X3 Acquisition Corp. Ltd 10-K, filed Mar 25, 2026
X3 Acquisition Corp. Ltd. (XCBE)
About this 10-K
X3 Acquisition Corp. Ltd filed this 10-K on March 25, 2026, covering the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
| ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For
the fiscal year ended
| TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from ________ to _________
Commission
file number:
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification No.) |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐
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by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2)
has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule
405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ |
| ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ||
| Emerging Growth Company |
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness
of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered
public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
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securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant
included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
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by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes
As
of June 30, 2025 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter), the aggregate
market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant was N/A.
As of March 23, 2026, the registrant had Class A ordinary shares, par value $ per share outstanding (inclusive of shares included in outstanding units) and Class B ordinary shares, par value $ per share outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some of the statements contained in this report 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 report may include, for example, statements about:
| ● | our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses; | |
| ● | our ability to complete our initial business combination; | |
| ● | our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses; | |
| ● | our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination; | |
| ● | our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination; | |
| ● | our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination; | |
| ● | our pool of prospective target businesses, including their industry and geographic location; | |
| ● | the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential acquisition opportunities; | |
| ● | our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading; | |
| ● | the lack of a market for our securities; | |
| ● | the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance; | |
| ● | the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or | |
| ● | our financial performance following our initial public offering or an initial business combination. |
The forward-looking statements contained in this report are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
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PART I
References in this report to “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company” refer to X3 Acquisition Corp. Ltd. References to our “management” or our “management team” refer to our officers and directors, and references to the “sponsor” refer to X3 Acquisition Management LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
ITEM 1. BUSINESS.
Introduction
We are a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands as an exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses. We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenue to date. Based on our business activities, the Company is a “shell company” as defined under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) because we have no operations and nominal assets consisting almost entirely of cash.
On August 18, 2025, we issued to our sponsor an aggregate of 5,750,000 Class B ordinary shares (the “founder shares”) for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per share. Prior to our sponsor’s initial investment of $25,000, we had no assets, tangible or intangible.
On January 22, 2026, we consummated our initial public offering (the “IPO” or “Initial Public Offering”) of 20,000,000 units (the “Units” and, with respect to the Class A ordinary shares included in the Units, the “public shares”) generating gross proceeds of $200,000,000. Each Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant (each, a “public warrant”). Each whole public warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment.
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we consummated the sale of 5,000,000 private placement warrants (the “private warrants”), at a price of $1.00 per private warrant, in a private placement to our sponsor, generating gross proceeds of $5,000,000. Each whole private warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment.
On January 26, 2026, the underwriters exercised their over-allotment option in part and purchased an additional 2,500,000 Units (the “Over-Allotment Option Units”), at a price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $25,000,000. On January 26, 2026, simultaneously with the sale of the Over-Allotment Option Units, the Company consummated the private placement of an additional 375,000 private warrants, at a price of $1.00 per private warrant, to our sponsor, generating gross proceeds of $375,000.
The private warrants are identical to the public warrants sold in the IPO, except that the private warrants, including the underlying securities, are not transferable, assignable or salable by our sponsor until the consummation of our initial business combination, subject to certain limited exceptions. Our sponsor was granted certain demand and piggyback registration rights in connection with the purchase of the private warrants. No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sale. The private warrants were issued pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) as the transactions did not involve a public offering.
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Following the closing of the IPO, a total of $225,000,000 of the net proceeds from the sale of Units in the IPO (including the Over-Allotment Option Units) and the private placement of the private warrants, were placed in a trust account established for the benefit of the Company’s public shareholders (“trust account”) with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds in the trust account that may be released to the Company to pay its taxes and for winding up and dissolution expenses, the funds held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (i) the completion of the Company’s initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of the Company’s public shares if it is unable to complete its initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of the IPO (or by such earlier liquidation date as the Company’s board of directors may approve), subject to applicable law, and (iii) the redemption of the Company’s public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association to modify the substance or timing of its obligation to redeem 100% of the Company’s public shares if it has not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of the IPO or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity. The funds may only be invested in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations and/or held as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts).
We have until the date that is 24 months from the closing of the IPO (as may be extended by 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) (the “completion window”) to consummate our initial business combination or until such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, 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 (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest income to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and then seek to liquidate and subsequently dissolve.
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means of a tender offer. If we seek shareholder approval, 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 a majority of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, attend and vote (whether in person or by proxy) at a general meeting of the company. 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.
Effecting Our Initial Business Combination
While we may pursue an initial business combination with any business, in any industry or sector, we intend to focus our efforts on identifying businesses within the financial services industry. This includes a broad range of opportunities, such as traditional financial institutions, community and regional banks, asset and wealth management firms, specialty finance companies, and other businesses providing critical financial products and services. We may also consider companies that are leveraging technology to enhance or transform financial services. However, we remain flexible and open to evaluating opportunities outside of these areas if we believe they present compelling value for our shareholders.
Our Strategy
Our strategy is to identify and partner with a business that is well-positioned to benefit from the capital, strategic guidance, and public market access that we can provide. We aim to work closely with management teams to accelerate growth, enhance operational performance, and position the business for long-term success.
We are particularly focused on companies at an inflection point—those undergoing transformation, adapting to evolving market dynamics, or pursuing strategic initiatives to scale. We believe our team’s deep expertise in financial services, capital markets, and operational execution positions us to support businesses through these transitions and help them thrive as public companies.
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Target Business Criteria
We intend to focus on businesses that exhibit strong fundamentals, scalable business models, and the potential for long-term value creation. Specifically, we will prioritize companies that meet one or more of the following criteria:
| ● | Established Market Presence: Companies with a proven operating history, strong customer relationships, and a defensible competitive position. | |
| ● | Strong people, processes and culture | |
| ● | Attractive Financial Profile: Businesses with recurring revenue streams, robust cash flow generation, and potential for margin expansion. | |
| ● | Scalable Business Model: Opportunities for growth through organic initiatives, strategic acquisitions, or operational improvements. | |
| ● | Will benefit from having a public currency to enhance its ability to grow organically or through M&A | |
| ● | Sector Relevance: Operations within or adjacent to the financial services industry, including traditional institutions and technology-driven platforms. | |
| ● | May benefit from X Cubed public markets experience and market data |
While our primary focus is on financial services, we remain open to evaluating opportunities in other sectors that meet our investment criteria and offer significant potential for value creation.
Competitive Strengths
Our management team brings over a century of collective experience across blue chip financial institutions, hedge funds, academia, and regulatory bodies. We believe this diverse background equips us with a unique combination of investment acumen, operational expertise, and strategic vision to identify, evaluate, and execute on complex opportunities in the financial services and technology sectors.
Our team’s collective experience includes leadership roles at leading institutions such as Millennium, JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Saba Capital, Whitebox, SAC Capital, Citicorp, Bankers Trust, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. This breadth of experience provides us with a robust network and a deep understanding of market structure, risk management, and investment strategy.
We believe our structural advantage lies in our cross-asset focus and our ability to identify opportunities in the seams between markets—areas often overlooked by segmented credit pods at large multi-managers and specialist credit managers. Our approach is anchored in a deep quantitative understanding of dislocations within and across capital structures, which we believe will enable us to offer consistent, alpha-driven, and diversifying capital appreciation.
Our Acquisition Process
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as applicable, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information about the target and its industry which 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.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of, and negotiation with, a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds available for us to use to complete another business combination.
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Initial Business Combination
Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it likely that our board of directors will be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects. Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new 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 issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% of net assets test described above. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated (as defined in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) with our sponsor (including its members), officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, stating that the consideration to be paid by us in such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
Redemption Rights for Public Shareholders Upon Consummation of Our Initial Business Combination
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, our initial business combination, upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. 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 underwriters. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares they may hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
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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 legal reasons, we will offer to redeem our public shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E under 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 under the Exchange Act.
Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if No Initial Business Combination
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will have only the duration of the completion window to complete our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window.
Our sponsor, 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 any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, although they will entitled to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. However, if our sponsor or management team acquire public shares in or after the IPO, 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 completion window.
Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, in each case unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other special purpose acquisition companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, public companies and operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions. Many of these entities are well-established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess financial, technical, human and other resources that are similar to or greater than us. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with the exercise of redemption rights by our public shareholders may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our issued and outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Either or both of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination.
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Facilities
We currently utilize office space at 3033 Excelsior Blvd, Suite 343, Minneapolis, MN 55416, provided by an affiliate of our sponsor. 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. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We currently have four officers: Andrew J. Redleaf, Kenneth J. Weiller, Chris Bemis and Toby Maitland Hudson. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters, but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the stage of the business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.
As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to make disclosures under this Item.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.
None.
ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES.
We do not own any real estate or other physical properties materially important to our operations. We currently utilize office space at 3033 Excelsior Blvd, Suite 343, Minneapolis, MN 55416, an affiliate of our sponsor. 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. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
We may be subject to legal proceedings, investigations and claims incidental to the conduct of our business from time to time. To the knowledge of management, there is currently no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such, and we and the members of our management team have not been subject to any such proceeding.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.
Not applicable.
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PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.
Market Information
Our Units, Class A ordinary shares and public warrants are listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “XCBEU,” “XCBE” and “XCBEW,” respectively.
Holders
As of March 23, 2026, there were 22,500,000 Class A ordinary shares (inclusive of Class A ordinary shares included in our Units) issued and outstanding held by a total of one (1) holder of record, and 5,625,000 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding held by one shareholder of record. The number of record holders was determined from the records of our transfer agent and does not include beneficial owners of ordinary shares whose shares are held in the names of various security brokers, dealers, and registered clearing agencies.
Dividend Policy
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, retained earnings and/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. Subject to applicable law, the payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any other share dividends in the foreseeable future. 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.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
None.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities; Use of Proceeds from Registered Securities
Unregistered Sales
None.
Use of Proceeds
On January 22, 2026, we consummated our IPO of 20,000,000 Units at a price of $10.00 per Unit generating gross proceeds of $200,000,000. Each Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one public warrant. Each whole public warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment.
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we consummated the sale of 5,000,000 private warrants, at a price of $1.00 per private warrant, in a private placement to our sponsor, generating gross proceeds of $5,000,000. Each whole private warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment.
On January 26, 2026, the underwriters exercised their over-allotment option in part and purchased an additional 2,500,000 Over-Allotment Option Units, at a price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $25,000,000. On January 26, 2026, simultaneously with the sale of the Over-Allotment Option Units, the Company consummated the private placement of an additional 375,000 private warrants, at a price of $1.00 per private warrant, to our sponsor, generating gross proceeds of $375,000.
Following the IPO, a total of $225,000,000 of the net proceeds from the sale of Units in the IPO (including the Over-Allotment Option Units) and the private placement of the private warrants, were placed in a trust account established for the benefit of the Company’s public shareholders with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. The funds may only be invested in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations and/or held as cash or cash items (including in demand deposit accounts).
For a description of the use of the proceeds generated in our IPO and the private placement of the private warrants, see Part II, Item 7 (Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations) of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
None.
ITEM 6. [RESERVED]
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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K including, without limitation, statements under this Item regarding our financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of Management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our Management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of our Management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, our Management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in our filings with the SEC. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph.
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands on July 31, 2025 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. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash derived from the proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the private warrants, our shares, debt or a combination of cash, shares and debt.
We may seek to extend the completion window consistent with applicable laws, regulations and stock exchange rules by amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Such an amendment would require the approval of our public shareholders, who will be provided the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares in connection with the vote on such approval. Such redemptions will decrease the amount held in our trust account and our capitalization, and may affect our ability to maintain our listing on Nasdaq. In addition, the Nasdaq rules currently require special purpose acquisition companies (such as us) to complete their initial business combination in accordance with the Nasdaq 36-month requirement. If we do not meet the Nasdaq 36-month requirement, our securities will likely be subject to a suspension of trading and delisting from Nasdaq.
Results of Operations
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities from July 31, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025 were organizational activities, those necessary to prepare for the Initial Public Offering, described below, and subsequent to the closing of the Initial Public Offering, identifying a target company for an initial business combination. We do not expect to generate any operating revenues until after the completion of our initial business combination. We generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on marketable securities held in the trust account. We incur expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance, among other things), as well as for due diligence expenses.
For the period from July 31, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025, we had a net loss $69,205, which consisted of formation, general and administrative costs.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Until the consummation of the Initial Public Offering, our only source of liquidity was an initial purchase of shares of Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, by the sponsor and loans from the sponsor which were repaid at the closing of the Initial Public Offering. As of December 31, 2025, we had no cash and working capital deficit of $280,425.
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Subsequent to the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, on January 22, 2026, we consummated the Initial Public Offering of 20,000,000 Units at $10.00 per Unit generating gross proceeds of $200,000,000. Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we consummated the sale of an aggregate of 5,000,000 private warrants to the sponsor, at a price of $1.00 per private warrant, or $5,000,000 in the aggregate.
On January 26, 2026, we consummated the closing of an additional 2,500,000 Units sold pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option, generating gross proceeds of $25,000,000. Simultaneously with the consummation of the over-allotment option on January 26, 2026, we also consummated the sale of an additional 375,000 private warrants to the sponsor at a price of $1.00 per private warrant, generating gross proceeds of $375,000.
Following the Initial Public Offering, including the partial over-allotment option, and the sale of the private warrants, a total of $225,000,000 was placed in the trust account. We incurred total transactions costs amounting to $9,571,416, consisting of $3,375,000 of cash underwriting fee, $5,625,000 of deferred underwriting fee, and $571,416 of other offering costs.
For the period from July 31, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025, net cash used in operating activities was $0. Net loss of $69,205 was offset by formation, general and administrative costs paid by our sponsor in exchange for issuance of Class B ordinary shares of $8,000, payment of formation, general and administrative costs through promissory note – related party of $46,705, and changes in accrued expenses of $14,500.
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 income taxes payable), to complete our initial business combination. To the extent that our share capital 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.
We intend to use the funds held outside the trust account primarily to identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, and structure, negotiate and complete an initial business combination.
In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete an initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that an 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 working capital loans may be convertible into private warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.00 per private warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private warrants.
We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimate of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating 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. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon consummation of our initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such initial business combination.
Off-Balance Sheet Financing Arrangements
We have no obligations, assets or liabilities, which would be considered off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2025. We do not participate in transactions that create relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, often referred to as variable interest entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements. We have not entered into any off-balance sheet financing arrangements, established any special purpose entities, guaranteed any debt or commitments of other entities, or purchased any non-financial assets.
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Contractual Obligations
We do not have any long-term debt, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations or long-term liabilities, other than an agreement with the sponsor or an affiliate to pay an aggregate of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. These monthly fees will cease upon the completion of the initial business combination or the liquidation of the Company.
The Company granted the underwriters a 45-day option from the effective date of the Initial Public Offering to purchase up to an additional 3,000,000 Units to cover over-allotments, if any. On January 26, 2026, the Company consummated the closing of an additional 2,500,000 Units sold pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option. The remaining underwriters’ over-allotment option expired on March 6, 2026.
The underwriters were entitled to a cash underwriting discount of 1.50% of the gross proceeds of the Initial Public Offering, or $3,375,000 in the aggregate, which was paid at the closing of the Initial Public Offering and during the partial exercise of the over-allotment option. Additionally, the underwriters are entitled to a deferred underwriting discount of 2.50% of the gross proceeds of the Initial Public Offering, or $5,625,000 in the aggregate, and is payable to the underwriters based on the total amount of funds remaining in the trust account after redemptions of public shares; provided that the underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to the deferred underwriting commissions if the trust account is less than $70 million on the closing date of the initial business combination.
Critical Accounting Estimates and Policies
The preparation of the audited financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with GAAP requires Management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and income and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. As of December 31, 2025, we did not have any critical accounting estimates to be disclosed.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on our financial statements.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information otherwise required under this Item.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Reference is made to pages F-1 through F-17 comprising a portion of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which are incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
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As required by Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2025. Based upon their evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) were effective. Accordingly, management believes that the financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K present fairly in all material respects our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the period presented.
Management’s Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting
This Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include a report of management’s assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting or an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm due to a transition period established by rules of the SEC for newly public companies.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION.
ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS.
Not applicable.
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PART III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.
Our officers and directors are as follows:
| Name | Age | Position | ||
| Andrew J. Redleaf | 68 | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | ||
| Kenneth J. Weiller | 68 | Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer | ||
| Chris Bemis | 47 | Executive Vice President, Secretary and Director | ||
| Toby Maitland Hudson | 49 | Head of Capital Markets and Director | ||
| William N. Goetzmann | 70 | Independent Director | ||
| David H. Lui | 65 | Independent Director | ||
| Nicholas H. Smith | 50 | Independent Director | ||
| Jeffry H. von Gillern | 60 | Independent Director |
Andrew J. Redleaf is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Mr. Redleaf’s career spans several decades from his early work pioneering the use of quantitative methodologies to trade options. He focused his attention on the applied understanding of pricing between markets rather than in isolation to identify opportunities in market structure and behavioral eccentricities, which has become the cornerstone of his investment philosophy. Mr. Redleaf has served as Founder and Head of Portfolio Allocation and Strategy of X Cubed Capital Management LLC since 2021. He has launched funds including Deephaven Market Neutral Fund, which grew to $300 million under management, and Whitebox Advisors, which grew to become a $5.5-billion fund with offices in Minneapolis, Austin, London and Sydney. Mr. Redleaf is an active investor in private companies. He is the controlling shareholder of Park Financial Group, a bank holding company. During his ten-year tenure as principal owner, Park State Bank has consistently been a top performing community bank across multiple categories including return on equity and efficiency ratio. Assets have grown from $30 million to $1.4 billion. Mr. Redleaf earned a Master’s degree in mathematics from Yale University.
Kenneth J. Weiller is Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Mr. Weiller has worked in the hedge fund industry for over 25 years. He has served as Chief Operating Officer of X Cubed Capital Management LLC since 2022. He was a consultant at CoinFund Management LLC from March 2021 to November 2021. From November 2019 to May 2020, Mr. Weiller was Partner and COO at Econometrics Capital Management LLC, where he was responsible for setting up the fund and all non-investment functions. Other experience includes: COO roles at Westfield Investment and EVA Capital, where he also served as CCO; COO roles at Claren Road Asset Management and Saba Capital Management, where he also served as the Risk Manager during the firm’s first two years of operation; and SAC Capital, where over his six years there he served as the Director of Risk Management, Director of Operations and Director of Trading Administration. Mr. Weiller began his career at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and worked in Treasury and Risk at both Citicorp and Bankers Trust. Mr. Weiller earned his PhD in Economics at Harvard University, an MA in Economics at Tufts University, and a Bachelor’s in Economics at St. Lawrence University.
Chris Bemis, PhD is Executive Vice President, Secretary and a director of the Company. Mr. Bemis has served as Co-Founder and Managing Partner of X Cubed Capital Management LLC since 2021. Mr. Bemis focuses on alpha-driven portfolio construction across various asset classes. He joined X Cubed after serving as head of Whitebox Advisors’ quant group. Mr. Bemis’ work has yielded several systematic credit strategies, most recently in corporate credit. Mr. Bemis earned his PhD in applied mathematics from the University of Minnesota, where his thesis involved modelling and optimization for portfolios of risky assets. Mr. Bemis remains as affiliated faculty in their math finance program.
Toby Maitland Hudson is Head of Capital Markets and a director of the Company. A former attorney, Mr. Hudson’s expertise spans origination, structuring and trading in the corporate, structured and direct lending markets. Throughout his 25-year career, he has synthesized quantitative and qualitative analysis to identify the optimal part of the capital structure in which to invest. His experience encompasses corporate bonds, credit derivatives, ABS, RMBS, CMBS, CLO and equities. Mr. Hudson joined X Cubed Capital Management LLC in 2021 from Pinelands Capital Management (now a division of Millennium Management) where he was a senior member of a business focused on IG corporate and mortgage credit from 2017 to 2021. Prior to Millennium, Mr. Hudson led the CRE/CMBS business at Saba Capital, managing investments in commercial mortgage conduits, mezzanine loans, and related derivatives. His prior experience includes roles senior PM/Managing Director roles in mortgage exotics at JPMorgan and mortgage credit trading at Bear Stearns. Mr. Hudson holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in English and French Law from King’s College London and the Universite Paris I (Pantheon Sorbonne).
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William N. Goetzmann serves as a member of our board of directors. Mr. Goetzmann is the Edwin J. Beinecke Professor of Finance and Management Studies and faculty director of the International Center for Finance at the Yale School of Management and faculty director of its Executive MBA program in Asset Management. Mr. Goetzmann is widely recognized for his research in the field of investments and is currently the Executive Editor of the Financial Analysts Journal, the leading journal for the practice of investment management. His professional experience includes eight years on the board of the investment company Commonfund, current service on the board of the Jeffrey Company, and past consultation with the Norwegian Pension Fund Global. Mr. Goetzmann has written and co-authored a number of books, including Modern Portfolio Theory and Investment Analysis (Wiley, 2014) and Money Changes Everything: How Finance Made Civilization Possible (Princeton, 2016). He is a recognized academic expert in the field of investment management and alternative asset classes and the recipient of the James R. Vertin Award from the CFA Institute Research Foundation “for a body of research notable for its relevance and enduring value to investment professionals.” Mr. Goetzmann holds a PhD in Operations Research from Yale University and an MBA from Yale School of Management.
David H. Lui serves as a member of our board of directors. Mr. Lui’s lifelong professional focus has been the creation of processes in the financial services industry which mirror the ethical needs of the industry’s clientele. He has been Chief Compliance Officer for some of America’s largest investment advisers, including Charles Schwab Investment Management, Franklin Templeton Advisers, U.S. Bancorp Asset Management and a $100 billion subsidiary of Wells Fargo. He was named a Principal of that Wells Fargo subsidiary and was responsible for the oversight of the negotiation of $80 billion of investment contracts. By virtue of these relationships, Mr. Lui has held positions as an officer of the board of some of the largest mutual funds in the United States. During the financial crisis, Mr. Lui was Chair of the National Society of Compliance Professionals, the industry trade group covering Securities Compliance for U.S. investment advisers. As Chair during that troubled time, he was responsible for the creation of numerous industry regulatory liaisons with the Office of Compliance, Inspections and Examinations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the House Financial Services Committee. After completing his role as Chair, Mr. Lui partnered with the former Chief Counsel of the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations at the Securities and Exchange Commission to write the nation’s leading treatise on Securities Compliance—a two Volume, 1,600-page work called Modern Compliance: Best Practices in Securities and Finance. That work is in use at many institutions in the United States, and is the most widely distributed work on securities compliance in the nation. Mr. Lui is a graduate of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island with Honors in History and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He is an attorney admitted to practice in Minnesota and California. He is a frequent speaker at national conferences related to Securities Compliance.
Nicholas H. Smith serves as a member of our board of directors. Mr. Smith is the Founder and CEO of Rice Park Capital Management LP, an alternative investment firm focused on mortgage finance and structured credit. He has nearly 25 years of experience across capital markets, mortgage credit, structured products, operating companies and Fintech. Before founding Rice Park in 2019, Mr. Smith was CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Blackstone’s (NYSE: BX) private residential mortgage REIT, Podium Mortgage Capital, from 2017 to 2018 and Co-Founder and CIO of Finance of America Companies (NYSE: FOA) from 2015 to 2017. From 2012 to 2015, Mr. Smith was Managing Director and Head of Residential Mortgage Investment Business of Pine River Capital Management. He previously served as Managing Director at Two Harbors Investment Corp. (NYSE: TWO), where he led the firm’s MSR and whole loan investment platform and held senior investment and corporate development roles at Green Tree Investment Management and GMAC ResCap. Mr. Smith studied economics as an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota and pursued graduate studies at Northeastern University and the University of London in quantitative finance. He is a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society of Minnesota. Mr. Smith has served on a variety of public, private, and philanthropic boards. He currently serves on the advisory boards of Capacity and First American Financial (NYSE: FAF).
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Jeffry H. von Gillern serves as a member of our board of directors. Mr. von Gillern is the former Vice Chairman of Technology and Operations Services at U.S. Bancorp, a position he held from 2010 until his retirement in 2023. As a member of the Managing Committee, he reported directly to the Chairman and CEO, overseeing a significant annual investment portfolio and leading a global team of approximately 25,000 staff. He joined U.S. Bancorp in 2001 as Executive Vice President and served as Chief Information Officer from 2007 to 2010, where he led major technology upgrades, supported numerous bank acquisitions, and directed complex portfolio conversions. Prior to U.S. Bancorp, Mr. von Gillern served as CIO of IronPlanet, an early online marketplace for used heavy equipment, from 2000 to 2001. Before that, he spent 12 years at Visa International, where he was Senior Vice President of Processing Services. Mr. von Gillern currently serves on the Board of Directors of NCR Atleos (since 2023) and is Treasurer and a Board Director for Children’s Hospital of Minnesota (since 2022). His prior board roles include Lead Director of ViewPointe LLC (2010–2015), Board Director of Syncada LLC (2010–2014), and Chair of the Board of Governors for the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis (2014–2017). Mr. von Gillern earned a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Arizona and also studied at the University of London.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
Our board of directors consists of seven (7) members and is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being appointed in each year, and with each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term. Prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote on the appointment and removal 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). Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on such matters during such time. The 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 the holders representing at least 90% of the issued Class B ordinary shares. In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual general meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq.
Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint officers as it deems appropriate pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Our board of directors has established 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 operates under a charter that has been approved by our board and has the composition and responsibilities described below.
Audit Committee
Our board of directors has established an audit committee of the board of directors. David H. Lui, Jeffrey H. von Giller and Nicholas H. Smith serve as the members of our audit committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have three members of the audit committee, all of whom must be independent. David H. Lui, Jeffrey H. von Giller and Nicholas H. Smith are each independent.
Mr. Lui serves as the chairman of the audit committee. Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that Mr. Lui qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.
We have adopted an audit committee charter, which details the principal functions of the audit committee, including:
| ● | assisting board oversight of (1) the integrity of our financial statements, (2) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (3) our independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, and (4) the performance of our internal audit function and independent registered public accounting firm; the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent auditors and any other independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us; |
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| ● | pre-approving all audit and non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm or any other registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing pre-approval policies and procedures; reviewing and discussing with the independent registered public accounting firm all relationships the independent registered public accounting firm have with us in order to evaluate their continued independence; | |
| ● | setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent registered public accounting firm describing (1) the independent registered public accounting firm’s internal quality-control procedures and (2) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the independent registered public accounting firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues; | |
| ● | meeting to review and discuss our annual audited financial statements and quarterly financial statements with management and the independent registered public accounting firm, including reviewing our specific disclosures under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”; reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; 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
Our board of directors has established a compensation committee of our board of directors. The members of our compensation committee are William N. Goetzman, Jeffrey H. von Gillern and Nicholas H. Smith. Mr. Goetzman serves as chair of the compensation committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have a compensation committee of at least two members, all of whom must be independent. William N. Goetzman, Jeffrey H. von Gillern and Nicholas H. Smith are each independent. We have adopted a compensation committee charter, which details the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:
| ● | reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our chief executive officer’s compensation, evaluating our chief executive officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our chief executive officer based on such evaluation; | |
| ● | reviewing and making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to the compensation, and any incentive compensation and equity based plans that are subject to board approval of all of our other officers; | |
| ● | reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans; | |
| ● | implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans; | |
| ● | assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements; |
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| ● | approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our executive officers and employees; | |
| ● | producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and | |
| ● | reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors. |
The charter also provides that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by Nasdaq and the SEC.
Director Nominations
We do not have a standing nominating committee though we intend to form a corporate governance and nominating committee as and when required to do so by law or Nasdaq rules. In accordance with Rule 5605(e)(2) of the Nasdaq rules, a majority of the independent directors may recommend a director nominee for selection by our board of directors. Our board of directors believes that the independent directors can satisfactorily carry out the responsibility of properly selecting or approving director nominees without the formation of a standing nominating committee. The directors who will participate in the consideration and recommendation of director nominees are William N. Goetzmann, David H. Lui, Nicholas H. Smith and Jeffry H. von Gillern. 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.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our executive officers currently serves, in the past year has served, as a member of the compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our board of directors.
Clawback Policy
We have adopted a compensation recovery policy that is compliant with Nasdaq listing rules as required by the Dodd-Frank Act.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees, which is available by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and the charters of the committees of our board of directors will be provided without charge upon request from us. If we make any amendments to our Code of Business Conduct and 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 Business Conduct and 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 on our website. The information included on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K or in any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to our website are intended to be inactive textual references only.
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Insider Trading Policy
We
have
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our executive officers, directors and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity securities to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of our shares of common stock and other equity securities. These executive officers, directors, and greater than 10% beneficial owners are required by SEC regulation to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms filed by such reporting persons.
Based solely on our review of such forms furnished to us and written representations from certain reporting persons, we believe that all filing requirements applicable to our executive officers, directors and greater than 10% beneficial owners were filed in a timely manner.
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.
We have not entered into any employment agreements with our executive officers, and have not made any agreements to provide benefits upon termination of employment.
Executive Officer and Director Compensation
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.
In addition, our officers and directors have indirect interests in the founder shares held by the sponsor as compensation for their services as officers and directors of the Company. Our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Andrew J. Redleaf, has an indirect interest in 3,913,000 founder shares through membership interests in our sponsor. Our Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Kenneth J. Weiller, has an indirect interest in 335,400 founder shares through membership interests in our sponsor. Our Executive Vice President and Secretary, Chris Bemis, has an indirect interest in 335,400 founder shares through membership interests in our sponsor. Our Head of Capital Markets, Toby Maitland Hudson, has an indirect interest in 838,500 founder shares through membership interests in our sponsor. In addition, our independent directors have received for their services as a director an indirect interest in the founder shares through membership interests in our sponsor. William N. Goetzmann, David H. Lui, Nicholas H. Smith and Jeffry H. von Gillern have each received an indirect interest in 40,000 founder shares through membership interests in our sponsor. As Chair of the Company’s Audit Committee, Mr. Lui may receive an additional indirect interest in up to 40,000 founder shares, based on the actual work required to fulfill the requirements of the role. Any such additional interest has not yet been determined.
After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer materials furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed initial business combination. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed initial business combination, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation.
Any compensation to be paid to our executive officers by the Company will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.
We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our initial business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
| 18 |
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares, including both Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, as of March 23, 2026 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 officers and directors that beneficially owns ordinary shares; and | |
| ● | all our officers and directors as a group. |
The following table is based on 28,125,000 ordinary shares, consisting of 22,250,000 Class A ordinary shares (inclusive of shares included in outstanding units) and 5,625,000 Class B ordinary shares, outstanding as of March 23, 2026. 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 of beneficial ownership of any ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of any warrants, as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of March 23, 2026.
| Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1) | Number of Ordinary Shares Beneficially Owned | Percentage
of Ordinary Shares | ||||||
| X3 Acquisition Management LLC(2) | 5,625,000 | 20.00 | % | |||||
| Andrew J. Redleaf(2) | — | — | ||||||
| Kenneth J. Weiller | — | — | ||||||
| Toby Maitland Hudson | — | — | ||||||
| Chris Bemis | — | — | ||||||
| William N. Goetzmann | — | — | ||||||
| David H. Lui | — | — | ||||||
| Nicholas H. Smith | — | — | ||||||
| Jeffry H. von Gillern | — | — | ||||||
| All directors and executive officers as a group (8 individuals) | 5,625,000 | 20.00 | % | |||||
| Linden Capital L.P.(3) | 1,400,000 | 4.98 | % | |||||
| Meteora Capital, LLC(4) | 2,000,000 | 7.11 | % | |||||
| * | Less than one percent. |
| (1) | Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following is c/o X3 Acquisition Corp., Ltd., 3033 Excelsior Blvd, Suite 343, Minneapolis, MN 55416. |
| (2) | X3 Acquisition Management LLC, our sponsor, is the record holder of such shares. Andrew J. Redleaf controls X Cubed Capital Management LLC, the managing member of the Sponsor and holds voting and investment discretion with respect to the Ordinary Shares held of record by the Sponsor. Mr. Redleaf disclaims any beneficial ownership of the securities held by the Sponsor other than to the extent of any pecuniary interest he may have therein, directly or indirectly. Our officers and directors have indirect interests in the founder shares through membership interests in the sponsor. |
| (3) | Based on a Schedule 13G filed by the reporting person on January 26, 2026. Consists of 1,342,424 Class A ordinary shares held for the account of Linden Capital L.P. (“Linden Capital”) and 57,576 Class A ordinary shares one or more separately managed accounts (the “Managed Accounts”). Linden GP LLC (“Linden GP”) is the general partner of Linden Capital and, in such capacity, may be deemed to beneficially own the shares held by Linden Capital. Linden Advisors LP (“Linden Advisors”) is the investment manager of Linden Capital and trading advisor or investment advisor for the Managed Accounts. Mr. Wong is the principal owner and controlling person of Linden Advisors and Linden GP. In such capacities, Linden Advisors and Mr. Wong may each be deemed to beneficially own the shares held by Linden Capital and the Managed Accounts. The principal business address for Linden Capital is Victoria Place, 31 Victoria Street, Hamilton HM10, Bermuda. The principal business address for each of Linden Advisors, Linden GP and Mr. Wong is 590 Madison Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10022. |
| (4) | Based on a Schedule 13G filed by the reporting person on February 6, 2026. Consists of shares held by certain funds and managed accounts to which Meteora Capital, LLC (“Meteora Capital”) serves as investment manager (collectively, the “Meteora Funds”). Vik Mittal serves as the Managing Member of Meteora Capital with respect to the shares held by the Meteora Funds. The principal business address for each of the foregoing persons is 1200 N Federal Hwy, #200, Boca Raton FL 33432. |
| 19 |
Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Warrants
The founder shares and private warrants and any securities issued upon conversion thereof (including any securities underlying those securities) are each subject to transfer restrictions. The lock-up provisions provide that such securities are not transferable or saleable (i) in the case of the founder shares, until the earlier of (A) 180 days after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property and (ii) in the case of the private warrants (including the underlying securities), until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination except in each case (a) to our or the underwriters’ officers, directors, advisors or consultants, any affiliate or family member of any of our or the underwriters’ officers, directors, advisors or consultants, any members or partners of the sponsor or their affiliates and funds and accounts advised by such members or partners, any affiliates of the sponsor, or any employees of such affiliates; (b) in the case of an individual, as a gift to such person’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of such person’s immediate family, an affiliate of such person or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of such person; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) by private sales or transfers made in connection with any forward purchase agreement or similar arrangement, in connection with an extension of the completion window or in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the shares or warrants were originally purchased; (f) pro rata distributions from our sponsor or the underwriters to its respective members, partners or shareholders pursuant to our sponsor’s or the underwriters’ limited liability company agreement or other charter documents; (g) by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware or our sponsor’s limited liability company agreement upon dissolution of our sponsor or upon dissolution of the underwriters; (h) in the event of our liquidation prior to our consummation of our initial business combination; (i) to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a transfer would be permissible under clauses (a) through (g); (j) to us for no value for cancellation in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination; or (k) in the event that, subsequent to our consummation of an initial business combination, we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (g) and clause (i) these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and the other restrictions contained in the letter agreements.
Registration Rights
The holders of the (i) founder shares, (ii) private warrants (including the underlying securities) and (iii) warrants (including the underlying securities) that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans have registration rights that require us to register a sale of any of our securities held by them and any other securities of the company acquired by them prior to the consummation of our initial business combination pursuant to a registration rights agreement signed prior to or on the effective date of the Company’s registration statement for the IPO. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.
On August 18, 2025, we issued to our sponsor an aggregate of 5,750,000 Class B ordinary shares (up to 750,000 are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised) for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per share. On January 26, 2026, the underwriters exercised their over-allotment option in part and purchased an additional 2,500,000 Units. As a result, 625,000 founder shares are no longer subject to forfeiture. The remaining underwriters’ over-allotment option expired on March 6, 2026, resulting in 125,000 founder shares being forfeited to the Company.
| 20 |
Simultaneously with the sale of Units in the IPO (including the Over-Allotment Option Units), our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 5,375,000 private warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrants, or $5,375,000 in the aggregate. Each whole private warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share for $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The private warrants are identical to the public warrants sold as part of the Units in the IPO, except with respect to certain registration rights and transfer restrictions. The holders of the private warrants agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private warrants or underlying securities (except in limited circumstances) until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. The holders of the private warrants were granted certain demand and piggyback registration rights in connection with the purchase of the private warrants and the underlying securities.
Pursuant to a letter agreement that our initial shareholders, directors and officers have entered into with us, with certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our initial shareholders until the earlier of (A) 180 days after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.
We have entered into agreements with our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
We have entered into an administrative services agreement pursuant to which we have agreed to pay our sponsor or an affiliate thereof $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required on a non-interest basis. If we complete an initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use amounts 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 warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the applicable lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private warrants. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans, and such terms will be subject to the approval of our audit committee.
We have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the founder shares and private warrants (and underlying securities) and private warrants (and underlying securities) issued upon conversion of working capital loans (if any).
Policy for Approval of Related Party Transactions
We have adopted a 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, 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 and approve all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, directors, officers or our or any of their respective affiliates, which may include reimbursement of 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.
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.
| 21 |
To further minimize conflicts of interest, prior to consummating an initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our directors or officers, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, may engage independent advisors to assist with the evaluation and will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Director Independence
Nasdaq rules require that a majority of our board of directors be independent within one year of our initial public offering. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person who, in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, has no material relationship with the listed company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the company). We have four “independent directors” as defined in Nasdaq rules and applicable SEC rules. Our board of directors has determined that William N. Goetzmann, David H. Lui, Nicholas H. Smith and Jeffry H. von Gillern are “independent directors” as defined in Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.
The firm of WithumSmith+Brown, PC, or Withum, acts as our independent registered public accounting firm. The following is a summary of fees paid to Withum for services rendered.
Audit Fees
Audit fees consist of fees for professional services rendered for the audit of our year-end financial statements and services that are normally provided by Withum in connection with regulatory filings. The aggregate fees of Withum for professional services rendered for the audit of our annual financial statements, review of the financial information included in our Forms 10-Q for the respective periods and other required filings with the SEC for the period from July 31, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025 totaled $101,730. The above amounts include interim procedures and audit fees, as well as attendance at Audit Committee meetings.
Audit-Related Fees
Audit-related fees consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include attest services that are not required by statute or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards. We did not pay Withum for any audit-related fees for the period from July 31, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025.
Tax Fees
Tax fees consist of fees billed for professional services relating to tax compliance, tax planning and tax advice. We did not pay Withum for tax services, planning or advice for the period from July 31, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025.
All Other Fees
All other fees consist of fees billed for all other services. We did not pay Withum for any other services for the period from July 31, 2025 (inception) through December 31, 2025.
Pre-Approval Policy
Our Audit Committee was formed upon the consummation of our Initial Public Offering. As a result, the Audit Committee did not pre-approve all of the foregoing services, although any services rendered prior to the formation of our Audit Committee were approved by our Board of Directors. Since the formation of our Audit Committee, and on a going-forward basis, the Audit Committee has and will pre-approve all auditing services and permitted non-audit services performed and to be performed for us by our auditors, including the fees and terms thereof (subject to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in the Exchange Act which are approved by the Audit Committee prior to the completion of the audit).
| 22 |
PART IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
(a) The following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:
(1) Financial Statements:
(2) Financial Statement Schedules:
All financial statement schedules are omitted because they are not applicable or the amounts are immaterial and not required, or the required information is presented in the financial statements and notes thereto beginning on page F-1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
(3) Exhibits
* Filed herewith.
** Furnished herewith.
ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY.
Not applicable.
| 23 |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| Dated: March 25, 2026 | X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD. | |
| By: | /s/ Andrew J. Redleaf | |
| Name: | Andrew J. Redleaf | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Name | Position | Date | ||
| /s/ Andrew J. Redleaf | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | March 25, 2026 | ||
| Andrew J. Redleaf | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| /s/ Kenneth J. Weiller | Chief Financial Officer | March 25, 2026 | ||
| Kenneth J. Weiller | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |||
| /s/ Chris Bemis | Executive Vice President and Director | March 25, 2026 | ||
| Chris Bemis | ||||
| /s/ Toby Maitland Hudson | Head of Capital Markets and Director | March 25, 2026 | ||
| Toby Maitland Hudson | ||||
| /s/ William N. Goetzmann | Director | March 25, 2026 | ||
| William N. Goetzmann | ||||
| /s/ David H. Lui | Director | March 25, 2026 | ||
| David H. Lui | ||||
| /s/ Nicholas H. Smith | Director | March 25, 2026 | ||
| Nicholas H. Smith | ||||
| /s/ Jeffry H. von Gillern | Director | March 25, 2026 | ||
| Jeffry H. von Gillern |
| 24 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
| F-1 |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of
X3 Acquisition Corp. Ltd.:
Opinion on the Financial Statements
Basis for Opinion
The 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 included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2025.
March 25, 2026
PCAOB ID Number 100
| F-2 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
BALANCE SHEET
DECEMBER 31, 2025
| Assets: | ||||
| Current assets | ||||
| Prepaid expenses | $ | |||
| Total Current Assets | ||||
| Deferred offering costs | ||||
| Total Assets | $ | |||
| Liabilities and Shareholder’s Deficit: | ||||
| Current Liabilities: | ||||
| Accrued expenses | $ | |||
| Accrued offering costs | ||||
| Promissory note – related party | ||||
| Total Current Liabilities | ||||
| Total Liabilities | ||||
| Commitments and Contingencies (Note 6) | ||||
| Shareholder’s Deficit | ||||
| Preference shares, $ par value; shares authorized; issued or outstanding | ||||
| Class A ordinary shares, $ par value; shares authorized; issued or outstanding | ||||
| Class B ordinary shares, $par value; shares authorized; shares issued and outstanding(1) | ||||
| Ordinary shares, value | ||||
| Additional paid-in capital | ||||
| Accumulated deficit | ( | ) | ||
| Total Shareholder’s Deficit | ( | ) | ||
| Total Liabilities and Shareholder’s Deficit | $ | |||
| (1) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
| F-3 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE PERIOD FROM JULY 31, 2025 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2025
| Formation, general and administrative costs | $ | |||
| Net loss | $ | ( | ) | |
| Basic and diluted weighted average Class B ordinary shares outstanding(1) | ||||
| Basic and diluted net loss per Class B ordinary share | $ | ) |
| (1) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
| F-4 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDER’S DEFICIT
FOR THE PERIOD FROM JULY 31, 2025 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2025
| Class A Ordinary Shares | Class B Ordinary Shares | Additional Paid-in |
Accumulated | Total Shareholder’s |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Capital | Deficit | Deficit | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance — July 31, 2025 (Inception) | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance (Inception) | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class B ordinary shares issued to Sponsor(1) | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | — | — | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance – December 31, 2025 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( |
) | $ | ( |
) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Balance | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( |
) | $ | ( |
) | |||||||||||||||||||
| (1) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
| F-5 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE PERIOD FROM JULY 31, 2025 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2025
| Cash flows from operating activities: | ||||
| Net loss | $ | ( | ) | |
| Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||
| Formation, general and administrative costs paid by Sponsor in exchange for issuance of Class B ordinary shares | ||||
| Formation, general and administrative costs paid by Sponsor through promissory note – related party | ||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||
| Accrued expenses | ||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | ||||
| Net Change in Cash | ||||
| Cash, beginning of period | ||||
| Cash, end of period | $ | |||
| Noncash investing and financing activities: | ||||
| Deferred offering costs included in accrued offering costs | $ | |||
| Deferred offering costs paid through promissory note – related party | $ | |||
| Deferred offering costs paid by Sponsor in exchange for issuance of Class B ordinary shares | $ | |||
| Prepaid services contributed by Sponsor through promissory note – related party | $ | |||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
| F-6 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations
X3 Acquisition Corp. Ltd. (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on July 31, 2025. 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 (the “Business Combination”). The Company has not selected any specific Business Combination target and the Company has not, nor has anyone on its behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any Business Combination target with respect to an initial Business Combination with the Company.
As
of December 31, 2025, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from
The
Company’s sponsor is X3 Acquisition Management LLC (the “Sponsor”). The registration statement for the Company’s
Initial Public Offering was declared effective on January 20, 2026. On January 22, 2026, the Company consummated the Initial Public Offering
of units at $ per unit (the “Units”), which is discussed in Note 3 (the “Initial Public Offering”),
generating gross proceeds of $
On
January 26, 2026, the Company consummated the closing of an additional Units sold pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment
option, generating gross proceeds of $
Transaction
costs amounted to $
The
Company’s Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least
Following
the closing of the Initial Public Offering and the partial over-allotment option, an amount of $
| F-7 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
The Company will provide the Company’s public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of the initial Business Combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the initial Business Combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a proposed initial Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The public shareholders will be entitled to redeem their shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations. The amount in the Trust Account is initially $ per public share.
The Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption are recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering, in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.”
The
Company will have only the duration of the Completion Window to complete the initial Business Combination. However, if the Company is
unable to complete its initial Business Combination within the Completion Window, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for
the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully
available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit
in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of taxes, if any,
and less up to $
The
Sponsor, officers and directors entered into a letter agreement with the Company, pursuant to which they agreed to (i) waive their redemption
rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of the initial Business Combination;
(ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve
an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing
of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with the initial Business Combination or to redeem
The Sponsor agreed that it will be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or Business Combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below the lesser of , provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the Trust Account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of the Initial Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). However, the Company has not asked the Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor has the Company independently verified whether the Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and the Company believes that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities of the Company. Therefore, the Company cannot assure that the Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations.
| F-8 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statement is presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The
Company’s liquidity needs up to December 31, 2025 had been satisfied through the loan under an unsecured promissory note from the
Sponsor of up to $
In
order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or certain of
the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (the “Working
Capital Loans”). If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company would repay the Working Capital Loans. In the event
that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use amounts held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans
but no proceeds from the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. Up to $
In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 205-40, “Presentation of Financial Statements – Going Concern,” the Company completed its Initial Public Offering on January 22, 2026 and the sale of additional Units as a result of the partial exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option on January 26, 2026, at which time the capital in excess of the funds deposited in Trust Account and/or used to fund offering costs and other expenses was released to the Company for general capital purposes. The Company does not believe it will need to raise additional funds in order to meet the expenditures required for operating its business. However, if the estimate of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a Business Combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, the Company may have insufficient funds available to operate its business prior to the initial Business Combination. The Company has until the Completion Window to complete the initial Business Combination. Management has determined that upon the consummation of the Initial Public Offering, the sale of the Private Warrants, the sale of additional Units, and the sale of additional Private Warrants as a result of the partial exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option, the Company has sufficient funds to finance the working capital needs of the Company within one year from the date of issuance of the financial statements.
Emerging Growth Company Status
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that 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.
| F-9 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The
Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents.
The Company had
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial
instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of a cash account in a financial institution,
which, at times, may exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation coverage limit of $
Deferred Offering Costs
The Company complies with the requirements of the FASB ASC Topic 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 Initial Public Offering. FASB ASC Topic 470-20, “Debt with Conversion and Other Options,” addresses the allocation of proceeds from the issuance of convertible debt into its equity and debt components. The Company applies this guidance to allocate Initial Public Offering proceeds from the Units between Class A ordinary shares and warrants, using the residual method by allocating Initial Public Offering proceeds first to assigned value of the warrants and then to the Class A ordinary shares. On January 22, 2026, upon completion of the Initial Public Offering, offering costs allocated to the public shares subject to possible redemption were charged to temporary equity and offering costs allocated to the Public Warrants and Private Warrants were charged to shareholders’ deficit as Public Warrants and Private Warrants, after management’s evaluation, are accounted for under equity treatment.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under FASB ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Net loss per ordinary share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period, excluding ordinary shares subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of ordinary shares that would have been subject to forfeiture had the over-allotment option not been exercised by the underwriters. On January 23, 2026, the underwriters partially exercised their over-allotment option and the sale of Units pursuant thereto was consummated on January 26, 2026 resulting in founder shares no longer subject to forfeiture. As of December 31, 2025, the Company did not have any dilutive securities or 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 net loss per ordinary share is the same as basic net loss per ordinary share for the period presented.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under FASB 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.
| F-10 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
FASB 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 December 31, 2025, 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.
Derivative Financial Instruments
The
Company evaluates its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as
embedded derivatives in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging”. 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 statements 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 contingently
redeemable shares and are be accounted for as a liability pursuant to FASB ASC Topic 480 since the underwriters’
over-allotment was not fully exercised at the time of the Initial Public Offering. As of December 31, 2025, there is no over-allotment option liability recognized
in the Company’s balance sheet. On January 22, 2026, the Company recognized a total of $
Warrant Instruments
The Company accounts for the Public Warrants and Private Warrants issued in connection with the Initial 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 classified the warrant instruments under equity treatment at their assigned values. There were no Public Warrants or Private Warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2025.
The Company records share-based compensation in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, “Compensation-Share Compensation”, guidance to account for its share-based compensation. It applies a fair value-based method of accounting for an employee share option or similar equity instrument. The Company recognizes all forms of share-based payments at their fair value on the grant date, which are based on the estimated number of awards that are ultimately expected to vest. Share-based payments are valued by multiplying the marketable value per founder share (defined in Note 5) by the probability of successful closing of an initial Business Combination. Grants of share-based payment awards issued to non-employees for services rendered have been recorded at the fair value of the share-based payment, which is the more readily determinable value. The grants are amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service periods, which is generally the vesting period. If an award is granted, but vesting does not occur, any previously recognized compensation cost is reversed in the period related to the termination of service.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
| F-11 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Note 3 — Initial Public Offering
In
the Initial Public Offering on January 22, 2026, the Company sold Units at a purchase price of $ per Unit for a total
of $
Warrants
As
of December 31, 2025, there were
The Company will not be obligated to deliver any Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current. No warrant will be exercisable and the Company will not be obligated to issue a Class A ordinary share upon exercise of a warrant unless the Class A ordinary share issuable upon such warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the Class A ordinary share underlying such unit.
Under the terms of the warrant agreement, the Company has agreed that, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days, after the closing of its Business Combination, it will use commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement for the Initial Public Offering or a new registration statement covering the registration under the Securities Act of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and thereafter will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days following the Company’s initial Business Combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the sixty-first (61st) business day after the closing of the initial Business Combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. Notwithstanding the above, if the 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, the Company may, at its 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 the Company so elects, the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement.
If the holders exercise their Public Warrants on a cashless basis, they would pay the warrant exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” of the Class A ordinary shares over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” is the average reported closing price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is received by the warrant agent or on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants, as applicable.
Redemption of Warrants When the Price per Class A Ordinary Share Equals or Exceeds $18.00
The Company may redeem the outstanding warrants:
| ● | in whole and not in part; | |
| ● | at a price of $ per warrant; | |
| ● | ||
| ● | if,
and only if, the last reported sale price (the “closing price”) of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $ |
| F-12 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Additionally, if the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares is increased by a share capitalization payable in Class A ordinary shares, or by a subdivision of ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share capitalization, subdivision, reorganizations, recapitalizations or similar event, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding ordinary shares. A rights offering made to all or substantially all holders of ordinary shares entitling holders to purchase Class A ordinary shares at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a share capitalization of a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the product of (i) the number of Class A ordinary shares actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares) and (ii) the quotient of (x) the price per class A ordinary share paid in such rights offering and (y) the fair market value. For these purposes (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares, in determining the price payable for Class A ordinary shares, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) fair market value means the volume weighted average price of Class A ordinary shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to 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 (x)
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 the Company with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of the issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of the Company as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which the Company is dissolved, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of the Class A ordinary shares immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of Class A ordinary 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 their warrants immediately prior to such event (the “Alternative Issuance”). 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 securities in the successor entity that are listed for trading on a national securities exchange or quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or are to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly exercises the warrant within thirty days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the warrant agreement based on the Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined in the warrant agreement) of the warrant. The purpose of such exercise price reduction is to provide additional value to holders of the warrants when an extraordinary transaction occurs during the exercise period of the warrants pursuant to which the holders of the warrants otherwise do not receive the full potential value of the warrants.
| F-13 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Note 4 — Private Placement
Simultaneously
with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of Private Warrants, at a purchase price
of $
The Private Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants sold as part of the Units in the Initial Public Offering except that, so long as they are held by the Sponsor, or their permitted transferees, the Private Warrants (i) may not (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of these Private Warrants), subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination and (ii) will be entitled to registration rights.
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions
Founder Shares
On
August 18, 2025, the Company issued founders
shares to the Sponsor in exchange for a capital contribution of $
On January 22, 2026, the Sponsor granted membership interests equivalent to an aggregate of founder shares to the independent directors of the Company. The membership interests in founder shares granted to the independent directors are in the scope of FASB ASC Topic 718. Under FASB ASC Topic 718, stock-based compensation associated with equity-classified awards is measured at fair value on the assignment date. The founder shares have an aggregate fair value of $ or $ per share. The Company recognized share-based compensation expense of $ on January 22, 2026. The Company established the fair value of founder shares using Monte Carlo Simulation Model prepared by a third party valuation firm, which takes into consideration the following market assumptions; (i) implied share price of $, and (ii) probability of De-SPAC and instrument-specific market adjustment of .
With certain limited exceptions, the Company’s initial shareholders agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares and any Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion thereof until the earlier to occur of (i) 180 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination or (ii) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction after the initial Business Combination that results in all of the Company’s shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of the Company’s initial shareholders with respect to any founder shares.
Promissory Note — Related Party
On
August 5, 2025, the Sponsor had agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of up to $
Related Party Loans
In
order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or certain of
the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required. If the Company completes
a Business Combination, the Company would repay the Working Capital Loans. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the
Company may use amounts held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds from the Trust Account would
be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. Up to $
| F-14 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
Administrative Services Agreement
Commencing
on January 20, 2026, the Company entered into an agreement with the Sponsor or an affiliate to pay an aggregate of $
Note 6 — Commitments and Contingencies
Risks and Uncertainties
The Company’s ability to complete an initial Business Combination may be adversely affected by various factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. The Company’s ability to consummate an initial Business Combination could be impacted by, among other things, changes in laws or regulations, downturns in the financial markets or in economic conditions, inflation, fluctuations in interest rates, increases in tariffs, supply chain disruptions, declines in consumer confidence and spending, public health considerations, and geopolitical instability, such as the military conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The Company cannot at this time predict the likelihood of one or more of the above events, their duration or magnitude or the extent to which they may negatively impact the Company’s ability to complete an initial Business Combination.
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares, the Private Warrants and the Class A ordinary shares underlying such Private Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of the Working Capital Loans have registration rights to require the Company to register a sale of any of the Company’s securities held by them and any other securities of the Company acquired by them prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination pursuant to a registration rights agreement signed on the effective date of the Initial Public Offering. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company registers such securities. In addition, the holders have certain piggyback registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of the initial Business Combination. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriters’ Agreement
The Company granted the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of the Initial Public Offering to purchase up to an additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any. On January 26, 2026, the Company consummated the closing of an additional Units sold pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option. The remaining underwriters’ over-allotment option expired on March 6, 2026.
The
underwriters were entitled to a cash underwriting discount of
Note 7 — Shareholder’s Deficit
Preference Shares — The Company is authorized to issue a total of preference shares at par value of $ each. As of December 31, 2025, there were preference shares issued or outstanding.
Class A Ordinary Shares — The Company is authorized to issue a total of Class A ordinary shares at par value of $ each. As of December 31, 2025, there were Class A ordinary shares issued or outstanding.
Class
B Ordinary Shares — The Company is authorized to issue a total of
Class B ordinary shares at par value of $
each. On August 18, 2025, the Company issued
Class B ordinary shares to the Sponsor for $
| F-15 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
The
founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of
the initial Business Combination or earlier at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share subdivisions,
share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the
case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or any other equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts
sold in the Initial Public Offering and related to or in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination, the ratio at
which Class B ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding
Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such 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, approximately % of the sum
of
Holders of record of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.
Note 8 — Segment Information
FASB ASC Topic 280, “Segment Reporting,” establishes standards for companies to report in their financial statement information about operating segments, products, services, geographic areas, and major customers. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise that engage in business activities from which it may recognize revenues and incur expenses, and for which separate financial information is available that is regularly evaluated by the Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”), or group, in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance.
The
Company’s CODM has been identified as the Chief Financial Officer, who reviews the assets, operating results, and financial metrics
for the Company as a whole to make decisions about allocating resources and assessing financial performance. Accordingly, management
has determined that the Company only has
The CODM assesses performance for the single segment and decides how to allocate resources based on net income or loss that also is reported on the statements of operations as net income or loss. The measure of segment assets is reported on the balance sheet as total assets. When evaluating the Company’s performance and making key decisions regarding resource allocation the CODM reviews several key metrics, which include the following:
Schedule of Segment Information
December 31, 2025 | ||||
| Deferred offering costs | $ | |||
For the Period from July
31, 2025 | ||||
| Formation, general and administrative costs | $ | |||
Formation, general and administrative costs are reviewed and monitored by the CODM to manage and forecast cash to ensure enough capital is available to complete a Business Combination or similar transaction within the Completion Window. The CODM also reviews formation, general and administrative costs to manage, maintain and enforce all contractual agreements to ensure costs are aligned with all agreements and budget. Formation, general and administrative costs, as reported on the statements of operations, are the significant segment expenses provided to the CODM on a regular basis.
| F-16 |
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2025
The CODM reviews the position of total assets as reported in the Company’s balance sheet to assess if the Company has sufficient resources available to discharge its liabilities. The CODM is provided with details of cash and liquid resources available with the Company. Additionally, the CODM regularly reviews the status of deferred costs incurred to assess if these are in line with the planned use of proceeds raised from the Initial Public Offering.
Note 9 — Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date through March 25, 2026, the date that the financial statements were issued. Based upon this review, other than described below, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statement.
Commencing
on January 20, 2026, the Company entered into an agreement with the Sponsor to pay an aggregate of $
The
registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on January 20, 2026. On January 22, 2026,
the Company consummated the Initial Public Offering of Units at $ per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $
Following
the closing of the Initial Public Offering, on January 22, 2026, an amount of $
On
January 22, 2026, the underwriters were paid in cash an underwriting discount of
On January 22, 2026, the Sponsor granted membership interests equivalent to an aggregate of founder shares to the independent directors of the Company. The Company recognized share-based compensation expense of $ on January 22, 2026.
On
January 22, 2026, the Company fully settled the $
On
January 26, 2026, the Company consummated the closing of an additional Units sold pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment
option, generating gross proceeds of $
Simultaneously
with the consummation of the over-allotment option on January 26, 2026, the Company also consummated the sale of an additional
Private Warrants to the Sponsor at a price of $
As
of January 26, 2026, a total of $
On
January 26, 2026, the underwriters were paid in cash an additional underwriting discount of $
The remaining underwriters’
over-allotment option for Units expired on March 6, 2026, resulting in founder shares being forfeited to the Company and
the Company closed the remaining $
Commencing on March 13, 2026, the holders of the Company’s Units may elect to separately trade the Class A ordinary shares and warrants included in the Units. Any Units not separated will continue to trade on Nasdaq under the symbol “XCBEU.” Any underlying Class A ordinary shares and warrants that are separated will trade on Nasdaq under the symbols “XCBE” and “XCBEW,” respectively.
| F-17 |
Exhibit 4.5
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
As of December 31, 2025, the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, X3 Acquisition Corp. Ltd. (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) has three classes of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”): the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value each (“Class A ordinary shares”), warrants to purchase Class A ordinary shares, and units comprised of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant.
The following summary of the material terms of the securities of the Company is not intended to be a complete summary of the rights and preferences of such securities and is subject to and qualified by reference to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association incorporated by reference as an exhibit to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and applicable Cayman Islands law.
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company and our affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act and the common law of the Cayman Islands. Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, we are authorized to issue 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value each, 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value each as well as 5,000,000 preference shares, $0.0001 par value each. The following description summarizes certain terms of our shares 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 consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable 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 warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of the company’s Class A ordinary shares. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrant holder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade.
Ordinary Shares
Ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. However, only holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the right to (i) appoint and remove directors in any election held prior to the completion of our initial business combination, meaning that holders of Class A ordinary shares will not have the right to appoint any directors until after the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) continue 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). The provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association governing these matters prior to our initial business combination may only be amended by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of the holders representing at least 90% of the issued Class B ordinary shares. On any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, holders of Class A ordinary shares and holders of Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders except as required by law. Unless otherwise 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 represented in person or by proxy and are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our shareholders. Approval of certain actions will require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, which (except as outlined above) requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the shareholders who, being entitled to do so, attend and vote (whether in person or by proxy) at a general meeting, and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. Our board of directors is divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being appointed 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 entitled 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.
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Because our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association authorize 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 initial business combination.
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. There is no requirement under the Companies Act for us to hold annual or 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 appoint 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, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or vote against, our initial business combination, upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein.
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 at a per share price equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein.
Founder Shares
The founder shares are designated as Class B ordinary shares and, except as described below, are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units, and holders of founder shares have the same shareholder rights as public shareholders, except that (i) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below, (ii) the founder shares are entitled to registration rights, (iii) our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to (A) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (B) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (a) to modify 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 have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or (b) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, (C) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within such time period and to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account and (D) vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after the Company’s initial public offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination (except that any public shares such parties may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction), (iv) the founder shares are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination or earlier at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, and (v) 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 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).
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The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination or earlier at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or any other equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in our initial public offering and related to or in connection with the closing of the initial business combination, the ratio at which Class B ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such 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, approximately 20% of the sum of (i) the total number of all Class A ordinary shares outstanding upon the completion of our initial public offering (including any Class A ordinary shares issued pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option), plus (ii) all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, in connection with the closing of the initial business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private warrants issued to our sponsor or any of its affiliates or to our officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans) minus (iii) any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by public shareholders in connection with an initial business combination; provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.
With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or saleable (except to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the earlier of (A) 180 days after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.
Preference Shares
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association authorize 5,000,000 preference shares and provide that preference shares may be issued from time to time in one or more series or classes. Our board of directors is authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series or class. 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, preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing management, restricting dividends in respect of the ordinary shares, diluting the voting power of the ordinary shares or providing that holders of preference shares have the right to vote on matters as a class or impairing the liquidation rights of the ordinary shares. 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.
Warrants
Public Warrants
Each whole warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, provided that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement) and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of Class A ordinary shares. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at a given time by a warrant holder. 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 warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
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We will not be obligated to deliver any Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue a Class A ordinary share upon exercise of a warrant unless the Class A ordinary share issuable upon such warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant will have no value and expire worthless. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the Class A ordinary share underlying such unit.
We have agreed that, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days, after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a new registration statement covering the registration under the Securities Act of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and thereafter will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days following our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the sixty-first (61st) business day after the closing of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement.
Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00. Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants:
| ● | in whole and not in part; | |
| ● | at a price of $0.01 per warrant; upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”); and | |
| ● | if, and only if, the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “— Redemption Procedures — Anti-dilution Adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period commencing once the warrants become exercisable and ending three business days before we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
We will not redeem the warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A Ordinary Shares is available throughout the measurement period. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of Ordinary Shares upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrant holder will be entitled to exercise his, her or its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date.
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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 4.9% or 9.8% (as specified by the holder) 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 capitalization payable in Class A ordinary shares, or by a sub-division of ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share capitalization, sub-division or similar event, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding ordinary shares. A rights offering made to all or substantially all holders of ordinary shares entitling holders to purchase Class A ordinary shares at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a share capitalization of a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the product of (i) the number of Class A ordinary shares actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares) and (ii) the quotient of (x) the price per Class A ordinary share paid in such rights offering and (y) the fair market value. For these purposes (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares, in determining the price payable for Class A ordinary shares, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) fair market value means the volume weighted average price of Class A ordinary shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to 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 all or substantially all the holders of Class A ordinary shares on account of such Class A ordinary shares (or other securities into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) certain ordinary cash dividends, (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a proposed initial business combination, or (d) in connection with the redemption of our public shares upon our failure to complete our initial business combination, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each Class A ordinary share in respect of such event.
If the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share sub-division or reclassification of Class A ordinary 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 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.
In addition, if (x) we issue additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per Class A ordinary share, (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds (including from such issuances and the Company’s initial public offering), and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the Market Value of our Class A ordinary shares is below $9.20 per share, then the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger prices described above under “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Warrants — Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
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In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Class A 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 corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which we are dissolved, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of the Class A ordinary shares immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of Class A ordinary 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 their warrants immediately prior to such event (the “Alternative Issuance”). 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 securities in the successor entity that are listed for trading on a national securities exchange or quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or are to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly exercises the warrant within thirty days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the warrant agreement based on the Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined in the warrant agreement) of the warrant. The purpose of such exercise price reduction is to provide additional value to holders of the warrants when an extraordinary transaction occurs during the exercise period of the warrants pursuant to which the holders of the warrants otherwise do not receive the full potential value of the warrants.
The warrants are 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 for the purpose of (i) curing any ambiguity or to correct any defective provision or mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the warrants and the warrant agreement set forth in the prospectus of the Company’s initial public offering, (ii) adjusting the provisions relating to cash dividends on ordinary shares as contemplated by and in accordance with the warrant agreement, (iii) adding or changing any provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the warrant agreement as the parties to the warrant agreement may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem to not adversely affect the rights of the registered holders of the warrants or (iv) to provide for the delivery of the Alternative Issuance. All other modifications or amendments require the vote or written consent the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants, except that amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least 50% of the private warrants and working capital warrants (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the forfeiture or cancellation of any private warrants or working capital warrants) solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private warrants or working capital warrants (including the vote or written consent of the representative of the underwriters in our initial public offering with respect to the private warrants).
The warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of ordinary shares and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive Class A ordinary shares. After the issuance of Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.
We have agreed that, subject to applicable law, any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York located in the County of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction will be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. This provision applies to claims under the Securities Act but does not apply to claims under the Exchange Act or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum.
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Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our initial business combination. A Cayman Islands company may pay a dividend on its shares out of either profit, retained earnings and/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. Subject to applicable law, the payment of cash dividends following completion of our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time and will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition at such time. There is no certainty we will be in a position to, or decide to, pay cash dividends after completing any business combination. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, our ability to declare dividends following completion of our initial business combination may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
Our Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent for our Class A 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 or intentional misconduct of the indemnified person or entity. Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company has agreed that it has no right of set-off or any right, title, interest or claim of any kind to, or to any monies in, the trust account, and has irrevocably waived any right, title, interest or claim of any kind to, or to any monies in, the trust account that it may have now or in the future. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied, or a claim will only be able to be pursued, solely against us and our assets outside the trust account and not against the any monies in the trust account or interest earned thereon.
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) so as to form a single surviving company.
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 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. The directors of each company are required to provide a declaration of the assets and liabilities of the company made up to the latest practicable date before the making of the declaration, and are further required to make a declaration to the effect that: (i) the 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 company; (ii) no petition or other similar proceeding has been filed and remains outstanding and that no order has been made or resolution adopted to wind up the company in any jurisdiction; (iii) no receiver, trustee, administrator or other similar person has been appointed in any jurisdiction and is acting in respect of the company, its affairs or its property or any part thereof; (iv) no scheme, order, compromise or other similar arrangement has been entered into or made in any jurisdiction whereby the rights of creditors of the company are and continue to be suspended or restricted; (v) in the case of constituent company that is not a surviving company, the constituent company has retired from any fiduciary office held or will do so immediately prior to the merger or consolidation; and (vi) where relevant, the company has complied with any applicable requirements under Cayman Islands regulatory laws. 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 Cayman Islands’ Registrar of Companies will register the plan of merger or consolidation.
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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.
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.
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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 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.
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Shareholders’ Suits. 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.
The courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal 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 no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands 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 and for a liquidated sum, 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 (awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.
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; |
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“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 contain certain requirements and restrictions that apply to us until the completion of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without a special resolution under Cayman Islands law. As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a special resolution is a resolution that has been approved by either (i) the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (or any higher threshold specified in a company’s articles of association) of a company’s shareholders as, being entitled to do so, attend and vote (whether in person or 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. 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 the holders representing at least 90% of the issued Class B ordinary shares. 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 company’s shareholders as, being entitled to do so, attend and vote (whether in person or by proxy) at a general meeting for which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolutions has been given (i.e., the lowest threshold permissible under Cayman Islands law), or by a unanimous written resolution of all of our shareholders.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides, among other things, that:
| ● | If we have not completed our initial business combination within the completion window, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes 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 as a class with public shares on any 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; | |
| ● | Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. | |
| ● | If our shareholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association not for the purposes of approving, or in conjunction with the consummation of, an initial business combination (i) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within the completion window or (ii) with respect to any other material 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; | |
| ● | We will not effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations; and | |
| ● | Only holders of our Class B ordinary shares have the right to vote on appointing or removing directors or continuing our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (as further described herein), prior to the consummation of our initial business combination. |
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Exhibit 19
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
INSIDER TRADING POLICY
| A. | Background/Purpose |
Under federal and state securities laws, it is illegal to purchase or sell securities of X3 Acquisition Corp. Ltd. (the “Company”) while in possession of material, non-public information related to, affecting or regarding the Company or its subsidiaries (such information, “Inside Information”), or to disclose Inside Information to others who then trade in the securities of the Company. Insider trading violations are pursued vigorously by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and other governmental agencies and can result in severe penalties. While the regulatory authorities usually concentrate their efforts on the individuals who trade, or who tip Inside Information to others who trade, the federal securities laws also impose potential liability on companies and other “controlling persons” if they fail to take reasonable steps to prevent insider trading by company personnel.
The Company has adopted this Policy on Inside Information and Insider Trading (this “Policy”) both to satisfy the Company’s obligation to prevent insider trading and to help the Company’s personnel and its external advisors avoid violating insider trading laws.
| B. | Applicability of Policy |
| 1. | Covered Persons. This Policy applies to the following people (collectively, “Covered Persons”): |
| ● | all officers of the Company; | |
| ● | all members of the Board of Directors of the Company (“Directors”); | |
| ● | all employees of the Company; and | |
| ● | any family members of the foregoing persons. For the purposes of this Policy, the term “family member” means a spouse, parent, stepparent, child, stepchild, sibling, mother and father-in law, son and daughter-in-law, brother and sister-in-law, and anyone (other than a domestic employee or tenant) who shares any of the foregoing persons’ home. |
The failure of any person subject to this Policy to observe and strictly adhere to the policies and procedures set forth herein at all times will be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. To ensure that Company confidences are protected to the maximum extent possible, no individuals other than specifically authorized personnel may release material information to the public, or respond to inquiries from the media, analysts or others outside the Company.
All consultants and outside advisors assisting the Company on sensitive matters are expected to abide by the Policy, although the Company assumes no responsibility with respect to the actions of persons who are not under its direct control. However, the failure of consultants and outside advisers to observe the policies and procedures set forth herein will be grounds for termination of the consultant’s or outside adviser’s relationship with the Company.
| 2. | Covered Transactions. |
This Policy applies to all transactions in the Company’s securities, including ordinary shares (including any securities that are exercisable for, or convertible or exchangeable into, ordinary shares) and any other securities the Company may issue from time to time whether or not pursuant to any benefit plan adopted by the Company.
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For purposes of this Policy, the Company considers transactions between Covered Persons and the Company with respect to grants under its equity incentive plan (or, to the extent applicable, granted outside such plan) to be exempt from this Policy. Such transactions include, without limitation, the following:
| ● | the exercise of options for cash; | |
| ● | the exercise of options on a “net exercise” basis pursuant to which an optionee either (i) delivers outstanding ordinary shares to the Company, or (ii) authorizes the Company to withhold from issuance ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the option, in either case, having a fair market value on the date of exercise equal to the aggregate exercise price; or | |
| ● | the forfeiture to the Company of restricted ordinary shares or share units to cover withholding tax obligations. |
Thus, restrictions contained in this Policy would apply to the sale of the Company’s securities in the open market to pay the exercise price of an option and to the “cashless exercise” effected through a broker or “same day sale” of an option. In addition, any sale of the underlying securities acquired upon the exercise of an option is subject to the Policy. This Policy does not apply to the granting of options or other equity awards.
In addition to the other restrictions set forth in this Policy, the following transactions are strictly prohibited at all times:
| ● | trading in call or put options involving the Company’s securities and other derivative securities; | |
| ● | engaging in short sales of the Company’s securities (i.e., the sale of a security that the seller does not own); | |
| ● | engaging in hedging or monetization transactions with respect to the Company’s securities, such as prepaid variable forwards, equity swaps, collars and exchange funds; and | |
| ● | holding the Company’s securities in a margin account. |
If you are unsure whether or not a particular transaction is prohibited under this Policy, you should consult with the Chief Financial Officer, prior to engaging in, or entering into, an agreement, understanding or arrangement to engage in, such transaction.
| C. | General Policy |
No Covered Person who is in possession of Inside Information may, either directly or indirectly (including, without limitation, through a family member, friend or entity in which you or any of your family members is a director, officer or controlling equity holder or beneficiary), (i) purchase or sell the Company’s securities, (ii) engage in any other action to take advantage of Inside Information, or (iii) provide Inside Information to any other person outside of the Company, including family and friends.
In addition, Covered Persons may not purchase or sell any securities of any other company, such as a lender, possible acquisition target or competitor of the Company, when in possession of material non-public information concerning any such other company obtained in the course of his or her employment with, or service to, the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
| D. | Specific Policies |
| 1. | Black-out Periods. |
All Directors and executive officers of the Company and its subsidiaries, as well as all employees of the Company that provide financial or accounting services to the Company and any other persons as may be designated from time to time by the Chief Financial Officer, as well as any family members or other persons that reside in the same household as those persons (all of the foregoing being “Restricted Persons”) are subject to additional restrictions on their ability to engage in purchase or sale transactions involving the Company’s securities. Restricted Persons are more likely to have access to Inside Information regarding the Company because of their positions or affiliations with the Company and, as a result, their trades in the Company’s securities are more likely to be subject to greater scrutiny. Accordingly, Restricted Persons are prohibited from trading in the Company’s securities during the period beginning on the 15th day of the last month of each fiscal quarter and ending two (2) trading days following public disclosure of the financial results for that quarter or the full year, as the case may be. Furthermore, a Restricted Person who is in possession of any material nonpublic information should not trade in the Company’s securities until the information has been made publicly available or is no longer material.
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In addition, from time to time, the Company may impose special black-out periods on Restricted Persons and other employees of the Company if, in the judgment of the Chief Financial Officer, it is likely that such person or persons have become aware of significant corporate developments that have not yet been disclosed to the public, even when trading otherwise may be permitted. In the event that certain Restricted Persons or other employees of the Company become subject to a special black-out period, such persons are prohibited from (i) trading in the Company’s securities, and (ii) disclosing to others the fact they are subject to such special black-out period. These special black-out periods may vary in length and may or may not be broadly communicated to Covered Persons. This restriction does not apply to transactions made under a pre-planned trading program adopted to purchase or sell securities in the future which pre-planned trading program (an “approved Rule 10b5-1 trading plan”) (i) is in compliance with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and (ii) has been pre-cleared in advance, in writing, by the Chief Financial Officer (or, if the person implementing such program is the Chief Financial Officer, by the Chief Executive Officer). The Company would re-open trading at the beginning of the 3rd trading day following the date of public disclosure of such significant corporate developments.
| 2. | “Tipping” of Information. |
Covered Persons may not disclose, convey or “tip” Inside Information to any person by providing them with Inside Information other than to disclose on a “need to know” basis to officers and employees of the Company or outside advisors in the course of performing their duties for the Company. When sharing Inside Information with other officers and employees of the Company or outside advisors, or other persons involved in the business and affairs of the Company, such information should be confined to as small a group as possible. Unlawful tipping includes passing on Inside Information to friends, family members or acquaintances under circumstances that suggest that persons subject to this Policy were trying to help the recipients of such information to make a profit or avoid a loss by trading in the Company’s securities based on such information.
| 3. | Pre-clearance. |
A Restricted Person must obtain prior clearance from the Chief Financial Officer (or, if the Restricted Person is the Chief Financial Officer, from the Chief Executive Officer) before such Restricted Person makes any purchases or sales of the Company’s securities, regardless of whether or not a black-out period is then in effect. In evaluating each proposed transaction, the Chief Financial Officer (or, if the Restricted Person is the Chief Financial Officer, from the Chief Executive Officer) will consult as necessary with senior management and outside counsel before clearing any proposed trade. Clearance of a transaction is valid for no more than the five (5) business day period immediately following receipt by the Restricted Person of such clearance. If clearance is denied, the fact of such denial must be kept confidential by the person requesting such clearance. Restricted Persons do not need to receive pre-clearance for trades pursuant to an approved Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
| E. | Compliance |
All Covered Persons must promptly report any trading in the Company’s securities by any Covered Person, or any disclosure of Inside Information or material non-public information concerning other companies by such Covered Person, that such person has reason to believe may violate this Policy or federal or state securities laws.
Persons in possession of Inside Information when their employment or service terminates may not trade in the Company’s securities until that information has become public or is no longer material.
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| F. | Additional Information |
| 1. | What is Inside Information? |
“Inside Information” is material information about the Company that is not available to the public. Information generally becomes available to the public when it has been disclosed by the Company or third parties in a press release or other authorized public statement, including any filing with the SEC. In general, information is considered to have been made available to the public on the 2nd trading day after the formal release of the information. In other words, there is a presumption that the public needs approximately one complete trading day to receive and absorb such information.
| 2. | What is Material Information? |
As a general rule, information about the Company is “material” if it could reasonably be expected to affect someone’s decision to buy, hold or sell the Company’s securities. In particular, information is considered to be material if its disclosure to the public would be reasonably likely to affect (i) an investor’s decision to buy or sell the securities of the company to which the information relates, or (ii) the market price of that company’s securities. While it is not possible to identify in advance all information that will be deemed to be material, some examples of such information would include the following:
| ● | significant changes in financial results and/or financial condition and financial projections; | |
| ● | major new contracts or leases, or the possible loss of business; | |
| ● | changes in dividend policy, the declaration of a share sub-division or share capitalization or an offering of additional securities; | |
| ● | share redemption or repurchase programs; | |
| ● | changes in management or control; | |
| ● | change in auditors or notification that the auditor’s reports may no longer be relied upon; | |
| ● | significant mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, dispositions of assets or joint ventures; | |
| ● | significant litigation, investigations or regulatory developments; | |
| ● | significant increases or decreases in the amount of outstanding securities or indebtedness; | |
| ● | write-ups or write downs of assets or changes in accounting methods; | |
| ● | actual or projected changes in industry circumstances or competitive conditions that could significantly affect the Company’s revenues, earnings, financial position or future prospects; and | |
| ● | transactions with Directors, officers or principal security holders. |
It can sometimes be difficult to know whether information would be considered “material.” The determination of whether information is material is almost always clearer after the fact, when the effect of that information on the market can be quantified. Although you may have information about the Company that you do not consider to be material, federal regulators and others may conclude (with the benefit of hindsight) that such information was material. Therefore, trading in the Company’s securities when you possess non-public information about the Company can be risky. When doubt exists, the information should be presumed to be material. If you are unsure whether you are in possession of material non-public information, you should consult with the Chief Financial Officer, prior to engaging in, or entering into an agreement, understanding or arrangement to engage in, a purchase or sale transaction of any of the Company’s securities.
| 3. | What is the Penalty for Insider Trading? |
Trading on Inside Information is a crime. The consequences of insider trading and tipping are severe and may, in some cases, be applied to the Company as well as to the individual who illegally trades or tips. Possible consequences include criminal prosecution with the potential for prison terms and additional fines if convicted, civil penalties, termination of employment and personal embarrassment resulting from adverse publicity.
If you have any questions with regard to this Policy, you should consult with the Chief Financial Officer
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Exhibit 21
List of Subsidiaries
None.
Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION
OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-14(A) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Andrew J. Redleaf, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of X3 Acquisition Corp. Ltd.; |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
| 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have: |
| a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under my supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; and | |
| b) | [Paragraph omitted pursuant to SEC Release Nos. 33-8238/34-47986 and 33-8392/334-49313]; and | |
| c) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report my conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and | |
| d) | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
| 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
| a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and | |
| b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
Date: March 25, 2026
| /s/ Andrew J. Redleaf | |
| Andrew J. Redleaf | |
| Chief
Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION
OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-14(A) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Kenneth J. Weiller, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of X3 Acquisition Corp. Ltd.; |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
| 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have: |
| a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under my supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; and | |
| b) | [Paragraph omitted pursuant to SEC Release Nos. 33-8238/34-47986 and 33-8392/334-49313]; and | |
| c) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report my conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and | |
| d) | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
| 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
| a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and | |
| b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
Date: March 25, 2026
| /s/ Kenneth J. Weiller | |
| Kenneth J. Weiller | |
| Chief
Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION
PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Annual Report of X3 Acquisition Corp. Ltd. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Report”), each of the undersigned, in the capacities and on the dates indicated below, hereby certifies pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
| 1. | The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and |
| 2. | The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operation of the Company. |
Date: March 25, 2026
| /s/Andrew J. Redleaf | |
| Andrew J. Redleaf | |
| Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 32.2
CERTIFICATION
PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Annual Report of X3 Acquisition Corp. Ltd. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Report”), each of the undersigned, in the capacities and on the dates indicated below, hereby certifies pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
| 1. | The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and |
| 2. | The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operation of the Company. |
Date: March 25, 2026
| /s/ Kenneth J. Weiller | |
| Kenneth J. Weiller | |
| Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
Exhibit 97.1
X3 ACQUISITION CORP. LTD.
CLAWBACK POLICY
Introduction
The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of X3 Acquisition Corp. Ltd. (the “Company”) believes that it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to create and maintain a culture that emphasizes integrity and accountability and that reinforces the Company’s pay-for-performance compensation philosophy. The Board has therefore adopted this policy which provides for the recoupment of certain executive compensation in the event of an accounting restatement resulting from material noncompliance with financial reporting requirements under the federal securities laws (the “Policy”). This Policy is designed to comply with Section 10D of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
Administration
This Policy shall be administered by the Board or, if so designated by the Board, the Compensation Committee, in which case references herein to the Board shall be deemed references to the Compensation Committee. Any determinations made by the Board shall be final and binding on all affected individuals.
Covered Executives
This Policy applies to the Company’s current and former executive officers, as determined by the Board in accordance with Section 10D of the Exchange Act and the listing standards of the national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed, and such other senior executives/employees who may from time to time be deemed subject to the Policy by the Board (“Covered Executives”).
Recoupment; Accounting Restatement
In the event the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement of its financial statements due to the Company’s material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws, the Board will require reimbursement or forfeiture of any excess Incentive Compensation received by any Covered Executive during the three completed fiscal years immediately preceding the date on which the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement.
Incentive Compensation
For purposes of this Policy, Incentive Compensation means any of the following; provided that such compensation is granted, earned, or vested based wholly or in part on the attainment of a financial reporting measure:
| ● | Annual cash bonuses and other short- and long-term cash incentives | |
| ● | Stock options | |
| ● | Stock appreciation rights | |
| ● | Restricted stock | |
| ● | Restricted stock units | |
| ● | Performance shares | |
| ● | Performance units |
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Financial reporting measures are measures that are determined and presented in accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing the Company’s financial statements, and any measures that are derived wholly or in part from such measures, including:
| ● | Company stock price | |
| ● | Total shareholder return | |
| ● | Revenues | |
| ● | Net income | |
| ● | Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) | |
| ● | Earnings per share | |
| ● | “Non-GAAP financial measures” for purposes of Exchange Act Regulation G and 17CFR 229.10 |
Excess Incentive Compensation: Amount Subject to Recovery
The amount to be recovered will be the excess of the Incentive Compensation paid to the Covered Executive based on the erroneous data over the Incentive Compensation that would have been paid to the Covered Executive had it been based on the restated results, as determined by the Board.
If the Board cannot determine the amount of excess Incentive Compensation received by the Covered Executive directly from the information in the accounting restatement, then it will make its determination based on a reasonable estimate of the effect of the accounting restatement.
Method of Recoupment
The Board will determine, in its sole discretion, the method for recouping Incentive Compensation hereunder which may include, without limitation:
| ● | requiring reimbursement of cash Incentive Compensation previously paid; | |
| ● | seeking recovery of any gain realized on the vesting, exercise, settlement, sale, transfer, or other disposition of any equity-based awards; | |
| ● | offsetting the recouped amount from any compensation otherwise owed by the Company to the Covered Executive; | |
| ● | cancelling outstanding vested or unvested equity awards; and | |
| ● | taking any other remedial and recovery action permitted by law, as determined by the Board. |
No Indemnification
The Company shall not indemnify any Covered Executives against the loss of any incorrectly awarded Incentive Compensation.
Interpretation
The Board is authorized to interpret and construe this Policy and to make all determinations necessary, appropriate, or advisable for the administration of this Policy. It is intended that this Policy be interpreted in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act and any applicable rules or standards adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed.
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Effective Date
This Policy shall be effective as of the date it is adopted by the Board (the “Effective Date”) and shall apply to Incentive Compensation that is approved, awarded or granted to Covered Executives on or after January 20, 2026. This Policy shall apply to any excess Incentive Compensation received by Covered Executives during the three immediately completed fiscal years preceding the date on which a company is required to prepare an accounting restatement.
Amendment; Termination
The Board may amend this Policy from time to time in its discretion and shall amend this Policy as it deems necessary to reflect final regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 10D of the Exchange Act and to comply with any rules or standards adopted by any national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed. The Board may terminate this Policy at any time.
Other Recoupment Rights
The Board intends that this Policy will be applied to the fullest extent of the law. The Board may require that any employment agreement, equity award agreement, or similar agreement entered into on or after the Effective Date shall, as a condition to the grant of any benefit thereunder, require a Covered Executive to agree to abide by the terms of this Policy. Any right of recoupment under this Policy is in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other remedies or rights of recoupment that may be available to the Company pursuant to the terms of any similar policy in any employment agreement, equity award agreement, or similar agreement and any other legal remedies available to the Company.
Impracticability
The Board shall recover any excess Incentive Compensation in accordance with this Policy unless such recovery would be impracticable, as determined by the Board in accordance with Rule 10D-1 of the Exchange Act and the listing standards of any national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed.
Successors
This Policy shall be binding and enforceable against all Covered Executives and their beneficiaries, heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives.
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