425 1 tm234471d1_425.htm 425

 

Filed by Aurora Acquisition Corp.

Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933 and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12 and

Rule 14d-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Subject Company: Aurora Acquisition Corp.

(Commission File No. 001-40143)

Date: January 25, 2023

 

Better Launches One Day Mortgage(™) to Revolutionize Home Buying Experience for Americans

 

First-of-its-kind offering allows customers to go from application to full mortgage Commitment Letter within 24 hours vs. typical industry process of 30+ days

 

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Better, the first fintech lender to achieve $100 bln in funded loans, today unveiled the launch of One Day Mortgage(™), a breakthrough innovation in the real estate industry. For the first time ever, Better customers will be able to go online, get pre-approved, lock their rate and get a mortgage Commitment Letter from Better, all within 24 hours.

 

Better quietly launched the One Day Mortgage program in beta in the second week of January to a small segment of its customers. The company has already seen strong interest in the offering due to its ability to provide prospective home buyers with a significantly higher degree of certainty and peace of mind, on top of Better’s industry leading low rates. Better has already processed over $50 MM in One Day Mortgage commitments, with customers receiving a Commitment Letter in an average of 12 hours.

 

In today’s rising interest rate environment, speed removes the headache of extended wait times for mortgage approvals, and saves customers money in the process. “This has been so fast,” said Kirk Tallman, a Better customer. “I don’t do these often, but wow, the process has been wonderful! You guys are great and so easy to deal with!”

 

“We spent the first seven years bringing the mortgage industry into the digital era, and executing over $100 bln of fully digital online mortgages. Better’s offerings serve to kickstart the slow, opaque, and costly homeownership process. With One Day Mortgage, Better is revolutionizing the mortgage industry once again by empowering its customers, making it not only cheaper, but also faster and easier to own a home, all in one day,” said Vishal Garg, Founder & CEO of Better.

 

Buying a home is the biggest purchase most Americans will ever make, and as a result the experience can create high levels of stress and anxiety. With One Day Mortgage, customers can receive a mortgage Commitment Letter to fund their home loan with only a few clicks in a matter of hours, removing the uncertainty around one of the most stressful parts of the home buying process.

 

“For my entire career, a one day mortgage has served as the holy grail for consumer finance companies to achieve and scale. With this launch, Better has developed its breakthrough offering. This milestone will add immense value to the consumer, create a significant strategic moat for Better, and be a near impossible act for competitors to follow,” said Harit Talwar, Chairman of Better.

 

"It is hard to overestimate the importance of One Day Mortgage to Better, its customers, and the real estate ecosystem as a whole," said Prabhu Narasimhan, Partner at Novator Capital, which is a major Better shareholder. Mr. Narasimhan is set to join the company’s Board of Directors. “One Day Mortgage unlocks it all. It takes away the weeks of uncertainty that permeate the entire real estate transaction. If we can execute mortgage commitments in one day and closings in three days, we can complete entire transactions in less than one week to make the entire process better.”

 

One Day Mortgages are available in all 50 states, for customers who are salaried employees and who are making a downpayment of at least 3% on a conforming Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgage. One Day Mortgages are fully underwritten to the investor criteria set forth by Better’s investors, including all applicable criteria for conforming mortgages from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. To apply, please visit https://better.com/b/one-day-mortgage

 

 

 

 

Terms apply. One Day Mortgage lets qualified customers receive a conditional underwriting decision within 24 hours of rate lock, which does not guarantee final underwriting approval. Better Mortgage Corp. NMLS #330511

 

About Better

 

Better is America’s #1 online, commission-free home finance, insurance and realty company. In just six years since launch, Better has leveraged its commission-free service offering and Tinman™, its industry-leading technology platform, to fund more than $100 billion in home financing. In addition to being the first fintech to reach this milestone, Better has completed over $4.6 billion in real estate transaction volume through its realtor service Better Real Estate and agent network, as well as over $38 billion in coverage written through its insurance arm, Better Cover and Settlement Services. Better has earned countless awards for its work in making homeownership more affordable and accessible to all Americans. Better was ranked #1 on LinkedIn’s Top Startups List for 2021 and 2020, #1 on Fortune’s Best Small and Medium Workplaces in New York, #15 on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 2020 list, and was listed on Forbes FinTech 50 for 2020. For more information, follow @betterdotcom.

 

Contacts

 

For more information, please contact:

Nneka Etoniru

better@bevelpr.com

  

Important Information for Investors and Shareholders

 

This communication relates to a proposed transaction (the “Business Combination”) between Aurora Acquisition Corp. (“Aurora”) and Better Holdco, Inc. (“Better”). This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange, any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Aurora has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), a registration statement on Form S-4, which includes a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus in connection with the proposed transaction. A definitive proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to all Aurora shareholders. Aurora also will file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. Before making any voting decision, investors and security holders of Aurora are urged to read the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction as they become available because they will contain important information about the proposed transaction. Neither the SEC nor any securities commission or any other U.S. or non-U.S. jurisdiction has approved or disapproved of the Business Combination or information included herein.

 

Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by Aurora through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. The documents filed by Aurora with the SEC also may be obtained free of charge at Aurora’s website at https://aurora-acquisition.com/ or upon written request to Aurora Acquisition Corp., 20 North Audley Street, London W1K 6LX, United Kingdom, Attention: Arnaud Massenet, Chief Executive Officer, +44 (0)20 3931 9785. 

 

Participants in the Solicitation

 

Aurora and its directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from Aurora’s stockholders with respect to the Business Combination. A list of the names of those directors and executive officers and a description of their interests in Aurora is contained in Aurora’s registration statement on Form S-4, which was initially filed with the SEC on August 3, 2021, and is available free of charge at the SEC’s web site at sec.gov, or by directing a request to Aurora Acquisition Corp., 20 North Audley Street, London W1K 6LX, United Kingdom, Attention: Arnaud Massenet, Chief Executive Officer, +44 (0)20 3931 9785. Better and its directors and executive officers may also be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Aurora in connection with the Business combination. A list of the names of such directors and executive officers and information regarding their interests in the Business combination is contained in the registration statement.

 

 

 

 

Forwarding Looking Statements 

 

This communication only speaks at the date hereof and contains, and related discussions may contain, “forward- looking statements” within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws. These statements include descriptions regarding the intent, belief, estimates, assumptions or current expectations of Aurora, Better or their respective officers with respect to the consolidated results of operations and financial condition, future events and plans of Aurora and Better. These forward-looking statements may be identified by a reference to a future period or by the use of forward-looking terminology. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “expect”, “believe”, “foresee”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “estimate”, “goal”, “strategy”, “plan”, “target” and “project” or conditional verbs such as “will”, “may”, “should”, “could” or “would” or the negative of these terms, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based upon management’s current expectations, beliefs, estimates and projections, and various assumptions, many of which are inherently uncertain and beyond Aurora’s and Better’s control. Such expectations, beliefs, estimates and projections are expressed in good faith, and management believes there is a reasonable basis for them. However, there can be no assurance that management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates and projections will be achieved, and actual results may differ materially from what is expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by an investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Better is experiencing significant changes within the mortgage lending and servicing ecosystem which have magnified such uncertainties. In the past, actual results have differed from those suggested by forward-looking statements and this may happen again.

 

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, Better’s performance, capabilities, strategy, and outlook; our expectations regarding the sustainability of Better’s rapid growth and its ability to manage its growth effectively; the demand for Better’s solutions and products and services, including the size of Better’s addressable market, market share, and market trends; Better’s ability to operate under and maintain Better’s business model; Better’s ability to develop and protect its brand; our expectations regarding financial performance including Better’s operational and financial targets; our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and Better’s need for additional financing; the degree of business and financial risk associated with certain of Better’s loans; the high volatility in, or any inaccuracies in the estimates of, the value of Better’s assets; any changes in macro-economic conditions and in U.S. residential real estate market conditions, including changes in prevailing interest rates or monetary policies and the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; Better’s expectations regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Better’s business including on the volume of consumers refinancing existing loans, Better’s ability to produce loans, liquidity and employees; Better’s competitive position; Better’s ability to improve and expand its information technology and financial infrastructure, security and compliance requirements and operating and administrative systems; Better’s future investments in its technology and operations; Better’s intellectual property position, including its ability to maintain, protect and enhance Better’s intellectual property; the need to hire additional personnel and Better’s ability to attract and retain such personnel; Better’s ability to obtain additional capital and maintain cash flow or obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us; the effects of Better’s existing and future indebtedness on its liquidity and Better’s ability to operate our business; our expectations concerning relationships with third parties; Better’s plans to adopt the secured overnight financing rate (“SOFR”); the impact of laws and regulations and Better’s ability to comply with such laws and regulations including laws and regulations relating to fair lending, real estate brokerage matters, title and settlement services, consumer protection, advertising, tax, title insurance, loan production and servicing activities, data privacy, and anti-corruption; any changes in certain U.S. government-sponsored entities and government agencies, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae and the FHA; Aurora’s expectations regarding the period during which we will qualify as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act; the increased expenses associated with being a public company; and Better’s anticipated use of existing resources and the proceeds from the Business Combination.

 

There may be other risks not presently known to us or that we presently believe are not material that could also cause actual results to differ materially. Analysis and opinions contained in this communication may be based on assumptions that, if altered, can change the analysis or opinions expressed. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included in this communication, the inclusion of such forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the objectives and plans set forth in this report will be achieved, and you are cautioned not to place substantial weight or undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and, Aurora and Better each disclaims any obligation, except as required by law, to update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.  

 

 

 

 

No Offer or Solicitation

 

This communication shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the Business Combination. This communication shall also not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.