment of calls on their Shares. |
Notice of default
| 5.10 | If a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable the directors may give to the person from whom it is due not less than 14 Clear Days’ notice requiring payment of: |
| (a) | the amount unpaid; |
| (b) | any interest which may have accrued; |
| (c) | any expenses which have been incurred by the Company due to that person’s default. |
| 5.11 | The notice shall state the following: |
| (a) | the place where payment is to be made; and |
| (b) | a warning that if the notice is not complied with the Shares in respect of which the call is made will be liable to be forfeited. |
Forfeiture or surrender of Shares
| 5.12 | If the notice under the preceding Article is not complied with, the directors may, before the payment required by the notice has been received, resolve that any Share the subject of that notice be forfeited. The forfeiture shall include all dividends or other moneys payable in respect of the forfeited Share and not paid before the forfeiture. Despite the foregoing, the directors may determine that any Share the subject of that notice be accepted by the Company as surrendered by the Member holding that Share in lieu of forfeiture. |
Disposal of forfeited or surrendered Share and power to cancel forfeiture or surrender
| 5.13 | A forfeited or surrendered Share may be sold, re-allotted or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the directors determine either to the former Member who held that Share or to any other person. The forfeiture or surrender may be cancelled on such terms as the directors think fit at any time before a sale, re-allotment or other disposition. Where, for the purposes of its disposal, a forfeited or surrendered Share is to be transferred to any person, the directors may authorise some person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Share to the transferee. |
| 11 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Effect of forfeiture or surrender on former Member
| 5.14 | On forfeiture or surrender: |
| (a) | the name of the Member concerned shall be removed from the register of members as the holder of those Shares and that person shall cease to be a Member in respect of those Shares; and |
| (b) | that person shall surrender to the Company for cancellation the certificate (if any) for the forfeited or surrendered Shares. |
| 5.15 | Despite the forfeiture or surrender of his Shares, that person shall remain liable to the Company for all moneys which at the date of forfeiture or surrender were presently payable by him to the Company in respect of those Shares together with: |
| (a) | all expenses; and |
| (b) | interest from the date of forfeiture or surrender until payment: |
| (i) | at the rate of which interest was payable on those moneys before forfeiture; or |
| (ii) | if no interest was so payable, at the Default Rate. |
The directors, however, may waive payment wholly or in part.
Evidence of forfeiture or surrender
| 5.16 | A declaration, whether statutory or under oath, made by a director or the Secretary shall be conclusive evidence of the following matters stated in it as against all persons claiming to be entitled to forfeited Shares: |
| (a) | that the person making the declaration is a director or Secretary of the Company, and |
| (b) | that the particular Shares have been forfeited or surrendered on a particular date. |
Subject to the execution of an instrument of transfer, if necessary, the declaration shall constitute good title to the Shares.
Sale of forfeited or surrendered Shares
| 5.17 | Any person to whom the forfeited or surrendered Shares are disposed of shall not be bound to see to the application of the consideration, if any, of those Shares nor shall his title to the Shares be affected by any irregularity in, or invalidity of the proceedings in respect of, the forfeiture, surrender or disposal of those Shares. |
| 12 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 6 | Transfer of Shares |
Form of transfer
| 6.1 | Subject to the following Articles about the transfer of Shares, a Member may transfer Shares to another person by completing an instrument of transfer, in a common form or in a form approved by the directors, executed: |
| (a) | where the Shares are Fully Paid, by or on behalf of that Member; and |
| (b) | where the Shares are partly paid, by or on behalf of that Member and the transferee. |
Power to refuse registration
| 6.2 | The directors may refuse to register the transfer of a Share to any person. They may do so in their absolute discretion, without giving any reason for their refusal, and irrespective of whether the Share is Fully Paid or the Company has no lien over it. |
Notice of refusal to register
| 6.3 | If the directors refuse to register a transfer of a Share, they must send notice of their refusal to the existing Member within two months after the date on which the transfer was lodged with the Company. |
Power to suspend registration
| 6.4 | The directors may suspend registration of the transfer of Shares at such times and for such periods, not exceeding 30 days in any calendar year, as they determine. |
Fee, if any, payable for registration
| 6.5 | If the directors so decide, the Company may charge a reasonable fee for the registration of any instrument of transfer or other document relating to the title to a Share. |
Company may retain instrument of transfer
| 6.6 | The Company shall be entitled to retain any instrument of transfer which is registered; but an instrument of transfer which the directors refuse to register shall be returned to the person lodging it when notice of the refusal is given. |
| 7 | Transmission of Shares |
Persons entitled on death of a Member
| 7.1 | If a Member dies, the only persons recognised by the Company as having any title to the deceased Members’ interest are the following: |
| (a) | where the deceased Member was a joint holder, the survivor or survivors; and |
| 13 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| (b) | where the deceased Member was a sole holder, that Member’s personal representative or representatives. |
| 7.2 | Nothing in these Articles shall release the deceased Member’s estate from any liability in respect of any Share, whether the deceased was a sole holder or a joint holder. |
Registration of transfer of a Share following death or bankruptcy
| 7.3 | A person becoming entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member may elect to do either of the following: |
| (a) | to become the holder of the Share; or |
| (b) | to transfer the Share to another person. |
| 7.4 | That person must produce such evidence of his entitlement as the directors may properly require. |
| 7.5 | If the person elects to become the holder of the Share, he must give notice to the Company to that effect. For the purposes of these Articles, that notice shall be treated as though it were an executed instrument of transfer. |
| 7.6 | If the person elects to transfer the Share to another person then: |
| (a) | if the Share is Fully Paid, the transferor must execute an instrument of transfer; and |
| (b) | if the Share is partly paid, the transferor and the transferee must execute an instrument of transfer. |
| 7.7 | All the Articles relating to the transfer of Shares shall apply to the notice or, as appropriate, the instrument of transfer. |
Indemnity
| 7.8 | A person registered as a Member by reason of the death or bankruptcy of another Member shall indemnify the Company and the directors against any loss or damage suffered by the Company or the directors as a result of that registration. |
Rights of person entitled to a Share following death or bankruptcy
| 7.9 | A person becoming entitled to a Share by reason of the death or bankruptcy of a Member shall have the rights to which he would be entitled if he were registered as the holder of the Share. But, until he is registered as Member in respect of the Share, he shall not be entitled to attend or vote at any meeting of the Company or at any separate meeting of the holders of that class of Shares in the Company. |
| 14 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 8 | Alteration of capital |
Increasing, consolidating, converting, dividing and cancelling share capital
| 8.1 | To the fullest extent permitted by the Act, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution do any of the following and amend its Memorandum for that purpose: |
| (a) | increase its share capital by new Shares of the amount fixed by that Ordinary Resolution and with the attached rights, priorities and privileges set out in that Ordinary Resolution; |
| (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) | sub-divide its Shares or any of them into Shares of an amount smaller than that fixed by the Memorandum, so, however, that in the sub-division, the proportion between the amount paid and the amount, if any, unpaid on each reduced Share shall be the same as it was in case of the Share from which the reduced Share is derived; and |
| (e) | cancel Shares which, at the date of the passing of that 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 or, in the case of Shares without nominal par value, diminish the number of Shares into which its capital is divided. |
Dealing with fractions resulting from consolidation of Shares
| 8.2 | Whenever, as a result of a consolidation of Shares, any Members would become entitled to fractions of a Share the directors may on behalf of those Members: |
| (a) | sell the Shares representing the fractions for the best price reasonably obtainable to any person (including, subject to the provisions of the Act, the Company); and |
| (b) | distribute the net proceeds in due proportion among those Members. |
For that purpose, the directors may authorise some person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Shares to, or in accordance with the directions of, the purchaser. The transferee shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money nor shall the transferee’s title to the Shares be affected by any irregularity in, or invalidity of, the proceedings in respect of the sale.
| 15 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Reducing share capital
| 8.3 | Subject to the Act and to any rights for the time being conferred on the Members holding a particular class of Shares, the Company may, by Special Resolution, reduce its share capital in any way. |
| 9 | Redemption and purchase of own Shares |
Power to issue redeemable Shares and to purchase own Shares
| 9.1 | Subject to the Act, and to any rights for the time being conferred on the Members holding a particular class of Shares, the Company may by its directors: |
| (a) | issue Shares that are to be redeemed or liable to be redeemed, at the option of the Company or the Member holding those redeemable Shares, on the terms and in the manner its directors determine before the issue of those Shares; |
| (b) | with the consent by Special Resolution of the Members holding Shares of a particular class, vary the rights attaching to that class of Shares so as to provide that those Shares are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Company on the terms and in the manner which the directors determine at the time of such variation; and |
| (c) | purchase all or any of its own Shares of any class including any redeemable Shares on the terms and in the manner which the directors determine at the time of such purchase. |
The Company may make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own Shares in any manner authorised by the Act, including out of any combination of the following: capital, its profits and the proceeds of a fresh issue of Shares.
Repurchase of subscriber Share
| 9.2 | Unless the directors determine otherwise, as soon as the directors determine that it is lawful for the Company to do so, the Company shall purchase from the subscriber to the Memorandum the one Share agreed to be taken by such subscriber. Such Share shall be repurchased for cash at its par value and the Company may make a payment out of capital in respect of such purchase price. |
| 16 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Power to pay for redemption or purchase in cash or in specie
| 9.3 | When making a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of Shares, the directors may make the payment in cash or in specie (or partly in one and partly in the other) if so authorised by the terms of the allotment of those Shares, or by the terms applying to those Shares in accordance with Article 9.1, or otherwise by agreement with the Member holding those Shares. |
Effect of redemption or purchase of a Share
| 9.4 | Upon the date of redemption or purchase of a Share: |
| (a) | the Member holding that Share shall cease to be entitled to any rights in respect of the Share other than the right to receive: |
| (i) | the price for the Share; and |
| (ii) | any dividend declared in respect of the Share prior to the date of redemption or purchase; |
| (b) | the Member’s name shall be removed from the register of members with respect to the Share; and |
| (c) | the Share shall be cancelled or held as a Treasury Shares, as the directors may determine. |
For the purpose of this Article, the date of redemption or purchase is the date when the redemption or purchase falls due.
| 10 | Meetings of Members |
Power to call meetings
| 10.1 | The directors may call a general meeting at any time. |
| 10.2 | If there are insufficient directors to constitute a quorum and the remaining directors are unable to agree on the appointment of additional directors, the directors must call a general meeting for the purpose of appointing additional directors. |
| 10.3 | The directors must also call a general meeting if requisitioned in the manner set out in the next two Articles. |
| 10.4 | The requisition must be in writing and given by one or more Members who together hold at least 10% of the rights to vote at such general meeting. |
| 10.5 | The requisition must also: |
| (a) | specify the purpose of the meeting. |
| 17 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| (b) | be signed by or on behalf of each requisitioner (and for this purpose each joint holder shall be obliged to sign). The requisition may consist of several documents in like form signed by one or more of the requisitioners. |
| (c) | be delivered in accordance with the notice provisions. |
| 10.6 | Should the directors fail to call a general meeting within 21 Clear Days from the date of receipt of a requisition, the requisitioners or any of them may call a general meeting within three months after the end of that period. |
| 10.7 | Without limitation to the foregoing, if there are insufficient directors to constitute a quorum and the remaining directors are unable to agree on the appointment of additional directors, any one or more Members who together hold at least 10% of the rights to vote at a general meeting may call a general meeting for the purpose of considering the business specified in the notice of meeting which shall include as an item of business the appointment of additional directors. |
| 10.8 | If the Members call a meeting under the above provisions, the Company shall reimburse their reasonable expenses. |
Content of notice
| 10.9 | Notice of a general meeting shall specify each of the following: |
| (a) | the place, the date and the hour of the meeting; |
| (b) | if the meeting is to be held in two or more places, the technology that will be used to facilitate the meeting; |
| (c) | subject to paragraph (d), the general nature of the business to be transacted; and |
| (d) | if a resolution is proposed as a Special Resolution, the text of that resolution. |
| 10.10 | In each notice there shall appear with reasonable prominence the following statements: |
| (a) | that a Member who is entitled to attend and vote is entitled to appoint one or more proxies to attend and vote instead of that Member; and |
| (b) | that a proxyholder need not be a Member. |
Period of notice
| 10.11 | At least five Clear Days’ notice of a general meeting must be given to Members. But a meeting may be convened on shorter notice with the consent of the Member or Members who, individually or collectively, hold at least 90% of the voting rights of all those who have a right to vote at that meeting. |
| 18 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Persons entitled to receive notice
| 10.12 | Subject to the provisions of these Articles and to any restrictions imposed on any Shares, the notice shall be given to the following people: |
| (a) | the Members; |
| (b) | persons entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member; and |
| (c) | the directors. |
Publication of notice on a website
| 10.13 | Subject to the Act, a notice of a general meeting may be published on a website providing the recipient is given separate notice of: |
| (a) | the publication of the notice on the website; |
| (b) | the place on the website where the notice may be accessed; |
| (c) | how it may be accessed; and |
| (d) | the place, date and time of the general meeting. |
| 10.14 | If a Member notifies the Company that he is unable for any reason to access the website, the Company must as soon as practicable give notice of the meeting to that Member by any other means permitted by these Articles. But this will not affect when that Member is deemed to have received notice of the meeting. |
Time a website notice is deemed to be given
| 10.15 | A website notice is deemed to be given when the Member is given notice of its publication. |
Required duration of publication on a website
| 10.16 | Where the notice of meeting is published on a website, it shall continue to be published in the same place on that website from the date of the notification until the conclusion of the meeting to which the notice relates. |
Accidental omission to give notice or non-receipt of notice
| 10.17 | Proceedings at a meeting shall not be invalidated by the following: |
| (a) | an accidental failure to give notice of the meeting to any person entitled to notice; or |
| 19 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| (b) | non-receipt of notice of the meeting by any person entitled to notice. |
| 10.18 | In addition, where a notice of meeting is published on a website, proceedings at the meeting shall not be invalidated merely because it is accidentally published: |
| (a) | in a different place on the website; or |
| (b) | for part only of the period from the date of the notification until the conclusion of the meeting to which the notice relates. |
| 11 | Proceedings at meetings of Members |
Quorum
| 11.1 | Save as provided in the following Article, no business shall be transacted at any meeting unless a quorum is present in person or by proxy. A quorum is as follows: |
| (a) | if the Company has only one Member: that Member; |
| (b) | if the Company has more than one Member: two Members. |
Lack of quorum
| 11.2 | If a quorum is not present within 15 minutes of the time appointed for the meeting, or if at any time during the meeting it becomes inquorate, then the following provisions apply: |
| (a) | If the meeting was requisitioned by Members, it shall be cancelled. |
| (b) | In any other case, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same time and place seven days hence, or to such other time or place as is determined by the directors. If a quorum is not present within 15 minutes of the time appointed for the adjourned meeting, then the Members present in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum. |
Use of technology
| 11.3 | A person may participate in a general meeting through the medium of conference telephone, video or any other form of communications equipment providing all persons participating in the meeting are able to hear and speak to each other throughout the meeting. A person participating in this way is deemed to be present in person at the meeting. |
| 20 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Chairman
| 11.4 | The chairman of a general meeting shall be the chairman of the board or such other director as the directors have nominated to chair board meetings in the absence of the chairman of the board. Absent any such person being present within 15 minutes of the time appointed for the meeting, the directors present shall elect one of their number to chair the meeting. |
| 11.5 | If no director is present within 15 minutes of the time appointed for the meeting, or if no director is willing to act as chairman, the Members present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote shall choose one of their number to chair the meeting. |
Right of a director to attend and speak
| 11.6 | Even if a director is not a Member, he shall be entitled to attend and speak at any general meeting and at any separate meeting of Members holding a particular class of Shares in the Company. |
Adjournment
| 11.7 | The chairman may at any time adjourn a meeting with the consent of the Members constituting a quorum. The chairman must adjourn the meeting if so directed by the meeting. No business, however, can be transacted at an adjourned meeting other than business which might properly have been transacted at the original meeting. |
| 11.8 | Should a meeting be adjourned for more than seven Clear Days, whether because of a lack of quorum or otherwise, Members shall be given at least seven Clear Days’ notice of the date, time and place of the adjourned meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted. Otherwise it shall not be necessary to give any notice of the adjournment. |
Method of voting
| 11.9 | A resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless before, or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands, a poll is duly demanded. A poll may be demanded: |
| (a) | by the chairman; or |
| (b) | by any Member or Members present who, individually or collectively, hold at least 10% of the voting rights of all those who have a right to vote on the resolution. |
Outcome of vote by show of hands
| 11.10 | Unless a poll is duly demanded, a declaration by the chairman as to the result of a resolution and an entry to that effect in the minutes of the meeting shall be conclusive evidence of the outcome of a show of hands without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against the resolution. |
| 21 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Withdrawal of demand for a poll
| 11.11 | The demand for a poll may be withdrawn before the poll is taken, but only with the consent of the chairman. The chairman shall announce any such withdrawal to the meeting and, unless another person forthwith demands a poll, any earlier show of hands on that resolution shall be treated as the vote on that resolution; if there has been no earlier show of hands, then the resolution shall be put to the vote of the meeting. |
Taking of a poll
| 11.12 | A poll demanded on the question of adjournment shall be taken immediately. |
| 11.13 | A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken either immediately or at an adjourned meeting at such time and place as the chairman directs, not being more than 30 Clear Days after the poll was demanded. |
| 11.14 | The demand for a poll shall not prevent the meeting continuing to transact any business other than the question on which the poll was demanded. |
| 11.15 | A poll shall be taken in such manner as the chairman directs. He may appoint scrutineers (who need not be Members) and fix a place and time for declaring the result of the poll. If, through the aid of technology, the meeting is held in more than place, the chairman may appoint scrutineers in more than place; but if he considers that the poll cannot be effectively monitored at that meeting, the chairman shall adjourn the holding of the poll to a date, place and time when that can occur. |
Chairman’s casting vote
| 11.16 | If the votes on a resolution, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, are equal the chairman may if he wishes exercise a casting vote. |
Amendments to resolutions
| 11.17 | An Ordinary Resolution to be proposed at a general meeting may be amended by Ordinary Resolution if: |
| (a) | not less than 48 hours before the meeting is to take place (or such later time as the chairman of the meeting may determine), notice of the proposed amendment is given to the Company in writing by a Member entitled to vote at that meeting; and |
| (b) | the proposed amendment does not, in the reasonable opinion of the chairman of the meeting, materially alter the scope of the resolution. |
| 22 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 11.18 | A Special Resolution to be proposed at a general meeting may be amended by Ordinary Resolution, if: |
| (a) | the chairman of the meeting proposes the amendment at the general meeting at which the resolution is to be proposed, and |
| (b) | the amendment does not go beyond what the chairman considers is necessary to correct a grammatical or other non-substantive error in the resolution. |
| 11.19 | If the chairman of the meeting, acting in good faith, wrongly decides that an amendment to a resolution is out of order, the chairman’s error does not invalidate the vote on that resolution. |
Written resolutions
| 11.20 | Members may pass a resolution in writing without holding a meeting if the following conditions are met: |
| (a) | all Members entitled to vote are given notice of the resolution as if the same were being proposed at a meeting of Members; |
| (b) | all Members entitled so to vote : |
| (i) | sign a document; or |
| (ii) | sign several documents in the like form each signed by one or more of those Members; and |
| (c) | the signed document or documents is or are delivered to the Company, including, if the Company so nominates, by delivery of an Electronic Record by Electronic means to the address specified for that purpose. |
Such written resolution shall be as effective as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Members entitled to vote duly convened and held.
| 11.21 | If a written resolution is described as a Special Resolution or as an Ordinary Resolution, it has effect accordingly. |
| 11.22 | The directors may determine the manner in which written resolutions shall be put to Members. In particular, they may provide, in the form of any written resolution, for each Member to indicate, out of the number of votes the Member would have been entitled to cast at a meeting to consider the resolution, how many votes he wishes to cast in favour of the resolution and how many against the resolution or to be treated as abstentions. The result of any such written resolution shall be determined on the same basis as on a poll. |
| 23 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Sole-member company
| 11.23 | If the Company has only one Member, and the Member records in writing his decision on a question, that record shall constitute both the passing of a resolution and the minute of it. |
| 12 | Voting rights of Members |
Right to vote
| 12.1 | Unless their Shares carry no right to vote, or unless a call or other amount presently payable has not been paid, all Members are entitled to vote at a general meeting, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, and all Members holding Shares of a particular class of Shares are entitled to vote at a meeting of the holders of that class of Shares. |
| 12.2 | Members may vote in person or by proxy. |
| 12.3 | On a show of hands, every Member shall have one vote. For the avoidance of doubt, an individual who represents two or more Members, including a Member in that individual’s own right, that individual shall be entitled to a separate vote for each Member. |
| 12.4 | On a poll a Member shall have one vote for each Share he holds, unless any Share carries special voting rights. |
| 12.5 | A fraction of a Share shall entitle its holder to an equivalent fraction of one vote. |
| 12.6 | No Member is bound to vote on his Shares or any of them; nor is he bound to vote each of his Shares in the same way. |
Rights of joint holders
| 12.7 | If Shares are held jointly, only one of the joint holders may vote. If more than one of the joint holders tenders a vote, the vote of the holder whose name in respect of those Shares appears first in the register of members shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holder. |
Representation of corporate Members
| 12.8 | Save where otherwise provided, a corporate Member must act by a duly authorised representative. |
| 12.9 | A corporate Member wishing to act by a duly authorised representative must identify that person to the Company by notice in writing. |
| 12.10 | The authorisation may be for any period of time, and must be delivered to the Company not less than two hours before the commencement of the meeting at which it is first used. |
| 24 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 12.11 | The directors of the Company may require the production of any evidence which they consider necessary to determine the validity of the notice. |
| 12.12 | Where a duly authorised representative is present at a meeting that Member is deemed to be present in person; and the acts of the duly authorised representative are personal acts of that Member. |
| 12.13 | A corporate Member may revoke the appointment of a duly authorised representative at any time by notice to the Company; but such revocation will not affect the validity of any acts carried out by the duly authorised representative before the directors of the Company had actual notice of the revocation. |
Member with mental disorder
| 12.14 | A Member in respect of whom an order has been made by any court having jurisdiction (whether in the Islands or elsewhere) in matters concerning mental disorder may vote, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, by that Member’s receiver, curator bonis or other person authorised in that behalf appointed by that court. |
| 12.15 | For the purpose of the preceding Article, evidence to the satisfaction of the directors of the authority of the person claiming to exercise the right to vote must be received not less than 24 hours before holding the relevant meeting or the adjourned meeting in any manner specified for the delivery of forms of appointment of a proxy, whether in writing or by Electronic means. In default, the right to vote shall not be exercisable. |
Objections to admissibility of votes
| 12.16 | An objection to the validity of a person’s vote may only be raised at the meeting or at the adjourned meeting at which the vote is sought to be tendered. Any objection duly made shall be referred to the chairman whose decision shall be final and conclusive. |
Form of proxy
| 12.17 | An instrument appointing a proxy shall be in any common form or in any other form approved by the directors. |
| 12.18 | The instrument must be in writing and signed in one of the following ways: |
| (a) | by the Member; or |
| (b) | by the Member’s authorised attorney; or |
| (c) | if the Member is a corporation or other body corporate, under seal or signed by an authorised officer, secretary or attorney. |
If the directors so resolve, the Company may accept an Electronic Record of that instrument delivered in the manner specified below and otherwise satisfying the Articles about authentication of Electronic Records.
| 25 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 12.19 | The directors may require the production of any evidence which they consider necessary to determine the validity of any appointment of a proxy. |
| 12.20 | A Member may revoke the appointment of a proxy at any time by notice to the Company duly signed in accordance with the Article above about signing proxies; but such revocation will not affect the validity of any acts carried out by the proxy before the directors of the Company had actual notice of the revocation. |
How and when proxy is to be delivered
| 12.21 | Subject to the following Articles, the form of appointment of a proxy and any authority under which it is signed (or a copy of the authority certified notarially or in any other way approved by the directors) must be delivered so that it is received by the Company at any time before the time for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the form of appointment of proxy proposes to vote. They must be delivered in either of the following ways: |
| (a) | In the case of an instrument in writing, it must be left at or sent by post: |
| (i) | to the registered office of the Company; or |
| (ii) | to such other place within the Islands specified in the notice convening the meeting or in any form of appointment of proxy sent out by the Company in relation to the meeting. |
| (b) | If, pursuant to the notice provisions, a notice may be given to the Company in an Electronic Record, an Electronic Record of an appointment of a proxy must be sent to the address specified pursuant to those provisions unless another address for that purpose is specified: |
| (i) | in the notice convening the meeting; or |
| (ii) | in any form of appointment of a proxy sent out by the Company in relation to the meeting; or |
| (iii) | in any invitation to appoint a proxy issued by the Company in relation to the meeting. |
| 26 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 12.22 | Where a poll is taken: |
| (a) | if it is taken more than seven Clear Days after it is demanded, the form of appointment of a proxy and any accompanying authority (or an Electronic Record of the same) must be delivered as required under the preceding Article not less than 24 hours before the time appointed for the taking of the poll; |
| (b) | but if it to be taken within seven Clear Days after it was demanded, the form of appointment of a proxy and any accompanying authority (or an Electronic Record of the same) must be e delivered as required under the preceding Article not less than two hours before the time appointed for the taking of the poll. |
| 12.23 | If the form of appointment of proxy is not delivered on time, it is invalid. |
Voting by proxy
| 12.24 | A proxy shall have the same voting rights at a meeting or adjourned meeting as the Member would have had except to the extent that the instrument appointing him limits those rights. Notwithstanding the appointment of a proxy, a Member may attend and vote at a meeting or adjourned meeting. If a Member votes on any resolution a vote by his proxy on the same resolution, unless in respect of different Shares, shall be invalid. |
| 13 | Number of directors |
Unless otherwise determined by Ordinary Resolution, the minimum number of directors shall be one and the maximum number shall be ten. There shall be no directors, however, until the first director is or the first directors are appointed by the subscriber or subscribers to the Memorandum.
| 14 | Appointment, disqualification and removal of directors |
First directors
| 14.1 | The first directors shall be appointed in writing by the subscriber or subscribers to the Memorandum. |
No age limit
| 14.2 | There is no age limit for directors save that they must be aged at least 18 years. |
Corporate directors
| 14.3 | Unless prohibited by law, a body corporate may be a director. If a body corporate is a director, the Articles about representation of corporate Members at general meetings apply, mutatis mutandis, to the Articles about directors’ meetings. |
| 27 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

No shareholding qualification
| 14.4 | Unless a shareholding qualification for directors is fixed by Ordinary Resolution, no director shall be required to own Shares as a condition of his appointment. |
Appointment of directors
| 14.5 | A director may be appointed by Ordinary Resolution or by the directors. Any appointment may be to fill a vacancy or as an additional director. |
| 14.6 | Notwithstanding the other provisions of these Articles, in any case where, as a result of death, the Company has no directors and no shareholders, the personal representatives of the last shareholder to have died have the power, by notice in writing to the Company, to appoint a person to be a director. For the purpose of this Article: |
| (a) | where two or more shareholders die in circumstances rendering it uncertain who was the last to die, a younger shareholder is deemed to have survived an older shareholder; |
| (b) | if the last shareholder died leaving a will which disposes of that shareholder’s shares in the Company (whether by way of specific gift, as part of the residuary estate, or otherwise): |
| (i) | the expression personal representatives of the last shareholder means: |
| (A) | until a grant of probate in respect of that will has been obtained from the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, all of the executors named in that will who are living at the time the power of appointment under this Article is exercised; and |
| (B) | after such grant of probate has been obtained, only such of those executors who have proved that will; |
| (ii) | without derogating from section 3(1) of the Succession Act (Revised), the executors named in that will may exercise the power of appointment under this Article without first obtaining a grant of probate. |
| 14.7 | A remaining director may appoint a director even though there is not a quorum of directors. |
| 14.8 | No appointment can cause the number of directors to exceed the maximum; and any such appointment shall be invalid. |
Removal of directors
| 14.9 | A director may be removed by Ordinary Resolution. |
| 28 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Resignation of directors
| 14.10 | A director may at any time resign office by giving to the Company notice in writing or, if permitted pursuant to the notice provisions, in an Electronic Record delivered in either case in accordance with those provisions. |
| 14.11 | Unless the notice specifies a different date, the director shall be deemed to have resigned on the date that the notice is delivered to the Company. |
Termination of the office of director
| 14.12 | A director’s office shall be terminated forthwith if: |
| (a) | he is prohibited by the law of the Islands from acting as a director; or |
| (b) | he is made bankrupt or makes an arrangement or composition with his creditors generally; or |
| (c) | in the opinion of a registered medical practitioner by whom he is being treated he becomes physically or mentally incapable of acting as a director; or |
| (d) | he is made subject to any law relating to mental health or incompetence, whether by court order or otherwise; or |
| (e) | without the consent of the other directors, he is absent from meetings of directors for a continuous period of six months. |
| 15 | Alternate directors |
Appointment and removal
| 15.1 | Any director may appoint any other person, including another director, to act in his place as an alternate director. No appointment shall take effect until the director has given notice of the appointment to the other directors. Such notice must be given to each other director by either of the following methods: |
| (a) | by notice in writing in accordance with the notice provisions; |
| (b) | if the other director has an email address, by emailing to that address a scanned copy of the notice as a PDF attachment (the PDF version being deemed to be the notice unless Article 30.7 applies), in which event notice shall be taken to be given on the date of receipt by the recipient in readable form. For the avoidance of doubt, the same email may be sent to the email address of more than one director (and to the email address of the Company pursuant to Article 15.4(c)). |
| 29 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 15.2 | Without limitation to the preceding Article, a director may appoint an alternate for a particular meeting by sending an email to his fellow directors informing them that they are to take such email as notice of such appointment for such meeting. Such appointment shall be effective without the need for a signed notice of appointment or the giving of notice to the Company in accordance with Article 15.4. |
| 15.3 | A director may revoke his appointment of an alternate at any time. No revocation shall take effect until the director has given notice of the revocation to the other directors. Such notice must be given by either of the methods specified in Article 15.1. |
| 15.4 | A notice of appointment or removal of an alternate director must also be given to the Company by any of the following methods: |
| (a) | by notice in writing in accordance with the notice provisions; |
| (b) | if the Company has a facsimile address for the time being, by sending by facsimile transmission to that facsimile address a facsimile copy or, otherwise, by sending by facsimile transmission to the facsimile address of the Company’s registered office a facsimile copy (in either case, the facsimile copy being deemed to be the notice unless Article 30.7 applies), in which event notice shall be taken to be given on the date of an error-free transmission report from the sender’s fax machine; |
| (c) | if the Company has an email address for the time being, by emailing to that email address a scanned copy of the notice as a PDF attachment or, otherwise, by emailing to the email address provided by the Company’s registered office a scanned copy of the notice as a PDF attachment (in either case, the PDF version being deemed to be the notice unless Article 30.7 applies), in which event notice shall be taken to be given on the date of receipt by the Company or the Company’s registered office (as appropriate) in readable form; or |
| (d) | if permitted pursuant to the notice provisions, in some other form of approved Electronic Record delivered in accordance with those provisions in writing. |
Notices
| 15.5 | All notices of meetings of directors shall continue to be given to the appointing director and not to the alternate. |
Rights of alternate director
| 15.6 | An alternate director shall be entitled to attend and vote at any board meeting or meeting of a committee of the directors at which the appointing director is not personally present, and generally to perform all the functions of the appointing director in his absence. |
| 30 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 15.7 | For the avoidance of doubt: |
| (a) | if another director has been appointed an alternate director for one or more directors, he shall be entitled to a separate vote in his own right as a director and in right of each other director for whom he has been appointed an alternate; and |
| (b) | if a person other than a director has been appointed an alternate director for more than one director, he shall be entitled to a separate vote in right of each director for whom he has been appointed an alternate. |
| 15.8 | An alternate director, however, is not entitled to receive any remuneration from the Company for services rendered as an alternate director. |
Appointment ceases when the appointor ceases to be a director
| 15.9 | An alternate director shall cease to be an alternate director if the director who appointed him ceases to be a director. |
Status of alternate director
| 15.10 | An alternate director shall carry out all functions of the director who made the appointment. |
| 15.11 | Save where otherwise expressed, an alternate director shall be treated as a director under these Articles. |
| 15.12 | An alternate director is not the agent of the director appointing him. |
| 15.13 | An alternate director is not entitled to any remuneration for acting as alternate director. |
Status of the director making the appointment
| 15.14 | A director who has appointed an alternate is not thereby relieved from the duties which he owes the Company. |
| 16 | Powers of directors |
Powers of directors
| 16.1 | Subject to the provisions of the Act, the Memorandum and these Articles, the business of the Company shall be managed by the directors who may for that purpose exercise all the powers of the Company. |
| 16.2 | No prior act of the directors shall be invalidated by any subsequent alteration of the Memorandum or these Articles. However, to the extent allowed by the Act, Members may by Special Resolution validate any prior or future act of the directors which would otherwise be in breach of their duties. |
| 31 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Appointments to office
| 16.3 | The directors may appoint a director: |
| (a) | as chairman of the board of directors; |
| (b) | as managing director; |
| (c) | to any other executive office |
for such period and on such terms, including as to remuneration, as they think fit.
| 16.4 | The appointee must consent in writing to holding that office. |
| 16.5 | Where a chairman is appointed he shall, unless unable to do so, preside at every meeting of directors. |
| 16.6 | If there is no chairman, or if the chairman is unable to preside at a meeting, that meeting may select its own chairman; or the directors may nominate one of their number to act in place of the chairman should he ever not be available. |
| 16.7 | Subject to the provisions of the Act, the directors may also appoint any person, who need not be a director: |
| (a) | as Secretary; and |
| (b) | to any office that may be required |
for such period and on such terms, including as to remuneration, as they think fit. In the case of an Officer, that Officer may be given any title the directors decide.
| 16.8 | The Secretary or Officer must consent in writing to holding that office. |
| 16.9 | A director, Secretary or other Officer of the Company may not the hold the office, or perform the services, of auditor. |
Remuneration
| 16.10 | Every director may be remunerated by the Company for the services he provides for the benefit of the Company, whether as director, employee or otherwise, and shall be entitled to be paid for the expenses incurred in the Company’s business including attendance at directors’ meetings. |
| 16.11 | A director’s remuneration shall be fixed by the Company by Ordinary Resolution. Unless that resolution provides otherwise, the remuneration shall be deemed to accrue from day to day. |
| 32 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 16.12 | Remuneration may take any form and may include arrangements to pay pensions, health insurance, death or sickness benefits, whether to the director or to any other person connected to or related to him. |
| 16.13 | Unless his fellow directors determine otherwise, a director is not accountable to the Company for remuneration or other benefits received from any other company which is in the same group as the Company or which has common shareholdings. |
Disclosure of information
| 16.14 | The directors may release or disclose to a third party any information regarding the affairs of the Company, including any information contained in the register of members relating to a Member, (and they may authorise any director, Officer or other authorised agent of the Company to release or disclose to a third party any such information in his possession) if: |
| (a) | the Company or that person, as the case may be, is lawfully required to do so under the laws of any jurisdiction to which the Company is subject; or |
| (b) | such disclosure is in compliance with the rules of any stock exchange upon which the Company’s shares are listed; or |
| (c) | such disclosure is in accordance with any contract entered into by the Company; or |
| (d) | the directors are of the opinion such disclosure would assist or facilitate the Company’s operations. |
| 17 | Delegation of powers |
Power to delegate any of the directors’ powers to a committee
| 17.1 | The directors may delegate any of their powers to any committee consisting of one or more persons who need not be Members. Persons on the committee may include non-directors so long as the majority of those persons are directors. |
| 17.2 | The delegation may be collateral with, or to the exclusion of, the directors’ own powers. |
| 17.3 | The delegation may be on such terms as the directors think fit, including provision for the committee itself to delegate to a sub-committee; save that any delegation must be capable of being revoked or altered by the directors at will. |
| 17.4 | Unless otherwise permitted by the directors, a committee must follow the procedures prescribed for the taking of decisions by directors. |
| 33 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Power to appoint an agent of the Company
| 17.5 | The directors may appoint any person, either generally or in respect of any specific matter, to be the agent of the Company with or without authority for that person to delegate all or any of that person’s powers. The directors may make that appointment: |
| (a) | by causing the Company to enter into a power of attorney or agreement; or |
| (b) | in any other manner they determine. |
Power to appoint an attorney or authorised signatory of the Company
| 17.6 | The directors may appoint any person, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the directors, to be the attorney or the authorised signatory of the Company. The appointment may be: |
| (a) | for any purpose; |
| (b) | with the powers, authorities and discretions; |
| (c) | for the period; and |
| (d) | subject to such conditions |
as they think fit. The powers, authorities and discretions, however, must not exceed those vested in, or exercisable, by the directors under these Articles. The directors may do so by power of attorney or any other manner they think fit.
| 17.7 | Any power of attorney or other appointment may contain such provision for the protection and convenience for persons dealing with the attorney or authorised signatory as the directors think fit. Any power of attorney or other appointment may also authorise the attorney or authorised signatory to delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in that person. |
Power to appoint a proxy
| 17.8 | Any director may appoint any other person, including another director, to represent him at any meeting of the directors. If a director appoints a proxy, then for all purposes the presence or vote of the proxy shall be deemed to be that of the appointing director. |
| 17.9 | Articles 15.1 to 15.4 inclusive (relating to the appointment by directors of alternate directors) apply, mutatis mutandis, to the appointment of proxies by directors. |
| 17.10 | A proxy is an agent of the director appointing him and is not an officer of the Company. |
| 34 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 18 | Meetings of directors |
Regulation of directors’ meetings
| 18.1 | Subject to the provisions of these Articles, the directors may regulate their proceedings as they think fit. |
Calling meetings
| 18.2 | Any director may call a meeting of directors at any time. The Secretary, if any, must call a meeting of the directors if requested to do so by a director. |
Notice of meetings
| 18.3 | Every director shall be given notice of a meeting, although a director may waive retrospectively the requirement to be given notice. Notice may be oral. |
Period of notice
| 18.4 | At least five Clear Days’ notice of a meeting of directors must be given to directors. But a meeting may be convened on shorter notice with the consent of all directors. |
Use of technology
| 18.5 | A director may participate in a meeting of directors through the medium of conference telephone, video or any other form of communications equipment providing all persons participating in the meeting are able to hear and speak to each other throughout the meeting. |
| 18.6 | A director participating in this way is deemed to be present in person at the meeting. |
Place of meetings
| 18.7 | If all the directors participating in a meeting are not in the same place, they may decide that the meeting is to be treated as taking place wherever any of them is. |
Quorum
| 18.8 | The quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of directors shall be two unless the directors fix some other number or unless the Company has only one director. |
Voting
| 18.9 | A question which arises at a board meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes. If votes are equal the chairman may, if he wishes, exercise a casting vote. |
| 35 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Validity
| 18.10 | Anything done at a meeting of directors is unaffected by the fact that it is later discovered that any person was not properly appointed, or had ceased to be a director, or was otherwise not entitled to vote. |
Recording of dissent
| 18.11 | A director present at a meeting of directors shall be presumed to have assented to any action taken at that meeting unless: |
| (a) | his dissent is entered in the minutes of the meeting; or |
| (b) | he has filed with the meeting before it is concluded signed dissent from that action; or |
| (c) | he has forwarded to the Company as soon as practical following the conclusion of that meeting signed dissent. |
A director who votes in favour of an action is not entitled to record his dissent to it.
Written resolutions
| 18.12 | The directors may pass a resolution in writing without holding a meeting if all directors sign a document or sign several documents in the like form each signed by one or more of those directors. |
| 18.13 | Despite the foregoing, a resolution in writing signed by a validly appointed alternate director or by a validly appointed proxy need not also be signed by the appointing director. But if a written resolution is signed personally by the appointing director, it need not also be signed by his alternate or proxy. |
| 18.14 | Such written resolution shall be as effective as if it had been passed at a meeting of the directors duly convened and held; and it shall be treated as having been passed on the day and at the time that the last director signs. |
Sole director’s minute
| 18.15 | Where a sole director signs a minute recording his decision on a question, that record shall constitute the passing of a resolution in those terms. |
| 36 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 19 | Permissible directors’ interests and disclosure |
Permissible interests subject to disclosure
| 19.1 | Save as expressly permitted by these Articles or as set out below, a director may not have a direct or indirect interest or duty which conflicts or may possibly conflict with the interests of the Company. |
| 19.2 | If, notwithstanding the prohibition in the preceding Article, a director discloses to his fellow directors the nature and extent of any material interest or duty in accordance with the next Article, he may: |
| (a) | be a party to, or otherwise interested in, any transaction or arrangement with the Company or in which the Company is or may otherwise be interested; |
| (b) | be interested in another body corporate promoted by the Company or in which the Company is otherwise interested. In particular, the director may be a director, secretary or officer of, or employed by, or be a party to any transaction or arrangement with, or otherwise interested in, that other body corporate. |
| 19.3 | Such disclosure may be made at a meeting at a meeting of the board or otherwise (and, if otherwise, it must be made in writing). The director must disclose the nature and extent of his direct or indirect interest in or duty in relation to a transaction or arrangement or series of transactions or arrangements with the Company or in which the Company has any material interest. |
| 19.4 | If a director has made disclosure in accordance with the preceding Article, then he shall not, by reason only of his office, be accountable to the Company for any benefit that he derives from any such transaction or arrangement or from any such office or employment or from any interest in any such body corporate, and no such transaction or arrangement shall be liable to be avoided on the ground of any such interest or benefit. |
Notification of interests
| 19.5 | For the purposes of the preceding Articles: |
| (a) | a general notice that a director gives to the other directors that he is to be regarded as having an interest of the nature and extent specified in the notice in any transaction or arrangement in which a specified person or class of persons is interested shall be deemed to be a disclosure that he has an interest in or duty in relation to any such transaction of the nature and extent so specified; and |
| (b) | an interest of which a director has no knowledge and of which it is unreasonable to expect him to have knowledge shall not be treated as an interest of his. |
| 37 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 19.6 | A director shall not be treated as having an interest in a transaction or arrangement if he has no knowledge of that interest and it is unreasonable to expect the director to have that knowledge. |
Voting where a director is interested in a matter
| 19.7 | A director may vote at a meeting of directors on any resolution concerning a matter in which that director has an interest or duty, whether directly or indirectly, so long as that director discloses any material interest pursuant to these Articles. The director shall be counted towards a quorum of those present at the meeting. If the director votes on the resolution, his vote shall be counted. |
| 19.8 | Where proposals are under consideration concerning the appointment of two or more directors to offices or employment with the Company or any body corporate in which the Company is interested, the proposals may be divided and considered in relation to each director separately and each of the directors concerned shall be entitled to vote and be counted in the quorum in respect of each resolution except that concerning his or her own appointment. |
| 20 | Minutes |
The Company shall cause minutes to be made in books kept for the purpose in accordance with the Act.
| 21 | Accounts and audit Accounting and other records |
| 21.1 | The directors must ensure that proper accounting and other records are kept, and that accounts and associated reports are distributed in accordance with the requirements of the Act. |
No automatic right of inspection
| 21.2 | Members are only entitled to inspect the Company’s records if they are expressly entitled to do so by law, or by resolution made by the directors or passed by Ordinary Resolution. |
Sending of accounts and reports
| 21.3 | The Company’s accounts and associated directors’ report or auditor’s report that are required or permitted to be sent to any person pursuant to any law shall be treated as properly sent to that person if: |
| (a) | they are sent to that person in accordance with the notice provisions: or |
| 38 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| (b) | they are published on a website providing that person is given separate notice of: |
| (i) | the fact that publication of the documents has been published on the website; |
| (ii) | the address of the website; and |
| (iii) | the place on the website where the documents may be accessed; and |
| (iv) | how they may be accessed. |
| 21.4 | If, for any reason, a person notifies the Company that he is unable to access the website, the Company must, as soon as practicable, send the documents to that person by any other means permitted by these Articles. This, however, will not affect when that person is taken to have received the documents under the next Article. |
Time of receipt if documents are published on a website
| 21.5 | Documents sent by being published on a website in accordance with the preceding two Articles are only treated as sent at least five Clear Days before the date of the meeting at which they are to be laid if: |
| (a) | the documents are published on the website throughout a period beginning at least five Clear Days before the date of the meeting and ending with the conclusion of the meeting; and |
| (b) | the person is given at least five Clear Days’ notice of the hearing. |
Validity despite accidental error in publication on website
| 21.6 | If, for the purpose of a meeting, documents are sent by being published on a website in accordance with the preceding Articles, the proceedings at that meeting are not invalidated merely because: |
| (a) | those documents are, by accident, published in a different place on the website to the place notified; or |
| (b) | they are published for part only of the period from the date of notification until the conclusion of that meeting. |
When accounts are to be audited
| 21.7 | Unless the directors or the Members, by Ordinary Resolution, so resolve or unless the Act so requires, the Company’s accounts will not be audited. If the Members so resolve, the Company’s accounts shall be audited in the manner determined by Ordinary Resolution. Alternatively, if the directors so resolve, they shall be audited in the manner they determine. |
| 39 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 22 | Financial year |
Unless the directors otherwise specify, the financial year of the Company:
| (a) | shall end on 31 December in the year of its incorporation and each following year; and |
| (b) | shall begin when it was incorporated and on 1st January each following year. |
| 23 | Record dates |
Except to the extent of any conflicting rights attached to Shares, the directors may fix any time and date as the record date for declaring or paying a dividend or making or issuing an allotment of Shares. The record date may be before or after the date on which a dividend, allotment or issue is declared, paid or made.
| 24 | Dividends |
Declaration of dividends by Members
| 24.1 | Subject to the provisions of the Act, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution declare dividends in accordance with the respective rights of the Members but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the directors. |
Payment of interim dividends and declaration of final dividends by directors
| 24.2 | The directors may pay interim dividends or declare final dividends in accordance with the respective rights of the Members if it appears to them that they are justified by the financial position of the Company and that such dividends may lawfully be paid. |
| 24.3 | Subject to the provisions of the Act, in relation to the distinction between interim dividends and final dividends, the following applies: |
| (a) | Upon determination to pay a dividend or dividends described as interim by the directors in the dividend resolution, no debt shall be created by the declaration until such time as payment is made. |
| (b) | Upon declaration of a dividend or dividends described as final by the directors in the dividend resolution, a debt shall be created immediately following the declaration, the due date to be the date the dividend is stated to be payable in the resolution. |
If the resolution fails to specify whether a dividend is final or interim, it shall be assumed to be interim.
| 40 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 24.4 | In relation to Shares carrying differing rights to dividends or rights to dividends at a fixed rate, the following applies: |
| (a) | If the share capital is divided into different classes, the directors may pay dividends on Shares which confer deferred or non-preferred rights with regard to dividends as well as on Shares which confer preferential rights with regard to dividends but no dividend shall be paid on Shares carrying deferred or non-preferred rights if, at the time of payment, any preferential dividend is in arrears. |
| (b) | The directors may also pay, at intervals settled by them, any dividend payable at a fixed rate if it appears to them that there are sufficient funds of the Company lawfully available for distribution to justify the payment. |
| (c) | If the directors act in good faith, they shall not incur any liability to the Members holding Shares conferring preferred rights for any loss those Members may suffer by the lawful payment of the dividend on any Shares having deferred or non- preferred rights. |
Apportionment of dividends
| 24.5 | Except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to Shares, all dividends shall be declared and paid according to the amounts paid up on the Shares on which the dividend is paid. All dividends shall be apportioned and paid proportionately to the amount paid up on the Shares during the time or part of the time in respect of which the dividend is paid. But if a Share is issued on terms providing that it shall rank for dividend as from a particular date, that Share shall rank for dividend accordingly. |
Right of set off
| 24.6 | The directors may deduct from a dividend or any other amount payable to a person in respect of a Share any amount due by that person to the Company on a call or otherwise in relation to a Share. |
Power to pay other than in cash
| 24.7 | If the directors so determine, any resolution declaring a dividend may direct that it shall be satisfied wholly or partly by the distribution of assets. If a difficulty arises in relation to the distribution, the directors may settle that difficulty in any way they consider appropriate. For example, they may do any one or more of the following: |
| (a) | issue fractional Shares; |
| (b) | fix the value of assets for distribution and make cash payments to some Members on the footing of the value so fixed in order to adjust the rights of Members; and |
| (c) | vest some assets in trustees. |
| 41 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

How payments may be made
| 24.8 | A dividend or other monies payable on or in respect of a Share may be paid in any of the following ways: |
| (a) | if the Member holding that Share or other person entitled to that Share nominates a bank account for that purpose - by wire transfer to that bank account; or |
| (b) | by cheque or warrant sent by post to the registered address of the Member holding that Share or other person entitled to that Share. |
| 24.9 | For the purpose of paragraph (a) of the preceding Article, the nomination may be in writing or in an Electronic Record and the bank account nominated may be the bank account of another person. For the purpose of paragraph (b) of the preceding Article, subject to any applicable law or regulation, the cheque or warrant shall be made to the order of the Member holding that Share or other person entitled to the Share or to his nominee, whether nominated in writing or in an Electronic Record, and payment of the cheque or warrant shall be a good discharge to the Company. |
| 24.10 | If two or more persons are registered as the holders of the Share or are jointly entitled to it by reason of the death or bankruptcy of the registered holder (Joint Holders), a dividend (or other amount) payable on or in respect of that Share may be paid as follows: |
| (a) | to the registered address of the Joint Holder of the Share who is named first on the register of members or to the registered address of the deceased or bankrupt holder, as the case may be; or |
| (b) | to the address or bank account of another person nominated by the Joint Holders, whether that nomination is in writing or in an Electronic Record. |
| 24.11 | Any Joint Holder of a Share may give a valid receipt for a dividend (or other amount) payable in respect of that Share. |
Dividends or other moneys not to bear interest in absence of special rights
| 24.12 | Unless provided for by the rights attached to a Share, no dividend or other monies payable by the Company in respect of a Share shall bear interest. |
Dividends unable to be paid or unclaimed
| 24.13 | If a dividend cannot be paid to a Member or remains unclaimed within six weeks after it was declared or both, the directors may pay it into a separate account in the Company’s name. |
| 42 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

If a dividend is paid into a separate account, the Company shall not be constituted trustee in respect of that account and the dividend shall remain a debt due to the Member.
| 24.14 | A dividend that remains unclaimed for a period of six years after it became due for payment shall be forfeited to, and shall cease to remain owing by, the Company. |
| 25 | Capitalisation of profits |
Capitalisation of profits or of any share premium account or capital redemption reserve
| 25.1 | The directors may resolve to capitalise: |
| (a) | any part of the Company’s profits not required for paying any preferential dividend (whether or not those profits are available for distribution); or |
| (b) | any sum standing to the credit of the Company’s share premium account or capital redemption reserve, if any. |
The amount resolved to be capitalised must be appropriated to the Members who would have been entitled to it had it been distributed by way of dividend and in the same proportions. The benefit to each Member so entitled must be given in either or both of the following ways:
| (a) | by paying up the amounts unpaid on that Member’s Shares; |
| (b) | by issuing Fully Paid Shares, debentures or other securities of the Company to that Member or as that Member directs. The directors may resolve that any Shares issued to the Member in respect of partly paid Shares (Original Shares) rank for dividend only to the extent that the Original Shares rank for dividend while those Original Shares remain partly paid. |
Applying an amount for the benefit of members
| 25.2 | The amount capitalised must be applied to the benefit of Members in the proportions to which the Members would have been entitled to dividends if the amount capitalised had been distributed as a dividend. |
| 25.3 | Subject to the Act, if a fraction of a Share, a debenture, or other security is allocated to a Member, the directors may issue a fractional certificate to that Member or pay him the cash equivalent of the fraction. |
| 43 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 26 | Share premium account |
Directors to maintain share premium account
| 26.1 | The directors shall establish a share premium account in accordance with the Act. They shall carry to the credit of that account from time to time an amount equal to the amount or value of the premium paid on the issue of any Share or capital contributed or such other amounts required by the Act. |
Debits to share premium account
| 26.2 | The following amounts shall be debited to any share premium account: |
| (a) | on the redemption or purchase of a Share, the difference between the nominal value of that Share and the redemption or purchase price; and |
| (b) | any other amount paid out of a share premium account as permitted by the Act. |
| 26.3 | Notwithstanding the preceding Article, on the redemption or purchase of a Share, the directors may pay the difference between the nominal value of that Share and the redemption purchase price out of the profits of the Company or, as permitted by the Act, out of capital. |
| 27 | Seal Company seal |
| 27.1 | The Company may have a seal if the directors so determine. |
Duplicate seal
| 27.2 | Subject to the provisions of the Act, the Company may also have a duplicate seal or seals for use in any place or places outside the Islands. Each duplicate seal shall be a facsimile of the original seal of the Company. However, if the directors so determine, a duplicate seal shall have added on its face the name of the place where it is to be used. |
When and how seal is to be used
| 27.3 | A seal may only be used by the authority of the directors. Unless the directors otherwise determine, a document to which a seal is affixed must be signed in one of the following ways: |
| (a) | by a director (or his alternate) and the Secretary; or |
| (b) | by a single director (or his alternate). |
| 44 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

If no seal is adopted or used
| 27.4 | If the directors do not adopt a seal, or a seal is not used, a document may be executed in the following manner: |
| (a) | by a director (or his alternate) and the Secretary; or |
| (b) | by a single director (or his alternate); or |
| (c) | in any other manner permitted by the Act. |
Power to allow non-manual signatures and facsimile printing of seal
| 27.5 | The directors may determine that either or both of the following applies: |
| (a) | that the seal or a duplicate seal need not be affixed manually but may be affixed by some other method or system of reproduction; |
| (b) | that a signature required by these Articles need not be manual but may be a mechanical or Electronic Signature. |
Validity of execution
| 27.6 | If a document is duly executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Company, it shall not be regarded as invalid merely because, at the date of the delivery, the Secretary, or the director, or other Officer or person who signed the document or affixed the seal for and on behalf of the Company ceased to be the Secretary or hold that office and authority on behalf of the Company. |
| 28 | Indemnity |
Indemnity
| 28.1 | To the extent permitted by law, the Company shall indemnify each existing or former Secretary, director (including alternate director), and other Officer of the Company (including an investment adviser or an administrator or liquidator) and their personal representatives against: |
| (a) | all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by the existing or former Secretary or Officer in or about the conduct of the Company’s business or affairs or in the execution or discharge of the existing or former Secretary’s or Officer’s duties, powers, authorities or discretions; and |
| (b) | without limitation to paragraph (a), all costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by the existing or former Secretary or Officer in defending (whether successfully or otherwise) any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative proceedings (whether threatened, pending or completed) concerning the Company or its affairs in any court or tribunal, whether in the Islands or elsewhere. |
No such existing or former Secretary or Officer, however, shall be indemnified in respect of any matter arising out of his own dishonesty.
| 45 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 28.2 | To the extent permitted by law, the Company may make a payment, or agree to make a payment, whether by way of advance, loan or otherwise, for any legal costs incurred by an existing or former Secretary or Officer of the Company in respect of any matter identified in paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of the preceding Article on condition that the Secretary or Officer must repay the amount paid by the Company to the extent that it is ultimately found not liable to indemnify the Secretary or that Officer for those legal costs. |
Release
| 28.3 | To the extent permitted by law, the Company may by Special Resolution release any existing or former director (including alternate director), Secretary or other Officer of the Company from liability for any loss or damage or right to compensation which may arise out of or in connection with the execution or discharge of the duties, powers, authorities or discretions of his office; but there may be no release from liability arising out of or in connection with that person’s own dishonesty. |
Insurance
| 28.4 | To the extent permitted by law, the Company may pay, or agree to pay, a premium in respect of a contract insuring each of the following persons against risks determined by the directors, other than liability arising out of that person’s own dishonesty: |
| (a) | an existing or former director (including alternate director), Secretary or Officer or auditor of: |
| (i) | the Company; |
| (ii) | a company which is or was a subsidiary of the Company; |
| (iii) | a company in which the Company has or had an interest (whether direct or indirect); and |
| (b) | a trustee of an employee or retirement benefits scheme or other trust in which any of the persons referred to in paragraph (a) is or was interested. |
| 46 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 29 | Notices |
Form of notices
| 29.1 | Save where these Articles provide otherwise, any notice to be given to or by any person pursuant to these Articles shall be: |
| (a) | in writing signed by or on behalf of the giver in the manner set out below for written notices; or |
| (b) | subject to the next Article, in an Electronic Record signed by or on behalf of the giver by Electronic Signature and authenticated in accordance with Articles about authentication of Electronic Records; or |
| (c) | where these Articles expressly permit, by the Company by means of a website. |
Electronic communications
| 29.2 | Without limitation to Articles 15.1 to 15.4 inclusive (relating to the appointment and removal by directors of alternate directors) and to Articles 17.8 to 17.10 inclusive (relating to the appointment by directors of proxies), a notice may only be given to the Company in an Electronic Record if: |
| (a) | the directors so resolve; |
| (b) | the resolution states how an Electronic Record may be given and, if applicable, specifies an email address for the Company; and |
| (c) | the terms of that resolution are notified to the Members for the time being and, if applicable, to those directors who were absent from the meeting at which the resolution was passed. |
If the resolution is revoked or varied, the revocation or variation shall only become effective when its terms have been similarly notified.
| 29.3 | A notice may not be given by Electronic Record to a person other than the Company unless the recipient has notified the giver of an Electronic address to which notice may be sent. |
Persons authorised to give notices
| 29.4 | A notice by either the Company or a Member pursuant to these Articles may be given on behalf of the Company or a Member by a director or company secretary of the Company or a Member. |
| 47 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Delivery of written notices
| 29.5 | Save where these Articles provide otherwise, a notice in writing may be given personally to the recipient, or left at (as appropriate) the Member’s or director’s registered address or the Company’s registered office, or posted to that registered address or registered office. |
Joint holders
| 29.6 | Where Members are joint holders of a Share, all notices shall be given to the Member whose name first appears in the register of members. |
Signatures
| 29.7 | A written notice shall be signed when it is autographed by or on behalf of the giver, or is marked in such a way as to indicate its execution or adoption by the giver. |
| 29.8 | An Electronic Record may be signed by an Electronic Signature. |
Evidence of transmission
| 29.9 | A notice given by Electronic Record shall be deemed sent if an Electronic Record is kept demonstrating the time, date and content of the transmission, and if no notification of failure to transmit is received by the giver. |
| 29.10 | A notice given in writing shall be deemed sent if the giver can provide proof that the envelope containing the notice was properly addressed, pre-paid and posted, or that the written notice was otherwise properly transmitted to the recipient. |
Giving notice to a deceased or bankrupt Member
| 29.11 | A notice may be given by the Company to the persons entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member by sending or delivering it, in any manner authorised by these Articles for the giving of notice to a Member, 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, if any, supplied for that purpose by the persons claiming to be so entitled. |
| 29.12 | Until such an address has been supplied, a notice may be given in any manner in which it might have been given if the death or bankruptcy had not occurred. |
Date of giving notices
| 29.13 | A notice is given on the date identified in the following table. |
| 48 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

|
Method for giving notices |
When taken to be given |
| Personally | At the time and date of delivery |
| By leaving it at the member’s registered address | At the time and date it was left |
| If the recipient has an address within the Islands, by posting it by prepaid post to the street or postal address of that recipient | 48 hours after it was posted |
| If the recipient has an address outside the Islands, by posting it by prepaid airmail to the street or postal address of that recipient | 7 Clear Days after posting |
| By Electronic Record (other than publication on a website), to recipient’s Electronic address | Within 24 hours after it was sent |
| By publication on a website | See the Articles about the time when notice of a meeting of Members or accounts and reports, as the case may be, are published on a website |
Saving provision
| 29.14 | None of the preceding notice provisions shall derogate from the Articles about the delivery of written resolutions of directors and written resolutions of Members. |
| 30 | Authentication of Electronic Records |
Application of Articles
| 30.1 | Without limitation to any other provision of these Articles, any notice, written resolution or other document under these Articles that is sent by Electronic means by a Member, or by the Secretary, or by a director or other Officer of the Company, shall be deemed to be authentic if either Article 30.2 or Article 30.4 applies. |
| 49 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Authentication of documents sent by Members by Electronic means
| 30.2 | An Electronic Record of a notice, written resolution or other document sent by Electronic means by or on behalf of one or more Members shall be deemed to be authentic if the following conditions are satisfied: |
| (a) | the Member or each Member, as the case may be, signed the original document, and for this purpose Original Document includes several documents in like form signed by one or more of those Members; and |
| (b) | the Electronic Record of the Original Document was sent by Electronic means by, or at the direction of, that Member to an address specified in accordance with these Articles for the purpose for which it was sent; and |
| (c) | Article 30.7 does not apply. |
| 30.3 | For example, where a sole Member signs a resolution and sends the Electronic Record of the original resolution, or causes it to be sent, by facsimile transmission to the address in these Articles specified for that purpose, the facsimile copy shall be deemed to be the written resolution of that Member unless Article 30.7 applies. |
Authentication of document sent by the Secretary or Officers of the Company by Electronic means
| 30.4 | An Electronic Record of a notice, written resolution or other document sent by or on behalf of the Secretary or an Officer or Officers of the Company shall be deemed to be authentic if the following conditions are satisfied: |
| (a) | the Secretary or the Officer or each Officer, as the case may be, signed the original document, and for this purpose Original Document includes several documents in like form signed by the Secretary or one or more of those Officers; and |
| (b) | the Electronic Record of the Original Document was sent by Electronic means by, or at the direction of, the Secretary or that Officer to an address specified in accordance with these Articles for the purpose for which it was sent; and |
| (c) | Article 30.7 does not apply. |
This Article applies whether the document is sent by or on behalf of the Secretary or Officer in his own right or as a representative of the Company.
| 30.5 | For example, where a sole director signs a resolution and scans the resolution, or causes it to be scanned, as a PDF version which is attached to an email sent to the address in these Articles specified for that purpose, the PDF version shall be deemed to be the written resolution of that director unless Article 30.7 applies. |
| 50 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Manner of signing
| 30.6 | For the purposes of these Articles about the authentication of Electronic Records, a document will be taken to be signed if it is signed manually or in any other manner permitted by these Articles. |
Saving provision
| 30.7 | A notice, written resolution or other document under these Articles will not be deemed to be authentic if the recipient, acting reasonably: |
| (a) | believes that the signature of the signatory has been altered after the signatory had signed the original document; or |
| (b) | believes that the original document, or the Electronic Record of it, was altered, without the approval of the signatory, after the signatory signed the original document; or |
| (c) | otherwise doubts the authenticity of the Electronic Record of the document |
and the recipient promptly gives notice to the sender setting the grounds of its objection. If the recipient invokes this Article, the sender may seek to establish the authenticity of the Electronic Record in any way the sender thinks fit.
| 31 | Transfer by way of continuation |
| 31.1 | The Company may, by Special Resolution, resolve to be registered by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside: |
| (a) | the Islands; or |
| (b) | such other jurisdiction in which it is, for the time being, incorporated, registered or existing. |
| 31.2 | To give effect to any resolution made pursuant to the preceding Article, the directors may cause the following: |
| (a) | an application be made to the Registrar of Companies to deregister the Company in the Islands or in the other jurisdiction in which it is for the time being incorporated, registered or existing; and |
| (b) | all such further steps as they consider appropriate to be taken to effect the transfer by way of continuation of the Company. |
| 51 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

| 32 | Winding up |
Distribution of assets in specie
| 32.1 | If the Company is wound up, the Members may, subject to these Articles and any other sanction required by the Act, pass a Special Resolution allowing the liquidator to do either or both of the following: |
| (a) | to divide in specie among the Members the whole or any part of the assets of the Company and, for that purpose, to value any assets and to determine how the division shall be carried out as between the Members or different classes of Members; |
| (b) | to vest the whole or any part of the assets in trustees for the benefit of Members and those liable to contribute to the winding up. |
No obligation to accept liability
| 32.2 | No Member shall be compelled to accept any assets if an obligation attaches to them. |
The directors are authorised to present a winding up petition
| 32.3 | The directors have the authority to present a petition for the winding up of the Company to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands on behalf of the Company without the sanction of a resolution passed at a general meeting. |
| 33 | Amendment of Memorandum and Articles |
Power to change name or amend Memorandum
| 33.1 | Subject to the Act, the Company may, by Special Resolution: |
| (a) | change its name; or |
| (b) | change the provisions of its Memorandum with respect to its objects, powers or any other matter specified in the Memorandum. |
Power to amend these Articles
| 33.2 | Subject to the Act and as provided in these Articles, the Company may, by Special Resolution, amend these Articles in whole or in part. |
| 52 | ||
| Auth Code: J94095250995 www.verify.gov.ky |

Dated 18 June 2024
| Name and address of Subscriber | Number of shares taken | Signature | |
| Ogier Global Subscriber (Cayman) Limited | 1 | per: | /s/ Angilynn Baraud |
|
89 Nexus Way Camana Bay Grand Cayman, KY1-9009 Cayman Islands |
Name: | Angilynn Baraud Authorised Signatory | |
| Witness to above signature | /s/ Thorr W Scott | ||
|
Name: Thorr W Scott
Ogier Global (Cayman) Limited 89 Nexus Way Camana Bay Grand Cayman, KY1-9009 Cayman Islands
Occupation: Administrator | |||
53
Auth Code: J94095250995
www.verify.gov.ky
Exhibit 3.2
Companies
Act (Revised)
Company Limited by Shares
| ||
AMENDED AND RESTATED
(Adopted by special resolution passed on _____________ 2024)
|
||
Companies
Act (Revised)
of the Cayman Islands
Company Limited by Shares
Amended and Restated Memorandum of Association
of
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp
(Adopted by special resolution passed on _____________ 2024)
| 1 | The name of the Company is Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp. |
| 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. |
|
|
Companies
Act (Revised)
Company Limited by Shares | ||
| ||
Amended and Restated
(Adopted by special resolution passed on _____________ 2024)
|
||
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 | 29 |
| 38 Remuneration of Directors | 29 |
| 39 Seal | 30 |
| 40 Dividends, Distributions and Reserve | 30 |
| 41 Capitalisation | 32 |
| 42 Books of Account | 32 |
| 43 Audit | 32 |
| 44 Notices | 34 |
| 45 Winding Up | 35 |
| 46 Indemnity and Insurance | 36 |
| 47 Financial Year | 36 |
| 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 |
i
Companies
Act (Revised)
of the Cayman Islands
Company Limited by Shares
Amended and Restated Articles of Association
of
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp
(Adopted by special resolution passed on _____________ 2024)
| 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. |
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 or entities (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 assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the signing of the definitive agreement to enter into such Business Combination; (b) must not be solely effectuated with another blank cheque company or a similar company with nominal operations; and (c) must be approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Directors which must include a majority of the Independent Directors. | |
| 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. |
2
| 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. | |
| 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 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. |
3
| 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. | |
| 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. |
4
| 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). | ||
| 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. | |
| 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. |
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, 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 Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor 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. |
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. |
7
| 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 Underwriter 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. |
8
| 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. |
9
| 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. |
10
| 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 per cent (20%) of the Company’s issued Shares after the IPO (exclusive of any securities purchased 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). |
11
| 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.
12
| 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. |
13
| 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. |
14
| 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. |
15
| 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 per cent (20%) of the sum of: |
| (a) | the total number of all Class A Shares in issue upon completion of the IPO (including any Class A Shares issued pursuant to the Over-Allotment Option and excluding any Class A Shares underlying the private placement warrants issued to the Sponsor); plus |
16
| (b) | all Class A Shares and Equity-linked Securities issued or deemed issued related to or 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 warrants 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: |
| (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; |
17
| (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. |
18
| 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 per cent (90%) 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. |
19
| 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. |
20
| 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. |
| 23.14 | In the case of an equality of votes the chairman shall be entitled to a second or casting vote. |
21
| 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. |
22
| 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 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. |
| 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 before the commencement of the general meeting, or adjourned meeting at which it is sought to use the proxy. |
| 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. |
| 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)). |
23
| 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. |
| 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. |
24
| 30 | Appointment and Removal of Directors |
| 30.1 | Subject to Article 28, prior to 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 |
| (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 |
25
| (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 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. |
| 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. |
26
| 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. |
27
| 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. |
28
| 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. |
| 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. |
29
| 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. |
| 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. |
30
| 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. |
| 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. |
31
| 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. |
| 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. |
32
| 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. |
| 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. |
33
| 43.10 | At least one 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 |
| (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. |
34
| 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. |
35
| 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. |
| 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.
36
| 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 |
| (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 Trust Account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued 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. |
37
| 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 board of Directors may, at any time and either before or after the initially scheduled vote on a Business Combination, in its sole discretion extend the Election Deadline to a later date and may extend an Election Deadline which has already been extended. If so demanded, the Company shall pay any such redeeming 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 the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued 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. |
| 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 taxes payable and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of Public Shares then in issue, which redemption will completely extinguish public Members’ rights as Members (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any) subject to applicable law; and |
38
| (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 not for the purposes of approving, or in conjunction with the consummation of, a Business Combination: |
| (a) | to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with a Business Combination or to redeem one hundred per cent (100%) of the Public Shares if the Company has not consummated a Business Combination within the Completion Window; or |
| (b) | with respect to any other material provisions relating to (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 effectiveness of any such amendment at a per-Share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of Public Shares then in issue, subject to Applicable Law.
| 50.9 | A holder of Public Shares shall be entitled to receive distributions from the Trust Account only in the event of an IPO Redemption, a repurchase of Shares by means of a tender offer pursuant to this Article, or a distribution of the Trust Account pursuant to this Article. 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. |
39
| 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.
| 52 | Business Opportunities |
| 52.1 | To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, none of the Sponsor or any individual serving as a Director or an Officer (Management) shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as the Company. To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Company renounces any interest or expectancy of the Company in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which (a) may be a corporate opportunity for Management, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a member of Management to any other entity. Except to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, Management shall have no duty to communicate or offer any such corporate opportunity to the Company and shall not be liable to the Company or its Members for breach of any fiduciary duty as a Member, Director and/or Officer solely by reason of the fact that such party pursues or acquires such corporate opportunity for itself, himself or herself, directs such corporate opportunity to another person, or does not communicate information regarding such corporate opportunity to the Company. |
40
| 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 Management, about which a Director and/or Officer who is also a member of Management 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; |
| (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. |
41
Exhibit 4.1
[Form of Unit Certificate]
NUMBER UNITS
U-
SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS
CUSIP G6439S 125
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
UNITS CONSISTING OF ONE CLASS A ORDINARY SHARE AND ONE-HALF OF ONE
REDEEMABLE WARRANT TO PURCHASE ONE CLASS A ORDINARY SHARE
THIS CERTIFIES THAT is the owner of Units.
Each Unit (“Unit”) consists of one (1) Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share (each, a “Class A Ordinary Share”), of Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”) and one-half of one redeemable warrant (each whole warrant, a “Warrant”). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one (1) Class A Ordinary Share (subject to adjustment) for $11.50 per share (subject to adjustment). Only whole Warrants are exercisable. Each Warrant will become exercisable thirty (30) days after the Company’s completion of a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (each a “Business Combination”), and will expire unless exercised before 5:00 p.m., New York City Time, on the date that is five (5) years after the date on which the Company completes its initial Business Combination, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation (the “Expiration Date”). The Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants comprising the Units represented by this certificate are not transferable separately prior to [•], 2024, unless BITG LLC. elects to allow earlier separate trading, subject to the Company’s filing of a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission containing an audited balance sheet reflecting the Company’s receipt of the gross proceeds of the offering and issuing a press release announcing when separate trading will begin. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units. The terms of the Warrants are governed by the Public Warrant Agreement, dated as of [•], 2024 (the “Public Warrant Agreement”), between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent (the “Warrant Agent”), and are subject to the terms and provisions contained therein, all of which terms and provisions the holder of this certificate consents to by acceptance hereof. Copies of the Public Warrant Agreement are on file at the office of the Warrant Agent at 1 State Street, 30th Floor, New York, New York 10004, and are available to any Warrant holder on written request and without cost.
Upon the consummation of a Business Combination, the Units represented by this certificate will automatically separate into the Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants comprising such Units.
This certificate is not valid unless countersigned by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as transfer agent, and Registrar of the Company.
This certificate shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
Witness the facsimile signature of its duly authorized officers.
| Secretary | Chief Executive Officer |
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp
The Company will furnish without charge to each unitholder who so requests, a statement of the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of shares or series thereof of the Company and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
|
UNIF GIFT MIN ACT |
– |
Custodian | ||||
| TEN COM | – | as tenants in common |
(Cust) (Minor) | |||
| TEN ENT | – | as tenants by the entireties as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as | under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act | |||
| JT TEN | – | tenants in common | (State) |
Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.
For value received, hereby sell, assign and transfer unto
PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE)
Units represented by the within Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney to transfer the said Units on the books of the within named Company with full power of substitution in the premises.
| Dated: | ||||
| Notice: | The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever. | |||
Signature(s) Guaranteed:
THE SIGNATURE(S) MUST BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION RULE 17Ad-15 (OR ANY SUCCESSOR RULE)) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED.
In each case, as more fully described in the Company’s final prospectus dated , 2024, the holder(s) of this certificate shall be entitled to receive a pro-rata portion of certain funds held in the trust account established in connection with the Company’s initial public offering only in the event that (i) the Company redeems the Class A Ordinary Shares sold in its initial public offering and liquidates because it does not consummate an initial Business Combination within the period of time set forth in the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as the same may be amended from time to time (the “Memorandum and Articles”), (ii) the Company redeems the Class A Ordinary Shares sold in its initial public offering in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Memorandum and Articles (A) that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of the Class A ordinary shares if it does not consummate an initial business combination within the time period set forth therein or (B) any other provision relating to the rights of holders of Class A Ordinary Shares or pre-initial business combination activity or (iii) if the holder(s) seek(s) to redeem for cash his, her or its respective Class A Ordinary Shares in connection with a tender offer (or proxy solicitation, solely in the event the Company seeks shareholder approval of the proposed initial Business Combination) setting forth the details of a proposed initial Business Combination. In no other circumstances shall the holder(s) have any right or interest of any kind in or to the trust account.
Exhibit 4.2
[Form of Class A Ordinary Share Certificate]
| NUMBER | NUMBER C-SHARES | |
| SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS CUSIP G6439S 109 |
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORPORATION INCORPORATED
UNDER THE LAWS OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES
| This Certifies that ____________________ is the owner of ________________________ |
FULLY PAID AND NON-ASSESSABLE SHARES OF THE PAR VALUE OF $0.0001 EACH OF THE CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES OF
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
(THE “COMPANY”)
transferable on the books of the Company in person or by duly authorized attorney upon surrender of this certificate properly endorsed, and subject to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as the same may be amended from time to time (the “Memorandum and Articles”). The Company will be forced to redeem all of its Class A ordinary shares if it is unable to complete a business combination within the period of time set forth in the Memorandum and Articles, as more fully described in the Company’s final prospectus dated [●], 2024.
This certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the Transfer Agent and registered by the Registrar.
Witness the seal of the Company and the facsimile signatures of its duly authorized officers.
| Secretary | Cayman Islands | Chief Executive Officer | ||
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORPORATION
The Company will furnish without charge to each shareholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of shares or series thereof of the Company and the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. This certificate and the shares represented thereby are issued and shall be held subject to all the provisions of the Memorandum and Articles and resolutions of the Board of Directors providing for the issue of securities (copies of which may be obtained from the secretary of the Company), to all of which the holder of this certificate by acceptance hereof assents. The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
| UNIF GIFT | – | Custodian | ||||
| TEN COM | – | as tenants in common | MIN ACT | (Cust) (Minor) | ||
| TEN ENT | – | as tenants by the entireties | under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act | |||
| JT TEN | – | as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common | (State) |
Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.
| For value received, | hereby sell, assign and transfer unto |
PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE)
Shares represented by the within Certificate, and hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints
Attorney to transfer the said shares on the books of the within named Company with full power of substitution in the premises.
Dated:
NOTICE: THE SIGNATURE(S) TO THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT OR ANY CHANGE WHATEVER.
Signature(s) Guaranteed:
By
THE SIGNATURE(S) MUST BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO RULE 17Ad-15 (OR ANY SUCCESSOR RULE) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED).
In each case, as more fully described in the Company’s final prospectus dated [●], 2024, the holder(s) of the share represented by this certificate shall be entitled to receive a pro-rata portion of certain funds held in the trust account established in connection with the Company’s initial public offering only in the event that (i) the Company redeems the Class A ordinary shares sold in its initial public offering and liquidates because it does not consummate an initial business combination within the period of time set forth in the Memorandum and Articles, (ii) the Company redeems the Class A ordinary shares sold in its initial public offering in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Memorandum and Articles (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of the Class A ordinary shares if it does not consummate an initial business combination within the time period set forth therein or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, or (iii) if the holder(s) seek(s) to redeem for cash his, her or its respective Class A ordinary shares in connection with a tender offer (or proxy solicitation, solely in the event the Company seeks shareholder approval of the proposed initial business combination) setting forth the details of a proposed initial business combination. In no other circumstances shall the holder(s) have any right or interest of any kind in or to the trust account.
Exhibit 4.4
WARRANT AGREEMENT
THIS WARRANT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of ____, 2024, is by and between Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation, as warrant agent (in such capacity, the “Warrant Agent,” and also referred to herein as the “Transfer Agent”).
WHEREAS, the Company is engaged in an initial public offering (the “Offering”) of units of the Company’s equity securities, each such unit comprised of one Class A ordinary share of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (“Class A Shares”) and one-half of one redeemable Public Warrant (as defined below) (the “Units”) and, in connection therewith, has determined to issue and deliver up to 10,000,000 warrants (or up to 11,500,000 warrants if the Over-allotment Option (as defined below) is exercised in full) to public investors in the Offering (the “Public Warrants”);
WHEREAS, the Company entered into that certain Sponsor Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement with Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), pursuant to which the Sponsor agreed to purchase an aggregate of 450,000 private placement units (or up to 484,500 private placement units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full)) simultaneously with the closing of the Offering (the “Sponsor Private Placement Units”) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, and in connection therewith, the issuance of up to 225,000 warrants (or up to 242,500 private placement units if the Over-allotment Option is exercised in full) underlying the Private Placement Units (the “Sponsor Private Placement Warrants”), each bearing the legend set forth in Exhibit A hereto;
WHEREAS, the Company entered into that certain Underwriter Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement with BTIG, LLC (the “Underwriter”), pursuant to which the Underwriter agreed to purchase an aggregate of 170,000 private placement units (or up to 195,500 private placement units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the “Underwriter Private Placement Units,” collectively with the Sponsor Private Placement Units, the “Private Placement Units”) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, and, in connection therewith, the issuance of up to 100,000 warrants (or up to 130,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) underlying the Private Placement Units (the “Underwriter Private Placement Warrants” and, together with the Sponsor Private Placement Warrants, the “Private Placement Warrants” and, together with the Public Warrants, the “Warrants”), each bearing the legend set forth in Exhibit A hereto;
WHEREAS, the Company was incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (a “Business Combination”);
WHEREAS, in order to finance the Company’s transaction costs in connection with an intended initial Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or the Company’s officers and directors (collectively, the “Initial Purchasers”) may, but are not obligated to, loan to the Company funds as the Company may require, of which up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into up to an additional 1,500,000 warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant, which will be identical to the Private Placement Warrants (the “Working Capital Warrants”);
WHEREAS, each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A Share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein;
WHEREAS, the Company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1, File No. 333- (the “Registration Statement”), and a prospectus (the “Prospectus”), for the registration, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of the Units, the Public Warrants and the Class A Shares included in the Units;
WHEREAS, the Company desires the Warrant Agent to act on behalf of the Company, and the Warrant Agent is willing to so act, in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer, exchange, redemption and exercise of the Warrants;
WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide for the form and provisions of the Warrants, the terms upon which they shall be issued and exercised, and the respective rights, limitation of rights, and immunities of the Company, the Warrant Agent, and the holders of the Warrants; and
WHEREAS, all acts and things have been done and performed which are necessary to make the Warrants, when executed on behalf of the Company and countersigned by or on behalf of the Warrant Agent, as provided herein, the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company, and to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
| 1. | Appointment of Warrant Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Warrant Agent to act as agent for the Company for the Warrants, and the Warrant Agent hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the same in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. |
| 2. | Warrants. |
| 2.1. | Form of Warrant. Each Warrant shall be issued in registered form only, and, if a physical certificate is issued, shall be in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto, the provisions of which are incorporated herein and shall be signed by, or bear the facsimile signature of, the Chairperson of the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”), President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary or other principal officer of the Company. In the event the person whose facsimile signature has been placed upon any Warrant shall have ceased to serve in the capacity in which such person signed the Warrant before such Warrant is issued, it may be issued with the same effect as if he or she had not ceased to be such at the date of issuance. All of the Public Warrants shall initially be represented by one or more book-entry certificates (each, a “Book-Entry Warrant Certificate”). |
| 2.2. | Effect of Countersignature. If a physical certificate is issued, unless and until countersigned by the Warrant Agent pursuant to this Agreement, a Warrant certificate shall be invalid and of no effect and may not be exercised by the holder thereof. |
| 2.3. | Registration. |
| 2.3.1. | Warrant Register. The Warrant Agent shall maintain books (the “Warrant Register”) for the registration of original issuance and the registration of transfer of the Warrants. Upon the initial issuance of the Warrants, the Warrant Agent shall issue and register the Warrants in the names of the respective holders thereof in such denominations and otherwise in accordance with instructions delivered to the Warrant Agent by the Company. All of the Public Warrants shall initially be represented by one or more Book-Entry Warrant Certificates deposited with The Depository Trust Company (the “Depositary”) and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of the Depositary. Ownership of beneficial interests in the Public Warrants shall be shown on, and the transfer of such ownership shall be effected through, records maintained by (i) the Depositary or its nominee for each Book-Entry Warrant Certificate, or (ii) institutions that have accounts with the Depositary (each such institution, with respect to a Warrant in its account, a “Participant”). |
If the Depositary subsequently ceases to make its book-entry settlement system available for the Public Warrants, the Company may instruct the Warrant Agent regarding making other arrangements for book-entry settlement. In the event that the Public Warrants are not eligible for, or it is no longer necessary to have the Public Warrants available in, book-entry form, the Warrant Agent shall provide written instructions to the Depositary to deliver to the Warrant Agent for cancellation each Book-Entry Warrant Certificate, and the Company shall instruct the Warrant Agent to deliver to the Depositary definitive certificates in physical form evidencing such Warrants (“Definitive Warrant Certificate”). Such Definitive Warrant Certificate shall be in the form annexed hereto as Exhibit B, with appropriate insertions, modifications and omissions, as provided above.
2
| 2.3.2. | Registered Holder. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Warrant, the Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name such Warrant is registered in the Warrant Register (the “Registered Holder”) as the absolute owner of such Warrant and of each Warrant represented thereby (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing on a Definitive Warrant Certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Warrant Agent), for the purpose of any exercise thereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. |
| 2.4. | Detachability of Warrants. The Class A Shares and Public Warrants comprising the Units shall begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of the Prospectus or, if such 52nd day is not on a day, other than a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday, on which banks in New York City are generally open for normal business (a “Business Day”), then on the immediately succeeding Business Day following such date, or earlier (the “Detachment Date”) with the consent of the Underwriter, as representative of the several underwriters, but in no event shall the Class A Shares and the Public Warrants comprising the Units be separately traded until the Company issues a press release and files with the Commission a Current Report on Form 8-K announcing when such separate trading shall begin. |
| 2.5. | No Fractional Warrants Other Than as Part of Units. The Company shall not issue fractional Warrants other than as part of the Units, each of which is comprised of one Class A Share and one-half of one Public Warrant. If, upon the detachment of Public Warrants from the Units or otherwise, a holder of Warrants would be entitled to receive a fractional Warrant, the Company shall round down to the nearest whole number the number of Warrants to be issued to such holder. |
| 2.6. | Private Placement Warrants and Working Capital Warrants. The Private Placement Warrants and Working Capital Warrants shall be identical to the Public Warrants, except that until the date that is thirty (30) days after the completion by the Company of an initial Business Combination the Private Placement Warrants and the Working Capital Warrants may not be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders thereof, other than: |
2.6.1.
|
to the Company’s or Underwriter’s officers or directors, any affiliate or family member of any of the Company’s or Underwriter’s officers or directors, any members or partners of the Sponsor or their affiliates, any affiliates of the Sponsor, the Underwriter or any employees of such affiliates; |
| 2.6.2. | in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of such individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of such individual’s immediate family, an affiliate of such individual or to a charitable organization; |
| 2.6.3. | in the case of an individual, by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death of such person; |
| 2.6.4. | in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; |
| 2.6.5. | by private sales or transfers made in connection with any forward purchase agreement or similar arrangement, in connection with an extension of the timeframe for the Company to consummate a Business Combination or in connection with the consummation of an initial Business Combination at prices no greater than the price at which the Warrants were originally purchased; | |
| 2.6.6 | by pro rata distributions from the Sponsor or Underwriter. to its respective members, partners or stockholders pursuant to the Sponsor’s or Underwriter’s limited liability company agreement or other charter documents; |
3
| 2.6.7. | by virtue of the laws of the Cayman Islands or the limited liability company agreement of the Sponsor upon dissolution of the Sponsor or upon dissolution of the Underwriter; |
| 2.6.8. | in the event of the Company’s liquidation prior to the consummation of a Business Combination; |
| 2.6.9. | to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a disposition or transfer would be permissible under clauses 2.6.1 through 2.6.7 above; | |
| 2.6.10 | to the Company for no value for cancellation in connection with the consummation of an initial Business Combination; and |
| 2.6.11. | in the event that, subsequent to the consummation of an initial Business Combination, the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of its shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A Shares for cash, securities or other property; provided, however, that, in the case of clauses 2.6.1 through 2.6.7, and 2.6.9 these transferees (the “Permitted Transferees”) enter into a written agreement with the Company agreeing to be bound by the transfer restrictions in this Agreement and the other restrictions contained in the letter agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Company, the Sponsor, the Underwriter and the Company’s officers and directors. |
| 2.7. | Working Capital Warrants. Each of the Working Capital Warrants shall be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. |
| 3. | Terms and Exercise of Warrants. |
| 3.1. | Warrant Price. Each Warrant shall entitle the Registered Holder thereof, subject to the provisions of such Warrant and of this Agreement, including without limitation, subsection 3.3.5, to purchase from the Company the number of Class A Shares stated therein, at the price of $11.50 per share, subject to the adjustments provided in Section 4 hereof and in the last sentence of this Section 3.1. The term “Warrant Price” as used in this Agreement shall mean the price per share (including in cash or by payment of Warrants pursuant to a “cashless exercise,” to the extent permitted hereunder) described in the prior sentence at which the Class A Shares may be purchased at the time a Warrant is exercised. The Company in its sole discretion may lower the Warrant Price at any time prior to the Expiration Date (as defined below) for a period of not less than twenty (20) Business Days (unless otherwise required by the Commission, any national securities exchange on which the Warrants are listed or applicable law), provided, that the Company shall provide at least three (3) days’ prior written notice of such reduction to Registered Holders of the Warrants and, provided further that any such reduction shall be identical among all of the Warrants. |
4
| 3.2. | Duration of Warrants. A Warrant may be exercised only during the period (the “Exercise Period”) (A) commencing on the date that is thirty (30) days after the first date on which the Company completes a Business Combination, and terminating on the earliest to occur of: (x) 5:00 p.m., New York City time on the date that is five (5) years after the date on which the Company completes its initial Business Combination, (y) the liquidation of the Company, and (z) with respect to a redemption pursuant to Section 6.1 hereof, 5:00 p.m., New York City time on the Redemption Date (as defined below) as provided in Section 6.2 hereof (the “Expiration Date”); provided, however, that the exercise of any Warrant shall be subject to the satisfaction of any applicable conditions, as set forth in subsection 3.3.2 below, with respect to an effective registration statement or a valid exemption therefrom being available. Each outstanding Warrant not exercised on or before the Expiration Date shall become void, and all rights thereunder and all rights in respect thereof under this Agreement shall cease at 5:00 p.m. New York City time on the Expiration Date. The Company in its sole discretion may extend the duration of the Warrants by delaying the Expiration Date; provided, that the Company shall provide at least twenty (20) days prior written notice of any such extension to Registered Holders of the Warrants and, provided further that any such extension shall be identical in duration among all the Warrants. |
| 3.3. | Exercise of Warrants. |
| 3.3.1. | Payment. Subject to the provisions of the Warrant and this Agreement, including without limitation, subsection 3.3.5, a Warrant may be exercised by the Registered Holder thereof by delivering to the Warrant Agent at its corporate trust department (i) the Definitive Warrant Certificate evidencing the Warrants to be exercised, or, in the case of a Book-Entry Warrant Certificate, the Warrants to be exercised (the “Book-Entry Warrants”) on the records of the Depositary to an account of the Warrant Agent at the Depositary designated for such purposes in writing by the Warrant Agent to the Depositary from time to time, (ii) an election to purchase (“Election to Purchase”) Class A Shares pursuant to the exercise of a Warrant, properly completed and executed by the Registered Holder on the reverse of the Definitive Warrant Certificate or, in the case of a Book-Entry Warrant Certificate, properly delivered by the Participant in accordance with the Depositary’s procedures, and (iii) payment in full of the Warrant Price for each Class A Share as to which the Warrant is exercised and any and all applicable taxes due in connection with the exercise of the Warrant, the exchange of the Warrant for the Class A Shares and the issuance of such Class A Shares, as follows: |
| (a) | in lawful money of the United States, in good bank draft or good certified check payable to the order of the Warrant Agent or by wire transfer of immediately available funds; | |
| (b) | in the event of a redemption pursuant to Section 6 hereof in which the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”) has elected to require all holders of the Warrants to exercise such Warrants on a “cashless basis,” by surrendering the Warrants for that number of Class A Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A Shares underlying the Warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “Fair Market Value”, as defined in this subsection 3.3.1(b), over the Warrant Price by (y) the Fair Market Value. Solely for purposes of this subsection 3.3.1(b) and Section 6.3, the “Fair Market Value” shall mean the average reported closing price of the Class A Shares for the ten (10) trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the Warrants, pursuant to Section 6 hereof; or |
| (c) | on a cashless basis as provided in Section 7.4 hereof. |
5
| 3.3.2. | Issuance of Class A Shares on Exercise. As soon as practicable after the exercise of any Warrant and the clearance of the funds in payment of the Warrant Price (if payment is pursuant to subsection 3.3.1(a)), the Company shall issue to the Registered Holder of such Warrant a book-entry position or certificate, as applicable, for the number of Class A Shares to which he, she or it is entitled, registered in such name or names as may be directed by him, her or it, and if such Warrant shall not have been exercised in full, a new book-entry position or countersigned Warrant, as applicable, for the number of Class A Shares as to which such Warrant shall not have been exercised. If fewer than all the Warrants evidenced by a Book-Entry Warrant Certificate are exercised, a notation shall be made to the records maintained by the Depositary, its nominee for each Book-Entry Warrant Certificate, or a Participant, as appropriate, evidencing the balance of the Warrants remaining after such exercise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be obligated to deliver any Class A Shares pursuant to the exercise of a Warrant and shall have no obligation to settle such Warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A Shares underlying the Public Warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to the Company’s satisfying its obligations under Section 7.4 or a valid exemption from registration is available. No Warrant shall be exercisable and the Company shall not be obligated to issue Class A Shares upon exercise of a Warrant unless the Class A Shares issuable upon such Warrant exercise have been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt from registration or qualification under the securities laws of the state of residence of the Registered Holder of the Warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a Warrant, the holder of such Warrant shall not be entitled to exercise such Warrant. In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the Warrant exercise. The Company may require holders of Public Warrants to settle the Warrant on a “cashless basis” pursuant to Section 7.4. If, by reason of any exercise of Warrants on a “cashless basis,” the holder of any Warrant would be entitled, upon the exercise of such Warrant, to receive a fractional interest in a Class A Share, the Company shall round down to the nearest whole number, the number of Class A Shares to be issued to such holder. |
| 3.3.3. | Valid Issuance. All Class A Shares issued upon the proper exercise of a Warrant in conformity with this Agreement shall be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
| 3.3.4. | Date of Issuance. Each person in whose name any book-entry position or certificate, as applicable, for Class A Shares is issued shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such Class A Shares on the date on which the Warrant, or book-entry position representing such Warrant, was surrendered and payment of the Warrant Price was made, irrespective of the date of delivery of such certificate in the case of a certificated Warrant, except that, if the date of such surrender and payment is a date when the share transfer books of the Company or book-entry system of the Warrant Agent are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the holder of such Class A Shares at the close of business on the next succeeding date on which the share transfer books or book-entry system are open. |
6
| 3.3.5. | Maximum Percentage. A holder of a Warrant may notify the Company in writing in the event it elects to be subject to the provisions contained in this subsection 3.3.5; however, no holder of a Warrant shall be subject to this subsection 3.3.5 unless he, she or it makes such election. If the election is made by a holder, the Warrant Agent shall not effect the exercise of the holder’s Warrant, and such holder shall not have the right to exercise such Warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates) or any “group” of which the holder or its affiliate is a member, would beneficially own in excess of 4.9% or 9.8% (or such other amount as a holder may specify)(the “Maximum Percentage”) of the Class A Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the aggregate number of Class A Shares beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates, or any group of which such person and its affiliates is a member, shall include the number of Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrant with respect to which the determination of such sentence is being made, but shall exclude Class A Shares that would be issuable upon (x) exercise of the remaining, unexercised portion of the Warrant beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates, or any group of which any such person or its affiliates is a member, and (y) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Company beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates, or any group of which such person or its affiliates is a member (including, without limitation, any convertible notes or convertible preferred shares or warrants) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this paragraph, beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the applicable regulations of the Commission. For purposes hereof, “group” has the meaning set forth in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and applicable regulations of the Commission, and the percentage held by the holder shall be determined in a manner consistent with the provisions of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act. To the extent that a holder makes the election described in this subsection 3.3.5, the Warrant Agent shall not effect the exercise of the holder’s Warrant, and such holder shall not have the right to exercise such Warrant unless it provides to the Warrant Agent in its Election to Purchase, a certification that, upon after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates) or any “group” of which such holder or its affiliates is a member, would not beneficially own in excess of the Maximum Percentage of the Class A Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise as determined in accordance with this subsection 3.3.5. For purposes of the Warrant, in determining the number of outstanding Class A Shares, the holder may rely on the number of outstanding Class A Shares as reflected in (1) the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other public filing with the Commission as the case may be, (2) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (3) any other notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of Class A Shares outstanding. For any reason at any time, upon the written request of the holder of the Warrant, the Company shall, within two (2) Business Days, confirm orally and in writing to such holder the number of Class A Shares then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding Class A Shares shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of equity securities of the Company by the holder and its affiliates since the date as of which such number of outstanding Class A Shares was reported. By written notice to the Company, the holder of a Warrant may from time to time increase or decrease the Maximum Percentage applicable to such holder to any other percentage specified in such notice; provided, however, that any such increase shall not be effective until the sixty-first (61st) day after such notice is delivered to the Company. |
7
| 4. | Adjustments. |
| 4.1. | Share Capitalizations. |
| 4.1.1. | Sub-division. If after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 4.6 below, the number of outstanding Class A Shares is increased by a share capitalization payable in Class A Shares, or by a sub-division of Class A Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share capitalization, sub-division or similar event, the number of Class A Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant shall be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding Class A Shares. A rights offering made to all or substantially all holders of the Class A Shares entitling holders to purchase Class A Shares at a price less than the “Historical Fair Market Value” (as defined below) shall be deemed a share capitalization of a number of Class A Shares equal to the product of (i) the number of Class A Shares actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Class A Shares) and (ii) one (1) minus the quotient of (x) the price per Class A Share paid in such rights offering divided by (y) the Historical Fair Market Value. For purposes of this subsection 4.1.1, (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A Shares, in determining the price payable for Class A Shares, there shall be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) “Historical Fair Market Value” means the volume weighted average price of the Class A Shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the Class A Shares trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights. No Class A Shares shall be issued at less than their par value. |
8
| 4.1.2. | Extraordinary Dividends. If the Company, at any time while the Warrants are outstanding and unexpired, shall pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to all or substantially all of the holders of Class A Shares on account of such Class A Shares (or other shares of the Company’s share capital into which the Warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described in subsection 4.1.1 above, (b) Ordinary Cash Dividends (as defined below), (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A Shares in connection with a proposed initial Business Combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A Shares in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (as amended from time to time, the “Charter”) (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with the Company’s initial business combination or to redeem 100% of the Class A Shares included in the Units sold in the Offering (the “Public Shares”) if the Company does not complete the Business Combination within the period set forth in the Charter or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity or (e) in connection with the redemption of Public Shares upon the failure of the Company to complete its initial Business Combination and any subsequent distribution of its assets upon its liquidation (any such non-excluded event being referred to herein as an “Extraordinary Dividend”), then the Warrant Price shall be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such Extraordinary Dividend, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value (as determined by the Board, in good faith) of any securities or other assets paid on each Class A Share in respect of such Extraordinary Dividend. For purposes of this subsection 4.1.2, “Ordinary Cash Dividends” means any cash dividend or cash distribution which, when combined on a per share basis, with the per share amounts of all other cash dividends and cash distributions paid on the Class A Shares during the 365-day period ending on the date of declaration of such dividend or distribution (as adjusted to appropriately reflect any of the events referred to in other subsections of this Section 4 and excluding cash dividends or cash distributions that resulted in an adjustment to the Warrant Price or to the number of Class A Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant) does not exceed $0.50 (being 5% of the offering price of the Units in the Offering) but only with respect to the amount of the aggregate cash dividends or cash distributions equal to or less than $0.50. Solely for purposes of illustration, if the Company, at a time while the Warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pays a cash dividend of $0.35 and previously paid an aggregate of $0.40 of cash dividends and cash distributions on the Class A Shares during the 365-day period ending on the date of declaration of such $0.35 dividend, then the Warrant Price will be decreased, effectively immediately after the effective date of such $0.35 dividend, by $0.25 (the absolute value of the difference between $0.75 (the aggregate amount of all cash dividends and cash distributions paid or made in such 365-day period, including such $0.35 dividend) and $0.50 (the greater of (x) $0.50 and (y) the aggregate amount of all cash dividends and cash distributions paid or made in such 365-day period prior to such $0.35 dividend)). |
| 4.2. | Aggregation of Shares. If after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 4.6 hereof, the number of outstanding Class A Shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share sub-division or reclassification of Class A Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse share sub-division, reclassification or similar event, the number of Class A Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant shall be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding Class A Shares. |
9
| 4.3. | Adjustments in Warrant Price. |
| 4.3.1. | Whenever the number of Class A Shares purchasable upon the exercise of the Warrants is adjusted, as provided in subsection 4.1.1 or Section 4.2 above, the Warrant Price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) by multiplying such Warrant Price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which shall be the number of Class A Shares purchasable upon the exercise of the Warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which shall be the number of Class A Shares so purchasable immediately thereafter. | |
| 4.3.2. | If (x) the Company issues additional Class A Shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per Class A Share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Board and, in the case of any such issuance to the initial shareholders (as defined in the Prospectus) or their affiliates, without taking into account any Class B Ordinary Shares (as defined below) held by such shareholders or their affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance (the “Newly Issued Price”)), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for funding the initial Business Combination on the date of the consummation of the initial Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the Class A Shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company consummates the Business Combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the Warrant Price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described in Section 6.1 below shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. |
10
| 4.4. | Replacement of Securities upon Reorganization, etc. In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Class A Shares (other than a change covered by subsections 4.1.1, 4.1.2 or Section 4.2 hereof or that solely affects the par value of such Class A Shares), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another entity or conversion of the Company as another entity (other than a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation and is not a subsidiary of another entity whose shareholders did not own all or substantially all of the Class A Shares of the Company in substantially the same proportions immediately before such transaction and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Class A Shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another entity of the assets or other property of the Company as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which the Company is dissolved, the holders of the Warrants shall thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the Warrants and in lieu of the Class A Shares of the Company immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the Warrants would have received if such holder had exercised his, her or its Warrant(s) immediately prior to such event (the “Alternative Issuance”); provided, however, that (i) if the holders of the Class A Shares were entitled to exercise a right of election as to the kind or amount of securities, cash or other assets receivable upon such consolidation or merger, then the kind and amount of securities, cash or other assets constituting the Alternative Issuance for which each Warrant shall become exercisable shall be deemed to be the weighted average of the kind and amount received per share by the holders of the Class A Shares in such consolidation or merger that affirmatively make such election, and (ii) if a tender, exchange or redemption offer shall have been made to and accepted by the holders of the Class A Shares (other than a tender, exchange or redemption offer made by the Company in connection with redemption rights held by shareholders of the Company as provided for in the Charter or as a result of the redemption of Class A Shares by the Company if a proposed initial Business Combination is presented to the shareholders of the Company for approval) under circumstances in which, upon completion of such tender or exchange offer, the maker thereof, together with members of any group (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule)) of which such maker is a part, and together with any affiliate or associate of such maker (within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule)) and any members of any such group of which any such affiliate or associate is a part, own beneficially (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule)) more than 65% of the voting power of the Company’s outstanding equity securities (including with respect to the election of directors), the holder of a Warrant shall be entitled to receive as the Alternative Issuance, the weighted average of the amount of cash, securities or other property to which such holder would actually have been entitled as a shareholder if such Warrant holder had exercised the Warrant prior to the expiration of such tender or exchange offer, accepted such offer and participated in such tender or exchange offer on a pro rata basis with all other holders of Class A Shares, subject to adjustments (from and after the consummation of such tender or exchange offer) as nearly equivalent as possible to the adjustments provided for in this Section 4; provided further that if less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of the Class A Shares in the applicable event is payable in the form of capital stock or shares in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the Registered Holder properly exercises the Warrant within thirty (30) days following the public disclosure of the consummation of such applicable event by the Company pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission, the Warrant Price shall be reduced by an amount (in dollars) equal to the difference (but in no event less than zero) of (i) the Warrant Price in effect prior to such reduction minus (ii) (A) the Per Share Consideration (as defined below) minus (B) the Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined below). The “Black-Scholes Warrant Value” means the value of a Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of the applicable event based on the Black-Scholes model as calculated by an accounting, appraisal, investment banking firm or consultant of nationally recognized standing that is, in the good faith judgment of the Board, qualified to make such calculation. “Per Share Consideration” means (i) if the consideration paid to holders of the Class A Shares consists exclusively of cash, the amount of such cash per Class A Share, and (ii) in all other cases, the volume weighted average price of the Class A Shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the effective date of the applicable event. If any reclassification or reorganization also results in a change in Class A Shares covered by subsection 4.1.1, then such adjustment shall be made pursuant to subsection 4.1.1 or Sections 4.2, 4.3 and this Section 4.4. The provisions of this Section 4.4 shall similarly apply to successive reclassifications, reorganizations, mergers or consolidations, sales or other transfers. In no event will the Warrant Price be reduced to less than the par value per share issuable upon exercise of the Warrant. |
11
| 4.5. | Notices of Changes in Warrant. Upon every adjustment of the Warrant Price or the number of Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of a Warrant, the Company shall give written notice thereof to the Warrant Agent, which notice shall state the Warrant Price resulting from such adjustment and the increase or decrease, if any, in the number of Class A Shares purchasable at such price upon the exercise of a Warrant, setting forth in reasonable detail the method of calculation and the facts upon which such calculation is based. Upon the occurrence of any event specified in Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 or 4.4, the Company shall give written notice of the occurrence of such event to each holder of a Warrant, at the last address set forth for such holder in the Warrant Register, of the record date or the effective date of the event. Failure to give such notice, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of such event. |
| 4.6. | No Fractional Shares. Notwithstanding any provision contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not issue fractional Class A Shares upon the exercise of Warrants. If, by reason of any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 4, the holder of any Warrant would be entitled, upon the exercise of such Warrant, to receive a fractional interest in a share, the Company shall, upon such exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Class A Shares to be issued to such holder. |
| 4.7. | Form of Warrant. The form of Warrant need not be changed because of any adjustment pursuant to this Section 4, and Warrants issued after such adjustment may state the same Warrant Price and the same number of Class A Shares as is stated in the Warrants initially issued pursuant to this Agreement; provided, however, that the Company may at any time in its sole discretion make any change in the form of Warrant that the Company may deem appropriate and that does not affect the substance thereof, and any Warrant thereafter issued or countersigned, whether in exchange or substitution for an outstanding Warrant or otherwise, may be in the form as so changed. |
| 4.8. | Other Events. In case any event shall occur affecting the Company as to which none of the provisions of the preceding subsections of this Section 4 are strictly applicable, but which would require an adjustment to the terms of the Warrants in order to (i) avoid an adverse impact on the Warrants and (ii) effectuate the intent and purpose of this Section 4, then, in each such case, the Company shall appoint a firm of independent public accountants, investment banking or other appraisal firm of recognized national standing, which shall give its opinion as to whether or not any adjustment to the rights represented by the Warrants is necessary to effectuate the intent and purpose of this Section 4 and, if they determine that an adjustment is necessary, the terms of such adjustment. The Company shall adjust the terms of the Warrants in a manner that is consistent with any adjustment recommended in such opinion. For the avoidance of doubt, all adjustments made pursuant to this Section 4.8 shall be made equally to all outstanding Warrants. |
| 4.9. | No Adjustment. For the avoidance of doubt, no adjustment shall be made to the terms of the Warrants solely as a result of an adjustment to the conversion ratio of the Company’s Class B ordinary shares (the “Class B Ordinary Shares”) into Class A Shares or the conversion of the Class B Ordinary Shares into Class A Shares, in each case, pursuant to the Charter. |
12
| 5. | Transfer and Exchange of Warrants. |
| 5.1. | Registration of Transfer. The Warrant Agent shall register the transfer, from time to time, of any outstanding Warrant upon the Warrant Register, upon surrender of such Warrant for transfer, in the case of a certificated Warrant, properly endorsed with signatures properly guaranteed and accompanied by appropriate instructions for transfer. Upon any such transfer, a new Warrant representing an equal aggregate number of Warrants shall be issued and the old Warrant shall be cancelled by the Warrant Agent. In the case of certificated Warrants, the Warrants so cancelled shall be delivered by the Warrant Agent to the Company from time to time upon request. |
| 5.2. | Procedure for Surrender of Warrants. Warrants may be surrendered to the Warrant Agent, together with a written request for exchange or transfer, and thereupon the Warrant Agent shall issue in exchange therefor one or more new Warrants as requested by the Registered Holder of the Warrants so surrendered, representing an equal aggregate number of Warrants; provided, however, that except as otherwise provided herein or in any Book-Entry Warrant Certificate or Definitive Warrant Certificate, each Book-Entry Warrant Certificate and Definitive Warrant Certificate may be transferred only in whole and only to the Depositary, to another nominee of the Depositary, to a successor depository, or to a nominee of a successor depository; provided further, however, that in the event that a Warrant surrendered for transfer bears a restrictive legend (as in the case of the Private Placement Warrants and the Working Capital Warrants), the Warrant Agent shall not cancel such Warrant and issue new Warrants in exchange thereof until the Warrant Agent has received an opinion of counsel for the Company stating that such transfer may be made and indicating whether the new Warrants must also bear a restrictive legend. |
| 5.3. | Fractional Warrants. The Warrant Agent shall not be required to effect any registration of transfer or exchange which shall result in the issuance of a warrant certificate or book-entry position for a fraction of a warrant, except as part of the Units. |
| 5.4. | Service Charges. No service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Warrants. |
| 5.5. | Warrant Execution and Countersignature. The Warrant Agent is hereby authorized to countersign and to deliver, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Warrants required to be issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5, and the Company, whenever required by the Warrant Agent, shall supply the Warrant Agent with Warrants duly executed on behalf of the Company for such purpose. |
| 5.6. | Transfer of Warrants. Prior to the Detachment Date, the Public Warrants may be transferred or exchanged only together with the Unit in which such Warrant is included, and only for the purpose of effecting, or in conjunction with, a transfer or exchange of such Unit. Furthermore, each transfer of a Unit on the register relating to such Units shall operate also to transfer the Warrants included in such Unit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this Section 5.6 shall have no effect on any transfer of Warrants on and after the Detachment Date. |
| 6. | Redemption. |
| 6.1. | Redemption of Warrants for Cash. All, but not less than all, of the outstanding Warrants may be redeemed (in whole and not in part), at the option of the Company, at any time during the Exercise Period, at the office of the Warrant Agent, upon notice to the Registered Holders of the Warrants, as described in Section 6.2 below, at a Redemption Price (as defined below) of $0.01 per Warrant; provided that (a) the Reference Value equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (subject to adjustment in compliance with Section 4 hereof) and (b) there is an effective registration statement covering the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, and a current prospectus relating thereto, available throughout the Measurement Period and the 30-day Redemption Period (each as defined in Section 6.2 below). |
13
| 6.2. | Date Fixed for, and Notice of, Redemption; Redemption Price; Reference Value. In the event that the Company elects to redeem the Warrants pursuant to Section 6.1, the Company shall fix a date for the redemption (the “Redemption Date”). Notice of redemption shall be mailed by first class mail, postage prepaid, by the Company not less than thirty (30) days prior to the Redemption Date (such period, the “Redemption Period”) to the Registered Holders of the Warrants to be redeemed at their last addresses as they shall appear on the registration books. Any notice mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given whether or not the Registered Holder received such notice. As used in this Agreement, (a) “Redemption Price” shall mean the price per Warrant at which any Warrants are redeemed pursuant to Sections 6.1 and (b) “Reference Value” shall mean the last reported sales price of the Class A Shares for any twenty (20) trading days within the thirty (30) trading-day period commencing at least 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination and ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which notice of the redemption is given (the “Measurement Period”). |
| 6.3. | Exercise After Notice of Redemption. The Warrants may be exercised, for cash (or on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3 of this Agreement) at any time after notice of redemption shall have been given by the Company pursuant to Section 6.2 hereof and prior to the Redemption Date. In the event the Company determines to require all holders of Warrants to exercise their Warrants on a “cashless basis” pursuant to subsection 3.3.1(b), the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of Class A Shares to be received upon exercise of the Warrants, including the “Fair Market Value” (as such term is defined in subsection 3.3.1(b) hereof) in such case. On and after the Redemption Date, the record holder of the Warrants shall have no further rights except to receive, upon surrender of the Warrants, the Redemption Price. |
| 7. | Other Provisions Relating to Rights of Holders of Warrants. |
7.1.
|
No Rights as Shareholder. A Warrant does not entitle the Registered Holder thereof to any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to receive dividends, or other distributions, exercise any preemptive rights to vote or to consent or to receive notice as shareholders in respect of the meetings of shareholders or the election of directors of the Company or any other matter. |
| 7.2. | Lost, Stolen, Mutilated, or Destroyed Warrants. If any Warrant is lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, the Company and the Warrant Agent may on such terms as to indemnity or otherwise as they may in their discretion impose (which shall, in the case of a mutilated Warrant, include the surrender thereof), issue a new Warrant of like denomination, tenor, and date as the Warrant so lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed. Any such new Warrant shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the allegedly lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed Warrant shall be at any time enforceable by anyone. |
| 7.3. | Reservation of Class A Shares. The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available a number of its authorized but unissued Class A Shares that shall be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Warrants issued pursuant to this Agreement. |
| 7.4. | Registration of Class A Shares; Cashless Exercise at Company’s Option. |
14
| 7.4.1. | Registration of the Class A Shares. The Company agrees that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than twenty (20) Business Days after the closing of its initial Business Combination, it shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the Commission a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, or a new registration statement registering, under the Securities Act, the issuance of the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such post-effective amendment or registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration or redemption of the Warrants in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. If any such post-effective or registration statement has not been declared effective by the sixtieth (60th) Business Day following the closing of the initial Business Combination, holders of the Warrants shall have the right, during the period beginning on the sixty-first (61st) Business Day after the closing of the initial Business Combination and ending upon such post-effective amendment or registration statement being declared effective by the Commission, and during any other period when the Company shall fail to have maintained an effective registration statement covering the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, to exercise such Warrants on a “cashless basis,” by exchanging the Warrants (in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act (or any successor rule) or another exemption) for that number of Class A Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A Shares underlying the Warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “Fair Market Value” (as defined below) over the Warrant Price by (y) the Fair Market Value. Solely for purposes of this subsection 7.4.1, “Fair Market Value” shall mean the average reported closing price of the Class A Shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the third (3rd) trading day prior to the date that notice of exercise is received by the Warrant Agent from the holder of such Warrants or its securities broker or intermediary. The date that notice of “cashless exercise” is received by the Warrant Agent shall be conclusively determined by the Warrant Agent. In connection with the “cashless exercise” of a Public Warrant, the Company shall, upon request, provide the Warrant Agent with an opinion of counsel for the Company (which shall be an outside law firm with securities law experience) stating that (i) the exercise of the Warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with this subsection 7.4.1 is not required to be registered under the Securities Act and (ii) the Class A Shares issued upon such exercise shall be freely tradable under United States federal securities laws by anyone who is not an affiliate (as such term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act (or any successor rule)) of the Company and, accordingly, shall not be required to bear a restrictive legend. Except as provided in subsection 7.4.2, for the avoidance of any doubt, unless and until all of the Warrants have been exercised or have expired, the Company shall continue to be obligated to comply with its registration obligations under the first three sentences of this subsection 7.4.1. | |
| 7.4.2. | Cashless Exercise at Company’s Option. If the Class A Shares are at the time of any exercise of a Warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of “covered securities” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act (or any successor rule), the Company may, at its option, require holders of Warrants who exercise their Warrants to exercise such Public Warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act (or any successor rule) as described in subsection 7.4.1 and (i) in the event the Company so elects, the Company shall not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary or (ii) if the Company does not so file or maintain such registration statement, the Company agrees to use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify for sale the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants under the applicable blue sky laws of the state of residence of the exercising Public Warrant holder to the extent an exemption is not available. |
15
| 8. | Concerning the Warrant Agent and Other Matters. |
| 8.1. | Payment of Taxes. The Company shall from time to time promptly pay all taxes and charges that may be imposed upon the Company or the Warrant Agent in respect of the issuance or delivery of Class A Shares upon the exercise of the Warrants, but the Company shall not be obligated to pay any transfer taxes in respect of the Warrants or such Class A Shares. |
| 8.2. | Resignation, Consolidation, or Merger of Warrant Agent. |
| 8.2.1. | Appointment of Successor Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent, or any successor to it hereafter appointed, may resign its duties and be discharged from all further duties and liabilities hereunder after giving sixty (60) days’ notice in writing to the Company. If the office of the Warrant Agent becomes vacant by resignation or incapacity to act or otherwise, the Company shall appoint in writing a successor Warrant Agent in place of the Warrant Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the Warrant Agent or by the holder of a Warrant (who shall, with such notice, submit his, her or its Warrant for inspection by the Company), then the holder of any Warrant may apply to the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of New York for the appointment of a successor Warrant Agent at the Company’s cost. Any successor Warrant Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such court, shall be a corporation or other entity organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, in good standing and having its principal office in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, and authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority. After appointment, any successor Warrant Agent shall be vested with all the authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations of its predecessor Warrant Agent with like effect as if originally named as Warrant Agent hereunder, without any further act or deed; but if for any reason it becomes necessary or appropriate, the predecessor Warrant Agent shall execute and deliver, at the expense of the Company, an instrument transferring to such successor Warrant Agent all the authority, powers, and rights of such predecessor Warrant Agent hereunder; and upon request of any successor Warrant Agent the Company shall make, execute, acknowledge, and deliver any and all instruments in writing for more fully and effectually vesting in and confirming to such successor Warrant Agent all such authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations. |
| 8.2.2. | Notice of Successor Warrant Agent. In the event a successor Warrant Agent shall be appointed, the Company shall give notice thereof to the predecessor Warrant Agent and the Transfer Agent for the Class A Shares not later than the effective date of any such appointment. |
| 8.2.3. | Merger or Consolidation of Warrant Agent. Any entity into which the Warrant Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated or any entity resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Warrant Agent shall be a party shall be the successor Warrant Agent under this Agreement without any further act. |
| 8.3. | Fees and Expenses of Warrant Agent. |
| 8.3.1. | Remuneration. The Company agrees to pay the Warrant Agent reasonable remuneration for its services as such Warrant Agent hereunder and shall, pursuant to its obligations under this Agreement, reimburse the Warrant Agent upon demand for all expenditures that the Warrant Agent may reasonably incur in the execution of its duties hereunder. |
16
| 8.3.2. | Further Assurances. The Company agrees to perform, execute, acknowledge, and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged, and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments, and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Warrant Agent for the carrying out or performing of the provisions of this Agreement. |
| 8.4. | Liability of Warrant Agent. |
8.4.1.
|
Reliance on Company Statement. Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Warrant Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, President, Executive Vice President, Vice President, Secretary or Chairman of the Board of the Company and delivered to the Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent may rely upon such statement for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement. |
| 8.4.2. | Indemnity. The Warrant Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud or bad faith. The Company agrees to indemnify the Warrant Agent and save it harmless against any and all liabilities, including judgments, out of pocket costs and reasonable outside counsel fees, for anything done or omitted by the Warrant Agent in the execution of this Agreement, except as a result of the Warrant Agent’s gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud or bad faith. |
| 8.4.3. | Exclusions. The Warrant Agent shall have no responsibility with respect to the validity of this Agreement or with respect to the validity or execution of any Warrant (except its countersignature thereof). The Warrant Agent shall not be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Warrant. The Warrant Agent shall not be responsible to make any adjustments required under the provisions of Section 4 hereof or responsible for the manner, method, or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment; nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Class A Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Warrant or as to whether any Class A Shares shall, when issued, be valid and fully paid and non-assessable. |
| 8.5. | Acceptance of Agency. The Warrant Agent hereby accepts the agency established by this Agreement and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions herein set forth and among other things, shall account promptly to the Company with respect to Warrants exercised and concurrently account for, and pay to the Company, all monies received by the Warrant Agent for the purchase of Class A Shares through the exercise of the Warrants. |
| 8.6. | Waiver. The Warrant Agent has no right of set-off or any other right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”) in, or to any distribution of, the Trust Account (as defined in that certain Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and between the Company and the Warrant Agent as trustee thereunder) and hereby agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction for any Claim against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever. The Warrant Agent hereby irrevocably waives any and all Claims against the Trust Account, including any monies therein or any distribution therefrom, and any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account. |
| 9. | Miscellaneous Provisions. |
| 9.1. | Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Warrant Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns. |
17
| 9.2. | Notices. Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Warrant Agent or by the holder of any Warrant to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five (5) days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Warrant Agent), as follows: |
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp.
121 High Street, Floor 3
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
Attention: Thomas Bushey, Chief Executive Officer
Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the holder of any Warrant or by the Company to or on the Warrant Agent shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five (5) days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Warrant Agent with the Company), as follows:
Continental
Stock Transfer & Trust Company
1 State Street, 30th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Attention: Compliance Department
in each case, with copies to:
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
601 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Attn: Christian Nagler, Esq.
Telephone: (212) 446-4660
BTIG,
LLC
65 E 55th Street
New York, NY 10022
Facsimile: (415) 248-2260
and
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas, 11th Floor
New
York, New York 10105
Attn: Barry Grossman. Esq.
Email: sbigrossman@egsllp.com
18
| 9.3. | Applicable Law and Exclusive Forum. The validity, interpretation, and performance of this Agreement and of the Warrants shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction. The Company hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. The Company hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this paragraph will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in the Warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in this Section 9.3. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions above, is filed in a court other than a court located within the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (a “foreign action”) in the name of any warrant holder, such warrant holder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located within the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the forum provisions (an “enforcement action”), and (y) having service of process made upon such warrant holder in any such enforcement action by service upon such warrant holder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such warrant holder. |
| 9.4. | Persons Having Rights under this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to confer upon, or give to, any person, corporation or other entity other than the parties hereto and the Registered Holders of the Warrants any right, remedy, or claim under or by reason of this Agreement or of any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise, or agreement hereof. All covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises, and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their successors and assigns and of the Registered Holders of the Warrants. |
| 9.5. | Examination of the Warrant Agreement. A copy of this Agreement shall be available at all reasonable times at the office of the Warrant Agent in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, for inspection by the Registered Holder of any Warrant. The Warrant Agent may require any such holder to submit such holder’s Warrant for inspection by the Warrant Agent. |
| 9.6. | Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of original or facsimile counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. |
| 9.7. | Effect of Headings. The section headings herein are for convenience only and are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the interpretation thereof. |
19
| 9.8. | Amendments. This Agreement may be amended by the parties hereto without the consent of any Registered Holder (i) for the purpose of (x) curing any ambiguity or to correct any defective provision contained herein, including to conform the provisions hereof to the description of the terms of the Warrants and this Agreement set forth in the Prospectus, (y) adjusting the definition of “Ordinary Cash Dividend” as contemplated by and in accordance with the second sentence of subsection 4.1.2 or (z) adding or changing any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Agreement as the parties may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the Registered Holders, and (ii) to provide for the delivery of an Alternative Issuance pursuant to Section 4.4. All other modifications or amendments, including any modification or amendment to increase the Warrant Price or shorten the Exercise Period shall require the vote or written consent of the Registered Holders of a majority of the number of the then outstanding Public Warrants and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the Private Placement Warrants or Working Capital Warrants or any provision of this Agreement with respect to the Private Placement Warrants, or Working Capital Warrants (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the forfeiture or cancellation of any Private Placement Warrants or Working Capital Warrants), a majority of the number of then outstanding Private Placement Warrants (including the vote or written consent of BTIG, LLC) and Working Capital Warrants. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may lower the Warrant Price or extend the duration of the Exercise Period pursuant to Sections 3.1 and 3.2, respectively, without the consent of the Registered Holders. |
| 9.9. | Severability. This Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be valid and enforceable. |
[Signature Page Follows]
20
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
| NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Thomas Bushey | ||
| Title: |
Chief Executive Officer | ||
| CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, as Warrant Agent | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | |||
| Title: | |||
21
EXHIBIT A
PRIVATE PLACEMENT WARRANTS LEGEND
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF UNLESS REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION, SUBJECT TO ANY ADDITIONAL LIMITATIONS ON TRANSFER DESCRIBED IN THE AGREEMENTS BY AND AMONG NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP (THE “COMPANY”), NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION SPONSOR LLC AND THE OTHER SIGNATORIES THERETO, THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY NOT BE SOLD OR TRANSFERRED PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE DATE UPON WHICH THE COMPANY COMPLETES ITS INITIAL BUSINESS COMBINATION (AS DEFINED IN SECTION 3 OF THE WARRANT AGREEMENT REFERRED TO HEREIN) EXCEPT TO A PERMITTED TRANSFEREE WHO AGREES IN WRITING WITH THE COMPANY TO BE SUBJECT TO SUCH TRANSFER PROVISIONS.
SECURITIES EVIDENCED BY THIS CERTIFICATE AND ORDINARY SHARES OF THE COMPANY ISSUED UPON EXERCISE OF SUCH SECURITIES SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS UNDER A REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT TO BE EXECUTED BY THE COMPANY.
22
EXHIBIT B
[Form of Warrant Certificate]
[FACE]
Number
Warrants
THIS
WARRANT SHALL BE VOID IF NOT EXERCISED PRIOR TO
THE EXPIRATION OF THE EXERCISE PERIOD PROVIDED FOR IN THE
WARRANT AGREEMENT DESCRIBED BELOW
NEWBURY STRET II ACQUISITION CORPORATION
Incorporated Under the Laws of the Cayman Islands
CUSIP G6439S 117
Warrant Certificate
This Warrant Certificate certifies that , or registered assigns, is the registered holder of warrants evidenced hereby (the “Warrants” and each, a “Warrant”) to purchase Class A Ordinary Shares, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), of Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder, upon exercise during the period set forth in the Warrant Agreement referred to below, to receive from the Company that number of fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Shares as set forth below, at the exercise price (the “Warrant Price”) as determined pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, payable in lawful money (or through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) of the United States of America upon surrender of this Warrant Certificate and payment of the Warrant Price at the office or agency of the Warrant Agent referred to below, subject to the conditions set forth herein and in the Warrant Agreement. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
Each whole Warrant is initially exercisable for one fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Share. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of any Warrant. If, upon the exercise of Warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to the Warrant holder. The number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
The initial Warrant Price per Ordinary Share for any Warrant is equal to $11.50 per share. The Warrant Price is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
Subject to the conditions set forth in the Warrant Agreement, the Warrants may be exercised only during the Exercise Period and to the extent not exercised by the end of such Exercise Period, such Warrants shall become void. The Warrants may be redeemed, subject to certain conditions, as set forth in the Warrant Agreement. In addition, and notwithstanding anything else in this Warrant Certificate or the Warrant Agreement, to the extent that the holder of a Warrant has delivered a notice contemplated by subsection 3.5.5 of the Warrant Agreement, neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall issue to Holder, and Holder may not acquire, any right it might have to acquire, a number of Ordinary Shares upon exercise of any Warrant to the extent that, upon such exercise, the number of Ordinary Shares then beneficially owned by Holder would exceed the Maximum Percentage of Ordinary Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise as determined in accordance with subsection 3.3.5. of the Warrant Agreement.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Warrant Certificate set forth on the reverse hereof and such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
This Warrant Certificate shall not be valid unless countersigned by the Warrant Agent, as such term is used in the Warrant Agreement.
This Warrant Certificate shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
23
| NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | |||
| Title: | |||
| CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY as Warrant Agent | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | |||
| Title: | |||
24
[Form of Warrant Certificate]
[Reverse]
The Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate are part of a duly authorized issue of Warrants entitling the holder on exercise to receive Ordinary Shares and are issued or to be issued pursuant to a Warrant Agreement dated as of ____,2024 (the “Warrant Agreement”), duly executed and delivered by the Company to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation, as warrant agent (the “Warrant Agent”), which Warrant Agreement is hereby incorporated by reference in and made a part of this instrument and is hereby referred to for a description of the rights, limitation of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Warrant Agent, the Company and the holders (the words “holders” or “holder” meaning the Registered Holders or Registered Holder, respectively) of the Warrants. A copy of the Warrant Agreement may be obtained by the holder hereof upon written request to the Company. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
Warrants may be exercised at any time during the Exercise Period set forth in the Warrant Agreement. The holder of Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate may exercise them by surrendering this Warrant Certificate, with the form of election to purchase set forth hereon properly completed and executed, together with payment of the Warrant Price as specified in the Warrant Agreement (or through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent. In the event that upon any exercise of Warrants evidenced hereby the number of Warrants exercised shall be less than the total number of Warrants evidenced hereby, there shall be issued to the holder hereof or his, her or its assignee, a new Warrant Certificate evidencing the number of Warrants not exercised.
Notwithstanding anything else in this Warrant Certificate or the Warrant Agreement, no Warrant may be exercised unless at the time of exercise (i) a registration statement covering the Ordinary Shares to be issued upon exercise is effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and (ii) a prospectus thereunder relating to the Ordinary Shares is current, except through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement.
The Warrant Agreement provides that upon the occurrence of certain events the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants set forth on the face hereof may, subject to certain conditions, be adjusted. If, upon exercise of a Warrant, the holder thereof would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company shall, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to the holder of the Warrant.
Warrant Certificates, when surrendered at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent by the Registered Holder thereof in person or by legal representative or attorney duly authorized in writing, may be exchanged, in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, but without payment of any service charge, for another Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants.
Upon due presentation for registration of transfer of this Warrant Certificate at the office of the Warrant Agent, a new Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor and evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants shall be issued to the transferee(s) in exchange for this Warrant Certificate, subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in connection therewith. The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the Registered Holder(s) hereof as the absolute owner(s) of this Warrant Certificate (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone), for the purpose of any exercise hereof, of any distribution to the holder(s) hereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. Neither the Warrants nor this Warrant Certificate entitles any holder hereof to any rights of a shareholder of the Company.
25
Election to Purchase
(To Be Executed Upon Exercise of Warrant)
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, to receive Ordinary Shares and herewith tenders payment for such Ordinary Shares to the order of Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp (the “Company”) in the amount of $_____ in accordance with the terms hereof. The undersigned requests that a certificate for such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of , whose address is , and that such Ordinary Shares be delivered to , whose address is . If said number of Ordinary Shares is less than all of the Ordinary Shares purchasable hereunder, the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of , ______ whose address is _______and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to ______ , whose address is ________.
In the event that the Warrant has been called for redemption by the Company pursuant to Section 6.1 of the Warrant Agreement and the Company has required "cashless" exercise pursuant to Section 6.3 and Section 3.3.1(b) of the Warrant Agreement, the number of Ordinary Shares that this Warrant is exercisable for shall be determined in accordance with Section 6.3 and Section 3.3.1(b) of the Warrant Agreement.
In the event that the Warrant is to be exercised on a “cashless” basis pursuant to Section 7.4 of the Warrant Agreement, the number of Ordinary Shares that this Warrant is exercisable for shall be determined in accordance with Section 7.4 of the Warrant Agreement.
In the event that the Warrant may be exercised, to the extent allowed by the Warrant Agreement, through cashless exercise (i) the number of Ordinary Shares that this Warrant is exercisable for would be determined in accordance with the relevant section of the Warrant Agreement which allows for such cashless exercise and (ii) the holder hereof shall complete the following: The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, through the cashless exercise provisions of the Warrant Agreement, to receive Ordinary Shares. If said number of Ordinary Shares is less than all of the Ordinary Shares purchasable hereunder (after giving effect to the cashless exercise), the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of , whose address is and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to , whose address is.
[To be included in any Election to Purchase of a holder who has provided the notice set forth in subsection 3.3.5 of the Warrant Agreement.
By signing this Election to Purchase, the undersigned hereby certifies that upon after giving effect to such exercise, the undersigned (together with such person’s affiliates) or any “group” of which holder or its affiliates is a member, would not beneficially own in excess of the Maximum Percentage of the Ordinary Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise as determined in accordance with subsection 3.3.5. of the Warrant Agreement.]
[Signature Page Follows]
26
| Date: | |
| (Signature) | |
| (Address) | |
| (Tax Identification Number) |
| Signature Guaranteed: | ||
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO SEC RULE 17Ad-15 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED (OR ANY SUCCESSOR RULE)).
27
Exhibit 10.1
THIS PROMISSORY NOTE (“NOTE”) HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”). THIS NOTE HAS BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT ONLY AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF REGISTRATION OF THE RESALE THEREOF UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY IN FORM, SCOPE AND SUBSTANCE TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.
PROMISSORY NOTE
Dated as of June 4, 2024
| Principal Amount: Up to $300,000 | Boston, Massachusetts |
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a Cayman Islands exempted company and blank check company (the “Maker”), promises to pay to the order of Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC or its registered assigns or successors in interest (the “Payee”), or order, the principal sum of up to Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) in lawful money of the United States of America, on the terms and conditions described below. All payments on this Note shall be made by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds or as otherwise determined by the Maker to such account as the Payee may from time to time designate by written notice in accordance with the provisions of this Note.
1. Principal. The principal balance of this Note shall be payable by the Maker on the earlier of: (i) June 30, 2025 or (ii) the date on which Maker consummates an initial public offering of its securities (the “IPO”). The principal balance may be prepaid at any time. Under no circumstances shall any individual, including but not limited to any officer, director, employee or shareholder of the Maker, be obligated personally for any obligations or liabilities of the Maker hereunder.
2. Interest. No interest shall accrue on the unpaid principal balance of this Note.
3. Drawdown Requests. Maker and Payee agree that Maker may request up to Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) for costs reasonably related to Maker’s IPO. The principal of this Note may be drawn down from time to time prior to the earlier of: (i) June 30, 2025 or (ii) the date on which Maker consummates an IPO, upon written request from Maker to Payee (each, a “Drawdown Request”). Each Drawdown Request must state the amount to be drawn down, and must not be an amount less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) unless agreed upon by Maker and Payee. Payee shall fund each Drawdown Request no later than five (5) business days after receipt of a Drawdown Request; provided, however, that the maximum amount of drawdowns collectively under this Note is Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000). Once an amount is drawn down under this Note, it shall not be available for future Drawdown Requests even if prepaid. No fees, payments or other amounts shall be due to Payee in connection with, or as a result of, any Drawdown Request by Maker. Notwithstanding the foregoing, all payments shall be applied first to payment in full of any costs incurred in the collection of any sum due under this Note, including (without limitation) reasonable attorneys’ fees, and then to the reduction of the unpaid principal balance of this Note.
4. Application of Payments. All payments shall be applied first to payment in full of any costs incurred in the collection of any sum due under this Note, including (without limitation) reasonable attorney’s fees, then to the payment in full of any late charges and finally to the reduction of the unpaid principal balance of this Note.
5. Events of Default. The following shall constitute an event of default (“Event of Default”):
(a) Failure to Make Required Payments. Failure by Maker to pay the principal amount due pursuant to this Note within five (5) business days of the date specified above.
(b) Voluntary Bankruptcy, Etc. The commencement by Maker of a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, rehabilitation or other similar law, or the consent by it to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian, sequestrator (or other similar official) of Maker or for any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of any assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the failure of Maker generally to pay its debts as such debts become due, or the taking of corporate action by Maker in furtherance of any of the foregoing.
1
(c) Involuntary Bankruptcy, Etc. The entry of a decree or order for relief by a court having jurisdiction in the premises in respect of Maker in an involuntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator (or similar official) of Maker or for any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding-up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days.
6. Remedies.
(a) Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Section 5(a) hereof, Payee may, by written notice to Maker, declare this Note to be due immediately and payable, whereupon the unpaid principal amount of this Note, and all other amounts payable hereunder, shall become immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived, anything contained herein or in the documents evidencing the same to the contrary notwithstanding.
(b) Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Sections 5(b) and 5(c), the unpaid principal balance of this Note, and all other sums payable with regard to this Note, shall automatically and immediately become due and payable, in all cases without any action on the part of Payee.
7. Waivers. Maker and all endorsers and guarantors of, and sureties for, this Note waive presentment for payment, demand, notice of dishonor, protest, and notice of protest with regard to the Note, all errors, defects and imperfections in any proceedings instituted by Payee under the terms of this Note, and all benefits that might accrue to Maker by virtue of any present or future laws exempting any property, real or personal, or any part of the proceeds arising from any sale of any such property, from attachment, levy or sale under execution, or providing for any stay of execution, exemption from civil process, or extension of time for payment; and Maker agrees that any real estate that may be levied upon pursuant to a judgment obtained by virtue hereof or any writ of execution issued hereon, may be sold upon any such writ in whole or in part in any order desired by Payee.
8. Unconditional Liability. Maker hereby waives all notices in connection with the delivery, acceptance, performance, default, or enforcement of the payment of this Note, and agrees that its liability shall be unconditional, without regard to the liability of any other party, and shall not be affected in any manner by any indulgence, extension of time, renewal, waiver or modification granted or consented to by Payee, and consents to any and all extensions of time, renewals, waivers, or modifications that may be granted by Payee with respect to the payment or other provisions of this Note, and agrees that additional makers, endorsers, guarantors, or sureties may become parties hereto without notice to Maker or affecting Maker’s liability hereunder.
9. Notices. All notices, statements or other documents which are required or contemplated by this Note shall be made in writing and delivered: (i) personally or sent by first class registered or certified mail, overnight courier service or facsimile or electronic transmission to the address designated in writing, (ii) by facsimile to the number most recently provided to such party or such other address or fax number as may be designated in writing by such party or (iii) by electronic mail, to the electronic mail address most recently provided to such party or such other electronic mail address as may be designated in writing by such party. Any notice or other communication so transmitted shall be deemed to have been given on the day of delivery, if delivered personally, on the business day following receipt of written confirmation, if sent by facsimile or electronic transmission, one (1) business day after delivery to an overnight courier service or five (5) days after mailing if sent by mail.
10. Construction. THIS NOTE SHALL BE CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAW PROVISIONS THEREOF.
2
11. Severability. Any provision contained in this Note which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.
12. Trust Waiver. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Payee hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”) in or to any distribution of or from the trust account to be established in which the proceeds of the IPO to be conducted by the Maker (including the deferred underwriters discounts and commissions) and the proceeds of the sale of the warrants to be issued in a private placement to occur prior to the closing of the IPO are to be deposited, as described in greater detail in the registration statement and prospectus to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the IPO, and hereby agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction for any Claim against the trust account for any reason whatsoever.
13. Amendment; Waiver. Any amendment hereto or waiver of any provision hereof may be made with, and only with, the written consent of the Maker and the Payee.
14. Assignment. No assignment or transfer of this Note or any rights or obligations hereunder may be made by any party hereto (by operation of law or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the other party hereto and any attempted assignment without the required consent shall be void.
[Signature page follows]
3
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Maker, intending to be legally bound hereby, has caused this Note to be duly executed by the undersigned as of the day and year first above written.
| NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP | |||
| By | /s/ Thomas Bushey | ||
| Name: | Thomas Bushey | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
[Signature page to IPO Promissory Note]
4
Exhibit 10.3
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT TRUST AGREEMENT
This Investment Management Trust Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made effective as of , 2024 by and between Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation (the “Trustee”).
WHEREAS, the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, (File No. 333- ) (the “Registration Statement”) and prospectus (the “Prospectus”) for the initial public offering of the Company’s units (the “Units”), each of which consists of one of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), and one-half of one redeemable warrant, each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Ordinary Share (such initial public offering hereinafter referred to as the “Offering”), has been declared effective as of the date hereof by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission;
WHEREAS, the Company has entered into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with BTIG LLC, as [representative (the “Representative”) of] the sole managing bookrunner and underwriter (the “Underwriter”) of the Offering [(the “Underwriters”) named therein];
WHEREAS, as described in the Registration Statement, $200,000,000 of the gross proceeds of the Offering and sale of the Private Placement Units (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) (or $230,000,000 if the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be delivered to the Trustee to be deposited and held in a segregated trust account located at all times in the United States (the “Trust Account”) for the benefit of the Company and the holders of the Ordinary Shares included in the Units issued in the Offering as hereinafter provided (the amount to be delivered to the Trustee (and any interest subsequently earned thereon) is referred to herein as the “Property,” the shareholders for whose benefit the Trustee shall hold the Property will be referred to as the “Public Shareholders,” and the Public Shareholders and the Company will be referred to together as the “Beneficiaries”);
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, a portion of the Property equal to $7,000,000, or $8,050,000 if the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, is attributable to deferred underwriting discounts and commissions that will be payable by the Company to the Underwriters upon the consummation of the Business Combination (as defined below) (such discounts and commissions, the “Deferred Discount”); and
WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee desire to enter into this Agreement to set forth the terms and conditions pursuant to which the Trustee shall hold the Property.
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED:
1. Agreements and Covenants of Trustee. The Trustee hereby agrees and covenants to:
(a) Hold the Property in trust for the Beneficiaries in accordance with the terms of this Agreement in the Trust Account established by the Trustee in the United States at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (or at another U.S. chartered commercial bank with consolidated assets of $100 billion or more) and at a brokerage institution selected by the Trustee that is reasonably satisfactory to the Company;
(b) Manage, supervise and administer the Trust Account subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein;
(c) Promptly upon receipt of written instruction of the Company, (i) invest and reinvest the Property, initially solely in United States government securities within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, having a maturity of 185 days or less, or in money market funds meeting the conditions of paragraphs (d)(1), (d)(2), (d)(3) and (d)(4) of Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (or any successor rule), which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, (ii) hold the Property as uninvested cash or (iii) hold the Property in an interest-bearing bank demand deposit account or other accounts at a bank, in each case as determined by the Company; the Trustee may not invest in any other securities or assets, it being understood that the Trust Account will earn no interest while account funds are uninvested awaiting the Company’s instructions hereunder and while invested or uninvested, the Trustee may earn bank credits or other consideration.
1
(d) Collect and receive, when due, all interest or other income arising from the Property, which shall become part of the “Property,” as such term is used herein;
(e) Promptly notify the Company and the Representative of all communications received by the Trustee with respect to any Property requiring action by the Company;
(f) Supply any necessary information or documents as may be requested by the Company (or its authorized agents) in connection with the Company’s preparation of the tax returns relating to assets held in the Trust Account or in connection with the preparation of the Company’s financial statements or completion of the audit of the Company’s financial statements by the Company’s auditors;
(g) Participate in any plan or proceeding for protecting or enforcing any right or interest arising from the Property if, as and when instructed by the Company to do so;
(h) Render to the Company monthly written statements of the activities of, and amounts in, the Trust Account reflecting all receipts and disbursements of the Trust Account;
(i) Commence liquidation of the Trust Account only after and promptly after (x) receipt of, and only in accordance with, the terms of a letter from the Company (“Termination Letter”) in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as either Exhibit A or Exhibit B, as applicable, signed on behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary or Chairman of the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) or other authorized officer of the Company, and complete the liquidation of the Trust Account and distribute the Property in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of taxes paid or payable and, in the case of Exhibit B, less up to $100,000 of interest income to pay liquidation and dissolution expenses, and in the case of Exhibit E, net of Permitted Withdrawals (as defined in the Registration Statement)), only as directed in the Termination Letter and the other documents referred to therein, or (y) upon the date which is the later of (1) 24 months after the closing of the Offering or such earlier date as the Company’s board of directors may approve; and (2) such later date as may be approved by the Company’s shareholders in accordance with the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (the “Memorandum and Articles”), if a Termination Letter has not been received by the Trustee prior to such date, in which case the Trust Account shall be liquidated in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Termination Letter attached as Exhibit B and the Property in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of taxes paid or payable and up to $100,000 of interest income to pay liquidation and dissolution expenses), shall be distributed to the Public Shareholders of record as of such date;
(j) Upon written request from the Company, which may be given from time to time in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as Exhibit C (a “Tax Payment Withdrawal Instruction”), withdraw from the Trust Account and distribute to the Company the amount of interest earned on the Property requested by the Company to cover any income tax obligation owed by the Company, which amount shall be delivered directly to the Company by electronic funds transfer or other method of prompt payment, and the Company shall forward such payment to the relevant taxing authority, so long as there is no reduction in the principal amount per share initially deposited in the Trust Account; provided, however, that to the extent there is not sufficient cash in the Trust Account to pay such tax obligation, the Trustee shall liquidate such assets held in the Trust Account as shall be designated by the Company in writing to make such distribution (it being acknowledged and agreed that any such amount in excess of interest income earned on the Property shall not be payable from the Trust Account). The written request of the Company referenced above shall constitute presumptive evidence that the Company is entitled to said funds, and the Trustee shall have no responsibility to look beyond said request;
(k) Upon written request from the Company, which may be given from time to time in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as Exhibit D (a “Shareholder Redemption Withdrawal Instruction”), the Trustee shall distribute on behalf of the Company the amount requested by the Company to be used to redeem Ordinary Shares from Public Shareholders properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Memorandum and Articles (A) that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem one hundred percent (100%) of its public Ordinary Shares if the Company has not consummated an initial Business Combination within such time as is described in the Memorandum and Articles or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of Ordinary Shares or pre-initial Business Combination activity. The written request of the Company referenced above shall constitute presumptive evidence that the Company is entitled to distribute said funds, and the Trustee shall have no responsibility to look beyond said request;
2
(l) Not make any withdrawals or distributions from the Trust Account other than pursuant to Sections 1(i), 1(j) or 1(k) above.
2. Agreements and Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby agrees and covenants to:
(a) Give all instructions to the Trustee hereunder in writing, signed by the Company’s Chairperson of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Secretary. In addition, except with respect to its duties under Sections 1(i), 1(j) and 1(k) hereof, the Trustee shall be entitled to rely on, and shall be protected in relying on, any verbal or telephonic advice or instruction which it, in good faith and with reasonable care, believes to be given by any one of the persons authorized above to give written instructions, provided that the Company shall promptly confirm such instructions in writing;
(b) Subject to Section 4 hereof, hold the Trustee harmless and indemnify the Trustee from and against any and all expenses, including reasonable counsel fees and disbursements, or losses suffered by the Trustee in connection with any action taken by it hereunder and in connection with any action, suit or other proceeding brought against the Trustee involving any claim, or in connection with any claim or demand, which in any way arises out of or relates to this Agreement, the services of the Trustee hereunder, or the Property or any interest earned on the Property, except for expenses and losses resulting from the Trustee’s gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct. Promptly after the receipt by the Trustee of notice of demand or claim or the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, pursuant to which the Trustee intends to seek indemnification under this Section 2(b), it shall notify the Company in writing of such claim (hereinafter referred to as the “Indemnified Claim”). The Trustee shall have the right to conduct and manage the defense against such Indemnified Claim; provided that the Trustee shall obtain the consent of the Company with respect to the selection of counsel, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Trustee may not agree to settle any Indemnified Claim without the prior written consent of the Company, which such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed; provided, further that the Company may conduct and manage the defense against any Indemnified Claim if the Trustee does not promptly take reasonable steps to mount such a defense.. The Company may participate in such action with its own counsel;
(c) Pay the Trustee the fees set forth on Schedule A hereto, including an initial acceptance fee, annual administration fee and transaction processing fee which fees shall be subject to modification by the parties from time to time. It is expressly understood that the Property shall not be used to pay such fees unless and until it is distributed to the Company pursuant to Sections 1(i) through 1(l) hereof. The Company shall pay the Trustee the initial acceptance fee and the first annual administration fee at the consummation of the Offering. The Company shall not be responsible for any other fees or charges of the Trustee except as set forth in this Section 2(c), Schedule A and as may be provided in Section 2(b) hereof;
(d) In connection with any vote of the Company’s shareholders regarding a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination involving the Company and one or more businesses or entities (the “Business Combination”), provide to the Trustee an affidavit or certificate of the inspector of elections for the general meeting verifying the vote of such shareholders regarding such Business Combination;
(e) Provide the Representative with a copy of any Termination Letter(s) and/or any other correspondence that is sent to the Trustee with respect to any proposed withdrawal from the Trust Account promptly after it issues the same;
3
(f) Unless otherwise agreed between the Company and the Representative, ensure that any Instruction Letter (as defined in Exhibit A) delivered in connection with a Termination Letter in the form of Exhibit A expressly provides that the Deferred Discount is paid directly to the account or accounts directed by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters prior to any transfer of funds held in the Trust Account to the Company or any other person;
(g) Instruct the Trustee to make only those distributions that are permitted under this Agreement, and refrain from instructing the Trustee to make any distributions that are not permitted under this Agreement; and
(h) Within four (4) business days after the Underwriters exercise the over-allotment option (or any unexercised portion thereof) or such over-allotment option expires, provide the Trustee with a notice in writing of the total amount of the Deferred Discount, which shall in no event be less than $8,050,000.
3. Limitations of Liability. The Trustee shall have no responsibility or liability to:
(a) Imply obligations, perform duties, inquire or otherwise be subject to the provisions of any agreement or document other than this Agreement and that which is expressly set forth herein;
(b) Take any action with respect to the Property, other than as directed in Section 1 hereof, and the Trustee shall have no liability to any third party except for liability arising out of the Trustee’s gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct;
(c) Institute any proceeding for the collection of any principal and income arising from, or institute, appear in or defend any proceeding of any kind with respect to, any of the Property unless and until it shall have received instructions from the Company given as provided herein to do so and the Company shall have advanced or guaranteed to it funds sufficient to pay any expenses incident thereto;
(d) Refund any depreciation in principal of any Property;
(e) Assume that the authority of any person designated by the Company to give instructions hereunder shall not be continuing unless provided otherwise in such designation, or unless the Company shall have delivered a written revocation of such authority to the Trustee;
(f) The other parties hereto or to anyone else for any action taken or omitted by it, or any action suffered by it to be taken or omitted, in good faith and in the Trustee’s best judgment, except for the Trustee’s gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct. The Trustee may rely conclusively and shall be protected in acting upon any order, notice, demand, certificate, opinion or advice of counsel (including counsel chosen by the Trustee, which counsel may be the Company’s counsel), statement, instrument, report or other paper or document (not only as to its due execution and the validity and effectiveness of its provisions, but also as to the truth and acceptability of any information therein contained) which the Trustee believes, in good faith and with reasonable care, to be genuine and to be signed or presented by the proper person or persons. The Trustee shall not be bound by any notice or demand, or any waiver, modification, termination or rescission of this Agreement or any of the terms hereof, unless evidenced by a written instrument delivered to the Trustee, signed by the proper party or parties and, if the duties or rights of the Trustee are affected, unless it shall give its prior written consent thereto;
(g) Verify the accuracy of the information contained in the Registration Statement;
(h) Provide any assurance that any Business Combination entered into by the Company or any other action taken by the Company is as contemplated by the Registration Statement;
(i) File information returns with respect to the Trust Account with any local, state or federal taxing authority or provide periodic written statements to the Company documenting the taxes payable by the Company, if any, relating to any interest income earned on the Property;
4
(j) Prepare, execute and file tax reports, income or other tax returns and pay any taxes with respect to any income generated by, and activities relating to, the Trust Account, regardless of whether such tax is payable by the Trust Account or the Company, including, but not limited to, tax obligations, except pursuant to Section 1(j) hereof; or
(k) Verify calculations, qualify or otherwise approve the Company’s written requests for distributions pursuant to Sections 1(i), 1(j) or 1(k) hereof.
4. Trust Account Waiver. The Trustee has no right of set-off or any right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”) to, or to any monies in, the Trust Account, and hereby irrevocably waives any Claim to, or to any monies in, the Trust Account that it may have now or in the future. In the event the Trustee has any Claim against the Company under this Agreement, including, without limitation, under Section 2(b) or Section 2(c) hereof, the Trustee shall pursue such Claim solely against the Company and its assets outside the Trust Account and not against the Property or any monies in the Trust Account.
5. Termination. This Agreement shall terminate as follows:
(a) If the Trustee gives written notice to the Company that it desires to resign under this Agreement, the Company shall use its reasonable efforts to locate a successor trustee, pending which the Trustee shall continue to act in accordance with this Agreement. At such time that the Company notifies the Trustee that a successor trustee has been appointed and has agreed to become subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Trustee shall transfer the management of the Trust Account to the successor trustee, including but not limited to the transfer of copies of the reports and statements relating to the Trust Account, whereupon this Agreement shall terminate; provided, however, that in the event that the Company does not locate a successor trustee within ninety (90) days of receipt of the resignation notice from the Trustee, the Trustee may submit an application to have the Property deposited with any court in the State of New York or with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and upon such deposit, the Trustee shall be immune from any liability whatsoever; or
(b) At such time that the Trustee has completed the liquidation of the Trust Account and its obligations in accordance with the provisions of Section 1(i) hereof and distributed the Property in accordance with the provisions of the Termination Letter, this Agreement shall terminate except with respect to Section 2(b).
(c) If the Offering is not consummated within ten (10) business days of the date of this Agreement, any funds received by the Trustee from the Company or Sponsor for purposes of funding the Trust Account shall be promptly returned to the Company or Sponsor, as applicable.
6. Miscellaneous.
(a) The Company and the Trustee each acknowledge that the Trustee will follow the security procedures set forth below with respect to funds transferred from the Trust Account. The Company and the Trustee will each restrict access to confidential information relating to such security procedures to authorized persons. Each party must notify the other party immediately if it has reason to believe unauthorized persons may have obtained access to such confidential information, or of any change in its authorized personnel. In executing funds transfers, the Trustee shall rely upon all information supplied to it by the Company, including, account names, account numbers and all other identifying information relating to a Beneficiary, Beneficiary’s bank or intermediary bank. Except for any liability arising out of the Trustee’s gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct, the Trustee shall not be liable for any loss, liability or expense resulting from any error in the information or transmission of the funds.
(b) This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction. This Agreement may be executed in several original or facsimile counterparts, each one of which shall constitute an original, and together shall constitute but one instrument.
5
(c) This Agreement contains the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. Except for Sections 1(i), 1(j) or 1(k) hereof (which sections may not be modified, amended or deleted without the affirmative vote of sixty-five percent (65%) of the then outstanding Ordinary Shares and Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company, voting together as a single class; provided that no such amendment will affect any Public Shareholder who has properly elected to redeem his, her or its Ordinary Shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to this Agreement (A) that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem one hundred percent (100%) of its public Ordinary Shares if the Company does not complete its initial Business Combination within the time frame specified in the Memorandum and Articles or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of Ordinary Shares or pre-initial Business Combination activity), this Agreement or any provision hereof may only be changed, amended or modified (other than to correct a typographical error) by a writing signed by each of the parties hereto.
(d) The parties hereto consent to the jurisdiction and venue of any state or federal court located in the City of New York, State of New York, for purposes of resolving any disputes hereunder. AS TO ANY CLAIM, CROSS-CLAIM OR COUNTERCLAIM IN ANY WAY RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, EACH PARTY WAIVES THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY.
(e) Any notice, consent or request to be given in connection with any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be sent by express mail or similar private courier service, by certified mail (return receipt requested), by hand delivery or by facsimile or email transmission:
if to the Trustee, to:
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
1 State Street, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Francis Wolf and Celeste Gonzalez
Email: fwolf@continentalstock.com
Email: cgonzalez@continentalstock.com
if to the Company, to:
Nubury Street II Acquisition Corp
121 High Street, Floor 3
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
Telephone: (617) 894-3057
Attn: Thomas Bushey
Email:Tom.Bushey@sunderland.com
6
in each case, with copies to:
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10105
(212) 370-1300
Attn: Barry I. Grossman, Esq.
and
BTIG LLC.
65 East
55th Street
New York, NY 10022
Attn: [*]
(f) Each of the Company and the Trustee hereby represents that it has the full right and power and has been duly authorized to enter into this Agreement and to perform its respective obligations as contemplated hereunder. The Trustee acknowledges and agrees that it shall not make any claims or proceed against the Trust Account, including by way of set-off, and shall not be entitled to any funds in the Trust Account under any circumstance.
(g) This Agreement is the joint product of the Trustee and the Company and each provision hereof has been subject to the mutual consultation, negotiation and agreement of such parties and shall not be construed for or against any party hereto.
(h) Each of the Company and the Trustee hereby acknowledges and agrees that the Representative, on behalf of the Underwriters, is a third party beneficiary of this Agreement.
(i) Except as specified herein, no party to this Agreement may assign its rights or delegate its obligations hereunder to any other person or entity without the prior written consent of the other.
[Signature Page Follows]
7
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Investment Management Trust Agreement as of the date first written above.
| Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Trustee | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | Vice President | |
| Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Thomas Bushey | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
Signature Page To
Investment Management Trust Agreement
SCHEDULE A
| Fee Item | Time and method of payment | Amount | ||||
| Initial set-up fee | Initial closing of Offering by wire transfer. | $ | 3,500.00 | |||
| Trustee administration fee | Payable annually. First year fee payable at initial closing of Offering by wire transfer; thereafter, payable by wire transfer or check. | $ | 10,000.00 | |||
| Transaction processing fee for disbursements to Company under Sections 1(i), 1(j) and 1(k) | Billed to Company following disbursement made to Company under Section 1. | $ | 250.00 | |||
| Paying Agent services as required pursuant to Sections 1(i) and 1(k) | Billed to Company upon delivery of service pursuant to Sections 1(i) and 1(k). | Prevailing rates | ||||
Schedule A
Exhibit A
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
1 State Street, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Francis Wolf and Celeste Gonzalez
| Re: | Trust Account—Termination Letter |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Pursuant to Section 1(i) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp (the “Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Trustee”), dated as of , 2024 (the “Trust Agreement”), this is to advise you that the Company has entered into an agreement with [●] (the “Target Business”) to consummate a business combination with Target Business (the “Business Combination”) on or about [insert date]. The Company shall notify you at least seventy-two (72) hours in advance of the actual date of the consummation of the Business Combination (the “Consummation Date”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.
In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, we hereby authorize you to commence to liquidate all of the assets of the Trust Account and to transfer the proceeds into the trust operating account in the United States at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. to the effect that, on the Consummation Date, all of the funds held in the Trust Account will be immediately available for transfer to the account or accounts that the Company shall direct on the Consummation Date (including as directed to it by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters with respect to the Deferred Discount). It is acknowledged and agreed that while the funds are on deposit in the trust operating account at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. awaiting distribution, the Company will not earn any interest or dividends.
On the Consummation Date (i) counsel for the Company shall deliver to you written notification that the Business Combination has been consummated, or will be consummated concurrently with your transfer of funds to the accounts as directed by the Company (the “Notification”), (ii) the Company shall deliver to you (a) a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, which verifies that the Business Combination has been approved by a vote of the Company’s shareholders, if a vote is held and (b) a joint written instruction signed by the Company and the Representative with respect to the transfer of the funds held in the Trust Account, including payment of amounts owed to public shareholders who have properly exercised their redemption rights and payment of the Deferred Discount directly to the account or accounts directed by the Representative from the Trust Account (the “Instruction Letter”). You are hereby directed and authorized to transfer the funds held in the Trust Account immediately upon your receipt of the Notification and the Instruction Letter, in accordance with the terms of the Instruction Letter. In the event that certain deposits held in the Trust Account may not be liquidated by the Consummation Date without penalty, you will notify the Company in writing of the same and the Company shall direct you as to whether such funds should remain in the Trust Account and be distributed after the Consummation Date to the Company. Upon the distribution of all the funds, net of any payments necessary for reasonable unreimbursed expenses related to liquidating the Trust Account, your obligations under the Trust Agreement shall be terminated.
In the event that the Business Combination is not consummated on the Consummation Date described in the notice thereof and we have not notified you on or before the original Consummation Date of a new Consummation Date, then upon receipt by the Trustee of written instructions from the Company, the funds held in the Trust Account shall be reinvested as provided in Section 1(c) of the Trust Agreement on the business day immediately following the Consummation Date as set forth in such written instructions as soon thereafter as possible.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| cc: | BTIG LLC |
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
1 State Street, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Francis Wolf and Celeste Gonzalez
| Re: | Trust Account—Termination Letter |
Dear Mr. Wolf and Ms. Gonzalez:
Pursuant to Section 1(i) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp (the “Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Trustee”), dated as of _____, 2024 (the “Trust Agreement”), this is to advise you that the Company has been unable to effect a business combination with a Target Business within the time frame specified in the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as may be amended from time to time (the “Memorandum and Articles”), as described in the Company’s Prospectus relating to the Offering. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.
In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, we hereby authorize you to liquidate all of the assets in the Trust Account and to transfer the total proceeds into the trust operating account in the United States at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. to await distribution to the Public Shareholders. The Company has selected [●], 20[ ]1 as the effective date for the purpose of determining when the Public Shareholders will be entitled to receive their share of the liquidation proceeds. You agree to be the Paying Agent of record and, in your separate capacity as Paying Agent, agree to distribute said funds directly to the Public Shareholders in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement and the Memorandum and Articles. Upon the distribution of all the funds, net of any payments necessary for reasonable unreimbursed expenses related to liquidating the Trust Account, your obligations under the Trust Agreement shall be terminated, except to the extent otherwise provided in Section 1(j) of the Trust Agreement.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| cc: | BTIG LLC. |
| 1 | 24 months or such earlier date as the Company’s board of directors may approve), or at a later date, if extended. |
Exhibit B
Exhibit C
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
1 State Street, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Francis Wolf and Celeste Gonzalez
| Re: | Trust Account—Tax Payment Withdrawal Instruction |
Dear Mr. Wolf and Ms. Gonzalez:
Pursuant to Section 1(j) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp (the “Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Trustee”), dated as of _____, 2024 (the “Trust Agreement”), the Company hereby requests that you deliver to the Company $[●] of the interest income earned on the Property as of the date hereof. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.
The Company needs such funds to pay for the tax obligations as set forth on the attached tax return or tax statement. In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, you are hereby directed and authorized to transfer (via wire transfer) such funds promptly upon your receipt of this letter to the Company’s operating account at:
[WIRE INSTRUCTION INFORMATION]
| Very truly yours, | ||
| Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| cc: | BTIG LLC |
Exhibit C
Exhibit D
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
1 State Street, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Francis Wolf and Celeste Gonzalez
| Re: | Trust Account—Shareholder Redemption Withdrawal Instruction |
Dear Mr. Wolf and Ms. Gonzalez:
Pursuant to Section 1(k) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp (the “Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Trustee”), dated as of _____, 2024 (the “Trust Agreement”), the Company hereby requests that you deliver to the redeeming Public Shareholders of the Company $[●] of the principal and interest income earned on the Property as of the date hereof. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.
The Company needs such funds to pay its Public Shareholders who have properly elected to have their Ordinary Shares redeemed by the Company in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as may be amended from time to time (the “Memorandum and Articles”) (A) that affects the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem one hundred percent (100%) of its public Ordinary Shares if the Company has not consummated an initial Business Combination within such time as is described in the Memorandum and Articles or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of Ordinary Shares or pre-initial Business Combination activity. As such, you are hereby directed and authorized to transfer (via wire transfer) such funds promptly upon your receipt of this letter to the redeeming Public Shareholders in accordance with your customary procedures.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| cc: | BTIG LLC. |
Exhibit D
Exhibit 10.4
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of [*] [*], 2024 is made and entered into by and among Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), , and the undersigned parties listed under Holder on the signature pages hereto (each such party, and any person or entity who hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement pursuant to Section 5.2 of this Agreement, a “Holder” and collectively the “Holders”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Sponsor owns an aggregate of 6,118,000 of the Company’s Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Founder Shares”) up to 795,000 of which will be surrendered to the Company for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters of the Company’s initial public offering exercise their over-allotment option;
WHEREAS, the Founder Shares are convertible into the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Ordinary Shares”), on the terms and conditions provided in the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as may be further amended from time to time;
WHEREAS, on the date hereof, the Company and the Sponsor entered into that certain Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement (the “Sponsor Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which the Sponsor agreed to purchase an aggregate of 440,000 Private Placement Units (or up to 484,500 Private Placement Units depending on the extent to which the over-allotment option in connection with the Company’s initial public offering is exercised) in a private placement transaction occurring simultaneously with the closing of the Company’s initial public offering (the “IPO”);
WHEREAS, on the date hereof, the Company and BTIG LLC (“BTIG”), the underwriter of the Company’s IPO, entered into that certain Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement (the “BTIG Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which BTIG agreed to purchase an aggregate of 170,000 Private Placement Units (or up to 195,500 Private Placement Units depending on the extent to which the over-allotment option in connection with the Company’s IPO is exercised) in a private placement transaction occurring simultaneously with the closing of the Company’s IPO;
WHEREAS, in order to finance the Company’s transaction costs in connection with its search for and consummation of an initial Business Combination (as defined below), the Sponsor, its affiliates or any of the Company’s officers and directors may loan to the Company funds as the Company may require, of which up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into additional units (“Working Capital Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Working Capital Unit at the option of the lender;
WHEREAS, the Company issued an aggregate of 100,000 of its ordinary shares to the [designees of] BTIG (the “Representative Founder Shares”); and
WHEREAS, the Company and the Holders desire to enter into this Agreement, pursuant to which the Company shall grant the Holders certain registration rights with respect to certain securities of the Company, as set forth in this Agreement.
1
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the representations, covenants and agreements contained herein, and certain other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. The terms defined in this Article 1 shall, for all purposes of this Agreement, have the respective meanings set forth below:
“Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Board” shall mean the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Combination” shall mean any merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, involving the Company.
“Class A Ordinary Shares” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Commission” shall mean the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Company” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Demanding Holder” shall mean any Holder or group of Holders at the time of the Underwritten Demand, under a Registration Statement pursuant to an Underwritten Offering.
“Effectiveness Period” shall have the meaning given in subsection 3.1.1 of this Agreement.
“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as it may be amended from time to time.
“Founder Shares” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto and shall be deemed to include the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion thereof.
“Holder Indemnified Persons” shall have the meaning given in subsection 4.1.1 of this Agreement.
“Founder Shares Lock-up Period” shall mean the earlier of (i) one year after the completion of our initial Business Combination; and (ii) subsequent to the Company’s initial Business Combination; (x) if the last reported sale price of our Class A Ordinary Shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share dividends, rights issuances, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after its initial Business Combination or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of its public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A Ordinary Shares for cash, securities or other property.
“Holders” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Insider Letter” shall mean that certain letter agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Company, the Sponsor and each of the Company’s officers and directors.
“IPO” shall mean the Company’s initial public offering.
“Maximum Number of Securities” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.4 of this Agreement.
“Misstatement” shall mean, in the case of a Registration Statement, an untrue statement of a material fact or an omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and in the case of a Prospectus, an untrue statement of a material fact or an omission to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
2
“Ordinary Shares” shall mean the Class A Ordinary Shares.
“Piggyback Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.2.1 of this Agreement.
“Permitted Transferees” shall mean any person or entity to whom a Holder of Registrable Securities is permitted to transfer such Registrable Securities prior to the expiration of the Founder Shares Lock-up Period, Private Placement Lock-up Period or any other lock-up period, as the case may be, under the Insider Letter, the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement, this Agreement and any other applicable agreement between such Holder and the Company, and to any transferee thereafter.
“Private Placement Lock-up Period” shall mean the period ending 30 days after the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination.
“Private Placement Shares” shall mean the Class A Ordinary Shares included in the Private Placement Units.
“Private Placement Units” shall mean the private placement units of the Company consisting of one Class A Ordinary Share and one half of one warrant, each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share.
“Private Placement Units Purchase Agreements” shall mean the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreements entered into by the Company with each of the Sponsor and BTIG.
“Private Placement Warrants” shall mean the private placement warrants included in the Private Placement Units.
“Pro Rata” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.4 of this Agreement.
“Prospectus” shall mean the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as supplemented by any and all prospectus supplements and as amended by any and all post-effective amendments and including all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus.
“Registrable Security” shall mean (a) the Founder Shares and the Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon the conversion of any Founder Shares, (b) the Private Placement Units, Private Placement Shares, Private Placement Warrants and Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of the Private Placement Warrants, (c) the Representative Founder Shares, (d) any outstanding Ordinary Shares or any other equity security (including the Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise of any other equity security) of the Company held by a Holder as of the date of this Agreement or acquired prior to or in connection with the Business Combination, which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall include any Ordinary Shares received by a Holder on or after the date hereof as a distribution from the Sponsor in connection with its liquidation and dissolution, (e) any Working Capital Units, Working Capital Shares, Working Capital Warrants and Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of the Working Capital Warrants, and (f) any other equity security of the Company issued or issuable with respect to any such Ordinary Share by way of a share capitalization or share split or in connection with a combination of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or reorganization; provided, however, that, as to any particular Registrable Security, such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities when: (A) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such securities shall have become effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been sold, transferred, disposed of or exchanged in accordance with such Registration Statement; (B) such securities shall have been otherwise transferred, new certificates for such securities not bearing a legend restricting further transfer shall have been delivered by the Company and subsequent public distribution of such securities shall not require registration under the Securities Act; (C) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding; (D) such securities may be sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission) (but with no volume or other restrictions or limitations); or (E) such securities have been sold to, or through, a broker, dealer or underwriter in a public distribution or other public securities transaction.
3
“Registration” shall mean a registration effected by preparing and filing a registration statement or similar document in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and any such registration statement having become effective by the Commission.
“Registration Expenses” shall mean the out-of-pocket expenses of a Registration, including, without limitation, the following:
(a) all registration and filing fees (including fees with respect to filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) and any securities exchange on which the Ordinary Shares are then listed;
(b) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with blue sky qualifications of Registrable Securities);
(c) printing, messenger, telephone and delivery expenses;
(d) reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company;
(e) reasonable fees and disbursements of all independent registered public accountants of the Company incurred specifically in connection with such Registration or Underwritten Offering;
(f) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of any Registrable Securities on each securities exchange or automated quotation system on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;
(g) the fees and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any road show for any Underwritten Offerings; and
(h) reasonable fees and expenses of one (1) legal counsel selected jointly by the Demanding Holders initiating an Underwritten Demand, the Requesting Holders participating in an Underwritten Offering and the Holders participating in a Piggyback Registration, as applicable.
“Registration Statement” shall mean any registration statement under the Securities Act that covers the Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, including the Prospectus included in such registration statement, amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements to such registration statement and all exhibits to and all material incorporated by reference in such registration statement.
“Representative Founder Shares” shall have the meaning given in the preamble.
“Requesting Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3 of this Agreement.
“Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.
“Shelf Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1 of this Agreement.
“Sponsor” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Suspension Event” shall have the meaning given in Section 3.4 of this Agreement.
“Underwriter” shall mean a securities dealer who purchases any Registrable Securities as principal in an Underwritten Offering and not as part of such dealer’s market-making activities.
“Underwritten Demand” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3 of this Agreement.
“Underwritten Offering” shall mean a Registration in which securities of the Company are sold to an Underwriter in a firm commitment underwriting for distribution to the public.
4
“Working Capital Shares” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Working Capital Units” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Working Capital Warrants” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
ARTICLE 2
REGISTRATIONS
2.1 Registration.
2.1.1 Shelf Registration. The Company agrees that, within fifteen (15) business days after the consummation of the Business Combination, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to file with the Commission (at the Company’s sole cost and expense) a Registration Statement registering the resale or other disposition of the Registrable Securities (a “Shelf Registration”).
2.1.2 Effective Registration. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective by the Commission as soon as reasonably practicable after the initial filing of the Registration Statement. Subject to the limitations contained in this Agreement, the Company shall effect any Shelf Registration on such appropriate registration form of the Commission (a) as shall be selected by the Company and (b) as shall permit the resale or other disposition of the Registrable Securities by the Holders. If at any time a Registration Statement filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 2.1.1 is effective and a Holder provides written notice to the Company that it intends to effect an offering of all or part of the Registrable Securities included on such Registration Statement, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to amend or supplement such Registration Statement as may be necessary in order to enable such offering to take place in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
2.1.3 Underwritten Offering. Subject to the provisions of subsection 2.1.4 and Sections 2.4 and 3.4 hereof, any Demanding Holder may make a written demand for an Underwritten Offering pursuant to a Registration Statement filed with the Commission in accordance with Section 2.1.1 (an “Underwritten Demand”). The Company shall, within ten (10) days of the Company’s receipt of the Underwritten Demand, notify, in writing, all other Holders of such demand, and each Holder who thereafter requests to include all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Underwritten Offering pursuant to such Underwritten Demand (each such Holder that requests to include all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Underwritten Offering, a “Requesting Holder”) shall so notify the Company, in writing, within two (2) days (one (1) day if such offering is an overnight or bought Underwritten Offering) after the receipt by the Holder of the notice from the Company. Upon receipt by the Company of any such written notification from a Requesting Holder(s), such Requesting Holder(s) shall be entitled to have their Registrable Securities included in such Underwritten Offering pursuant to such Underwritten Demand. All such Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through such Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.1.3 shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the Demanding Holders initiating such Underwritten Offering. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company is not obligated to effect more than an aggregate of three (3) Underwritten Offerings pursuant to this subsection 2.1.3 and is not obligated to effect an Underwritten Offering pursuant to this subsection 2.1.3 within ninety (90) days after the closing of an Underwritten Offering.
2.1.4 Reduction of Underwritten Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Offering pursuant to an Underwritten Demand, in good faith, advises the Company, the Demanding Holders, the Requesting Holders and other persons or entities holding Ordinary Shares or other equity securities of the Company that the Company is obligated to include pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons or entities (if any) in writing that the dollar amount or number of Registrable Securities or other equity securities of the Company requested to be included in such Underwritten Offering exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of equity securities of the Company that can be sold in the Underwritten Offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of such securities, as applicable, the “Maximum Number of Securities”), then the Company shall include in such Underwritten Offering, as follows: (a) first, the Registrable Securities of the Demanding Holders (pro rata based on the respective number of Registrable Securities that each Demanding Holder has requested be included in such Underwritten Offering and the aggregate number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holders have requested be included in such Underwritten Offering (such proportion is referred to herein as “Pro Rata”)) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (b) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (a), the Registrable Securities of the Requesting Holders, Pro Rata, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (c) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (a) and (b), Ordinary Shares or other equity securities of the Company that the Company desires to sell and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (d) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (a), (b) and (c), Ordinary Shares or other equity securities of the Company held by other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to include pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons or entities and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.
5
2.2 Piggyback Registration.
2.2.1 Piggyback Rights. Subject to the provisions of subsection 2.2.2 and Sections 2.4 and 3.4 hereof, if, at any time on or after the date the Company consummates a Business Combination, the Company proposes to consummate an Underwritten Offering for its own account or for the account of shareholders of the Company, then the Company shall give written notice of such proposed action to all of the Holders as soon as practicable, which notice shall (a) describe the amount and type of securities to be included, the intended method(s) of distribution and the name of the proposed managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, and (b) offer to all of the Holders the opportunity to include of such number of Registrable Securities as such Holders may request in writing within two (2) days (unless such offering is an overnight or bought Underwritten Offering, then one (1) day), in each case after receipt of such written notice (such Registration a “Piggyback Registration”). The Company shall, in good faith, cause such Registrable Securities to be included in such Piggyback Registration and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of a proposed Underwritten Offering to permit the Registrable Securities requested by the Holders pursuant to this subsection 2.2.1 to be included in a Piggyback Registration on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company included in such Piggyback Registration and to permit the resale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. All such Holders proposing to include Registrable Securities in an Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.2.1 shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the Company.
2.2.2 Reduction of Piggyback Registration. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Offering that is to be a Piggyback Registration, in good faith, advises the Company and the Holders of Registrable Securities participating in the Piggyback Registration in writing that the dollar amount or number of shares or equity securities of the Company that the Company desires to sell, taken together with (a) the shares or equity securities of the Company, if any, as to which the Underwritten Offering has been demanded pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities hereunder, (b) the Registrable Securities as to which a Piggyback Registration has been requested pursuant to this Section 2.2 and (c) the shares or equity securities of the Company, if any, as to which inclusion in the Underwritten Offering has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggyback registration rights of other shareholders of the Company, exceeds the Maximum Number of Securities, then:
(i) If the Underwritten Offering is undertaken for the Company’s account, the Company shall include in any such Underwritten Offering (A) first, the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities of the Company that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Registrable Securities of Holders requesting a Piggyback Registration pursuant to subsection 2.2.1, Pro Rata, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), Ordinary Shares or other equity securities of the Company, if any, as to which inclusion in the Underwritten Offering has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggyback registration rights of other shareholders of the Company, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; or
6
(ii) If the Underwritten Offering is pursuant to a request by persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, then the Company shall include in any such Underwritten Offering (A) first, Ordinary Shares or other equity securities of the Company, if any, of such requesting persons or entities, other than the Holders, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Registrable Securities of Holders requesting a Piggyback Registration pursuant to subsection 2.2.1, Pro Rata, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), Ordinary Shares or other equity securities of the Company that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (D) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), Ordinary Shares or other equity securities of the Company for the account of other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons or entities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.
2.2.3 Piggyback Registration Withdrawal. Any Holder shall have the right to withdraw from a Piggyback Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of his, her or its intention to withdraw from such Piggyback Registration prior to the commencement of the Underwritten Offering. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with the Piggyback Registration prior to its withdrawal under this subsection 2.2.3.
2.2.4 Unlimited Piggyback Registration Rights. For purposes of clarity, any Registration or Underwritten Offering effected pursuant to this Section 2.2 shall not be counted as an Underwritten Offering pursuant to an Underwritten Demand effected under Section 2.1 hereof.
2.4 Restrictions on Registration Rights. If (a) the Holders have requested an Underwritten Offering pursuant to an Underwritten Demand and the Company and the Holders are unable to obtain the commitment of underwriters to firmly underwrite the offer; or (b) the Holders have requested an Underwritten Offering pursuant to an Underwritten Demand and in the good faith judgment of the Board such Underwritten Offering would be seriously detrimental to the Company and the Board concludes as a result that it is essential to defer the undertaking of such Underwritten Offering at such time, then in each case the Company shall furnish to such Holders a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board stating that in the good faith judgment of the Board it would be seriously detrimental to the Company to undertake such Underwritten Offering in the near future and that it is therefore essential to defer the undertaking of such Underwritten Offering. In such event, the Company shall have the right to defer such offering for a period of not more than thirty (30) days; provided, however, that the Company shall not defer its obligation in this manner more than once in any twelve (12)-month period.
ARTICLE 3
COMPANY PROCEDURES
3.1 General Procedures. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to effect such Registration or Underwritten Offering to permit the resale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended plan of distribution thereof, and pursuant thereto the Company shall, as expeditiously as possible and to the extent applicable:
3.1.1 prepare and file with the Commission after the consummation of the Business Combination a Registration Statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective in accordance with Section 2.1 hereof and remain effective, including filing a replacement Registration Statement, if necessary, until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold or are no longer outstanding (such period, the “Effectiveness Period”);
7
3.1.2 prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement, and such supplements to the Prospectus, as may be reasonably requested by the Holders or any Underwriter or as may be required by the rules, regulations or instructions applicable to the registration form used by the Company or by the Securities Act or rules and regulations thereunder to keep the Registration Statement effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement are sold in accordance with the intended plan of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or are no longer outstanding;
3.1.3 prior to filing a Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish without charge to the Underwriters, if any, and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration or Underwritten Offering and such Holders’ legal counsel, copies of such Registration Statement as proposed to be filed, each amendment and supplement to such Registration Statement (in each case including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein), the Prospectus (including each preliminary Prospectus) and such other documents as the Underwriters and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration or Underwritten Offering or the legal counsel for any such Holders may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Holders; provided, that the Company will not have any obligation to provide any document pursuant to this clause that is available on the Commission’s EDGAR system;
3.1.4 prior to any Underwritten Offering of Registrable Securities, use commercially reasonable efforts to (a) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (in light of their intended plan of distribution) may request and (b) take such action necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or advisable to enable the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify or take any action to which it would be subject to general service of process or taxation in any such jurisdiction where it is not then otherwise so subject;
3.1.5 cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on each securities exchange or automated quotation system on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;
3.1.6 provide a transfer agent or warrant agent, as applicable, and registrar for all such Registrable Securities no later than the effective date of such Registration Statement or Underwritten Offering;
3.1.7 advise each seller of such Registrable Securities, promptly after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance of any stop order by the Commission suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose and promptly use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such stop order should be issued;
3.1.8 during the Effectiveness Period, furnish a conformed copy of each filing of any Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or Prospectus or any document that is to be incorporated by reference into such Registration Statement or Prospectus, promptly after such filing of such documents with the Commission to each seller of such Registrable Securities or its counsel; provided, that the Company will not have any obligation to provide any document pursuant to this clause that is available on the Commission’s EDGAR system;
3.1.9 notify the Holders at any time when a Prospectus relating to such Registration Statement is required to be delivered under the Securities Act;
3.1.10 subject to the provisions of this Agreement, notify the Holders of the happening of any event as a result of which a Misstatement exists, and then to correct such Misstatement as set forth in Section 3.4 hereof;
8
3.1.11 in the event of an Underwritten Offering, permit a representative of the Holders or the Underwriters facilitating such Underwritten Offering or other sale pursuant to such Registration, if any, and any attorney or accountant retained by such Holders or Underwriter to participate, at each such person’s own expense, in the preparation of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information reasonably requested by any such representative, Underwriter, attorney or accountant in connection with the Registration; provided, however, that such representatives or Underwriters enter into confidentiality agreements, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, prior to the release or disclosure of any such information;
3.1.12 obtain a comfort letter from the Company’s independent registered public accountants in the event of an Underwritten Offering, in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by comfort letters as the managing Underwriter may reasonably request, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority-in-interest of the participating Holders;
3.1.13 in the event of an Underwritten Offering, on the date the Registrable Securities are delivered for sale pursuant to such Registration, obtain an opinion, dated such date, of counsel representing the Company for the purposes of such Registration, addressed to the participating Holders and the Underwriters, if any, covering such legal matters with respect to the Registration in respect of which such opinion is being given as the participating Holders or Underwriter may reasonably request and as are customarily included in such opinions and negative assurance letters, and reasonably satisfactory to such participating Holders or Underwriter;
3.1.14 in the event of an Underwritten Offering, to allow the Underwriters to conduct customary “underwriter’s due diligence” with respect to the Company;
3.1.15 in the event of any Underwritten Offering, to enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement or other purchase or sales agreement, in usual and customary form, with the managing Underwriter of such offering or sale;
3.1.16 make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering the period of at least twelve (12) months beginning with the first (1st) day of the Company’s first full calendar quarter after the effective date of the Registration Statement which satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission);
3.1.17 use its reasonable efforts to make available senior executives of the Company to participate in customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the Underwriter in any Underwritten Offering; and
3.1.18 otherwise, in good faith, cooperate reasonably with, and take such customary actions as may reasonably be requested by the Holders, in connection with such Registration.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to provide any documents or information to an Underwriter if such Underwriter has not then been named with respect to the applicable Underwritten Offering or other offering involving a registration as an Underwriter.
3.2 Registration Expenses. The Registration Expenses in respect of all Registrations shall be borne by the Company. It is acknowledged by the Holders that the Holders shall bear all incremental selling expenses relating to the sale of Registrable Securities, such as Underwriters’ commissions and discounts, brokerage fees, Underwriter marketing costs and, other than as set forth in the definition of “Registration Expenses,” all reasonable fees and expenses of any legal counsel representing the Holders.
3.3 Requirements for Participation in Underwritten Offerings. No person or entity may participate in any Underwritten Offering for equity securities of the Company pursuant to a Registration initiated by the Company hereunder unless such person or entity (a) agrees to sell such person’s or entity’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Company and (b) completes and executes all customary questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, lock-up agreements, underwriting agreements and other customary documents as may be reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements.
9
3.4 Suspension of Sales. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be entitled to (A) delay or postpone the (i) initial effectiveness of any Registration Statement or (ii) launch of any Underwritten Offering, in each case, filed or requested pursuant to this Agreement, and (B) from time to time to require the Holders not to sell under any Registration Statement or Prospectus or to suspend the effectiveness thereof, if the negotiation or consummation of a transaction by the Company or its subsidiaries is pending or an event has occurred, which negotiation, consummation or event, the Board reasonably believes, upon the advice of legal counsel, would require additional disclosure by the Company in the applicable Registration Statement or Prospectus of material information that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for keeping confidential and the non-disclosure of which in the Registration Statement or Prospectus would be expected, in the reasonable determination of the Board, upon the advice of legal counsel, to cause the Registration Statement or Prospectus to fail to comply with applicable disclosure requirements (each such circumstance, a “Suspension Event”); provided, however, that the Company may not delay or suspend a Registration Statement, Prospectus or Underwritten Offering on more than two occasions, for more than sixty (60) consecutive calendar days, or more than ninety (90) total calendar days, in each case during any twelve (12)-month period. Upon receipt of any written notice from the Company of a Suspension Event while a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Agreement is effective or if as a result of a Suspension Event a Misstatement exists, each Holder agrees that (i) it will immediately discontinue offers and sales of Registered Securities under each Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Agreement until the Holder receives copies of a supplemental or amended Prospectus (which the Company agrees to promptly prepare) that corrects the relevant misstatements or omissions and receives notice that any post-effective amendment has become effective or unless otherwise notified by the Company that it may resume such offers and sales and (ii) it will maintain the confidentiality of information included in such written notice delivered by the Company unless otherwise required by law or subpoena. If so directed by the Company, the Holders will deliver to the Company or, in Holders’ sole discretion destroy, all copies of each Prospectus covering Registrable Securities in Holders’ possession; provided, however, that this obligation to deliver or destroy shall not apply (A) to the extent the Holders are required to retain a copy of such Prospectus (x) to comply with applicable legal, regulatory, self-regulatory or professional requirements or (y) in accordance with a bona fide pre-existing document retention policy or (B) to copies stored electronically on archival servers as a result of automatic data back-up.
3.5 Reporting Obligations. As long as any Holder shall own Registrable Securities, the Company, at all times while it shall be a reporting company under the Exchange Act, covenants to file timely (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company further covenants that it shall take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to resell or otherwise dispose of Registrable Securities held by such Holder without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission), including providing any legal opinions. Upon the request of any Holder, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written certification of a duly authorized officer as to whether it has complied with such requirements.
ARTICLE 4
INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION
4.1 Indemnification.
4.1.1 The Company agrees to indemnify, to the extent permitted by law, each Holder of Registrable Securities, its officers, directors, employees, advisors, agents, representatives, members and each person who controls such Holder (within the meaning of the Securities Act) (collectively, the “Holder Indemnified Persons”) against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and inclusive of all reasonable attorneys’ fees arising out of the enforcement of each such persons’ rights under this Section 4.1) resulting from any Misstatement, except insofar as the same are caused by or contained or included in any information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of such Holder Indemnified Person specifically for use therein.
10
4.1.2 In connection with any Registration Statement in which a Holder of Registrable Securities is participating, such Holder shall furnish to the Company in writing such information and affidavits as the Company reasonably requests for use in connection with any such Registration Statement or Prospectus and, to the extent permitted by law, shall, severally and not jointly, indemnify the Company, its officers, directors, employees, advisors, agents, representatives and each person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and inclusive of all reasonable attorneys’ fees arising out of the enforcement of each such persons’ rights under this Section 4.1) resulting from any Misstatement, but only to the extent that the same are made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to the Holder so furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of such Holder specifically for use therein. In no event shall the liability of any selling Holder hereunder be greater in amount than the net proceeds received by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement giving rise to such indemnification obligation.
4.1.3 Any person entitled to indemnification herein shall (a) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification (provided that the failure to give prompt notice shall not impair any person’s right to indemnification hereunder to the extent such failure has not materially prejudiced the indemnifying party) and (b) unless in such indemnified party’s reasonable judgment a conflict of interest between such indemnified and indemnifying parties may exist with respect to such claim or there may be reasonable defenses available to the indemnified party that are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. If such defense is assumed, the indemnifying party shall not be subject to any liability for any settlement made by the indemnified party without its consent (but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld). An indemnifying party who is not entitled to, or elects not to, assume the defense of a claim shall not be obligated to pay the fees and expenses of more than one counsel for all parties indemnified by such indemnifying party with respect to such claim, unless in the reasonable judgment of any indemnified party a conflict of interest may exist between such indemnified party and any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such claim. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the indemnified party, consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which cannot be settled in all respects by the payment of money (and such money is so paid by the indemnifying party pursuant to the terms of such settlement) or which settlement does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation.
4.1.4 The indemnification provided for under this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director, employee, advisor, agent, representative, member or controlling person of such indemnified party and shall survive the transfer of securities.
4.1.5 If the indemnification provided under this Section 4.1 is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to herein, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying the indemnified party, shall to the extent permitted by law contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and indemnified party shall be determined by a court of law by reference to, among other things, whether the Misstatement relates to information supplied by such indemnifying party or such indemnified party and the indemnifying party’s and indemnified party’s relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action; provided, however, that the liability of any Holder under this subsection 4.1.5 shall be limited to the amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder in such offering giving rise to such liability. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses or other liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in subsections 4.1.1, 4.1.2 and 4.1.3 above, any legal or other fees, charges or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with any investigation or proceeding. The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection 4.1.5 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation, which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this subsection 4.1.5. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution pursuant to this subsection 4.1.5 from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
11
ARTICLE 5
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Notices. Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be in writing and given by (a) deposit in the United States mail, addressed to the party to be notified, postage prepaid and registered or certified with return receipt requested, (b) delivery in person or by courier service or sent by overnight mail via a reputable overnight carrier, in each case providing evidence of delivery or (c) transmission by facsimile or email. Each notice or communication that is mailed, delivered or transmitted in the manner described above shall be deemed sufficiently given, served, sent, and received, in the case of mailed notices, on the third (3rd) business day following the date on which it is mailed, in the case of notices delivered by courier service, hand delivery or overnight mail, at such time as it is delivered to the addressee (with the delivery receipt or the affidavit of messenger) or at such time as delivery is refused by the addressee upon presentation, and in the case of notices delivered by facsimile or email, at such time as it is successfully transmitted to the addressee. Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be addressed, if to the Company, to: 121 High Street, Floor 3, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, or by email at: tom.bushey@sunderland.com, and, if to any other Holder, to the address of such Holder as it appears in the applicable register for the Registrable Securities or such other address as may be designated in writing by such Holder (including on the signature pages hereto). Any party may change its address for notice at any time and from time to time by written notice to the other parties hereto, and such change of address shall become effective thirty (30) days after delivery of such notice as provided in this Section 5.1.
5.2 Assignment; No Third Party Beneficiaries.
5.2.1 This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the Company hereunder may not be assigned or delegated by the Company in whole or in part.
5.2.2. Prior to the expiration of the Founder Shares Lock-up Period or the Private Placement Lock-up Period, as the case may be, no Holder may assign or delegate such Holder’s rights, duties or obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, except in connection with a transfer of Registrable Securities by such Holder to a Permitted Transferee but only if such Permitted Transferee agrees to become bound by the transfer restrictions set forth in this Agreement. After the expiration of the Founder Shares Lock-up Period or the Private Placement Lock-up Period, as the case may be, the Holder may assign or delegate such Holder’s rights, duties or obligations under this Agreement, in while or in part, to any transferee.
5.2.3 This Agreement and the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each of the parties and its successors and the permitted assigns of the Holders, which shall include Permitted Transferees.
5.2.4 This Agreement shall not confer any rights or benefits on any persons that are not parties hereto, other than as expressly set forth in this Agreement and this Section 5.2.
5.2.5 No assignment by any party hereto of such party’s rights, duties and obligations hereunder shall be binding upon or obligate the Company unless and until the Company shall have received (a) written notice of such assignment as provided in Section 5.1 hereof and (b) the written agreement of the assignee, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to be bound by the terms and provisions of this Agreement (which may be accomplished by an addendum or certificate of joinder to this Agreement). Any transfer or assignment made other than as provided in this Section 5.2 shall be null and void.
5.3 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts (including facsimile or PDF counterparts), each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which together shall constitute the same instrument, but only one of which need be produced.
12
5.4 Governing Law; Venue. NOTWITHSTANDING THE PLACE WHERE THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE EXECUTED BY ANY OF THE PARTIES HERETO, THE PARTIES EXPRESSLY AGREE THAT THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK AS APPLIED TO AGREEMENTS AMONG NEW YORK RESIDENTS ENTERED INTO AND TO BE PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONFLICT OF LAW PROVISIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION.
5.5 Amendments and Modifications. Upon the written consent of the Company and the Holders of at least a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities at the time in question, compliance with any of the provisions, covenants and conditions set forth in this Agreement may be waived, or any of such provisions, covenants or conditions may be amended or modified; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, any amendment hereto or waiver hereof that adversely affects any Holder, solely in his, her or its capacity as a holder of the shares of the Company, in a manner that is materially different from the other Holders (in such capacity) shall require the consent of each such Holder so affected. No course of dealing between any Holder or the Company and any other party hereto or any failure or delay on the part of a Holder or the Company in exercising any rights or remedies under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of any rights or remedies of any Holder or the Company. No single or partial exercise of any rights or remedies under this Agreement by a party shall operate as a waiver or preclude the exercise of any other rights or remedies hereunder or thereunder by such party.
5.6 Other Registration Rights. The Company represents and warrants that no person, other than (a) a Holder of Registrable Securities, (b) the holders of the Company’s warrants pursuant to that certain Public Warrant Agreement and that certain Private Warrant Agreement, each dated as of [*] [*], 2024, each by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and (c) holders of Private Placement Units, Private Placement Shares and Private Placement Warrants pursuant to that certain Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement dated as of [*][*], 2024, has any right to require the Company to register any securities of the Company for sale or to include such securities of the Company in any Registration filed by the Company for the sale of securities for its own account or for the account of any other person. Further, the Company represents and warrants that this Agreement supersedes any other registration rights agreement or agreement with similar terms and conditions and in the event of a conflict between any such agreement or agreements and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.
5.7 Term. This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier of (a) the tenth (10th) anniversary of the date of this Agreement and (b) the date as of which the Holders cease to hold any Registrable Securities. The provisions of Article 4 shall survive any termination.
[Signature Page Follows]
13
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above.
| COMPANY: | |
| Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, | |
| a Cayman Islands exempted company |
| By: | ||
| Name: | Thomas Bushey | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
| HOLDERS: | |
| Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC, | |
| a Delaware limited liability company | |
| By [*], the Managing Member |
| By: | ||
| Name: | Thomas Bushey | |
| Title: | Authorized Person |
Signature Page to
Registration Rights Agreement
14
Exhibit 10.5
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
121 High Street, Floor 3
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
June 20, 2024
Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC
121 High Street, Floor 3
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
| RE: | Securities Subscription Agreement |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), is pleased to accept the offer Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Subscriber” or “you”) has made to subscribe for 5,750,000 Class B ordinary shares of the Company (the “Shares”), $0.0001 par value per share (the “Class B Ordinary Shares”), up to 750,000 of which are subject to complete or partial forfeiture by you if the underwriters of the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”) of units (“Units”) do not fully exercise their over-allotment option (the “Over-allotment Option”). For the purposes of this Agreement, references to “Ordinary Shares” are to, collectively, the Class B Ordinary Shares and the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Class A Ordinary Shares”). Pursuant to the Company’s memorandum and articles of association (as may be amended, the “Articles”), unless otherwise provided in the definitive agreement for the Company’s initial business combination, Class B Ordinary Shares will convert into Class A Ordinary Shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment, upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Articles. Unless the context otherwise requires, as used herein “Shares” shall be deemed to include any Class A Ordinary Shares issued upon conversion of the Class B Ordinary Shares comprising the Shares. The terms (this “Agreement”) on which the Company is willing to issue the Shares to the Subscriber, and the Company and the Subscriber’s agreements regarding such Shares, are as follows:
1. Subscription for Shares.
For the sum of $25,000 (the “Purchase Price”), which the Company acknowledges receiving in cash, the Company hereby issues the Shares to the Subscriber, and the Subscriber hereby subscribes for the Shares from the Company, subject to forfeiture, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement. Concurrently with the Subscriber’s execution of this Agreement, the Company shall update its Register of Members accordingly. All references in this Agreement to shares of the Company being forfeited shall take effect as surrenders for no consideration of such shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. The Subscriber surrenders for no consideration the one ordinary share of the Company currently held by it following the incorporation of the Company.
2. Representations, Warranties and Agreements.
2.1 Subscriber’s Representations, Warranties and Agreements. To induce the Company to issue the Shares to the Subscriber, the Subscriber hereby represents and warrants to the Company and agrees with the Company as follows:
2.1.1 No Government Recommendation or Approval. The Subscriber understands that no federal or state agency has passed upon or made any recommendation or endorsement of the offering of the Shares.
2.1.2 No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Subscriber of the transactions contemplated hereby do not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under (i) the limited liability company agreement of the Subscriber, (ii) any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Subscriber is a party or (iii) any law, statute, rule or regulation to which the Subscriber is subject, or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Subscriber is subject.
2.1.3 Formation and Authority. The Subscriber is a Delaware limited liability company, formed and registered and validly existing and in good standing under the laws of Delaware and possesses all requisite power and authority necessary to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Upon execution and delivery by you, this Agreement is a legal, valid and binding agreement of Subscriber, enforceable against Subscriber in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).
1
2.1.4 Experience, Financial Capability and Suitability. Subscriber is: (i) sophisticated in financial matters and is able to evaluate the risks and benefits of the investment in the Shares and (ii) able to bear the economic risk of its investment in the Shares for an indefinite period of time because the Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act (as defined below) and therefore cannot be sold unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is available. Subscriber is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of its investment in the Company and has the capacity to protect its own interests. Subscriber must bear the economic risk of this investment until the Shares are sold pursuant to: (i) an effective registration statement under the Securities Act or (ii) an exemption from registration available with respect to such sale. Subscriber is able to bear the economic risks of an investment in the Shares and to afford a complete loss of Subscriber’s investment in the Shares.
2.1.5 Access to Information; Independent Investigation. Prior to the execution of this Agreement, the Subscriber has had the opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from representatives of the Company concerning an investment in the Company, as well as the finances, operations, business and prospects of the Company, and the opportunity to obtain additional information to verify the accuracy of all information so obtained. In determining whether to make this investment, Subscriber has relied solely on Subscriber’s own knowledge and understanding of the Company and its business based upon Subscriber’s own due diligence investigation and the information furnished pursuant to this paragraph. Subscriber understands that no person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations which were not furnished pursuant to this Section 2 and Subscriber has not relied on any other representations or information in making its investment decision, whether written or oral, relating to the Company, its operations and/or its prospects.
2.1.6 Regulation D Offering. Subscriber represents that it is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and acknowledges the sale contemplated hereby is being made in reliance on a private placement exemption to “accredited investors” within the meaning of Section 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act or similar exemptions under state law.
2.1.7 Investment Purposes. The Subscriber is purchasing the Shares solely for investment purposes, for the Subscriber’s own account and not for the account or benefit of any other person, and not with a view towards the distribution or dissemination thereof. The Subscriber did not decide to enter into this Agreement as a result of any general solicitation or general advertising within the meaning of Rule 502 under the Securities Act.
2.1.8 Restrictions on Transfer; Shell Company. Subscriber understands the Shares are being offered in a transaction not involving a public offering within the meaning of the Securities Act. Subscriber understands the Shares will be “restricted securities” within the meaning of Rule 144(a)(3) under the Securities Act and Subscriber understands that the certificates or book-entries representing the Shares will contain a legend in respect of such restrictions. If in the future the Subscriber decides to offer, resell, pledge or otherwise transfer the Shares, such Shares may be offered, resold, pledged or otherwise transferred only pursuant to: (i) registration under the Securities Act, or (ii) an available exemption from registration. Subscriber agrees that if any transfer of its Shares or any interest therein is proposed to be made, as a condition precedent to any such transfer, Subscriber may be required to deliver to the Company an opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company. Absent registration or an exemption, the Subscriber agrees not to resell the Shares. Subscriber further acknowledges that because the Company is a shell company, Rule 144 may not be available to the Subscriber for the resale of the Shares until one year following consummation of the initial business combination of the Company, despite technical compliance with the requirements of Rule 144 and the release or waiver of any contractual transfer restrictions.
2.1.9 No Governmental Consents. No governmental, administrative or other third party consents or approvals are required, necessary or appropriate on the part of Subscriber in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
2.2 Company’s Representations, Warranties and Agreements. To induce the Subscriber to purchase the Shares, the Company hereby represents and warrants to the Subscriber and agrees with the Subscriber as follows:
2.2.1 Incorporation and Corporate Power. The Company is a Cayman Islands exempted company and is qualified to do business in every jurisdiction in which the failure to so qualify would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, operating results or assets of the Company. The Company possesses all requisite corporate power and authority necessary to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
2
2.2.2 No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby do not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under (i) the Articles, (ii) any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company is a party or (iii) any law, statute, rule or regulation to which the Company is subject, or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Company is subject.
2.2.3 Title to Shares. Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof and the Articles, and registration on the register of members of the Company, the Shares will be duly and validly issued as fully paid and nonassessable. Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof the Subscriber will have or receive good title to the Shares, free and clear of all liens, claims and encumbrances of any kind, other than (a) transfer restrictions hereunder and under the other agreements to which the Shares may be subject, (b) transfer restrictions under federal and state securities laws, and (c) liens, claims or encumbrances imposed due to the actions of the Subscriber.
2.2.4 No Adverse Actions. There are no actions, suits, investigations or proceedings pending, threatened against or affecting the Company which: (i) seek to restrain, enjoin, prevent the consummation of or otherwise affect the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) question the validity or legality of any transactions or seeks to recover damages or to obtain other relief in connection with any transactions.
2.2.4 Authorization. The Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion of the Class B Ordinary Shares have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance upon such conversion.
3. Forfeiture of Shares.
3.1 Partial or No Exercise of the Over-allotment Option. In the event the Over-allotment Option granted to the underwriters of the IPO is not exercised in full, the Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that it (and, if applicable, any transferee of Shares) shall forfeit any and all rights to such number of Shares (up to an aggregate of 750,000 Shares and pro rata based upon the percentage of the Over-allotment Option exercised) such that immediately following such forfeiture, the Subscriber (and any such transferees) will own an aggregate number of Shares (not including Class A Ordinary Shares included in the private placement units that are expected to be purchased by Subscriber at the closing of the IPO, Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of any warrants or any securities purchased by Subscriber in the IPO or in the aftermarket) equal to 20.0% of the issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares immediately following the IPO (excluding the private units to be issued in connection with the IPO).
3.2 Termination of Rights as Shareholder. If any of the Shares are forfeited in accordance with this Section 3, then after such time the Subscriber (or successor in interest), shall no longer have any rights as a holder of such forfeited Shares, and the Company shall take such action as is appropriate to cancel such forfeited Shares.
4. Waiver of Liquidation Distributions; Redemption Rights.
In connection with the Shares purchased pursuant to this Agreement, the Subscriber hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any distributions by the Company from the trust account which will be established for the benefit of the Company’s public shareholders and into which substantially all of the proceeds of the IPO will be deposited (the “Trust Account”), in the event of a liquidation of the Company upon the Company’s failure to timely complete an initial business combination. For purposes of clarity, in the event the Subscriber purchases securities in the IPO or in the aftermarket, any Class A Ordinary Shares so purchased shall be eligible to receive any liquidating distributions by the Company. However, in no event will the Subscriber have the right to redeem any Ordinary Shares held by it into funds held in the Trust Account upon the successful completion of an initial business combination.
3
5. Restrictions on Transfer.
5.1 Securities Law Restrictions. In addition to any restrictions to be contained in that certain letter agreement (commonly known as an “Insider Letter”) dated on or prior to the closing of the IPO by and between Subscriber and the Company, Subscriber agrees not to sell, transfer, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Shares unless, prior thereto (a) a registration statement on the appropriate form under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws with respect to the Shares proposed to be transferred shall then be effective or (b) the Company has received an opinion from counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Company, that such registration is not required because such transaction is exempt from registration under the Securities Act and the rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder and with all applicable state securities laws.
5.2 Lock-up. Subscriber acknowledges that the Shares will be subject to lock-up provisions (the “Lock-up”) contained in the Insider Letter.
5.3 Restrictive Legends. All certificates representing the Shares shall have endorsed thereon legends substantially as follows:
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND NEITHER THE SECURITIES NOR ANY INTEREST THEREIN MAY BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER SUCH ACT OR SUCH LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER SUCH ACT AND SUCH LAWS WHICH, IN THE OPINION OF COUNSEL, IS AVAILABLE.”
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO A LOCKUP AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED DURING THE TERM OF THE LOCKUP.”
5.4 Additional Shares or Substituted Securities. In the event of the declaration of a share capitalization, the declaration of an extraordinary dividend payable in a form other than Ordinary Shares, a spin-off, a share sub-division, an adjustment in conversion ratio, a recapitalization or a similar transaction affecting the Company’s outstanding Ordinary Shares without receipt of consideration, any new, substituted or additional securities or other property which are by reason of such transaction distributed with respect to any Shares subject to this Section 5 or into which such Shares thereby become convertible shall immediately be subject to this Section 5 and Section 3. Appropriate adjustments to reflect the distribution of such securities or property shall be made to the number and/or class of Ordinary Shares subject to this Section 5 and Section 3.
5.5 Registration Rights. Subscriber acknowledges that the Shares are being purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become freely tradable only after certain conditions are met or they are registered pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be entered into with the Company prior to the closing of the IPO (the “Registration Rights Agreement”).
6. Other Agreements.
6.1 Further Assurances. Subscriber agrees to execute such further instruments and to take such further action as may reasonably be necessary to carry out the intent of this Agreement.
6.2 Notices. All notices, statements or other documents which are required or contemplated by this Agreement shall be: (i) in writing and delivered personally or sent by first class registered or certified mail, overnight courier service or facsimile or electronic transmission to the address designated in writing, (ii) by facsimile to the number most recently provided to such party or such other address or fax number as may be designated in writing by such party and (iii) by electronic mail, to the electronic mail address most recently provided to such party or such other electronic mail address as may be designated in writing by such party. Any notice or other communication so transmitted shall be deemed to have been given on the day of delivery, if delivered personally, on the business day following receipt of written confirmation, if sent by facsimile or electronic transmission, one (1) business day after delivery to an overnight courier service or five (5) days after mailing if sent by mail.
6.3 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with that certain Insider Letter to be entered into between Subscriber and the Company and the Registration Rights Agreement, each substantially in the form to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the Subscriber and the Company with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior oral or written agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof.
4
6.4 Modifications and Amendments. The terms and provisions of this Agreement may be modified or amended only by written agreement executed by all parties hereto.
6.5 Waivers and Consents. The terms and provisions of this Agreement may be waived, or consent for the departure therefrom granted, only by written document executed by the party entitled to the benefits of such terms or provisions. No such waiver or consent shall be deemed to be or shall constitute a waiver or consent with respect to any other terms or provisions of this Agreement, whether or not similar. Each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which it was given, and shall not constitute a continuing waiver or consent.
6.6 Assignment. The rights and obligations under this Agreement may not be assigned by either party hereto without the prior written consent of the other party.
6.7 Benefit. All statements, representations, warranties, covenants and agreements in this Agreement shall be binding on the parties hereto and shall inure to the benefit of the respective successors and permitted assigns of each party hereto. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to create any rights or obligations except among the parties hereto, and no person or entity shall be regarded as a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement.
6.8 Governing Law. This Agreement and the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of New York applicable to contracts wholly performed within the borders of such state, without giving effect to the conflict of law principles thereof.
6.9 Severability. In the event that any court of competent jurisdiction shall determine that any provision, or any portion thereof, contained in this Agreement shall be unreasonable or unenforceable in any respect, then such provision shall be deemed limited to the extent that such court deems it reasonable and enforceable, and as so limited shall remain in full force and effect. In the event that such court shall deem any such provision, or portion thereof, wholly unenforceable, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect.
6.10 No Waiver of Rights, Powers and Remedies. No failure or delay by a party hereto in exercising any right, power or remedy under this Agreement, and no course of dealing between the parties hereto, shall operate as a waiver of any such right, power or remedy of such party. No single or partial exercise of any right, power or remedy under this Agreement by a party hereto, nor any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce any such right, power or remedy, shall preclude such party from any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or remedy hereunder. The election of any remedy by a party hereto shall not constitute a waiver of the right of such party to pursue other available remedies. No notice to or demand on a party not expressly required under this Agreement shall entitle the party receiving such notice or demand to any other or further notice or demand in similar or other circumstances or constitute a waiver of the rights of the party giving such notice or demand to any other or further action in any circumstances without such notice or demand.
6.11 Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations and warranties made by the parties hereto in this Agreement or in any other agreement, certificate or instrument provided for or contemplated hereby, shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and any investigations made by or on behalf of the parties.
6.12 No Broker or Finder. Each of the parties hereto represents and warrants to the other that no broker, finder or other financial consultant has acted on its behalf in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in such a way as to create any liability on the other. Each of the parties hereto agrees to indemnify and save the other harmless from any claim or demand for commission or other compensation by any broker, finder, financial consultant or similar agent claiming to have been employed by or on behalf of such party and to bear the cost of legal expenses incurred in defending against any such claim.
6.13 Headings and Captions. The headings and captions of the various subdivisions of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall in no way modify or affect the meaning or construction of any of the terms or provisions hereof.
6.14 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or any other form of electronic delivery, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.
5
6.15 Construction. The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. If an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement will be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto and no presumption or burden of proof will arise favoring or disfavoring any party hereto because of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement. The words “include,” “includes,” and “including” will be deemed to be followed by “without limitation.” Pronouns in masculine, feminine, and neuter genders will be construed to include any other gender, and words in the singular form will be construed to include the plural and vice versa, unless the context otherwise requires. The words “this Agreement,” “herein,” “hereof,” “hereby,” “hereunder,” and words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular subdivision unless expressly so limited. The parties hereto intend that each representation, warranty, and covenant contained herein will have independent significance. If any party hereto has breached any representation, warranty, or covenant contained herein in any respect, the fact that there exists another representation, warranty or covenant relating to the same subject matter (regardless of the relative levels of specificity) which such party hereto has not breached will not detract from or mitigate the fact that such party hereto is in breach of the first representation, warranty, or covenant.
6.16 Mutual Drafting. This Agreement is the joint product of the Subscriber and the Company and each provision hereof has been subject to the mutual consultation, negotiation and agreement of such parties and shall not be construed for or against any party hereto.
7. Voting and Tender of Shares.
Subscriber agrees to vote the Shares in favor of an initial business combination that the Company negotiates and submits for approval to the Company’s shareholders and shall not seek repurchase or redemption with respect to any of the Shares. Additionally, the Subscriber agrees not to tender any Shares in connection with a tender offer presented to the Company’s shareholders in connection with an initial business combination negotiated by the Company.
8. Indemnification.
Each party shall indemnify the other against any loss, cost or damages (including reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses) incurred as a result of such party’s breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement in this Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
6
If the foregoing accurately sets forth our understanding and agreement, please sign the enclosed copy of the Agreement and return it to us.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP | ||
| By: | /s/ Thomas Bushey | |
| Thomas Bushey | ||
| Chief Executive Officer | ||
| Accepted and agreed, June 20, 2024 | ||
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITIN SPONSOR LLC | ||
| By: | /s/ Thomas Bushey | |
| Thomas Bushey | ||
| Manager | ||
[Signature page to Founder Share Subscription Agreement]
7
Exhibit 10.6
PRIVATE PLACEMENT UNITS PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This PRIVATE PLACEMENT UNITS PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of this [*], 2024, by and between Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), having its principal place of business at 121 High Street, Floor 3, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, and Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC (the “Purchaser”).
WHEREAS, the Company desires to sell on a private placement basis (the “Offering”) an aggregate of 450,000 units (the “Initial Units”) of the Company, each Initial Unit comprised of one Class A ordinary share of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share and one-half of one redeemable warrant (the “Warrant”) to purchase one Class A ordinary share (the “Warrant Shares”) to be governed by the Warrant Agreement (defined herein), for a purchase price of $4,500,000, or $10.00 per Initial Unit, and up to 34,500 units (“Additional Units” and together with the Initial Units, the “Units”), each Additional Unit comprised of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one Warrant, for a purchase price of $345,000, or $10.00 per Additional Unit.
WHEREAS, the Purchaser desires to purchase the Units on the terms and conditions set forth herein and the Company wishes to accept such subscription.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Purchaser hereby agree as follows:
1. Agreement to Subscribe
1.1. Purchase and Issuance of the Initial Units. For the aggregate sum of $4,500,000 (the “Initial Purchase Price”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, the Purchaser hereby agrees to purchase from the Company, and the Company hereby agrees to sell to the Purchaser, on the Closing Date (as defined in Section 1.2) 450,000 Initial Units at $10.00 per Initial Unit.
In addition to the foregoing, the Purchaser hereby agrees to purchase up to an additional 34,500 Additional Units at $10.00 per Additional Unit for a purchase price of $345,000 (the “Additional Purchase Price” and together with the Initial Purchase Price, the “Purchase Price”). The purchase and issuance of the Additional Units shall occur only in the event that the underwriters’ 45-day over-allotment option (“Over-Allotment Option”) in the Offering is exercised in full or part. The total number of Additional Units to be purchased hereunder shall be in the same proportion as the amount of the Over-Allotment Option that is exercised. Each purchase of Additional Units shall occur simultaneously with the consummation of any portion of the Over-Allotment Option.
1.2. Closing. The closing (the “Closing”) of the Offering shall take place at the offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, 601 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York, 10022 simultaneously with the consummation of the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”) and the consummation of the exercise of all or any portion of the Over-Allotment Option (each a “Closing Date”).
1.3. Delivery of the Purchase Price. At least one business day prior to the closing date of the Company’s IPO , or the date of the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, if any, the Purchaser agrees to deliver the Initial Purchase Price or Additional Purchase Price, as the case may be, by certified bank check or wire transfer of immediately available funds denominated in United States Dollars to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation (“CST”), which is hereby irrevocably authorized to deposit such funds on the applicable Closing Date to the trust account which will be established for the benefit of the Company’s public shareholders, managed pursuant to that certain Investment Management Trust Agreement to be entered into by and between the Company and CST and into which substantially all of the proceeds of the IPO will be deposited (the “Trust Account”). If the IPO is not consummated within 14 days of the date the Initial Purchase Price is delivered to CST, the Initial Purchase Price shall be returned to the Purchaser by certified bank check or wire transfer of immediately available funds denominated in United States Dollars, without interest or deduction.
1
1.4. Delivery of Unit Certificate. Upon the applicable Closing Date after delivery of the Purchase Price in accordance with Section 1.3, the Purchaser shall become irrevocably entitled to receive a unit certificate representing the Units purchased hereunder.
2. Representations and Warranties of the Purchaser
The Purchaser represents and warrants to the Company that:
2.1. No Government Recommendation or Approval. It understands that no United States federal or state agency or similar agency of any other country has passed upon or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Company, the Offering, the Units, the Warrants, the Warrant Shares, or the Class A ordinary shares underlying the Units (excluding the Warrant Shares, the “Unit Shares” and, collectively with the Units, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares, the “Securities”).
2.2. Organization. It is a company, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction and possesses all requisite power and authority necessary to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
2.3. Private Offering. It is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). It acknowledges that the sale contemplated hereby is being made in reliance on a private placement exemption to “Accredited Investors” within the meaning of Section 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act and similar exemptions under state law.
2.4. Authority. This Agreement has been validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Purchaser and is a valid and binding agreement enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).
2.5. No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Purchaser of the transactions contemplated hereby do not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under (i) the Purchaser’s organizational documents, (ii) any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Purchaser is a party or (iii) any law, statute, rule or regulation to which the Purchaser is subject, or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Purchaser is subject.
2.6. No Legal Advice from Company. It acknowledges it has had the opportunity to review this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other agreements entered into between the parties hereto with its own legal counsel and investment and tax advisors. Except for any statements or representations of the Company made in this Agreement and the other agreements entered into between the parties hereto, it is relying solely on such counsel and advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its representatives or agents for legal, tax or investment advice with respect to this investment, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the securities laws of any jurisdiction.
2.7. Access to Information; Independent Investigation. Prior to the execution of this Agreement, it has had the opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from representatives of the Company concerning an investment in the Company, as well as the finances, operations, business and prospects of the Company, and the opportunity to obtain additional information to verify the accuracy of all information so obtained. In determining whether to make this investment, it has relied solely on its own knowledge and understanding of the Company and its business based upon its own due diligence investigation and the information furnished pursuant to this paragraph. It understands that no person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations which were not furnished pursuant to this Section 2 and it has not relied on any other representations or information in making its investment decision, whether written or oral, relating to the Company, its operations and/or its prospects.
2.8. Reliance on Representations and Warranties. It understands the Units are being offered and sold to it in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements under the Securities Act, and analogous provisions in the laws and regulations of various states, and that the Company is relying upon the truth and accuracy of the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgments and understandings of the Purchaser set forth in this Agreement in order to determine the applicability of such provisions.
2
2.9. No Advertisements. It is not subscribing for the Units as a result of or subsequent to any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine, or similar media or broadcast over television or radio, or presented at any seminar or meeting.
2.10. Legend. It acknowledges and agrees the certificates evidencing the Securities shall bear a restrictive legend (the “Legend”), in form and substance as set forth in Section 4 hereof, prohibiting the offer, sale, pledge or transfer of the securities, except (i) pursuant to an effective registration statement covering these securities under the Securities Act or (ii) pursuant to any other exemptions from the registration requirements under the Securities Act and such laws which, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, is available.
2.11. Experience, Financial Capability and Suitability. It is (i) sophisticated in financial matters and is able to evaluate the risks and benefits of the investment in the Securities and (ii) able to bear the economic risk of his investment in the Securities for an indefinite period of time because the Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act and therefore cannot be sold unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is available. It has substantial experience in evaluating and investing in transactions of securities in companies similar to the Company so that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of its investment in the Company and has the capacity to protect its own interests. It has substantial experience in evaluating and investing in transactions of securities in companies similar to the Company so that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of its investment in the Company and has the capacity to protect its own interests.
2.12. Investment Purposes. It is purchasing the Securities solely for investment purposes, for its own account and not for the account or benefit of any other person, and not with a view towards the distribution or dissemination thereof and it has no present arrangement to sell the interest in the Securities to or through any person or entity.
2.13. Restrictions on Transfer. It acknowledges and understands the Units are being offered in a transaction not involving a public offering in the United States within the meaning of the Securities Act. The Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act, and, if in the future, it decides to offer, resell, pledge or otherwise transfer the Securities, such Securities may be offered, resold, pledged or otherwise transferred only (A) pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act, (B) pursuant to an exemption from registration under Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (“Rule 144”), if available, or (C) pursuant to any other available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and in each case in accordance with any applicable securities laws of any state or any other jurisdiction. It agrees that if any transfer of its Securities or any interest therein is proposed to be made, as a condition precedent to any such transfer, it may be required to deliver to the Company an opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company. Absent registration or another available exemption from registration, it agrees it will not resell the Securities. It further acknowledges that because the Company is a shell company, Rule 144 may not be available to it for the resale of the Securities until the one year anniversary following consummation of the initial Business Combination (defined below) of the Company, despite technical compliance with the requirements of Rule 144 and the release or waiver of any contractual transfer restrictions.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company
The Company represents and warrants to the Purchaser that:
3.1. Valid Issuance of Share Capital. The total number of all classes of share capital which the Company has authority to issue is 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. As of the date hereof, the Company has issued 6,118,000 Class B ordinary shares (of which 798,000 Class B ordinary shares are subject to forfeiture as described in the registration statement relating to the Company’s IPO) to the Company’s sponsor and no preferred shares are issued and outstanding. All of the issued share capital of the Company has been duly authorized, validly issued, and are fully paid and non-assessable.
3.2. Title to Securities. Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof and the warrant agreement to be entered into with CST on or prior to the closing of the IPO (the “Warrant Agreement”) and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company (as applicable), as the case may be, each of the Securities will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. On the date of issuance of the Units, the Warrant Shares shall have been reserved for issuance. Upon issuance in accordance with the terms hereof, the Warrant Agreement, the Purchaser will have or receive good title to the Warrant Shares, free and clear of all liens, claims and encumbrances of any kind other than (i) transfer restrictions hereunder and pursuant to the insider letter to be entered into on or prior to the closing of the IPO (the “Insider Letter”) and (ii) transfer restrictions under federal and state securities laws.
3
3.3. Organization and Qualification. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a Cayman Islands exempted company and has the requisite corporate power to own its properties and assets and to carry on its business as now being conducted.
3.4. Authorization; Enforcement. (i) The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and to issue the Securities in accordance with the terms hereof, (ii) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and no further consent or authorization of the Company or its Board of Directors or shareholders is required, and (iii) this Agreement constitutes, and upon the execution and delivery thereof, the Warrants and Warrant Agreement, will constitute, valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium, reorganization, or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally the enforcement of, creditors’ rights and remedies or by equitable principles of general application and except as enforcement of rights to indemnity and contribution may be limited by federal and state securities laws or principles of public policy.
3.5. No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby do not (i) result in a violation of the Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default under any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company is a party or (iii) conflict with any law statute, rule or regulation to which the Company is subject or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Company is subject. Other than any federal, state or foreign securities filings which may be required to be made by the Company subsequent to the Closing, and any registration statement which may be filed pursuant thereto, the Company is not required under federal, state or local law, rule or regulation to obtain any consent, authorization or order of, or make any filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency or self-regulatory entity in order for it to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement or issue the Securities in accordance with the terms hereof.
4. Legends
4.1. Legend. The Company will issue the Units, the Warrants and the Unit Shares, and when issued, the Warrant Shares purchased by the Purchaser, in the name of the Purchaser. The Securities will bear the following Legend and appropriate “stop transfer” instructions:
THESE SECURITIES (i) HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT (A) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (B) PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT (IF AVAILABLE) OR (C) PURSUANT TO ANY OTHER EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT, IN EACH CASE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION. HEDGING TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE CONDUCTED UNLESS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT.
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP AND NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION SPONSOR LLC AND MAY ONLY BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED DURING THE TERM OF THE LOCKUP PURSUANT TO THE TERMS SET FORTH THEREIN.”
4
4.2. Purchaser’s Compliance. Nothing in this Section 4 shall affect in any way the Purchaser’s obligations and agreements to comply with all applicable securities laws upon resale of the Securities.
4.3. Company’s Refusal to Register Transfer of the Securities. The Company shall refuse to register any transfer of the Securities, if in the sole judgment of the Company such purported transfer would not be made (i) pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act, or (ii) pursuant to an available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
4.4. Registration Rights. The Purchaser will be entitled to certain registration rights which will be governed by a registration rights agreement (“Registration Rights Agreement”) to be entered into with the Company on or prior to the closing of the IPO.
5. Lockup
The Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that the Securities shall not be transferable, saleable or assignable until thirty (30) days after the consummation of an acquisition, share exchange, purchase of all or substantially all of the assets of, or any other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”), except to permitted transferees (as defined in the Insider Letter).
6. Securities Laws Restrictions
The Purchaser agrees not to sell, transfer, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Securities unless, prior thereto (a) a registration statement on the appropriate form under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws with respect to the Securities proposed to be transferred shall then be effective or (b) the Company shall have received an opinion from counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Company, that such registration is not required because such transaction complies with the Securities Act and the rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder and with all applicable state securities laws.
7. Waiver of Distributions from Trust Account
In connection with the Securities purchased pursuant to this Agreement, the Purchaser hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any distributions from the Trust Account.
8. Rescission Right Waiver and Indemnification
8.1. Rescission Waiver. The Purchaser understands and acknowledges that an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act requires there be no general solicitation of purchasers of the Units. In this regard, if the Offering were deemed to be a general solicitation with respect to the Units, the offer and sale of such Units may not be exempt from registration and, if not, the Purchaser may have a right to rescind its purchase of the Units. In order to facilitate the completion of the Offering and in order to protect the Company, its shareholders and the Trust Account from claims that may adversely affect the Company or the interests of its shareholders, the Purchaser hereby agrees to waive, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, any claims, right to sue or rights in law or arbitration, as the case may be, to seek rescission of its purchase of the Units as a result of the issuance of the Units being deemed to be in violation of Section 5 of the Securities Act. The Purchaser acknowledges and agrees this waiver is being made in order to induce the Company to sell the Units to the Purchaser. The Purchaser agrees the foregoing waiver of rescission rights shall apply to any and all known or unknown actions, causes of action, suits, claims or proceedings (collectively, “Claims”) and related losses, costs, penalties, fees, liabilities and damages, whether compensatory, consequential or exemplary, and expenses in connection therewith, including reasonable attorneys’ and expert witness fees and disbursements and all other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any Claims, whether pending or threatened, in connection with any present or future actual or asserted right to rescind the purchase of the Units hereunder or relating to the purchase of the Units and the transactions contemplated hereby.
5
8.2. No Recourse Against Trust Account. The Purchaser agrees not to seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever in connection with its purchase of the Units or any Claim that may arise now or in the future.
8.3. Section 8 Waiver. The Purchaser agrees that to the extent any waiver of rights under this Section 8 is ineffective as a matter of law, the Purchaser has offered such waiver for the benefit of the Company as an equitable right that shall survive any statutory disqualification or bar that applies to a legal right. The Purchaser acknowledges the receipt and sufficiency of consideration received from the Company hereunder in this regard.
9. Terms of the Unit
The Units shall be substantially identical to the Units offered in the IPO as set forth in the Underwriting Agreement, except the Units: (i) will be subject to the transfer restrictions described herein, and (ii) are being purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become freely tradable only after certain conditions are met or the resale of the Units is registered under the Securities Act.
10. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York for agreements made and to be wholly performed within such territory. The parties hereto hereby waive any right to a jury trial in connection with any litigation pursuant to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.
11. Assignment; Entire Agreement; Amendment
11.1. Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any rights hereunder may be assigned by any party to any other person other than by the Purchaser, without the prior consent of the Company, to one or more persons agreeing to be bound by the terms hereof. Upon such assignment by a Purchaser, the assignee(s) shall become Purchaser hereunder and have the rights and obligations provided for herein to the extent of such assignment.
11.2. Entire Agreement. This Agreement sets forth the entire agreement and understanding between the parties as to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any and all prior discussions, agreements and understandings of any and every nature.
11.3. Amendment. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, neither this Agreement nor any term hereof may be amended, waived, discharged or terminated other than by a written instrument signed by the party against whom enforcement of any such amendment, waiver, discharge or termination is sought.
11.4. Binding upon Successors. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and to their respective heirs, legal representatives, successors and permitted assigns.
12. Notices; Indemnity
12.1 Notices. All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder shall be in writing, shall be addressed to the receiving party’s address set forth herein or to such other address as a party may designate by notice hereunder, and shall be either (a) delivered by hand, (b) sent by overnight courier, or (c) sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid. All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder shall be deemed to have been given either (i) if by hand, at the time of the delivery thereof to the receiving party at the address of such party set forth above, (ii) if sent by overnight courier, on the next business day following the day such notice is delivered to the courier service, or (iii) if sent by certified mail, on the fifth business day following the day such mailing is made.
12.2 Indemnification. Subject to Section 8, each party shall indemnify the other party against any loss, cost or damages (including reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses) incurred as a result of such party’s breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement set forth in this Agreement.
6
13. Counterparts
This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or any other form of electronic delivery, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.
14. Survival; Severability
14.1. Survival. The representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of the parties hereto shall survive the Closing until one (1) year following the consummation of an initial Business Combination.
14.2. Severability. In the event that any provision of this Agreement becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, unenforceable or void, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect without said provision; provided that no such severability shall be effective if it materially changes the economic benefit of this Agreement to any party.
15. Headings
The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.
16. Construction
The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. If an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement will be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto and no presumption or burden of proof will arise favoring or disfavoring any party hereto because of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement. The words “include,” “includes,” and “including” will be deemed to be followed by “without limitation.” Pronouns in masculine, feminine, and neuter genders will be construed to include any other gender, and words in the singular form will be construed to include the plural and vice versa, unless the context otherwise requires. The words “this Agreement,” “herein,” “hereof,” “hereby,” “hereunder,” and words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular subdivision unless expressly so limited. The parties hereto intend that each representation, warranty, and covenant contained herein will have independent significance. If any party hereto has breached any representation, warranty, or covenant contained herein in any respect, the fact that there exists another representation, warranty or covenant relating to the same subject matter (regardless of the relative levels of specificity) which such party hereto has not breached will not detract from or mitigate the fact that such party hereto is in breach of the first representation, warranty, or covenant.
[remainder of page intentionally left blank]
7
This subscription is accepted by the Company as of the date first written above.
| Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Thomas Bushey | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
Accepted and agreed this [*] day of [*], 2024
| Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Thomas Bushey | |
| Title: | Manager | |
8
Exhibit 10.7
PRIVATE PLACEMENT UNITS PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This PRIVATE PLACEMENT UNITS PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of this [*], 2024, by and between Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), having its principal place of business at 121 High Street Floor 3, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, and BTIG LLC (the “Purchaser”).
WHEREAS, the Company desires to sell on a private placement basis (the “Offering”) an aggregate of 170,000 units (the “Initial Units”) of the Company, each Initial Unit comprised of one Class A ordinary share of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A ordinary share”) and one-half of one redeemable warrant (the “Warrant”) to purchase one Class A ordinary share (the “Warrant Shares”) to be governed by the Warrant Agreement (defined herein), for a purchase price of $1,700,000, or $10.00 per Initial Unit, and up to 25,500 units (“Additional Units” and together with the Initial Units, the “Units”), each Additional Unit comprised of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one Warrant, for a purchase price of $195,500, or $10.00 per Additional Unit.
WHEREAS, the Purchaser desires to purchase the Units on the terms and conditions set forth herein and the Company wishes to accept such subscription.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Purchaser hereby agree as follows:
1. Agreement to Subscribe
1.1. Purchase and Issuance of the Initial Units. For the aggregate sum of $1,700,000 (the “Initial Purchase Price”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, the Purchaser hereby agrees to purchase from the Company, and the Company hereby agrees to sell to the Purchaser, on the Closing Date (as defined in Section 1.2) 170,000 Initial Units at $10.00 per Initial Unit.
In addition to the foregoing, the Purchaser hereby agrees to purchase up to an additional 25,500 Additional Units at $10.00 per Additional Unit for a purchase price of $255,000 (the “Additional Purchase Price” and together with the Initial Purchase Price, the “Purchase Price”). The purchase and issuance of the Additional Units shall occur only in the event that the underwriters’ 45-day over-allotment option (“Over-Allotment Option”) in the Offering is exercised in full or part. The total number of Additional Units to be purchased hereunder shall be in the same proportion as the amount of the Over-Allotment Option that is exercised. Each purchase of Additional Units shall occur simultaneously with the consummation of any portion of the Over-Allotment Option.
1.2. Closing. The closing (the “Closing”) of the Offering shall take place at the offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, 601 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York, 10022 simultaneously with the consummation of the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”).
1.3. Delivery of the Purchase Price. At least one business day prior to the closing date of the Company’s IPO , (the “Closing Date”), the Purchaser agrees to deliver the Purchase Price by certified bank check or wire transfer of immediately available funds denominated in United States Dollars to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation (“CST”), which is hereby irrevocably authorized to deposit such funds on the applicable Closing Date to the trust account which will be established for the benefit of the Company’s public shareholders, managed pursuant to that certain Investment Management Trust Agreement to be entered into by and between the Company and CST and into which substantially all of the proceeds of the IPO will be deposited (the “Trust Account”). If the IPO is not consummated within 14 days of the date the Purchase Price is delivered to CST, the Purchase Price shall be returned to the Purchaser by certified bank check or wire transfer of immediately available funds denominated in United States Dollars, without interest or deduction.
1
1.4. Delivery of Unit Certificate. Upon the applicable Closing Date after delivery of the Purchase Price in accordance with Section 1.3, the Purchaser shall become irrevocably entitled to receive a unit certificate representing the Units purchased hereunder.
2. Representations and Warranties of the Purchaser
The Purchaser represents and warrants to the Company that:
2.1. No Government Recommendation or Approval. It understands that no United States federal or state agency or similar agency of any other country has passed upon or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Company, the Offering, the Units, the Warrants, the Warrant Shares, or the Class A ordinary shares underlying the Units (excluding the Warrant Shares, the “Unit Shares” and, collectively with the Units, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares, the “Securities”).
2.2. Organization. It is a company, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction and possesses all requisite power and authority necessary to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
2.3. Private Offering. It is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). It acknowledges that the sale contemplated hereby is being made in reliance on a private placement exemption to “Accredited Investors” within the meaning of Section 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act and similar exemptions under state law.
2.4. Authority. This Agreement has been validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Purchaser and is a valid and binding agreement enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).
2.5. No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Purchaser of the transactions contemplated hereby do not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under (i) the Purchaser’s organizational documents, (ii) any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Purchaser is a party or (iii) any law, statute, rule or regulation to which the Purchaser is subject, or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Purchaser is subject.
2.6. No Legal Advice from Company. It acknowledges it has had the opportunity to review this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other agreements entered into between the parties hereto with its own legal counsel and investment and tax advisors. Except for any statements or representations of the Company made in this Agreement and the other agreements entered into between the parties hereto, it is relying solely on such counsel and advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its representatives or agents for legal, tax or investment advice with respect to this investment, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the securities laws of any jurisdiction.
2.7. Access to Information; Independent Investigation. Prior to the execution of this Agreement, it has had the opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from representatives of the Company concerning an investment in the Company, as well as the finances, operations, business and prospects of the Company, and the opportunity to obtain additional information to verify the accuracy of all information so obtained. In determining whether to make this investment, it has relied solely on its own knowledge and understanding of the Company and its business based upon its own due diligence investigation and the information furnished pursuant to this paragraph. It understands that no person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations which were not furnished pursuant to this Section 2 and it has not relied on any other representations or information in making its investment decision, whether written or oral, relating to the Company, its operations and/or its prospects.
2.8. Reliance on Representations and Warranties. It understands the Units are being offered and sold to it in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements under the Securities Act, and analogous provisions in the laws and regulations of various states, and that the Company is relying upon the truth and accuracy of the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgments and understandings of the Purchaser set forth in this Agreement in order to determine the applicability of such provisions.
2
2.9. No Advertisements. It is not subscribing for the Units as a result of or subsequent to any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine, or similar media or broadcast over television or radio, or presented at any seminar or meeting.
2.10. Legend. It acknowledges and agrees the certificates evidencing the Securities shall bear a restrictive legend (the “Legend”), in form and substance as set forth in Section 4 hereof, prohibiting the offer, sale, pledge or transfer of the securities, except (i) pursuant to an effective registration statement covering these securities under the Securities Act or (ii) pursuant to any other exemptions from the registration requirements under the Securities Act and such laws which, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, is available.
2.11. Experience, Financial Capability and Suitability. It is (i) sophisticated in financial matters and is able to evaluate the risks and benefits of the investment in the Securities and (ii) able to bear the economic risk of his investment in the Securities for an indefinite period of time because the Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act and therefore cannot be sold unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is available. It has substantial experience in evaluating and investing in transactions of securities in companies similar to the Company so that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of its investment in the Company and has the capacity to protect its own interests. It has substantial experience in evaluating and investing in transactions of securities in companies similar to the Company so that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of its investment in the Company and has the capacity to protect its own interests.
2.12. Investment Purposes. It is purchasing the Securities solely for investment purposes, for its own account and not for the account or benefit of any other person, and not with a view towards the distribution or dissemination thereof and it has no present arrangement to sell the interest in the Securities to or through any person or entity.
2.13. Restrictions on Transfer. It acknowledges and understands the Units are being offered in a transaction not involving a public offering in the United States within the meaning of the Securities Act. The Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act, and, if in the future, it decides to offer, resell, pledge or otherwise transfer the Securities, such Securities may be offered, resold, pledged or otherwise transferred only (A) pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act, (B) pursuant to an exemption from registration under Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (“Rule 144”), if available, or (C) pursuant to any other available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and in each case in accordance with any applicable securities laws of any state or any other jurisdiction. It agrees that if any transfer of its Securities or any interest therein is proposed to be made, as a condition precedent to any such transfer, it may be required to deliver to the Company an opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company. Absent registration or another available exemption from registration, it agrees it will not resell the Securities. It further acknowledges that because the Company is a shell company, Rule 144 may not be available to it for the resale of the Securities until the one year anniversary following consummation of the initial Business Combination (defined below) of the Company, despite technical compliance with the requirements of Rule 144 and the release or waiver of any contractual transfer restrictions.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company
The Company represents and warrants to the Purchaser that:
3.1. Valid Issuance of Share Capital. The total number of all classes of share capital which the Company has authority to issue is 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. As of the date hereof, the Company has issued 6,118,000 Class B ordinary shares (of which 798,000 Class B ordinary shares are subject to forfeiture as described in the registration statement relating to the Company’s IPO) to the Company’s sponsor and no preferred shares are issued and outstanding. All of the issued share capital of the Company has been duly authorized, validly issued, and are fully paid and non-assessable.
3
3.2. Title to Securities. Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof and the warrant agreement to be entered into with CST on or prior to the closing of the IPO (the “Warrant Agreement”) and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company (as applicable), as the case may be, each of the Securities will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. On the date of issuance of the Units, the Warrant Shares shall have been reserved for issuance. Upon issuance in accordance with the terms hereof, the Warrant Agreement, the Purchaser will have or receive good title to the Warrant Shares, free and clear of all liens, claims and encumbrances of any kind other than (i) transfer restrictions hereunder and pursuant to the insider letter to be entered into on or prior to the closing of the IPO (the “Insider Letter”) and (ii) transfer restrictions under federal and state securities laws.
3.3. Organization and Qualification. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a Cayman Islands exempted company and has the requisite corporate power to own its properties and assets and to carry on its business as now being conducted.
3.4. Authorization; Enforcement. (i) The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and to issue the Securities in accordance with the terms hereof, (ii) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and no further consent or authorization of the Company or its Board of Directors or shareholders is required, and (iii) this Agreement constitutes, and upon the execution and delivery thereof, the Warrants and Warrant Agreement, will constitute, valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium, reorganization, or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally the enforcement of, creditors’ rights and remedies or by equitable principles of general application and except as enforcement of rights to indemnity and contribution may be limited by federal and state securities laws or principles of public policy.
3.5. No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby do not (i) result in a violation of the Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default under any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company is a party or (iii) conflict with any law statute, rule or regulation to which the Company is subject or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Company is subject. Other than any federal, state or foreign securities filings which may be required to be made by the Company subsequent to the Closing, and any registration statement which may be filed pursuant thereto, the Company is not required under federal, state or local law, rule or regulation to obtain any consent, authorization or order of, or make any filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency or self-regulatory entity in order for it to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement or issue the Securities in accordance with the terms hereof.
4. Legends
4.1. Legend. The Company will issue the Units purchased by the Purchaser, and upon separation of the Units, the Unit Shares and Warrants included therein, and when issued, the Class A ordinary shares issued upon exercise of the Warrants, in the name of the Purchaser. The Securities will bear the following Legend and appropriate “stop transfer” instructions:
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF UNLESS REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION, SUBJECT TO ANY ADDITIONAL LIMITATIONS ON TRANSFER DESCRIBED IN THE AGREEMENTS BY AND AMONG NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP (THE “COMPANY”), NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION SPONSOR LLC AND THE OTHER SIGNATORIES THERETO, THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY NOT BE SOLD OR TRANSFERRED PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE DATE UPON WHICH THE COMPANY COMPLETES ITS INITIAL BUSINESS COMBINATION (AS DEFINED IN SECTION 3 OF THE WARRANT AGREEMENT REFERRED TO HEREIN) EXCEPT TO A PERMITTED TRANSFEREE WHO AGREES IN WRITING WITH THE COMPANY TO BE SUBJECT TO SUCH TRANSFER PROVISIONS.
THE SECURITIES EVIDENCED BY THIS CERTIFICATE SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS UNDER A REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT TO BE EXECUTED BY THE COMPANY.”
4
4.2. Purchaser’s Compliance. Nothing in this Section 4 shall affect in any way the Purchaser’s obligations and agreements to comply with all applicable securities laws upon resale of the Securities.
4.3. Company’s Refusal to Register Transfer of the Securities. The Company shall refuse to register any transfer of the Securities, if in the sole judgment of the Company such purported transfer would not be made (i) pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act, or (ii) pursuant to an available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
4.4. Registration Rights. The Purchaser will be entitled to certain registration rights which will be governed by a registration rights agreement (“Registration Rights Agreement”) to be entered into to be entered into between, among others, the Purchaser and the Company in connection with the Company’s IPO. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the Purchaser may not exercise its demand and “piggyback” registration rights after five (5) and seven (7) years from the commencement of sales in the IPO and may not exercise its demand rights on more than one occasion.
5. Waiver of Liquidation Distributions. In connection with the Securities purchased pursuant to this Agreement, the Purchaser hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any distributions of the amounts in the Trust Account with respect to the Securities, whether (i) in connection with the exercise of redemption rights if the Company consummates the Business Combination, (ii) in connection with any tender offer conducted by the Company prior to a Business Combination, (iii) upon the Company’s redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares included in the Units sold in the Company’s IPO upon the Company’s failure to complete the Business Combination within the period provided for in the Company's amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or (iv) in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association not for the purposes of approving, or in conjunction with the consummation of, a Business Combination (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with a Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the Class A Ordinary Shares included in the Units sold in the Company’s IPO if the Company has not consummated a Business Combination within the period provided for in the Company's amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to the right of holders of Class A Ordinary Shares or pre-Business Combination activity. In the event that the Purchaser purchases Class A Ordinary Shares as part of the Units in the IPO or in the aftermarket, any additional Class A Ordinary Shares so purchased shall be eligible to receive the redemption value of such Class A Ordinary Shares upon the same terms offered to all other purchasers of Class A Ordinary Shares included as part of the Units in the IPO. Nothing herein shall preclude the Purchaser from making any claim or seeking recourse against the Company’s funds held outside of the Trust Account or seeking to enforce the terms of the Underwriting Agreement to be entered into by the Company and the Purchaser as underwriter for the Company’s IPO (the “Underwriting Agreement”).
6. Terms of the Securities.
6.1 Terms of the Units. The Units shall be substantially identical to the Units offered in the IPO as set forth in the Underwriting Agreement, except the Units: (i) will be subject to the transfer restrictions described herein, and (ii) are being purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become freely tradable only after certain conditions are met or the resale of the Units is registered under the Securities Act.
6.2 Terms of Warrants. Each Placement Warrant shall have the terms set forth in the Warrant Agreement. The Placement Warrants are substantially identical to the warrants included as part of the Units to be offered in the IPO except that: (i) they are subject to the transfer restrictions described in Section 8 hereof; (ii) they will be entitled to registration rights and (iii) they may not be exercisable more than five years from the commencement of sales in this offering in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8).
5
7. Securities Laws Restrictions
The Purchaser agrees not to sell, transfer, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Securities unless, prior thereto (a) a registration statement on the appropriate form under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws with respect to the Securities proposed to be transferred shall then be effective or (b) the Company shall have received an opinion from counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Company, that such registration is not required because such transaction complies with the Securities Act and the rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder and with all applicable state securities laws.
8. Lock-Up.
8.1. Restrictions on Transfers. The Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that the Securities shall not be transferable, saleable or assignable until thirty (30) days after the consummation of an acquisition, share exchange, purchase of all or substantially all of the assets of, or any other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”).
8.2 Permitted Transfers. The Purchaser and its permitted transferees agree that they shall not Transfer any Securities until 30 days following the consummation of the Business Combination; provided, however, that Transfers of Securities are permitted (a) to the Company’s or Purchaser’s officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of the Company’s or Purchaser’s officers or directors, any members of the Company’s sponsor, or any affiliates of the Company’s sponsor, (b) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of the individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of the individual’s immediate family or an affiliate of such person, or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) by virtue of the laws of the State of New York or Purchaser’s operating agreement in the event of Purchaser’s liquidation; (f) in the event of the Company’s liquidation prior to the consummation of a Business Combination; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (f) these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and by the same agreements entered into by the Company’s sponsor and the Purchaser with respect to such securities. As used herein, the term “Transfer” shall mean the (a) sale of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agreement to dispose of, directly or indirectly, or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder with respect to, any of the Securities, (b) entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any of the Securities, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such Securities, in cash or otherwise, or (c) public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (a) or (b).
8.2 FINRA Restrictions. In addition to the restrictions on transfer described in Section 8.1, Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that the Units and their component parts and the related registration rights will be deemed compensation by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and will therefore, pursuant to Rule 5110(e) of the FINRA Manual, be subject to lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales in the IPO, subject to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(2). Additionally, the Units and their component parts and the related registration rights may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated during the foregoing 180 day period except to any underwriter or selected dealer participating in the IPO and the officers or partners, registered persons or affiliates of the Purchaser and any such participating underwriter or selected dealer. Additionally, the Units and their component parts and the related registration rights will not be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of such securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales in the IPO.
6
9. Rescission Right Waiver and Indemnification
9.1. Rescission Waiver. The Purchaser understands and acknowledges that an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act requires there be no general solicitation of purchasers of the Units. In this regard, if the Offering were deemed to be a general solicitation with respect to the Units, the offer and sale of such Units may not be exempt from registration and, if not, the Purchaser may have a right to rescind its purchase of the Units. In order to facilitate the completion of the Offering and in order to protect the Company, its shareholders and the Trust Account from claims that may adversely affect the Company or the interests of its shareholders, the Purchaser hereby agrees to waive, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, any claims, right to sue or rights in law or arbitration, as the case may be, to seek rescission of its purchase of the Units as a result of the issuance of the Units being deemed to be in violation of Section 5 of the Securities Act. The Purchaser acknowledges and agrees this waiver is being made in order to induce the Company to sell the Units to the Purchaser. The Purchaser agrees the foregoing waiver of rescission rights shall apply to any and all known or unknown actions, causes of action, suits, claims or proceedings (collectively, “Claims”) and related losses, costs, penalties, fees, liabilities and damages, whether compensatory, consequential or exemplary, and expenses in connection therewith, including reasonable attorneys’ and expert witness fees and disbursements and all other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any Claims, whether pending or threatened, in connection with any present or future actual or asserted right to rescind the purchase of the Units hereunder or relating to the purchase of the Units and the transactions contemplated hereby.
9.2. No Recourse Against Trust Account. The Purchaser agrees not to seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever in connection with its purchase of the Units or any Claim that may arise now or in the future.
9.3. Section 9 Waiver. The Purchaser agrees that to the extent any waiver of rights under this Section 9 is ineffective as a matter of law, the Purchaser has offered such waiver for the benefit of the Company as an equitable right that shall survive any statutory disqualification or bar that applies to a legal right. The Purchaser acknowledges the receipt and sufficiency of consideration received from the Company hereunder in this regard.
10. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York for agreements made and to be wholly performed within such territory. The parties hereto hereby waive any right to a jury trial in connection with any litigation pursuant to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.
11. Assignment; Entire Agreement; Amendment
11.1. Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any rights hereunder may be assigned by any party to any other person other than by the Purchaser, without the prior consent of the Company, to one or more persons agreeing to be bound by the terms hereof. Upon such assignment by a Purchaser, the assignee(s) shall become Purchaser hereunder and have the rights and obligations provided for herein to the extent of such assignment.
11.2. Entire Agreement. This Agreement sets forth the entire agreement and understanding between the parties as to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any and all prior discussions, agreements and understandings of any and every nature.
11.3. Amendment. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, neither this Agreement nor any term hereof may be amended, waived, discharged or terminated other than by a written instrument signed by the party against whom enforcement of any such amendment, waiver, discharge or termination is sought.
11.4. Binding upon Successors. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and to their respective heirs, legal representatives, successors and permitted assigns.
7
12. Notices; Indemnity
12.1 Notices. All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder shall be in writing, shall be addressed to the receiving party’s address set forth herein or to such other address as a party may designate by notice hereunder, and shall be either (a) delivered by hand, (b) sent by overnight courier, or (c) sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid. All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder shall be deemed to have been given either (i) if by hand, at the time of the delivery thereof to the receiving party at the address of such party set forth above, (ii) if sent by overnight courier, on the next business day following the day such notice is delivered to the courier service, or (iii) if sent by certified mail, on the fifth business day following the day such mailing is made.
12.2 Indemnification. Subject to Section 8, each party shall indemnify the other party against any loss, cost or damages (including reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses) incurred as a result of such party’s breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement set forth in this Agreement.
13. Counterparts
This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or any other form of electronic delivery, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.
14. Survival; Severability
14.1. Survival. The representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of the parties hereto shall survive the Closing until one (1) year following the consummation of an initial Business Combination.
14.2. Severability. In the event that any provision of this Agreement becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, unenforceable or void, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect without said provision; provided that no such severability shall be effective if it materially changes the economic benefit of this Agreement to any party.
15. Headings
The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.
16. Construction
The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. If an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement will be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto and no presumption or burden of proof will arise favoring or disfavoring any party hereto because of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement. The words “include,” “includes,” and “including” will be deemed to be followed by “without limitation.” Pronouns in masculine, feminine, and neuter genders will be construed to include any other gender, and words in the singular form will be construed to include the plural and vice versa, unless the context otherwise requires. The words “this Agreement,” “herein,” “hereof,” “hereby,” “hereunder,” and words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular subdivision unless expressly so limited. The parties hereto intend that each representation, warranty, and covenant contained herein will have independent significance. If any party hereto has breached any representation, warranty, or covenant contained herein in any respect, the fact that there exists another representation, warranty or covenant relating to the same subject matter (regardless of the relative levels of specificity) which such party hereto has not breached will not detract from or mitigate the fact that such party hereto is in breach of the first representation, warranty, or covenant.
[remainder of page intentionally left blank]
8
This subscription is accepted by the Company as of the date first written above.
| Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Thomas Bushey | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
Accepted and agreed this [*] day of [*], 2024
|
BTIG LLC |
||
| By [*], the Managing Member | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | [*] | |
| Title: | Authorized Signatory | |
9
Exhibit 10.8
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
THIS INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of [●], 2024, by and between Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), and [●] (“Indemnitee”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, highly competent persons have become more reluctant to serve publicly-held corporations as directors or officers unless they are provided with adequate protection through insurance or adequate indemnification against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of such corporations;
WHEREAS, the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that, in order to attract and retain qualified individuals as directors and officers, the Company will attempt to maintain on an ongoing basis, at its sole expense, liability insurance to protect such persons serving the Company and its subsidiaries from certain liabilities. Although the furnishing of such insurance has been a customary and widespread practice among corporations and other business enterprises, the Company believes that, given current market conditions and trends, such insurance may be available to it in the future only at higher premiums and with more exclusions. At the same time, directors and officers are being increasingly subjected to expensive and time-consuming litigation. The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as may be amended from time to time (the “Memorandum and Articles”), of the Company requires indemnification of the officers and directors of the Company. Indemnitee may also be entitled to indemnification pursuant to applicable Cayman Islands law. The Memorandum and Articles expressly provides that the indemnification provisions set forth therein are not exclusive, and thereby contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the Company and members of the Board, officers and other persons with respect to indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, advancement and reimbursement rights;
WHEREAS, the uncertainties relating to such insurance and to indemnification have increased the difficulty of attracting and retaining such persons;
WHEREAS, the Board has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining such persons is detrimental to the best interests of the Company’s shareholders and that the Company should act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future;
WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, hold harmless, exonerate and to advance Expenses (as defined below) on behalf of such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so protected against liabilities;
WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Memorandum and Articles and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder; and
WHEREAS, Indemnitee may not be willing to serve as an officer or director without adequate protection, and the Company desires Indemnitee to serve in such capacity. Indemnitee is willing to serve or continue to serve for or on behalf of the Company on the condition that Indemnitee be so indemnified.
1
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein, the Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. SERVICES TO THE COMPANY. In consideration of the Company’s covenants and obligations hereunder, Indemnitee will serve or continue to serve as an officer, director or key employee of the Company for so long as Indemnitee is duly elected or appointed or until Indemnitee tenders Indemnitee’s resignation or until Indemnitee is removed. The foregoing notwithstanding, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect after Indemnitee has ceased to serve as a director or officer of the Company, as provided in Section 17 of this Agreement. This Agreement, however, shall not impose any obligation on Indemnitee or the Company to continue Indemnitee’s service to the Company beyond any period otherwise required by law or by other agreements or commitments of the parties, if any.
2. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Agreement:
(a) References to “agent” shall mean any person who is or was a director, officer or employee of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company or other person authorized by the Company to act for the Company, to include such person serving in such capacity as a director, officer, employee, fiduciary or other official of another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other enterprise at the request of, for the convenience of, or to represent the interests of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company.
(b) The terms “Beneficial Owner” and “Beneficial Ownership” shall have the meanings set forth in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined below) as in effect on the date hereof.
(c) A “Change in Control” shall be deemed to occur upon the earliest to occur after the date of this Agreement of any of the following events:
(i) Acquisition of Shares by Third Party. Other than an affiliate of Newbury Stret II Acquisition Sponsor LLC, any Person (as defined below) who is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing fifteen percent (15%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, unless (1) the change in the relative Beneficial Ownership of the Company’s securities by any Person results solely from a reduction in the aggregate number of outstanding shares of securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, or (2) such acquisition was approved in advance by the Continuing Directors (as defined below) and such acquisition would not constitute a Change in Control under part (iii) of this definition;
(ii) Change in Board of Directors. Individuals who, as of the date hereof, constitute the Board, and any new director whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who were directors on the date hereof or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved (collectively, the “Continuing Directors”), cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the members of the Board;
(iii) Corporate Transactions. The effective date of a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination involving the Company and one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”), in each case, unless, following such Business Combination: (1) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the Beneficial Owners of securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than fifty-one percent (51%) of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors resulting from such Business Combination (including, without limitation, a corporation which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more Subsidiaries (as defined below)) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership immediately prior to such Business Combination, of the securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; (2) Other than an affiliate of Churchill Sponsor IX LLC, no Person (excluding any corporation resulting from such Business Combination) is the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the surviving corporation except to the extent that such ownership existed prior to the Business Combination; and (3) at least a majority of the board of directors of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination were Continuing Directors at the time of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of the Board, providing for such Business Combination;
2
(iv) Liquidation. The approval by the shareholders of the Company of a complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement or series of agreements for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, other than factoring the Company’s current receivables or escrows due (or, if such shareholder approval is not required, the decision by the Board to proceed with such a liquidation, sale or disposition in one transaction or a series of related transactions); or
(v) Other Events. There occurs any other event of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A (or any successor rule) (or a response to any similar item on any similar schedule or form) promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined below), whether or not the Company is then subject to such reporting requirement.
(d) “Companies Law” shall mean the Companies Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands, as the same may be amended from time to time.
(e) “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who is or was a director, officer, trustee, general partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of the Company or of any other Enterprise (as defined below) which such person is or was Serving at the Request of the Company (as defined below).
(f) “Delaware Court” shall mean the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware.
(g) “Disinterested Director” shall mean a director of the Company who is not and was not a party to the Proceeding (as defined below) in respect of which indemnification is sought by Indemnitee.
(h) “Enterprise” shall mean the Company and any other corporation, constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger to which the Company (or any of its wholly owned subsidiaries) is a party, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise of which Indemnitee is or was Serving at the Request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, manager, general partner, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent.
(i) “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(j) “Expenses” shall include all reasonable direct and indirect costs, fees and expenses of any type or nature whatsoever, including, without limitation, all reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, fees of private investigators and professional advisors, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, fax transmission charges, secretarial services and all other disbursements, obligations or expenses in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, settlement or appeal of, or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding, including reasonable compensation for time spent by Indemnitee for which he or she is not otherwise compensated by the Company or any third party. “Expenses” also shall include expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Proceeding, including without limitation the principal, premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent. “Expenses,” however, shall not include amounts paid in settlement by Indemnitee or the amount of judgments or Fines (as defined below) against Indemnitee.
(k) “Fines” shall include all fines, including without limitation any excise tax assessed on Indemnitee with respect to any employee benefit plan and any fines imposed on Indemnitee by any governmental authority.
(l) “Independent Counsel” shall mean a law firm or a member of a law firm with significant experience in matters of corporation law and that neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to matters concerning Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements) or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement.
3
(m) The term “Person” shall have the meaning as set forth in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof; provided, however, that “Person” shall exclude: (i) the Company; (ii) any Subsidiaries (as defined below) of the Company; (iii) any employment benefit plan of the Company or of a Subsidiary of the Company or of any corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of shares of the Company; and (iv) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or of a Subsidiary of the Company or of a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of shares of the Company.
(n) The term “Proceeding” shall include any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, mediation, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, whether brought in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil (including intentional or unintentional tort claims), criminal, administrative, legislative or investigative nature, in which Indemnitee was, is, will or might be involved as a party, potential party, non-party witness or otherwise by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director or officer of the Company, by reason of any action (or failure to act) taken by Indemnitee or of any action (or failure to act) on Indemnitee’s part while acting as a director or officer of the Company, or by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was Serving at the Request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, general partner, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other Enterprise, in each case whether or not serving in such capacity at the time any liability or Expense is incurred for which indemnification, reimbursement or advancement of Expenses can be provided under this Agreement.
(o) The term “Serving at the Request of the Company” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Company” as referred to in this Agreement.
(p) The term “Subsidiary,” with respect to any Person, shall mean any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by that Person.
3. INDEMNITY IN THIRD-PARTY PROCEEDINGS. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and the Memorandum and Articles, the Company shall indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3 if Indemnitee was, is or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise) in any Proceeding, other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status. Pursuant to this Section 3, Indemnitee shall be indemnified, held harmless and exonerated against all Expenses, judgments, liabilities, Fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses, judgments, Fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement) actually, and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and, in the case of a criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.
4. INDEMNITY IN PROCEEDINGS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and the Memorandum and Articles, the Company shall indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4 if Indemnitee was, is or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise) in any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status. Pursuant to this Section 4, Indemnitee shall be indemnified, held harmless and exonerated against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration for Expenses shall be made under this Section 4 in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged by a court to be liable to the Company, unless and only to the extent that any court in which the Proceeding was brought or the Delaware Court shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, to be held harmless or to exoneration.
4
5. INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF A PARTY WHO IS WHOLLY OR PARTLY SUCCESSFUL. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement (other than the provisions of Section 27 of this Agreement), to the extent that Indemnitee was or is, by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, a party to (or a participant in) and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, in whole or in part, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and the Memorandum and Articles, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection therewith. If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and the Memorandum and Articles, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding, the Company also shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and the Memorandum and Articles, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee against all Expenses reasonably incurred in connection with a claim, issue or matter related to any claim, issue or matter on which Indemnitee was successful. For purposes of this Section 5 and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.
6. INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF A WITNESS. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement (other than the provisions of Section 27 of this Agreement), to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, a witness or deponent in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee was or is not a party or threatened to be made a party, Indemnitee shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and the Memorandum and Articles, be indemnified, held harmless and exonerated against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection therewith.
7. CONTRIBUTION IN THE EVENT OF JOINT LIABILITY.
(a) To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law and the Memorandum and Articles, if the indemnification, hold harmless and/or exoneration rights provided for in this Agreement are unavailable to Indemnitee in whole or in part for any reason whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying, holding harmless or exonerating Indemnitee, shall pay, in the first instance, the entire amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, liabilities, Fines, penalties, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any Proceeding without requiring Indemnitee to contribute to such payment, and the Company hereby waives and relinquishes any right of contribution it may have at any time against Indemnitee.
(b) The Company shall not enter into any settlement of any Proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such Proceeding) unless such settlement provides for a full and final release of all claims asserted against Indemnitee.
(c) The Company hereby agrees to fully indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee from any claims for contribution which may be brought by officers, directors or employees of the Company other than Indemnitee who may be jointly liable with Indemnitee.
8. EXCLUSIONS. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement (but subject to Section 27 of this Agreement), the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnification, advance of Expenses, hold harmless or exoneration payment in connection with any claim made against Indemnitee:
(a) for which payment has actually been received by or on behalf of Indemnitee under any insurance policy, contract, agreement or other indemnity or advancement provision or otherwise, except (i) with respect to any excess beyond the amount actually received under any insurance policy, contract, agreement, other indemnity or advancement provision or otherwise and (ii) as provided in Section 9 of this Agreement;
5
(b) for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act (or any successor rule) or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law; or
(c) except as otherwise provided in Sections 14(f) and (g) of this Agreement, prior to a Change in Control, in connection with any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee, including any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee against the Company or its directors, officers, employees or other indemnitees, unless (i) the Board authorized the Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) prior to its initiation or (ii) the Company provides the indemnification, advance of Expenses, hold harmless or exoneration payment, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law. Indemnitee shall seek payments or advances from the Company only to the extent that such payments or advances are unavailable from any insurance policy of the Company covering Indemnitee.
9. INDEMNITOR OF FIRST RESORT. The Company hereby acknowledges that Indemnitee may have certain rights to indemnification, advancement of Expenses and/or insurance provided by one or more Persons with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated (collectively, the “Alternative Indemnitors”). The Company hereby agrees (a) that it is the indemnitor of first resort (i.e., its obligations to Indemnitee are primary and any obligation of the Alternative Indemnitors to advance Expenses or to provide indemnification for the same Expenses or liabilities incurred by Indemnitee are secondary), (b) that it shall be required to advance the full amount of Expenses incurred by Indemnitee and shall be liable for the full amount of all Expenses, judgments, penalties, Fines and amounts paid in settlement to the extent legally permitted and as required by the terms of this Agreement and the Memorandum and Articles of the Company (or any other agreement between the Company and Indemnitee), without regard to any rights Indemnitee may have against the Alternative Indemnitors, and (c) that it irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the Alternative Indemnitors from any and all claims against the Alternative Indemnitors for contribution, subrogation or any other recovery of any kind in respect thereof. The Company further agrees that no advancement or payment by the Alternative Indemnitors on behalf of Indemnitee with respect to any claim for which Indemnitee has sought indemnification from the Company shall affect the foregoing and the Alternative Indemnitors shall have a right of contribution and/or be subrogated to the extent of such advancement or payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee against the Company. The Company and Indemnitee agree that the Alternative Indemnitors are express third party beneficiaries of the terms of this Section 9.
10. ADVANCES OF EXPENSES; DEFENSE OF CLAIM.
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary (other than the provisions of Section 27 of this Agreement), and to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law or the Memorandum and Articles, the Company shall pay the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee (or reasonably expected by Indemnitee to be incurred by Indemnitee within three (3) months) in connection with any Proceeding within ten (10) days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements requesting such advances from time to time, prior to the final disposition of any Proceeding. Advances shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be unsecured and interest free. Advances shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be made without regard to Indemnitee’s ability to repay the Expenses and without regard to Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to be indemnified, held harmless or exonerated under the other provisions of this Agreement. Advances shall include any and all reasonable Expenses incurred pursuing a Proceeding to enforce this right of advancement, including Expenses incurred preparing and forwarding statements to the Company to support the advances claimed. To the fullest extent required by applicable law and the Memorandum and Articles, such payments of Expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon the Company’s receipt of an undertaking, by or on behalf of Indemnitee, to repay the advanced amounts to the extent that it is ultimately determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, held harmless or exonerated by the Company under the provisions of this Agreement, the Memorandum and Articles, applicable law or otherwise. This Section 10(a) shall not apply to any claim made by Indemnitee for which an indemnification, advance of Expenses, hold harmless or exoneration payment is excluded pursuant to Section 8 of this Agreement.
(b) The Company will be entitled to participate in the Proceeding at its own expense.
(c) The Company shall not settle any action, claim or Proceeding (in whole or in part) which would impose any Expense, judgment, liability, Fine, penalty or limitation on Indemnitee without Indemnitee’s prior written consent.
6
11. PROCEDURE FOR NOTIFICATION AND APPLICATION FOR INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) Indemnitee agrees to promptly notify the Company in writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding, claim, issue or matter therein which may be subject to indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration rights, or advancement of Expenses covered hereunder. The failure of Indemnitee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to Indemnitee under this Agreement, or otherwise.
(b) Indemnitee may deliver to the Company a written application to indemnify, hold harmless or exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with this Agreement. Such application(s) may be delivered from time to time and at such time(s) as Indemnitee deems appropriate in Indemnitee’s sole discretion. Following such a written application for indemnification by Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification shall be determined according to Section 12(a) of this Agreement.
12. PROCEDURE UPON APPLICATION FOR INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) A determination, if required by applicable law or the Memorandum and Articles, with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification shall be made in the specific case by one of the following methods, which shall be at the election of Indemnitee: (i) by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board or (ii) by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee. The Company will promptly advise Indemnitee in writing with respect to any determination that Indemnitee is or is not entitled to indemnification, including a description of any reason or basis for which indemnification has been denied. If it is so determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to Indemnitee shall be made within ten (10) days after such determination. Indemnitee shall reasonably cooperate with the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing to such person, persons or entity upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any costs or Expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the person, persons or entity making such determination shall be borne by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Company hereby agrees to indemnify and to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom.
(b) In the event the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel pursuant to Section 12(a) hereof, the Independent Counsel shall be selected as provided in this Section 12(b). The Independent Counsel shall be selected by Indemnitee (unless Indemnitee shall request that such selection be made by the Board), and Indemnitee shall give written notice to the Company advising it of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected and certifying that the Independent Counsel so selected meets the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement. If the Independent Counsel is selected by the Board, the Company shall give written notice to Indemnitee advising Indemnitee of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected and certifying that the Independent Counsel so selected meets the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement. In either event, Indemnitee or the Company, as the case may be, may, within ten (10) days after such written notice of selection shall have been received, deliver to the Company or to Indemnitee, as the case may be, a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the person or law firm so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If such written objection is so made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel so selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until such objection is withdrawn or a court of competent jurisdiction has determined that such objection is without merit. If, within twenty (20) days after submission by Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 11(b) of this Agreement, no Independent Counsel shall have been selected and not objected to, either the Company or Indemnitee may petition the Delaware Court for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Company or Indemnitee to the other’s selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person or law firm selected by the Delaware Court, and the person or law firm with respect to whom all objections are so resolved or the person or law firm so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under Section 12(a) hereof. Upon the due commencement of any judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to Section 14(a) of this Agreement, Independent Counsel shall be discharged and relieved of any further responsibility in such capacity (subject to the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing).
7
(c) The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of Independent Counsel and to fully indemnify and hold harmless such Independent Counsel against any and all Expenses, claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or such Independent Counsel’s engagement pursuant hereto.
13. PRESUMPTIONS AND EFFECT OF CERTAIN PROCEEDINGS.
(a) In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the person, persons or entity making such determination shall presume that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement if Indemnitee has submitted a request for indemnification in accordance with Section 11(b) of this Agreement, and the Company shall have the burden of proof to overcome that presumption in connection with the making by any person, persons or entity of any determination contrary to that presumption. Neither the failure of the Company (including by the Disinterested Directors or Independent Counsel) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Company (including by the Disinterested Directors or Independent Counsel) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct.
(b) If the person, persons or entity empowered or selected under Section 12 of this Agreement to determine whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification shall not have made a determination within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of the request therefor, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification or (ii) a final judicial determination that any or all such indemnification is expressly prohibited under applicable law; provided, however, that such thirty-day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional fifteen (15) days, if the person, persons or entity making the determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification in good faith requires such additional time for the obtaining or evaluating of documentation and/or information relating thereto.
(c) The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself adversely affect the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.
(d) For purposes of any determination of good faith, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Enterprise, including financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the directors, managers or officers of the Enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Enterprise, the Board, any committee of the Board or any director, trustee, general partner, manager or managing member of the Enterprise, or on information or records given or reports made to the Enterprise, the Board, any committee of the Board or any director, trustee, general partner, manager or managing member of the Enterprise, by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected by the Enterprise, the Board, any committee of the Board or any director, trustee, general partner, manager or managing member of the Enterprise. The provisions of this Section 13(d) shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the other circumstances in which Indemnitee may be deemed or found to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.
(e) The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any other director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, agent or employee of the Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement.
8
14. REMEDIES OF INDEMNITEE.
(a) In the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 12 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, is not timely made pursuant to Section 10 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification shall have been made pursuant to Section 12(a) of this Agreement within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of the request for indemnification, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to Sections 5, 6 or the last sentence of Section 12(a) of this Agreement within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor, (v) a contribution payment is not made in a timely manner pursuant to Section 7 of this Agreement, (vi) payment of indemnification pursuant to Sections 3 or 4 of this Agreement is not made within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification or (vii) payment to Indemnitee pursuant to any hold harmless or exoneration rights under this Agreement or otherwise is not made in accordance with this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication by the Delaware Court to such indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, contribution or advancement rights. Alternatively, Indemnitee, at Indemnitee’s option, may seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. Except as set forth herein, the provisions of Delaware law (without regard to its conflict of laws rules) shall apply to any such arbitration. The Company shall not oppose Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration.
(b) In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 12(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial, or arbitration, on the merits and Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of that adverse determination.
(c) In any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14, Indemnitee shall be presumed to be entitled to be indemnified, held harmless, exonerated and to receive advancement of Expenses under this Agreement and the Company shall have the burden of proving Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, held harmless, exonerated and to receive advancement of Expenses, as the case may be, and the Company may not refer to or introduce into evidence any determination pursuant to Section 12(a) of this Agreement adverse to Indemnitee for any purpose. If Indemnitee commences a judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to this Section 14, Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any advances pursuant to Section 10 of this Agreement until a final determination is made with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification (as to which all rights of appeal have been exhausted or lapsed).
(d) If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 12(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law.
(e) The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court or before any such arbitrator that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement.
9
(f) The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law against all Expenses and, if requested by Indemnitee, shall (within ten (10) days after the Company’s receipt of such written request) pay to Indemnitee, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and the Memorandum and Articles, such Expenses which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any judicial proceeding or arbitration brought by Indemnitee: (i) to enforce Indemnitee’s rights under, or to recover damages for breach of, this Agreement or any other indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, advancement or contribution agreement or provision of the Memorandum and Articles now or hereafter in effect or (ii) for recovery or advances under any insurance policy maintained by any person for the benefit of Indemnitee, regardless of the outcome and whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration right, advancement, contribution or insurance recovery, as the case may be (unless such judicial proceeding or arbitration was not brought by Indemnitee in good faith).
(g) Interest shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee at the legal rate under Delaware law for amounts which the Company indemnifies, holds harmless or exonerates, or advances, or is obliged to indemnify, hold harmless or exonerate or advance for the period commencing with the date on which Indemnitee requests indemnification, to be held harmless, exonerated, contribution, reimbursement or advancement of any Expenses and ending with the date on which such payment is made to Indemnitee by the Company.
15. SECURITY. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary (but subject to Section 27 of this Agreement), to the extent requested by Indemnitee and approved by the Board, the Company may at any time and from time to time provide security to Indemnitee for the Company’s obligations hereunder through an irrevocable bank line of credit, funded trust or other collateral. Any such security, once provided to Indemnitee, may not be revoked or released without the prior written consent of Indemnitee.
16. NON-EXCLUSIVITY; SURVIVAL OF RIGHTS; INSURANCE; SUBROGATION.
(a) The rights of Indemnitee as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law, the Memorandum and Articles, any agreement, a vote of shareholders or a resolution of directors, or otherwise. No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any Proceeding (regardless of when such Proceeding is first threatened, commenced or completed) or claim, issue or matter therein arising out of, or related to, any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in Indemnitee’s Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that a change in
applicable law, whether by statute or judicial decision, permits greater indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration rights or advancement of Expenses than would be afforded currently under the Memorandum and Articles or this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change. No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.
(b) The Companies Law and the Memorandum and Articles permit the Company to purchase and maintain insurance or furnish similar protection or make other arrangements including, but not limited to, providing a trust fund, letter of credit, or surety bond (“Indemnification Arrangements”) on behalf of Indemnitee against any liability asserted against Indemnitee or incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee or in such capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or arising out of Indemnitee’s status as such, whether or not the Company would have the power to indemnify Indemnitee against such liability under the provisions of this Agreement, the Memorandum and Articles or under the Companies Law, as it may then be in effect. The purchase, establishment and maintenance of any such Indemnification Arrangement shall not in any way limit or affect the rights and obligations of the Company or of Indemnitee under this Agreement except as expressly provided herein, and the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company and Indemnitee shall not in any way limit or affect the rights and obligations of the Company or the other party or parties thereto under any such Indemnification Arrangement.
(c) To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, trustees, partners, managers, managing members, fiduciaries, employees or agents of the Company or of any other Enterprise which such person is or was Serving at the Request of the Company, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such director, officer, trustee, partner, managers, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent under such policy or policies. If, at the time the Company receives notice from any source of a Proceeding as to which Indemnitee is a party or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise), the Company has director and officer liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of such Proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such Proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.
10
(d) In the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company, to the fullest extent permitted by law, shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.
(e) The Company’s obligation to indemnify, hold harmless, exonerate or advance Expenses hereunder to Indemnitee who is or was Serving at the Request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other Enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration payments or advancement of Expenses from such Enterprise. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, (i) Indemnitee shall have no obligation to reduce, offset, allocate, pursue or apportion any indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, advancement, contribution or insurance coverage among multiple parties possessing such duties to Indemnitee prior to the Company’s satisfaction and performance of all its obligations under this Agreement and (ii) the Company shall perform fully its obligations under this Agreement without regard to whether Indemnitee holds, may pursue or has pursued any indemnification, advancement, hold harmless, exoneration, contribution or insurance coverage rights against any person or entity other than the Company.
17. DURATION OF AGREEMENT. All agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall continue during the period Indemnitee serves as a director or officer of the Company or as a director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other Enterprise which Indemnitee is Serving at the Request of the Company and shall continue thereafter so long as Indemnitee shall be subject to any possible Proceeding (including any rights of appeal thereto and any Proceeding commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 14 of this Agreement) by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, whether or not Indemnitee is acting in any such capacity at the time any liability or Expense is incurred for which indemnification or advancement can be provided under this Agreement.
18. SEVERABILITY. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section, paragraph or sentence of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law; (b) such provision or provisions shall be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law and to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto; and (c) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section, paragraph or sentence of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby.
19. ENFORCEMENT AND BINDING EFFECT.
(a) The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumed the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as a director, officer or key employee of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving as a director, officer or key employee of the Company.
(b) Without limiting any of the rights of Indemnitee under the Memorandum and Articles as they may be amended from time to time, this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.
11
(c) The indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration and advancement of Expenses rights provided by or granted pursuant to this Agreement shall be binding upon and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns (including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company), shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer employee or agent of the Company or a director, officer, trustee, general partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other Enterprise at the Company’s request, and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and Indemnitee’s spouse, assigns, heirs, devisees, executors and administrators and other legal representatives.
(d) The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all or a substantial part of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place.
(e) The Company and Indemnitee agree herein that a monetary remedy for breach of this Agreement, at some later date, may be inadequate, impracticable and difficult to prove, and further agree that such breach may cause Indemnitee irreparable harm. Accordingly, the parties hereto agree that Indemnitee may, to the fullest extent permitted by law, enforce this Agreement by seeking, among other things, injunctive relief and/or specific performance hereof, without any necessity of showing actual damage or irreparable harm and that by seeking injunctive relief and/or specific performance, Indemnitee shall not be precluded from seeking or obtaining any other relief to which Indemnitee may be entitled. The Company and Indemnitee further agree that Indemnitee shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be entitled to such specific performance and injunctive relief, including temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions and permanent injunctions, without the necessity of posting bonds or other undertaking in connection therewith. The Company acknowledges that in the absence of a waiver, a bond or undertaking may be required of Indemnitee by a court of competent jurisdiction. The Company hereby waives any such requirement of such a bond or undertaking to the fullest extent permitted by law.
20. MODIFICATION AND WAIVER. No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the Company and Indemnitee. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions of this Agreement nor shall any waiver constitute a continuing waiver.
21. NOTICES. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (a) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed or (b) mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third (3rd) business day after the date on which it is so mailed:
(i) If to Indemnitee, at the address indicated on the signature page of this Agreement, or such other address as Indemnitee shall provide in writing to the Company.
(ii) If to the Company, to:
Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp
121 High Street, Floor 3
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
Attn: Thomas Bushey
12
With a copy, which shall not constitute notice, to:
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10105
Attn: Barry I. Grossman
Facsimile: (212) 370-1300
or to any other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee in writing by the Company.
22. APPLICABLE LAW AND CONSENT TO JURISDICTION. This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Except with respect to any arbitration commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 14(a) of this Agreement, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally: (a) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in the Delaware Court and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country; (b) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement; (c) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Delaware Court and (d) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Delaware Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum, or is subject (in whole or in part) to a jury trial. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the parties hereby agree that the mailing of process and other papers in connection with any such action or proceeding in the manner provided by Section 21 of this Agreement or in such other manner as may be permitted by law, shall be valid and sufficient service thereof.
23. IDENTICAL COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts (including by electronic delivery of a counterpart in pdf format), each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.
24. MISCELLANEOUS. Use of the masculine pronoun shall be deemed to include usage of the feminine pronoun where appropriate and vice versa. The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.
25. PERIOD OF LIMITATIONS. No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two (2) years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two-year period; provided, however, that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action such shorter period shall govern.
26. ADDITIONAL ACTS. If for the validation of any of the provisions in this Agreement any act, resolution, approval or other procedure is required to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company undertakes to cause such act, resolution, approval or other procedure to be affected or adopted in a manner that will enable the Company to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement.
27. WAIVER OF CLAIMS TO TRUST ACCOUNT. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, Indemnitee hereby agrees that Indemnitee does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind (each, a “Claim”) in or to any monies in the trust account established in connection with the Company’s initial public offering for the benefit of the Company and holders of shares issued in such offering, and hereby waives any Claim Indemnitee may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to the Company and will not seek recourse against such trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, Indemnitee acknowledges and agrees that any indemnification provided hereto will only be able to be satisfied by the Company if (a) the Company has sufficient funds outside of the trust account to satisfy its obligations hereunder or (b) the Company consummates a Business Combination.
28. MAINTENANCE OF INSURANCE. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain and maintain in effect during the entire period for which the Company is obligated to indemnify the Indemnitee under this Agreement, one or more policies of insurance with reputable insurance companies to provide the officers/directors of the Company with coverage for losses from wrongful acts and omissions and to ensure the Company’s performance of its indemnification obligations under this Agreement. The Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such director or officer under such policy or policies. In all such insurance policies, the Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such a manner as to provide the Indemnitee with the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors and officers.
13
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indemnification Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.
| NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Thomas Bushey | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| INDEMNITEE | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Address: | ||
[SIGNATURE PAGE TO INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT]
Exhibit 10.9
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
121 High Street, Floor 3
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
[*][*], 2024
Sunderland Capital Partners LP
121 High Street, Floor 3
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
| Re: | Administrative Support Agreement |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This letter agreement by and between Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp (the “Company”) and Sunderland Capital Partners LP, a Massachusetts limited partnership (the “Services Provider”), an affiliate of our sponsor, Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC (“Sponsor”), dated as of the date hereof, will confirm our agreement that, commencing on the date the securities of the Company are first listed on the Nasdaq Global Market (the “Listing Date”), pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 and prospectus filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Registration Statement”) and continuing until the earlier of the consummation by the Company of an initial business combination and the Company’s liquidation (in each case as described in the Registration Statement) (such earlier date hereinafter referred to as the “Termination Date”):
(i) The Services Provider shall make available (or cause other persons to make available) to the Company, at 121 High Street, Floor 3, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 (or any successor location of the Services Provider), certain office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support as may be reasonably required by the Company. As reimbursement therefor, the Company shall pay the Services Provider (and the Services Provider will receive on behalf of itself or, to the extent it causes another person to make support available to the Company, as nominee on behalf of such other person) the sum of $10,000 per month beginning on the Listing Date and continuing monthly thereafter until the Termination Date.
(ii) The Services Provider hereby irrevocably waives any and all right, title, interest, causes of action and claims of any kind as a result of, or arising out of, this letter agreement (each, a “Claim”) in or to, and any and all right to seek payment of any amounts due to it out of, the trust account established for the benefit of the public shareholders of the Company and into which substantially all of the proceeds of the Company’s initial public offering will be deposited (the “Trust Account”), and hereby irrevocably waives any Claim it may have in the future, which Claim would reduce, encumber or otherwise adversely affect the Trust Account or any monies or other assets in the Trust Account, and further agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction of any Claim against the Trust Account or any monies or other assets in the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.
This letter agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of its subject matter and supersedes all prior understandings, agreements or representations by or among the parties hereto, written or oral, to the extent they relate in any way to the subject matter hereof or the transactions contemplated hereby.
This letter agreement may not be amended, modified or waived as to any particular provision, except by a written instrument executed by the parties hereto.
No party hereto may assign either this letter agreement or any of its rights, interests or obligations hereunder without the prior written approval of the other party; provided, however, that the Services Provider may assign this letter agreement, in whole or in part, to Sponsor or any other person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, Sponsor without the prior written approval of the Company. Any purported assignment in violation of this paragraph shall be void and ineffectual and shall not operate to transfer or assign any interest or title to the purported assignee.
This letter agreement constitutes the entire relationship of the parties hereto, and any litigation between the parties (whether grounded in contract, tort, statute, law or equity) shall be governed by, construed in accordance with and interpreted pursuant to the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to its choice of laws principles.
[Signature Page Follows]
| Very truly yours, | ||
| NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Thomas Bushey | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED BY: | ||
| SUNDERLAND CAPITAL PARTNERS LP | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Thomas Bushey | |
| Title: | ||
[SIGNATURE PAGE TO ADMINISTRATIVE SUPP
Exhibit 14
FORM OF
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS
OF
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
1. Introduction
The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), has adopted this code of business conduct and ethics (this “Code”), as may be amended from time to time by the Board and which is applicable to all of the Company’s directors, officers and employees (to the extent that employees are hired in the future) to:
| ● | promote honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; |
| ● | promote the full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Company files with, or submits to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), as well as in other public communications made by or on behalf of the Company; |
| ● | promote compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations; |
| ● | deter wrongdoing; and |
| ● | require prompt internal reporting of breaches of, and accountability for adherence to, this Code. |
This Code may be amended and modified by the Board. In this Code, references to the “Company” mean Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp and, in appropriate context, the Company’s subsidiaries, if any.
2. Honest, Ethical and Fair Conduct
Each person owes a duty to the Company to act with integrity. Integrity requires, among other things, being honest, fair and candid. Deceit, dishonesty and subordination of principle are inconsistent with integrity. Service to the Company should never be subordinated to personal gain and advantage.
Each person must:
| ● | act with integrity, including being honest and candid while still maintaining the confidentiality of the Company’s information where required or when in the Company’s interests; |
| ● | observe all applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations; |
| ● | comply with the requirements of applicable accounting and auditing standards, as well as Company policies, in order to maintain a high standard of accuracy and completeness in the Company’s financial records and other business-related information and data; |
| ● | adhere to a high standard of business ethics and not seek competitive advantage through unlawful or unethical business practices; |
| ● | deal fairly with the Company’s customers, suppliers, competitors and employees; |
| ● | refrain from taking advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts or any other unfair-dealing practice; |
| ● | protect the assets of the Company and ensure their proper use; |
| ● | Subject to, and except as permitted by, the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as it may be amended from time to time, not (i) take for themselves corporate or business opportunities that are discovered through the use of corporate property, information or position, (ii) use corporate property, information or position for personal gain and (iii) compete with the Company; and |
| ● | Avoid conflicts of interest, wherever possible, except as may be allowed under guidelines or resolutions approved by the Board (or the appropriate committee of the Board) or as disclosed in the Company’s public filings with the SEC. Anything that would be a conflict for a person subject to this Code also will be a conflict for a member of his or her immediate family or any other close relative. Examples of conflict of interest situations include, but are not limited to, the following: |
| ● | any significant ownership interest in any supplier or customer; |
| ● | any consulting or employment relationship with any supplier or customer; |
| ● | the receipt of any money, non-nominal gifts or excessive entertainment from any entity with which the Company has current or prospective business dealings; |
| ● | selling anything to the Company or buying anything from the Company, except on the same terms and conditions as comparable officers or directors are permitted to so purchase or sell; |
| ● | any other financial transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) involving the Company; and |
| ● | any other circumstance, event, relationship or situation in which the personal interest of a person subject to this Code interferes - or even appears to interfere - with the interests of the Company as a whole. |
3. Disclosure
The Company strives to ensure that the contents of and the disclosures in the reports and documents that the Company files with the SEC and other public communications shall be full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable in accordance with applicable disclosure standards, including standards of materiality, where appropriate. Each person must:
| ● | not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to misrepresent, facts about the Company to others, whether within or outside the Company, including to the Company’s independent registered public accountants, governmental regulators, self-regulating organizations and other governmental officials, as appropriate; and |
| ● | in relation to his or her area of responsibility, properly review and critically analyze proposed disclosure for accuracy and completeness. |
In addition to the foregoing, the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) of the Company and each subsidiary of the Company (or persons performing similar functions), and each other person that typically is involved in the financial reporting of the Company must familiarize himself or herself with the disclosure requirements applicable to the Company as well as the business and financial operations of the Company.
Each person must promptly bring to the attention of the Chairman of the Board any information he or she may have concerning (a) significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal and/or disclosure controls that could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data or (b) any fraud that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s financial reporting, disclosures or internal controls.
4. Compliance
It is the Company’s obligation and policy to comply with all applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations. All directors, officers and employees of the Company are expected to understand, respect and comply with all of the laws, regulations, policies and procedures that apply to them in their positions with the Company. Employees are responsible for talking to their supervisors to determine which laws, regulations and Company policies apply to their position and what training is necessary to understand and comply with them.
Directors, officers and employees are directed to specific policies and procedures available to persons they supervise.
2
5. Reporting and Accountability
The Board is responsible for applying this Code to specific situations in which questions are presented to it and has the authority to interpret this Code in any particular situation. Any person who becomes aware of any existing or potential breach of this Code is required to notify the Chairman of the Board promptly. Failure to do so is, in and of itself, a breach of this Code.
Specifically, each person must:
| ● | Notify the Chairman of the Board promptly of any existing or potential violation of this Code. |
| ● | Not retaliate against any other person for reports of potential violations that are made in good faith. |
The Company will follow the following procedures in investigating and enforcing this Code and in reporting on the Code:
| ● | The Board will take all appropriate action to investigate any breaches reported to it. |
| ● | Upon determination by the Board that a breach has occurred, the Board (by majority decision) will take or authorize such disciplinary or preventive action as it deems appropriate, after consultation with the Company’s internal or external legal counsel, up to and including dismissal or, in the event of criminal or other serious violations of law, notification of the SEC or other appropriate law enforcement authorities. |
No person following the above procedure shall, as a result of following such procedure, be subject by the Company or any officer or employee thereof to discharge, demotion suspension, threat, harassment or in any manner, discrimination against such person in terms and conditions of employment.
6. Waivers and Amendments
Any waiver (defined below) or an implicit waiver (defined below) from a provision of this Code for the principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, and persons performing similar functions or any amendment (as defined below) to this Code is required to be disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8- K filed with the SEC. In lieu of filing a Current Report on Form 8-K to report any such waivers or amendments, the Company may provide such information on a website, in the event that it establishes one in the future, and if it keeps such information on the website for at least 12 months and discloses the website address as well as any intention to provide such disclosures in this manner in its most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.
A “waiver” means the approval by the Board of a material departure from a provision of the Code. An “implicit waiver” means the Company’s failure to take action within a reasonable period of time regarding a material departure from a provision of the Code that has been made known to an executive officer of the Company. An “amendment” means any amendment to this Code other than minor technical, administrative or other non-substantive amendments hereto.
All persons should note that it is not the Company’s intention to grant or to permit waivers from the requirements of this Code. The Company expects full compliance with this Code.
7. Insider Information and Securities Trading
The Company’s directors, officers or employees who have access to material, non-public information are not permitted to use that information for securities trading purposes or for any purpose unrelated to the Company’s business. It is also against the law to trade or to “tip” others who might make an investment decision based on inside company information. For example, using non-public information to buy or sell the Company securities, options in the Company shares or the shares of any Company supplier, customer or competitor is prohibited. The consequences of insider trading violations can be severe. These rules also apply to the use of material, nonpublic information about other companies (including, for example, the Company’s customers, competitors and potential business partners). In addition to directors, officers or employees, these rules apply to such person’s spouse, children, parents and siblings, as well as any other family members living in such person’s home.
3
8. Financial Statements and Other Records
All of the Company’s books, records, accounts and financial statements must be maintained in reasonable detail, must appropriately reflect the Company’s transactions and must both conform to applicable legal requirements and to the Company’s system of internal controls. Unrecorded or “off the books” funds or assets should not be maintained unless permitted by applicable law or regulation.
Records should always be retained or destroyed according to the Company’s record retention policies. In accordance with those policies, in the event of litigation or governmental investigation, please consult the Board or the Company’s internal or external legal counsel.
9. Improper Influence on Conduct of Audits
No director or officer, or any other person acting under the direction thereof, shall directly or indirectly take any action to coerce, manipulate, mislead or fraudulently influence any public or certified public accountant engaged in the performance of an audit or review of the financial statements of the Company or take any action that such person knows or should know that if successful could result in rendering the Company’s financial statements materially misleading. Any person who believes such improper influence is being exerted should report such action to such person’s supervisor, or if that is impractical under the circumstances, to any of the Company’s directors.
Types of conduct that could constitute improper influence include, but are not limited to, directly or indirectly:
| ● | Offering or paying bribes or other financial incentives, including future employment or contracts for non-audit services; |
| ● | Providing an auditor with an inaccurate or misleading legal analysis; |
| ● | Threatening to cancel or canceling existing non-audit or audit engagements if the auditor objects to the Company’s accounting; |
| ● | Seeking to have a partner removed from the audit engagement because the partner objects to the Company’s accounting; |
| ● | Blackmailing; and |
| ● | Making physical threats. |
10. Anti-Corruption Laws
The Company complies with the anti-corruption laws of the countries in which it does business, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”). Directors, officers and employees will not directly or indirectly give anything of value to government officials, including employees of state-owned enterprises or foreign political candidates. These requirements apply both to Company employees and agents, such as third party sales representatives, no matter where they are doing business. If you are authorized to engage agents, you are responsible for ensuring they are reputable and for obtaining a written agreement to uphold the Company’s standards in this area.
11. Violations
Violation of this Code is grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. Such action is in addition to any civil or criminal liability which might be imposed by any court or regulatory agency.
4
12. Other Policies and Procedures
Any other policy or procedure set out by the Company in writing or made generally known to employees, officers or directors of the Company prior to the date hereof or hereafter are separate requirements and remain in full force and effect.
13. Inquiries
All inquiries and questions in relation to this Code or its applicability to particular people or situations should be addressed to the Company’s Secretary, or such other compliance officer as shall be designated from time to time by the Company.
PROVISIONS FOR
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND SENIOR FINANCIAL OFFICERS
The CEO and all senior financial officers, including the CFO and principal accounting officer, are bound by the provisions set forth therein relating to ethical conduct, conflicts of interest, and compliance with law. In addition to the Code, the CEO and senior financial officers are subject to the following additional specific policies:
1. Act with honesty and integrity, avoiding actual or apparent conflicts between personal, private interests and the interests of the Company, including receiving improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position.
2. Disclose to the CEO and the Board any material transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest.
3. Perform responsibilities with a view to causing periodic reports and documents filed with or submitted to the SEC and all other public communications made by the Company to contain information that is accurate, complete, fair, objective, relevant, timely and understandable, including full review of all annual and quarterly reports.
4. Comply with laws applicable to the Company, including but not limited to rules and regulations of U.S. federal, state and other local governments and with the rules and regulations of private and public regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over the Company.
5. Act in good faith, responsibly, with due care, competence and diligence, without misrepresenting or omitting material facts or allowing independent judgment to be compromised or subordinated.
6. Respect the confidentiality of information acquired in the course of performance of his or her responsibilities except when authorized or otherwise legally obligated to disclose any such information; not use confidential information acquired in the course of performing his or her responsibilities for personal advantage.
7. Share knowledge and maintain skills important and relevant to the needs of the Company, its shareholders and other constituencies and the general public.
8. Proactively promote ethical behavior among subordinates and peers in his or her work environment and community.
9. Use and control all corporate assets and resources employed by or entrusted to him or her in a responsible manner.
10. Not use corporate information, corporate assets, corporate opportunities or his or her position with the Company for personal gain; not compete directly or indirectly with the Company.
11. Comply in all respects with this Code.
12. Advance the Company’s legitimate interests when the opportunity arises.
5
The Board will investigate any reported violations and will oversee an appropriate response, including corrective action and preventative measures. Any officer who violates this Code will face appropriate, case specific disciplinary action, which may include demotion or discharge.
Any request for a waiver of any provision of this Code must be in writing and addressed to the Chairman of the Board. Any waiver of this Code will be disclosed as provided in Section 6 of this Code.
It is the policy of the Company that each officer covered by this Code shall acknowledge and certify to the foregoing annually and file a copy of such certification with the Chairman of the Board.
OFFICER’S CERTIFICATION
I have read and understand the foregoing Code. I hereby certify that I am in compliance with the foregoing Code and I will comply with the Code in the future. I understand that any violation of the Code will subject me to appropriate disciplinary action, which may include demotion or discharge.
| Dated: |
| Name: |
| Title: |
6
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We hereby consent to the use in the Prospectus constituting a part of this Registration Statement on Form S-1 of our report dated August 9, 2024, relating to the financial statements of Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, as of June 30, 2024 and for the period from June 4, 2024 (inception) through June 30, 2024, which is contained in that Prospectus. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts” in the Prospectus.
/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC
New York, New York
August 9, 2024
Exhibit 99.1
NEWBURY STREET II ACQUISITION CORP
AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
| I. | Purpose |
The Audit Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), shall provide assistance to the Board in fulfilling its legal and fiduciary obligations to oversee:
| (a) | the integrity of the financial statements and other financial information provided by the Company to its shareholders, the public, any stock exchange and others; |
| (b) | the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; |
| (c) | the qualifications and independence of the Company’s independent auditor; |
| (d) | the performance of the Company’s internal audit function and its system of internal controls and independent auditor, |
| (e) | 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; and |
| (f) | such other matters as are assigned to the Committee by the Board pursuant to this Charter or as mandated under applicable laws, rules and regulations (including the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) as well as listing standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (together, the “Applicable Requirements”). |
Although the Committee has the powers and responsibilities set forth in this Charter, the role of the Committee is oversight. The members of the Committee are not full-time employees of the Company and may or may not be accountants or auditors by profession or experts in the fields of accounting or auditing and, in any event, do not serve in such capacity. Consequently, it is not the duty of the Committee to conduct audits or to determine that the Company’s financial statements and disclosures are complete and accurate and are in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) and other Applicable Requirements. These are the responsibilities of management and the Company’s independent auditor.
| II. | Organization |
The Committee shall consist of three or more directors, each of whom shall satisfy the independence, financial literacy, and other qualifications required by the Company’s corporate governance guidelines, Section 10A-3 of the Exchange Act and any other Applicable Requirements, subject to any phase-in periods or cure periods permitted by Rule 10A-3(b)(1)(iv)(A) under the Exchange Act and other Applicable Requirements. At least one member of the Committee shall be an “audit committee financial expert” (as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”)). Determinations of independence, financial literacy, experience and expertise shall be made by the Board as the Board interprets such qualifications in its business judgment.
No Committee member shall simultaneously serve on the audit committees of more than two other public companies unless the Board determines that such simultaneous service does not impair the ability of such member to effectively serve on the Committee and such determination is disclosed in accordance with the Applicable Requirements.
Members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Board on the recommendation of a majority of the independent directors of the Board. Members of the Committee may be removed at any time by action of the Board; provided, however, that if removing a member or members of the Committee would cause the Committee to have fewer than three members, then the Board must, based upon the recommendation of a majority of the independent directors of the Board, at the same time appoint enough additional members to the Committee so that the Committee will have at least three qualified members. The Committee’s chairperson shall be designated by the Board on the recommendation of a majority of the independent directors of the Board or, if not so designated, the members of the Committee shall elect a chairperson by a vote of the majority of the full Committee.
The Committee may form and delegate authority to subcommittees from time to time as it sees fit, provided that the subcommittees are composed entirely of directors who satisfy the applicable independence requirements of the Company’s corporate governance guidelines and the Applicable Requirements.
| III. | Meetings |
The Committee shall meet at least four times per year on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as required. Meetings shall be called by the chairperson of the Committee or, if there is no chairperson, by a majority of the members of the Committee. Meetings may be held telephonically or by other electronic means to the extent permitted by the Company’s organizational documents and applicable law. Committee actions may be taken by unanimous written consent.
The Committee shall also meet periodically with management, the chief internal auditor and the Company’s independent auditor in separate executive sessions to discuss any matters that the Committee or each of these groups believe should be discussed privately.
The Committee shall maintain minutes of its meetings and records relating to those meetings.
| IV. | Authority and Responsibilities |
In fulfilling its duties and responsibilities hereunder, the Committee will be entitled to rely reasonably on (a) the integrity of those persons within the Company and the professionals and experts (such as the Company’s independent auditor) from whom it receives information, (b) the accuracy of the financial and other information provided to the Committee by such persons and (c) representations made by the Company’s independent auditor as to any services provided by such firm to the Company.
To fulfill its responsibilities, the Committee shall:
With respect to the engagement of the Company’s independent and other auditors:
| 1. | Be directly responsible for (a) the appointment, compensation, retention, (including termination), scope and oversight of the work of any independent registered public accounting firm engaged by the Company (including for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit, review or attestation services or other work for the Company), and (b) the resolution of any disagreements between management and any such firm regarding financial reporting. |
| 2. | Have the sole authority to review in advance, and pre-approve (which may be pursuant to pre-approval policies and procedures) all audit or non-audit services to be provided by the Company’s independent or other auditors as permitted by Section 10A of the Exchange Act and to approve all related fees and other terms of engagement. The Committee shall also review and approve disclosures required to be included by the Company in periodic reports filed with the SEC under Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act with respect to audit and non-audit services. |
| 3. | At least annually, obtain and review a formal written report from the Company’s independent auditor (a) describing such firm’s internal quality control procedures, (b) describing any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality control review, peer review or Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) review or inspection of such firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within the preceding five years, respecting one or more independent audits carried out by such firm, and any steps taken to deal with any such issues, and (c) assessing such firm’s independence, including delineating all relationships and engagements that may reasonably be thought to bear on the independence of the auditor, including those between the auditor and the Company. The Committee shall discuss this report with the Company’s independent auditor and shall take appropriate action to ensure the independence of the independent auditor and to address any other matters based on such report. |
2
| 4. | Confirm that the “lead partner,” the “concurring partner” and the other “audit partner” rotation requirements under the Applicable Requirements, including Regulation S-X have been complied with and set clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. |
| 5. | Review all reports and communications required to be submitted by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm to the Committee under Section 10A of the Securities Exchange Act and other Applicable Requirements. |
| 6. | At least annually, evaluate the performance of the Company’s independent auditor, including the lead audit partner. In making its evaluation, the Committee should take into account the opinions of management and the internal audit group. |
| 7. | Review and discuss with the Company’s independent auditor all relationships the auditor has with the Company and evaluate the auditor’s continued independence. |
| 8. | Review and approve the Company’s hiring policies regarding partners, employees and former partners and employees of the Company’s independent auditor. |
With respect to the Company’s financial statements and other financial reporting:
| 9. | Review and discuss the Company’s annual audited and quarterly unaudited financial statements with management (including the Company’s internal audit group) and the Company’s independent auditor, including disclosures made in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” to be included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K or quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. |
| 10. | Recommend to the Board whether the Company’s annual audited financial statements should be included in the Company’s annual report for filing with the SEC and timely prepare the report required by the SEC to be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement, if applicable, and any other reports of the Committee required by any Applicable Requirement. |
| 11. | Review and discuss with management and the Company’s independent auditor (a) major issues regarding, or significant changes in, the Company’s accounting principles and financial statement presentations, (b) analyses prepared by management or the Company’s independent auditor concerning significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of the financial statements, (c) the effect of regulatory and accounting initiatives, as well as off-balance sheet structures, on the financial statements of the Company, and (d) the type and presentation of information to be included in earnings press releases and any financial information and earnings guidance provided to analysts and rating agencies. |
| 12. | Prior to the filing of any audited financial statements with the SEC, review with management and the Company’s independent auditor (a) all critical accounting policies and practices used by the Company, (b) all alternative accounting treatments of financial information reported in GAAP related to material items that have been discussed with management, including the ramifications of the use of such alternative treatments and disclosures and the treatment preferred by the Company’s independent auditor, (c) any reports or communications (and management’s responses thereto) submitted to the Committee by the Company’s independent auditor in accordance with PCAOB Auditing Standard No. 16, Communications with Audit Committees, as amended or supplemented, and (d) any other material written communications between the Company’s independent auditor and management. |
| 13. | Periodically review separately with each of management, the Company’s independent auditor and the internal audit group (a) any significant disagreement between management and the Company’s independent auditor or the internal audit group in connection with the preparation of the financial statements, (b) any audit problems or difficulties encountered during the course of the audit, including any restrictions on the scope of work or access to required information, and (c) management’s response to each. The Committee shall discuss with the independent auditor material issues on which the national office of the independent auditor was consulted by the Company’s audit team. |
3
| 14. | Periodically discuss with the Company’s independent auditor, without management being present, (a) their judgment about the quality, integrity and appropriateness of the Company’s accounting principles and financial disclosure practices as applied in its financial reporting and (b) the completeness and accuracy of the Company’s financial statements. |
| 15. | Review and discuss with management the Company’s earnings press releases, including the use of non-GAAP financial measures and other “pro forma” or “adjusted” presentations, as well as financial information and earnings guidance provided to analysts and rating agencies. Such discussions may be general (consisting of discussing the types of information to be disclosed and the types of presentations to be made), and each earnings release or each instance in which the Company provides earnings guidance need not be discussed in advance. |
| 16. | Review and discuss with management all material off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations) and other relationships of the Company with unconsolidated entities or other persons. |
| 17. | Review and approve the Company’s decision to enter into swaps and other derivatives transactions that are exempt from exchange-execution and clearing under “end-user exception” regulations established by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; and review and approve the Company’s policies governing the Company’s use of swaps and other derivatives transactions subject to the end- user exception. |
| 18. | Review and discuss with management and the internal audit group the Company’s major financial risk exposures and management’s risk assessment and risk management policies. |
With respect to the internal audit function and internal controls:
| 19. | Review, based on the recommendation of the Company’s independent auditor and the person responsible for the Company’s internal audit group, the scope and plan of the work to be done by the internal audit group and the responsibilities, budget, audit plan, activities, organizational structure and staffing of the internal audit group as needed. |
| 20. | Receive reports from the internal audit group on the status of significant findings and recommendations, and management’s responses. |
| 21. | Review on an annual basis the performance of the internal audit group. |
| 22. | In consultation with the Company’s management, independent auditor and the internal audit group, review the adequacy of the Company’s internal controls, disclosure processes and its procedures designed to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, and any special audit steps adopted in light of material control deficiencies. |
| 23. | Review, at least annually, (a) the internal control report prepared by management, including management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and (b) the Company’s independent auditor’s attestation, and report, on the assessment made by management, in each case, as and when required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Discuss with management, the internal audit group and the independent auditor any changes in internal control over financial reporting disclosed or considered for disclosure in the Company’s periodic filings with the SEC. |
| 24. | Review with management and the Company’s independent auditor any reports or disclosure submitted by management to the Committee as contemplated by the certifications required under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| 25. | Review with management any management letters and the steps management intends to take to address the issues raised by those letters. |
4
With respect to the Company’s compliance programs:
| 26. | Monitor compliance with the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and oversee, review and discuss with management, at least annually, the implementation and effectiveness of the Company’s compliance and ethics programs. Review and take appropriate action with respect to any reports to the Committee from legal counsel for the Company concerning any material violation of securities law or breach of fiduciary duty or similar violation by the Company, its subsidiaries or any person acting on their behalf. As appropriate, the Committee shall report and make recommendations to the Board with respect to these matters. |
| 27. | Establish procedures for (a) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters and (b) the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company whose financial information is included in the Company’s financial statements of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. |
| 28. | Review and approve (a) any amendment to or waiver from the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for the chief executive officer and senior financial officers and (b) any public disclosure made regarding such change or waiver and advise the Board with respect to the Company’s policies and procedures regarding compliance with the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. |
| 29. | Develop and recommend to the Board for approval policies and procedures for the review, approval or ratification of related person transactions required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K, as may be amended from time to time, and any other applicable requirements (the “Related Person Transactions Policy”). Review the Related Person Transactions Policy at least annually and recommend to the Board for approval any changes to the Policy. Oversee the implementation of and compliance with the Related Person Transactions Policy, including reviewing, approving or ratifying related person transactions, as appropriate pursuant to the Related Person Transaction Policy. |
| 30. | Review with management, the independent registered public accounting firm, and legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding the Company’s financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. |
| 31. | To the extent that the Company’s securities continue to be listed on an exchange and subject to Rule 10D-1 under the Exchange Act, the Committee shall, with the assistance of management, advise the Board and any other Board committees if the clawback provisions of the Rule are triggered based upon a financial statement restatement or other financial statement change. |
| 32. | Implement and oversee the Company’s cybersecurity and information security policies, and periodically review the policies and managing potential cybersecurity incidents. |
5
With respect to the Committee’s other authorities and responsibilities:
| 33. | Review and assess annually its own performance and the adequacy of this Charter and recommend to the Board any changes to this Charter deemed appropriate by the Committee. |
| 34. | Report regularly to the Board. |
| 35. | Perform any other activities consistent with this Charter, the Company’s organizational documents, as required under the Applicable Requirements or as the Committee or the Board otherwise deems necessary or appropriate. |
| 36. | Review on a quarterly basis all payments the Company makes to Newbury Street II Acquisition Sponsor LLC, officers or directors, or affiliates. |
| V. | Resources |
The Committee shall have the authority to retain or terminate, at its sole discretion, independent legal, accounting and other advisors, consultants or professionals (collectively, “Advisors”) to assist the Committee in its responsibilities and shall be directly responsible for overseeing the work of such Advisors. The chairperson of the Committee, at the request of any member of the Committee, may request any officer, employee or advisor of the Company or the Company’s independent auditor to attend a meeting of the Committee or otherwise respond to Committee requests.
The Committee shall have the sole authority to determine the terms of engagement and the extent of funding necessary (and to be provided by the Company) for payment of (a) compensation to the Company’s independent auditor engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit, review or attest services for the Company, (b) any compensation to any Advisors retained to advise the Committee and (c) ordinary administrative expenses of the Committee that are necessary or appropriate in carrying out its duties.
6
Exhibit 99.2
NEWBURY STREET II AQUISITION CORP
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE CHARTER
| I. | Purpose |
The Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors of Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), shall have responsibility for the compensation of the Company’s executive officers, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO”), and for incentive compensation, equity-based and pension plans as further provided in this Charter.
| II. | Organization |
The Committee shall consist of two or more directors, each of whom shall satisfy the applicable independence and other compensation committee membership requirements of the Company’s corporate governance guidelines, The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) and any other applicable regulatory requirements subject to any exceptions or cure periods that are applicable pursuant to the foregoing requirements and the phase-in periods permitted under the Nasdaq rules under which the Committee is required to have only one independent member at the time of listing, a majority of independent members within 90 days of listing and all independent members within one year of listing.
At least one member of the Committee shall have experience in matters relating to executive compensation either as a professional or as a business executive. At least two members shall qualify as (a) “outside directors” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, including Treasury Regulations Section 1.162-27 (“Outside Directors”), and (b) “non-employee directors” within the meaning of Section 16 of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (“Non-Employee Directors”).
Members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Board on the recommendation of a majority of the independent directors of the Board and may be removed by the Board at any time; provided, however, that if removing a member or members of the Committee would cause the Committee to have fewer than two members, then the Board must, based upon the recommendation of a majority of the independent directors of the Board, at the same time appoint an additional member to the Committee so that the Committee will have at least two members who qualifies as an (a) Outside Directors and (b) Non-Employee Directors. The Committee’s chairperson shall be designated by the Board on the recommendation of a majority of the independent directors of the Board or, if not so designated, the members of the Committee shall elect a chairperson by a vote of the majority of the full Committee.
The Committee may form and delegate authority to subcommittees from time to time as it sees fit, provided that the subcommittees are composed entirely of directors who satisfy the applicable independence requirements of the Company’s corporate governance guidelines and Nasdaq.
| III. | Meetings |
The Committee shall meet as often as necessary to carry out its responsibilities. Meetings shall be called by the chairperson of the Committee or, if there is no chairperson, by a majority of the members of the Committee. Meetings may be held telephonically or by other electronic means to the extent permitted by the Company’s organizational documents and applicable law. Committee actions may be taken by unanimous written consent.
| IV. | Authority and Responsibilities |
To fulfill its responsibilities, the Committee shall:
| 1. | Review and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the Company’s compensation strategy to ensure it is appropriate to attract, retain and motivate senior management and other key employees. |
| 2. | Review and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the executive compensation philosophy, policies and programs that in the Committee’s judgment support the Company’s overall business strategy and review and discuss, at least annually, the material risks associated with executive compensation structure, policies and programs to determine whether such structure, policies and programs encourage excessive risk-taking and to evaluate compensation policies and practices that could mitigate any such risk. |
| 3. | On an annual basis, review and approve corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of the Company’s CEO, evaluate the CEO’s performance in light of those goals and objectives and determine and approve CEO compensation based on this evaluation. In evaluating, determining and approving the long-term incentive component of CEO compensation, the Committee may consider, among such other factors as it may deem relevant, the Company’s performance, shareholder returns, the value of similar incentive awards to executive officers at comparable companies, the value of similar awards given to other executive officers of the Company, the results of the most recent shareholder advisory vote on executive compensation required by Section 14A of the Exchange Act (the “Say-on-Pay Vote”) and the awards given to the executive officer in past years. The CEO shall not be present during voting or deliberations relating to his or her compensation. |
| 4. | On an annual basis, review and make recommendations to the Board with respect to corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of the Company’s other executive officers, evaluate the executive officers’ performance in light of those goals and objectives and determine and make recommendations to the Board with respect to executive officer compensation based on this evaluation. In evaluating and making recommendations with respect to the long-term incentive component of executive officer compensation, the Committee may consider, among such other factors as it may deem relevant, the Company’s performance, shareholder returns, the value of similar incentive awards to executive officers at comparable companies, the value of similar awards given to other executive officers of the Company, the results of the most recent Say-on-Pay Vote and the awards given to the executive officer in past years. No executive officer may be present during voting or deliberations relating to his or her compensation. |
| 5. | Review on an annual basis and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the Company’s incentive compensation, equity-based and pension plans, if any. With respect to each such plan, the Committee shall have responsibility for: |
| (a) | implementing and administering the plan; |
| (b) | setting performance targets under all annual bonus and long-term incentive compensation plans as appropriate and committing to writing any and all performance targets for executive officers who may be “covered employees” under applicable laws and regulations; |
| (c) | if called for by the plan, certifying that any and all performance targets used for any performance-based equity compensation plans have been met before payment of any executive bonus or compensation or exercise of any executive award granted under any such plans; |
| (d) | approving all amendments to, and terminations of, all compensation plans and any awards under such plans; |
| (e) | granting any awards under any performance-based annual bonus, long- term incentive compensation and equity compensation plans to executive officers or current employees with the potential to become the CEO or an executive officer, including share options and other equity rights (e.g., restricted shares and share purchase rights); |
| (f) | approving which executive officers are entitled to awards under the Company’s stock option plans; and |
| (g) | approving repurchases of securities from terminated employees. | |
| (h) | In reviewing the Company’s incentive compensation, equity-based and pension plans, the Committee may consider the plan’s administrative costs, current plan features relative to any proposed new features, the results of the most recent Say- on-Pay Vote and the performance of the plan’s internal and external administrators if any duties have been delegated. |
2
| 6. | Review and recommend to the Board for approval any employment agreement or compensatory transaction with an executive officer of the Company involving compensation in excess of $120,000 per year. |
| 7. | Establish and periodically review policies concerning perquisite benefits and approve all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefits arrangements for officers and employees of the Company and approve all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for officers and employees of the Company. |
| 8. | Determine and recommend to the Board for approval the Company’s policy with respect to change-of-control or “parachute” payments. In reviewing the Company’s policy with respect to change of control or “parachute” payments, the Committee may consider, among such other factors as it may deem relevant, the results of the most recent Say-on-Pay Vote on “parachute” payments, if any. |
| 9. | Review and make recommendations to the Board with respect to executive officer and director indemnification and insurance matters. |
| 10. | Review and recommend to the Board for approval the compensation of directors for their service to the Board. Review, evaluate and recommend changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration of directors. |
| 11. | Approve compensation awards, including individual awards, as may be required to comply with applicable tax and state corporate laws. |
| 12. | Review the Company’s compensation disclosures in its annual proxy statement and its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and assist management in complying with proxy statement and annual report requirements. Review and discuss the Company’s Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) with management and based on such review and discussion, determine whether to recommend to the Board that such compensation disclosures and CD&A be disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K or annual proxy statement filed with the SEC, as applicable. |
| 13. | Review and recommend to the Board for approval the frequency with which the Company will conduct Say-on-Pay Votes, taking into account the results of the most recent shareholder advisory vote on frequency of Say-on-Pay Votes required by Section 14A of the Exchange Act, and review and recommend to the Board for approval the proposals regarding the Say-on-Pay Vote and the frequency of the Say-on-Pay Vote to be included in the Company’s proxy statement filed with the SEC. |
| 14. | Prepare any report required by applicable rules and regulations or listing standards, including reports on executive compensation required by the SEC to be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement, or, if the Company does not file a proxy statement, in the Company’s Annual Report filed on Form 10-K with the SEC. |
| 15. | To the extent that the Company’s securities continue to be listed on an exchange and subject to Rule 10D-1 under the Exchange Act, the Committee shall, with the assistance of management, advise the Board and any other Board committee if the clawback provisions of the Rule are triggered based upon a financial statement restatement or other financial statement change, and perform any other tasks required of it by the Company’s clawback policy. |
| 16. | Review and assess the adequacy of this Charter annually and recommend to the Board any changes deemed appropriate by the Committee. |
| 17. | Review its own performance annually. |
| 18. | Report regularly to the Board. |
| 19. | Perform any other activities consistent with this Charter, the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and governing law, as the Committee or the Board deems necessary or appropriate. |
3
| V. | Resources |
The Committee shall have the authority to retain or terminate, at its sole discretion, compensation consultants, independent legal counsel or other advisors (collectively, “Advisors”) to assist the Committee in its responsibilities and shall be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of such Advisors. Before retaining an Advisor (other than in-house legal counsel and any Advisor whose role is limited to consulting on broad-based, non-discriminatory plans or providing information that is not customized in particular for the Company (as described in Item 407(e)(3)(iii) of Regulation S-K), the Committee shall consider the independence of such Advisor, including any independence factors that it is required to consider by law or Nasdaq rules.
The chairperson of the Committee, at the request of any member of the Committee, may request that any officer, employee or advisor of the Company attend a meeting of the Committee or otherwise respond to Committee requests.
The Committee shall have the sole authority to determine the terms of engagement and the extent of funding necessary (and to be provided by the Company) for payment of compensation to any Advisors or other professionals retained to advise the Committee and ordinary administrative expenses of the Committee that are necessary or appropriate in carrying out its duties.
| VI. | Amendments |
Any amendment or other modification of this Charter shall be made and approved by the full Board.
4
Exhibit 99.3
Consent to be Named as a Director Nominee
In connection with the filing by Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), I hereby consent, pursuant to Rule 438 of the Securities Act, to being named as a nominee to the board of directors of by Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp in the Registration Statement and any and all amendments and supplements thereto. I also consent to the filing of this consent as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
| Dated: July 18, 2024 | |
|
/s/ Matthew Hong | |
| Matthew Hong |
Exhibit 99.4
Consent to be Named as a Director Nominee
In connection with the filing by Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), I hereby consent, pursuant to Rule 438 of the Securities Act, to being named as a nominee to the board of directors of by Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp in the Registration Statement and any and all amendments and supplements thereto. I also consent to the filing of this consent as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
| Dated: July 18, 2024 | |
/s/ Jennifer Vescio | |
| Jennifer Vescio |
Exhibit 99.5
Consent to be Named as a Director Nominee
In connection with the filing by Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), I hereby consent, pursuant to Rule 438 of the Securities Act, to being named as a nominee to the board of directors of by Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp in the Registration Statement and any and all amendments and supplements thereto. I also consent to the filing of this consent as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
| Dated: July 18, 2024 | |
/s/ Josh Gold | |
| Josh Gold |
Exhibit 99.6
Consent to be Named as a Director Nominee
In connection with the filing by Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), I hereby consent, pursuant to Rule 438 of the Securities Act, to being named as a nominee to the board of directors of by Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp in the Registration Statement and any and all amendments and supplements thereto. I also consent to the filing of this consent as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
| Dated: July 18, 2024 | |
| /s/ Ted Seides | |
| Ted Seides |