As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2022.
Registration Statement No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Cayman Islands* |
| 6770 |
| N/A |
(State or other jurisdiction of | (Primary Standard Industrial |
| (I.R.S. Employer |
2 Manhattanville Road
Suite 403
Purchase, NY 10577
Tel: (914) 603-5016
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)
Jonah Raskas
Co-Chief Executive Officer
2 Manhattanville Road
Suite 403
Purchase, NY 10577
Tel: (914) 603-5016
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Ari Edelman McDermott Will & Emery LLP One Vanderbilt Avenue New York, New York 10017 (212) 547-5400 |
| Adam J. Brenneman Charles W. Allen Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP One Liberty Plaza New York, New York 10006 (212) 225-2000 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale of the securities to the public:
As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective and on completion of the business combination described in the enclosed proxy statement/prospectus.
If the securities being registered on this Form are being offered in connection with the formation of a holding company and there is compliance with General Instruction G, check the following box. ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer | ☐ |
| Accelerated filer | ☐ | |
☒ | Smaller reporting company | ||||
Emerging growth company |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.
If applicable, place an X in the box to designate the appropriate rule provision relied upon in conducting this transaction:
Exchange Act Rule 13e-4(i) (Cross-Border Issuer Tender Offer) ☐
Exchange Act Rule 14d-1(d) (Cross-Border Third-Party Tender Offer) ☐
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, or until this Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
* | Prior to the consummation of the business combination described in the proxy statement/prospectus, CHW Acquisition Corporation, a Cayman Islands exempted company (“CHW”), intends to effect a deregistration under the Cayman Islands Companies Act (As Revised) and a domestication under Section 388 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, pursuant to which CHW’s jurisdiction of incorporation will be changed from the Cayman Islands to the State of Delaware (the “Domestication”). All securities being registered will be issued by the continuing entity following the Domestication, which will be renamed Wag! Group Co. in connection with the Business Combination, as further described in the proxy statement/prospectus. As used in this proxy statement/prospectus, the term “registrant” refers to CHW Acquisition Corporation (a Cayman Islands exempted company), prior to the Domestication, and to Wag! Group Co. (a Delaware corporation), following the Domestication. |
The information in this preliminary proxy statement/prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be issued until the registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. The preliminary proxy statement/prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and does not constitute the solicitation of offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PRELIMINARY — SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MARCH 10, 2022
PROXY STATEMENT FOR EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS OF
CHW ACQUISITION CORPORATION,
AND
PROSPECTUS FOR
69,627,500 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK AND
16,738,636 WARRANTS TO PURCHASE SHARES OF COMMON STOCK OF
CHW ACQUISITION CORPORATION (AFTER ITS DOMESTICATION AS A CORPORATION
INCORPORATED IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE AND RENAMING
AS WAG! GROUP CO. IN CONNECTION WITH THE DOMESTICATION)
The board of directors of CHW Acquisition Corporation, a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company,” “CHW,” “we,” “us” or “our”), has approved (i) the domestication of CHW as a Delaware corporation (the “Domestication”) and (ii) the Business Combination Agreement, dated as of February 2, 2022, by and among CHW, Wag Labs, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Wag!”) (as may be amended from time to time, the “BCA” or the “Business Combination Agreement”), a copy of which is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex A. Wag! is a leading provider of access to pet care services. In connection with the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement (the “Business Combination”), the Company will be renamed “Wag! Group Co.” (referred to herein as “New Wag!”).
As part of these transactions, CHW has formed a wholly owned subsidiary, CHW Merger Sub, Inc. (“Merger Sub”), which at the closing of the Business Combination (the “Closing”) will merge with and into Wag! (the “Acquisition Merger”), with Wag! being the surviving entity in the Acquisition Merger. Upon the completion of the Business Combination and as a result of the Business Combination, Wag! will become a directly wholly owned subsidiary of New Wag!, and New Wag! will be owned in part by former public shareholders of CHW and the Sponsor, and in part by continuing equity owners of Wag!.
As described in this proxy statement/prospectus, CHW’s shareholders are being asked to consider and vote upon (among other things) the Business Combination, the Domestication and the other proposals set forth herein.
This proxy statement/prospectus covers 69,627,500 shares of common stock, which includes (i) shares issuable as consideration for the ownership interests in Wag! in connection with the Acquisition Merger (including shares of common stock that may be issued upon the exchange of common stock of Wag! that will be issued in the Business Combination), (ii) shares issuable as earnout consideration in the Business Combination (subject to vesting and forfeiture events under the terms of the documents governing the Business Combination), and (iii) 16,738,636 warrants to purchase shares of common stock.
CHW’s units, public shares and public warrants are currently listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbols “CHWAU”, “CHWA” and “CHWAW”, respectively. CHW intends to apply for listing, to be effective at the time of the Business Combination, of New Wag!’s common stock and warrants to purchase common stock on Nasdaq under the proposed symbols “PET” and “PETW”, respectively.
This proxy statement/prospectus provides you with detailed information about the Business Combination and other matters to be considered at the Special Meeting. We urge you to carefully read this entire document and the documents incorporated herein by reference. You should also carefully consider the risk factors described in “Risk Factors” beginning on page 50 of this proxy statement/prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the transactions described in this proxy statement/prospectus, passed upon the fairness of the BCA or the transactions contemplated thereby, or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this proxy statement/prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
This proxy statement/prospectus is dated , 2022, and is first being mailed to CHW’s shareholders on or about , 2022.
CHW ACQUISITION CORPORATION
2 Manhattanville Road, Suite 403
Purchase, NY 10577
NOTICE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
TO BE HELD ON , 2022
TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF CHW ACQUISITION CORPORATION:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an extraordinary general meeting (the “Special Meeting”) of CHW Acquisition Corporation, a Cayman Islands exempted company (“CHW,” “we,” “us” or “our”), will be held at a.m., Eastern Time, on, 2022, at the offices of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, located at One Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, New York 10017, or such other date, time, and place to which such meeting may be adjourned. In the interest of public health, and due to the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are also planning for the meeting to be held virtually pursuant to the procedures described in the accompanying proxy statement/prospectus, but the physical location of the meeting will remain at the location specified above for the purposes of Cayman Islands law and our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (the “Existing Organizational Documents”).
You are cordially invited to attend the Special Meeting, which will be held for the following purposes:
Proposal No. 1 — The Domestication Proposal — to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve by special resolution under Cayman Islands law, the change of CHW’s jurisdiction of incorporation from the Cayman Islands to the State of Delaware by deregistering as an exempted company in the Cayman Islands and continuing and domesticating as a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Domestication” and such proposal, the “Domestication Proposal”);
Proposal No. 2 — The Business Combination Proposal — to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve by ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, assuming the Domestication Proposal is approved and adopted, the adoption of the Business Combination Agreement, dated as of February 2, 2022, as amended from time to time, by and among CHW, CHW Merger Sub Inc. (“Merger Sub”) and Wag Labs, Inc. (“Wag!”) (the “Business Combination Agreement”), pursuant to which at least one business day, but no more than two business days, following the closing of the Domestication (the “Acquisition Closing Date”), Merger Sub will merge with and into Wag! (the “Acquisition Merger” and, together with the Domestication, the “Merger Steps” and, together with all other transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, the “Business Combination”), with Wag! surviving the Acquisition Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of New Wag!, the post-Domestication company (“New Wag!”) (such proposal, the “Business Combination Proposal”).
Proposal No. 3 — The Organizational Documents Proposal — to approve by special resolution under Cayman Islands law, assuming the Domestication Proposal and the Business Combination Proposal are approved and adopted, the amendment and restatement of the Memorandum and Articles of Association by their deletion and replacement in their entirety with the proposed new certificate of incorporation (the “Proposed Charter”) and bylaws (the “Proposed Bylaws,” and, together with the Proposed Charter, the “Proposed Organizational Documents”) of New Wag!, which, if approved, would take effect at the time of the Domestication (we refer to this proposal as the “Organizational Documents Proposal”);
Proposal No. 4 — The Advisory Charter Proposals — to approve, as ordinary resolutions, on a non-binding advisory basis, certain governance provisions in the Proposed Charter, which are being presented separately in accordance with United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) guidance to give shareholders the opportunity to present their separate views on important corporate governance provisions, as four sub-proposals (which proposals we refer to, collectively, as the “Advisory Charter Proposals”);
Advisory Charter Proposal 4A — to authorize capital stock of 111,000,000 shares, consisting of 110,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“common stock”) and (ii) 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock;
Advisory Charter Proposal 4B — to provide that (i) any amendment to the Proposed Bylaws will require the approval of either the New Wag!’s board of directors or the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (662/3%) of the voting power of New Wag!’s then-outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote generally in an election of directors, voting together as a single class; and (ii) any amendment to certain provisions of the Proposed Charter will require the approval of the holders of at least
sixty-six and two-thirds percent (662/3%) of the voting power of New Wag!’s then-outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote generally in an election of directors, voting together as a single class.
Advisory Charter Proposal 4C — to provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction thereof, another state or federal court located within the State of Delaware, shall be the exclusive forum for certain actions and claims;
Advisory Charter Proposal 4D — to eliminate various provisions in the Existing Organizational Documents applicable only to blank check companies, including the provisions requiring that CHW have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 immediately prior to, or upon consummation of, a business combination;
Proposal No. 5 — The Nasdaq Proposal — to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve by ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, assuming the Domestication Proposal, the Business Combination Proposal and the Organizational Documents Proposal are approved and adopted, for the purposes of complying with the applicable listing rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”), (a) the issuance of shares of common stock in connection with the Acquisition Merger, and (b) the issuance of shares of common stock pursuant to the PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement (as defined below), copies of which are attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex G (we refer to this proposal as the “Nasdaq Proposal”);
Proposal No. 6 — The Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal — to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve by ordinary resolution, assuming the Nasdaq Proposal is approved and adopted, the Wag! Group Co. 2022 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Omnibus Incentive Plan”), a copy of which is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex E (we refer to this proposal as the “Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal”);
Proposal No. 7 — The ESPP Proposal — to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve by ordinary resolution, assuming the Nasdaq Proposal is approved and adopted, the Wag! Group Co. 2022 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”), a copy of which is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex F (we refer to this proposal as the “ESPP Proposal” and, collectively with the Domestication Proposal, the Business Combination Proposal, the Organizational Documents Proposal, the Nasdaq Proposal and the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal, the “Condition Precedent Proposals”); and
Proposal No. 8 — The Adjournment Proposal — to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve by ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law the adjournment of the Special Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary, to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies if, based upon the tabulated vote at the time of the Special Meeting, any of the Condition Precedent Proposals would not be duly approved and adopted by our shareholders or we determine that one or more of the closing conditions under the Business Combination Agreement is not satisfied or waived (we refer to this proposal as the “Adjournment Proposal”).
Only holders of record of CHW’s ordinary shares at the close of business on , 2022 are entitled to notice of and to vote and have their votes counted at the Special Meeting and any adjournment of the Special Meeting.
The resolutions to be voted upon in person or by proxy at the Special Meeting relating to the above proposals are set forth in the proxy/statement prospectus sections entitled “Proposal No. 1 — The Domestication Proposal”, “Proposal No. 2 — The Business Combination Proposal”, “Proposal No. 3 — The Organizational Documents Proposal”, “Proposal No. 4 — The Advisory Charter Proposals”, “Proposal No. 5 — The Nasdaq Proposal”, “Proposal No. 6 — The Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal”, “Proposal No. 7 — The ESPP Proposal” and “Proposal No. 8 — The Adjournment Proposal”, respectively.
We will provide you with the proxy statement/prospectus and a proxy card in connection with the solicitation of proxies to be voted at the Special Meeting and at any adjournment of the Special Meeting.
Whether or not you plan to attend the Special Meeting, we urge you to read when available the proxy statement/prospectus (and any documents incorporated into the proxy statement/prospectus by reference) carefully. Please pay particular attention to the section entitled “Risk Factors.”
After careful consideration, CHW’s board of directors has determined that each of the proposals set forth above is in the best interests of CHW and its shareholders and recommends that you vote or give instruction to vote “FOR” each of those proposals.
The existence of financial and personal interests of CHW’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of one or more of the directors between what he or they may believe is in the best interests of CHW and its shareholders and what he or they may believe is best for himself or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. See the section entitled “The Business Combination Proposal — Interests of CHW Directors and Officers in the Business Combination” in the proxy statement/prospectus for a further discussion.
Under the Business Combination Agreement, the approval of each of the Condition Precedent Proposals is a condition to the consummation of the Business Combination. The adoption of each Condition Precedent Proposal is conditioned on the approval of all of the Condition Precedent Proposals. The Advisory Charter Proposals and the Adjournment Proposal are not conditioned on the approval of any other proposal. If our shareholders do not approve each of the Condition Precedent Proposals, the Business Combination may not be consummated.
In connection with CHW’s initial public offering of units (“the IPO”), on August 30, 2021, Sponsor and our officers and directors entered into a letter agreement (the “IPO Letter Agreement”) pursuant to which they agreed, among other things, to vote their ordinary shares purchased prior to the IPO (“founder shares”), as well as any ordinary shares sold in the IPO (“public shares”) purchased by them during or after the IPO, if any, in favor of CHW’s initial business combination. Accordingly, we expect them to vote their shares in favor of all proposals being presented at the Special Meeting.
In connection with the execution of the Business Combination Agreement, the Sponsor, Mark Grundman and Jonah Raskas (the “CHW Founder Shareholders”) entered into the CHW Founders Stock Letter with CHW and Wag!, which we refer to as the “CHW Founders Stock Letter,” pursuant to which, among other things, effective upon the Closing, Sponsor, from the date of the Business Combination Agreement until the earlier of Closing or the termination of the Business Combination Agreement in accordance with its terms, will refrain from taking (and not cause CHW to take) any action the effect of which would be to cause CHW to breach its non-solicitation obligations set forth in the Business Combination Agreement. In addition, the Sponsor agreed, among other things, (i) from the date of the Business Combination Agreement until the earlier of the Closing or the termination of the Business Combination Agreement in accordance with its terms, to not redeem any ordinary shares (or, if applicable, shares of New Wag! common stock) held by them and (ii) prior to the consummation of Business Combination or the termination of the Business Combination Agreement, to vote or cause to be voted, all of the CHW shares beneficially owned by the Sponsor, at every meeting of the shareholders of CHW at which such matters are considered and at every adjournment or postponement thereof: (1) in favor of (A) the Business Combination and the Business Combination Agreement and the other transactions contemplated thereby (including any proposals recommended by CHW’s Board of Directors in connection with the Business Combination) and (B) any proposal to adjourn or postpone such meeting of shareholders to a later date if there are not sufficient votes to approve the Business Combination; (2) against any action, proposal, transaction or agreement that could reasonably be expected to result in a breach of any covenant, representation or warranty or any other obligation or agreement of CHW under the Business Combination Agreement; and (3) against (A) any proposal or offer from any person concerning (I) a merger, consolidation, liquidation, recapitalization, share exchange or other business combination transaction involving CHW, or (II) the issuance or acquisition of shares of capital stock or other CHW equity securities (other than as contemplated or permitted by the Business Combination Agreement); and (B) any action, proposal, transaction or agreement that would reasonably be expected to (x) impede the fulfillment of CHW’s conditions under the Business Combination Agreement or change in any manner the voting rights of any class of CHW’s shares or (y) result in a breach of any covenant, representation or warranty or other obligation or agreement of the CHW Founder Shareholders contained in the CHW Founders Stock Letter.
Pursuant to CHW’s Existing Organizational Documents, a holder of public shares (“public shareholder”) may request that CHW redeem all or a portion of its public shares (which would be cancelled and converted into common stock of New Wag! by virtue of the Domestication) for cash if the Business Combination is consummated. For the purposes of Article 48.5 of the Existing Organizational Documents and the Cayman Islands Companies Act (As Revised), the exercise of redemption rights shall be treated as an election to have such public shares repurchased for cash and references in the proxy statement/prospectus relating to the Business Combination shall be interpreted accordingly. You will be entitled to receive cash for any public shares to be redeemed only if you:
● | hold (a) public shares or (b) units and you elect to separate your units into the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising your redemption rights with respect to the public shares; and |
● | prior to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on , 2022, (a) submit a written request to VStock Transfer LLC, CHW’s transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”), that CHW redeem your public shares for cash and (b) deliver your public shares to the transfer agent, physically or electronically through Depository Trust Company (“DTC”). |
Holders of units must elect to separate the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising redemption rights with respect to the public shares. If holders hold their units in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, holders must notify their broker or bank that they elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and public warrants, or if a holder holds units registered in its own name, the holder must contact the transfer agent, directly and instruct it to do so.
Public shareholders may elect to redeem all or a portion of their public shares even if they vote for the Business Combination Proposal.
If the Business Combination is not consummated, the public shares will not be redeemed for cash. If a public shareholder properly exercises its right to redeem its public shares and timely delivers its shares to the transfer agent, we will redeem each public share for a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account established in connection with our initial public offering (the “Trust Account”), calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, including interest (less taxes paid or payable, if any, and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares. For illustrative purposes, as of , 2022, this would have amounted to approximately $ per public share. If a public shareholder exercises its redemption rights, then it will be exchanging its redeemed public shares for cash and will no longer own such shares. See “The Extraordinary General Meeting — Redemption Rights” in the proxy statement/prospectus for a detailed description of the procedures to be followed if you wish to redeem your public shares for cash.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such public shareholder or any other person with whom such public shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”)), will be restricted from redeeming its public shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the public shares. Accordingly, if a public shareholder, alone or acting in concert or as a group, seeks to redeem more than 15% of the public shares, then any such shares in excess of that 15% limit would not be redeemed for cash.
The Closing is subject to certain customary conditions, including, among other things: (i) the approval of the Business Combination and other matters by CHW’s shareholders; (ii) the expiration or termination of any applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and receipt of certain additional regulatory approvals; (iii) the Available Cash Amount equaling no less than $30 million at the Closing (such condition, the “Minimum Cash Condition”); (iv) (x) fundamental representations and warranties (which includes Organization, Due Authorization, Holding Company; Ownership and Brokers’ Fees) bring down conditions to an “all material respects” standard, (y) general representations and warranties bring down conditions to a “material adverse effect” standard and (z) capitalization representation bring down condition to a “de minimis” standard; (v) covenant bring down conditions to an “all material respects” standard; (vi) the absence of a material adverse effect on the respective parties; and (vii) the effectiveness of this registration statement and the listing of New Wag! common stock to be issued in the Business Combination on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”). To the extent permitted by law, the conditions in the Business Combination Agreement may be waived by the parties thereto.
In connection with entering into the Business Combination Agreement, CHW entered into a subscription agreement (the “PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement”), dated as of February 2, 2022, with a qualified institutional buyer (the “PIPE and Backstop Investor”), pursuant to which, among other things, the PIPE and Backstop Investor agreed to purchase an aggregate of 500,000 shares of common stock following the Domestication and immediately prior to the Closing at a cash purchase price of $10.00 per share, resulting in aggregate proceeds of $5 million; provided, however, if the PIPE and Backstop Investor acquires shares of common stock of CHW in the open market between the date of the Agreements and the close of business on the third trading day prior to the special meeting of CHW’s shareholders called in connection with the Business Combination and agrees not to redeem those shares, then the required purchase amount shall be reduced on a share-for-share basis by the number of common stock of CHW so acquired in the open market (the “PIPE and Backstop Investment”). The PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement contains customary representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of CHW and the PIPE and Backstop Investor and are subject to customary closing conditions which include (i) the absence of any amendment or modification to the Business Combination Agreement that is material and adverse to the PIPE and Backstop Investor; and (ii) the right to terminate the PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement if the transactions contemplated in the Business Combination Agreement have not been consummated by November 6, 2022, other than as a result of breach by the terminating party.
In connection with entering into the Business Combination Agreement, on February 2, 2022, CHW entered into a definitive commitment letter (the “Commitment Letter”) with Blue Torch Capital LP (together with its affiliated funds and any other parties providing a commitment thereunder, including any additional lenders, agents, arrangers or other parties joined thereto after the date thereof, collectively, the “Debt Financing Sources”), pursuant to which, among other things, the Debt Financing Sources agreed to
fund a $30 million senior secured term loan credit facility (the “Credit Facility”). The closing and funding of the Credit Facility will occur in connection with the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to funding set forth in the Commitment Letter. Upon closing, New Wag! will be the primary borrower under the Credit Facility, New Wag! will be a parent guarantor and substantially all of Wag!’s existing and future subsidiaries will be subsidiary guarantors (subject to certain customary exceptions). The Credit Facility will be secured by a first priority security interest in substantially all assets of New Wag! and the guarantors (subject to certain customary exceptions).
Interest will be payable in arrears at the end of each LIBOR interest period (or other appropriate published rate, but at least every three (3) months) for LIBOR borrowings and quarterly in arrears for base rate borrowings. The Credit Facility will mature three (3) years after the date of closing and will be subject to quarterly amortization payments of principal, in an aggregate amount equal to 2.00% of the principal amount of the Credit Facility in the first year after closing, 3.00% of the principal amount of the Credit Facility in the second year after closing, and 5.00% of the principal amount of the Credit Facility in the third year after closing. Upon closing of the Credit Facility, Blue Torch Capital LP (the “Initial Lender”) shall receive warrants to acquire shares of New Wag! representing 5.0% of the issued and outstanding shares of New Wag! with an exercise price equal to $11.50 per share (such warrants, the “Lender Warrants”).
The Credit Facility will contain customary representations and warranties, affirmative covenants, financial reporting requirements, negative covenants and events of default. The negative covenants included in the definitive documentation for the Credit Facility will impose restrictions on the ability of Wag, the guarantors and their subsidiaries to incur indebtedness, grant liens, make investments, make acquisitions, declare and pay restricted payments, prepay junior or subordinated debt, sell assets and enter into transactions with affiliates, in each case, subject to certain customary exceptions. In addition, the Credit Facility will require compliance with certain financial covenants, specifically a monthly minimum revenue covenant and a minimum liquidity covenant.
All CHW shareholders are cordially invited to attend the Special Meeting. To ensure your representation at the Special Meeting, however, you are urged to complete, sign, date and return the proxy card accompanying the proxy statement/prospectus as soon as possible. If you are a shareholder of record holding ordinary shares, you may also cast your vote in person at the Special Meeting. If your shares are held in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, you must instruct your broker or bank on how to vote your shares or, if you wish to attend the Special Meeting and vote in person, obtain a proxy from your broker or bank. If you do not vote or do not instruct your broker or bank how to vote, your failure to vote will have no effect on the vote count for the proposals to be voted on at the Special Meeting.
Your vote is important regardless of the number of shares you own. Whether you plan to attend the Special Meeting or not, please sign, date and return the proxy card accompanying the proxy statement/prospectus as soon as possible in the envelope provided. If your shares are held in “street name” or are in a margin or similar account, you should contact your broker to ensure that votes related to the shares you beneficially own are properly voted.
If you have any questions or need assistance voting your ordinary shares, please contact Advantage Proxy, Inc., our proxy solicitor, by calling (800) 662-5200, or banks and brokers can call collect at (203) 658-9400).
Thank you for your participation. We look forward to your continued support.
, 2022 | By Order of the Board of Directors, |
Jonah Raskas | |
Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director |
IF YOU RETURN YOUR PROXY CARD WITHOUT AN INDICATION OF HOW YOU WISH TO VOTE, YOUR SHARES WILL BE VOTED IN FAVOR OF EACH OF THE PROPOSALS. TO EXERCISE YOUR REDEMPTION RIGHTS, YOU MUST (I) IF YOU HOLD ORDINARY SHARES THROUGH UNITS, ELECT TO SEPARATE YOUR UNITS INTO THE UNDERLYING ORDINARY SHARES AND PUBLIC WARRANTS PRIOR TO EXERCISING YOUR REDEMPTION RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO THE PUBLIC SHARES, (II) SUBMIT A WRITTEN REQUEST TO THE TRANSFER AGENT, THAT YOUR PUBLIC SHARES BE REDEEMED FOR CASH, AND (III) DELIVER YOUR ORDINARY SHARES TO THE TRANSFER AGENT, PHYSICALLY OR ELECTRONICALLY USING THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY’S DWAC (DEPOSIT WITHDRAWAL AT CUSTODIAN) SYSTEM, IN EACH CASE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCEDURES AND DEADLINES DESCRIBED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS. IF THE BUSINESS COMBINATION IS NOT CONSUMMATED, THEN THE PUBLIC SHARES WILL NOT BE REDEEMED FOR CASH. IF YOU HOLD THE SHARES IN STREET NAME, YOU WILL NEED TO INSTRUCT THE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE AT YOUR BANK OR BROKER TO WITHDRAW THE SHARES FROM YOUR ACCOUNT IN ORDER TO EXERCISE YOUR REDEMPTION RIGHTS. SEE “THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING — REDEMPTION RIGHTS” IN THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS FOR MORE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS.
This notice was mailed by CHW on or about , 2022.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | |
---|---|
1 | |
1 | |
1 | |
2 | |
7 | |
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMBINATION AND THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING | 9 |
23 | |
43 | |
44 | |
SUMMARY UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL INFORMATION | 45 |
COMPARATIVE HISTORICAL AND UNAUDITED PRO FORMA PER SHARE FINANCIAL INFORMATION | 47 |
49 | |
50 | |
114 | |
115 | |
152 | |
158 | |
163 | |
165 | |
167 | |
171 | |
173 | |
180 | |
185 | |
186 | |
UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL INFORMATION | 200 |
213 | |
225 | |
CHW’S MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS | 240 |
WAG!’S MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS | 244 |
258 | |
259 | |
267 | |
271 | |
276 | |
282 | |
291 | |
292 | |
292 | |
293 | |
293 | |
294 | |
294 | |
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | F-1 |
i
Page | |
---|---|
A-1 | |
ANNEX B — PROPOSED CHARTER OF WAG! GROUP CO. | B-1 |
ANNEX C — PROPOSED BYLAWS OF WAG! GROUP CO. | C-1 |
ANNEX D — AMENDED AND RESTATED REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT | D-1 |
ANNEX E — THE OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN | E-1 |
ANNEX F — THE EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN | F-1 |
G-1 | |
H-1 | |
I-1 | |
J-1 | |
K-1 | |
L-1 |
ii
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
If you have questions about the Business Combination or the Special Meeting, or if you need to obtain copies of the enclosed proxy statement/prospectus, proxy card or other documents incorporated by reference in the proxy statement/prospectus, you may contact CHW’s proxy solicitor listed below. You will not be charged for any of the documents you request.
Advantage Proxy, Inc.
P.O. Box 13581
Des Moines, WA 98198
Toll Free Telephone: (877) 870-8565
Main Telephone: (206) 870-8565
E-mail: ksmith@advantageproxy.com
In order for you to receive timely delivery of the documents in advance of the Special Meeting to be held on , 2022, you must request the information no later than business days prior to the date of the Special Meeting, by , 2022.
For a more detailed description of the information incorporated by reference in the enclosed proxy statement/prospectus and how you may obtain it, see the section captioned “Where You Can Find More Information” of the enclosed proxy statement/prospectus.
TRADEMARKS
This proxy statement/prospectus contains references to trademarks and service marks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this proxy statement/prospectus may appear without the ® or ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that the applicable owner or licensor will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, its rights to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
MARKET AND INDUSTRY DATA
This proxy statement/prospectus includes industry position and industry data and forecasts that CHW and Wag! obtained or derived from internal company reports, independent third-party publications and other industry data. Some data are also based on good faith estimates, which are derived from internal company analyses or review of internal company reports as well as the independent sources referred to above.
Although both CHW and Wag! believe that the information on which the companies have based these estimates of industry position and industry data are generally reliable, the accuracy and completeness of this information is not guaranteed and they have not independently verified any of the data from third-party sources nor have they ascertained the underlying economic assumptions relied upon therein. Statements as to industry position are based on market data currently available. While CHW and Wag! are not aware of any misstatements regarding the industry data presented herein, these estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in this proxy statement/prospectus.
1
SELECTED DEFINITIONS
When used in this proxy statement/prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires:
● | “Adjournment Proposal” refers to the Shareholder Proposal to be considered at the Special Meeting to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary, to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for the approval of the Domestication Proposal, the Business Combination Proposal, the Organizational Documents Proposal, the Nasdaq Proposal, the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal or the ESPP Proposal. |
● | “Adjusted EBITDA”, a non-GAAP measure, means net losses before the impact of interest income or expense, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization, and further adjusted for the following items: stock-based compensation, transaction-related costs, and certain other non-cash and non-core items. |
● | “Advisory Charter Proposals” means the four sub-proposals to take effect upon the Closing Date if the Organizational Documents Proposal is approved. |
● | “Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association” refers to CHW’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, effective as of August 30, 2021, attached to the proxy statement/prospectus which forms a part of this registration statement as Annex H, as the same may be amended, modified, supplemented or waived from time to time in accordance with its terms. |
● | “Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement” refers to the Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, to be entered into by and among Wag! Group Co., the Sponsor, certain shareholders of CHW and certain stockholders of Wag!, substantially in the form attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex D, as the same may be amended, modified, supplemented or waived from time to time in accordance with its terms. |
● | “Attach Rate” is calculated as the percentage of Pet Parents who have completed two or more services through the Wag! platform (walking, sitting & boarding, drop-ins visits, training, or health). |
● | “Available Cash Amount” means all the cash proceeds from the Trust Account established for the purpose of holding the net proceeds of CHW’s IPO, net of any amounts paid to CHW’s shareholders that exercise their redemption rights in connection with the Business Combination and after the payment of all transaction expenses, together with the proceeds from the PIPE and Backstop Investment and Debt Financing and any cash on hand of Wag! and CHW at the Closing. |
● | “BCA” or “Business Combination Agreement” refers to the Business Combination Agreement, dated as of February 2, 2022, by and among CHW, Wag! and Merger Sub, substantially in the form attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex A as the same may be further amended, modified, supplemented or waived from time to time in accordance with its terms. |
● | “Board” refers to CHW’s board of directors or New Wag!’s board of directors, as the context suggests. |
● | “Business Combination” refers to the transactions contemplated by the BCA. |
● | “Cayman Islands Companies Act” refers to the Cayman Islands Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands. |
● | “CHW” refers to CHW Acquisition Corporation, a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company. |
● | “CHW Founders Stock Letter” refers to the letter agreement dated as of February 2, 2022, between the Sponsor, Jonah Raskas and Mark Grundman, on one hand, and CHW and Wag!, on the other hand. |
● | “CHW ordinary share” refers to the ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 each in the capital of CHW. |
2
● | “Closing” refers to the closing of the Business Combination. |
● | “Cohort” is a group of Pet Parents from a given period. |
● | “common stock” refers to the common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of New Wag!, including any shares of such common stock issuable upon the exercise of any warrant or other right to acquire shares of such common stock. |
● | “Company,” “our,” “we” or “us” refers, prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, to CHW or Wag!, as the context suggests, and, following the Business Combination, to New Wag!. |
● | “Community Guidelines” are standards of conduct that are expected of the Wag! community while interacting with other community members, which can be found on our website at https://safety.wagwalking.com/community-guidelines. |
● | “DGCL” refers to the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended. |
● | “dollars” or “$” refers to U.S. dollars. |
● | “Domestication” refers to the continuation of CHW by way of domestication of CHW into a Delaware corporation, with the ordinary shares of CHW becoming shares of common stock of the Delaware corporation under the applicable provisions of the Cayman Islands Companies Act and the DGCL; the term includes all matters and necessary or ancillary changes in order to effect such Domestication, including the adoption of the Proposed Charter (substantially in the form attached hereto as Annex B, as the same may be amended, modified, supplemented or waived from time to time in accordance with its terms) consistent with the DGCL and changing the name and registered office of CHW. |
● | “Domestication Closing” refers to the closing of the Domestication. |
● | “Domestication Closing Date” refers to the date on which the Domestication Closing occurs. |
● | “Domestication Proposal” refers to the Shareholder Proposal to be considered at the Special Meeting to approve the Domestication. |
● | “Earnout Shares” means shares of New Wag! common stock that may be issuable in the event of a Triggering Event during the Earnout Period to holders of common stock of Wag! as of the Acquisition Closing (including shares of preferred stock of Wag! converted into common stock as a result of the Conversion), holders of a Wag! option as of the Acquisition Closing, holders of a Wag! restricted stock unit award as of the Acquisition Closing, (collectively "Eligible Wag! Equityholders"), in each case pursuant to the earnout provisions of the Business Combination Agreement. |
● | “ESPP” refers to the Wag! Group Co.2022 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, substantially in the form attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex F, as the same may be amended, modified, supplemented or waived from time to time in accordance with its terms. |
● | “ESPP Proposal” means the proposal to be considered at the Special Meeting to approve and adopt the ESPP. |
● | “Frequency” is calculated as the number of services completed by a Pet Parent on the Wag! platform in a given month. |
● | “Forfeiture Shares” means an aggregate of 360,750 founder shares subject to forfeiture pursuant to the CHW Founders Stock Letter. |
● | “founder shares” refers to the ordinary shares of CHW, par value $0.0001 each in the capital of CHW, held by the Sponsor. |
3
● | “GAAP” refers to United States generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied. |
● | “Gross Bookings” are gross payment volume, including tips, processed through the Wag! platform and from other revenue streams. |
● | “IPO” refers to CHW’s initial public offering of its units, public shares and public warrants pursuant to the IPO registration statement, completed on September 1, 2021. |
● | “Management Earnout Shares” means shares of New Wag! common stock that may be issuable in the event of a Triggering Event during the Earnout Period to holders of Management RSUs as of the Acquisition Closing pursuant to the earnout provisions of the Business Combination Agreement. |
● | “MAU” is defined as the number of unique Pet Parents who complete a service in a given month. |
● | “Merger Sub” refers to CHW Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of CHW. |
● | “Minimum Cash Condition” refers to the condition in the BCA pursuant to which Available Cash Amount at the Closing shall not be less than $30 million. |
● | “Nasdaq” means the Nasdaq Capital Market. |
● | “Nasdaq Proposal” means the proposal to be considered at the Special Meeting to approve (i) the issuance of stock in connection with the Acquisition Merger and (ii) the issuance of common stock pursuant to the PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement, in order to comply with the rules of Nasdaq. |
● | “Net Promoter Score” or “NPS” is a numerical score that is the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors. Promoters are users that give a score of 9 or 10, and detractors are users that give a score of 6 or below. |
● | “New Wag!” refers to Wag! Group Co., a Delaware corporation and the combined company following the consummation of the Business Combination, and its consolidated subsidiaries. |
● | “New Wag! Community Shares” means 300,000 shares that New Wag! may distribute to members of the pet wellness and welfare community as identified by our officers and directors. |
● | “Omnibus Incentive Plan” refers to the Wag! Group Co.2022 Incentive Award Plan, substantially in the form attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex E, as the same may be amended, modified, supplemented or waived from time to time in accordance with its terms. |
● | “Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal” means the proposal to be considered at the Special Meeting to approve and adopt the Omnibus Incentive Plan. |
● | “Organic Customer Acquisition” is defined as the percentage of new Pet Parents who are not attributable to a paid marketing channel. |
● | “Organizational Documents Proposal” means the proposal to be considered at the Special Meeting to approve the amendment and restatement of the Memorandum and Articles by their deletion and replacement with the Proposed Charter and the Proposed Bylaws. |
● | “Pet Caregiver” is defined as a customer who has successfully completed a background check and leverages the Wag! platform to request opportunities to provide and to be paid for pet services. |
4
● | “Pet Parent” is defined as someone who uses the Wag! platform to schedule, book, and/or pay for services. |
● | “Pet Parent Cohort Behavior” is average usage statistics from a particular Pet Parent Cohort. |
● | “PIPE and Backstop Investment” means the private placement pursuant to which the PIPE and Backstop Investor has committed to make a private investment in the aggregate amount of $5,000,000 in public equity in the form of common stock following the Domestication and immediately prior to the Closing on the terms and conditions set forth in the PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement. |
● | “PIPE and Backstop Investor” refers to the investor that has signed the PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement. |
● | “PIPE and Backstop Securities” refers to the shares of common stock to be sold to the PIPE and Backstop Investor pursuant to the PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement. |
● | “PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement” refers to the subscription agreement, dated as of February 2, 2022, by and between CHW and the PIPE and Backstop Investor, pursuant to which CHW has agreed to issue an aggregate of up to 500,000 ordinary shares to the PIPE and Backstop Investor at a purchase price of $10.00 per share, substantially in the form attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex G, as the same may be amended, modified, supplemented or waived from time to time in accordance with its terms. |
● | “private placement warrants” refers to the warrants purchased by our Sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of the IPO (including ordinary shares issuable upon conversion thereof). |
● | “Proposed Bylaws” refers to the bylaws of New Wag! following the Closing, substantially in the form attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex C, as the same may be amended, modified, supplemented or waived from time to time in accordance with its terms. |
● | “Proposed Charter” refers to the charter of New Wag! following the Closing, substantially in the form attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex B, as the same may be amended, modified, supplemented or waived from time to time in accordance with its terms. |
● | “public shareholders” refers to the holders of the public shares or public warrants underlying the units that were sold in the IPO. |
● | “public shares” refers to the ordinary shares of CHW, par value $0.0001 each in the capital of CHW, underlying the units issued in the IPO. |
● | “public warrants” refers to the warrants underlying the units issued in the IPO, entitling the holder thereof to purchase one CHW ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50, subject to adjustment. |
● | “record date” refers to , 2022, the date for determining the CHW shareholders entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Special Meeting. |
● | “Rebooking Rate” is calculated as a percentage of a cohort who complete one or more services after their first initial booking. |
● | “Recurring Services” are calculated as a percentage of services on a daily basis which are on a set-and-forget repeat schedule, booked through the Wag! platform. |
● | “Redemption Rights” refer to the rights of the public shareholders to demand redemption of their public shares for cash in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association and this proxy statement/prospectus. |
5
● | “Revenue” is income generated via the Wag! platform and other revenue streams. |
● | “Reviews” are calculated as the Pet Parent rating of a service completed by a Pet Caregiver on the Wag! platform or are calculated as the Pet Parent rating of the Wag! platform generally, both on a scale of 1 to 5. |
● | “SEC” refers to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. |
● | “Securities Act” refers to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. |
● | “Service Fill Rate” is a percentage of Pet Parent service requests that are successfully connected with a Pet Caregiver. |
● | “Services” is calculated as the number of services completed through the Wag! platform in a given period. |
● | “Shareholder Proposals” refer, collectively, to (i) the Domestication Proposal, (ii) the Business Combination Proposal, (iii) the Organizational Documents Proposal, (iv) the Advisory Charter Proposals, (v) the Nasdaq Proposal, (vi) the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal, (vii) the ESPP Proposal and (viii) the Adjournment Proposal. |
● | “Special Meeting” refers to the extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders of CHW to be held on at a.m., Eastern Time, to vote on matters relating to the Business Combination. |
● | “Sponsor” refers to CHW Acquisition Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. |
● | “Stockholder Support Agreement” refers to the Stockholder Support Agreement, dated as of February 2, 2022, by and among CHW, Wag! and certain Wag! stockholders party thereto, pursuant to which certain Wag! stockholders have committed to, among other things, vote their shares in favor of the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement. |
● | “Take Rate” is calculated by dividing net revenue by Gross Bookings. |
● | “Transfer Agent” refers to VStock Transfer LLC. |
● | “Trust Account” refers to the trust account of CHW which holds the net proceeds from the IPO and certain of the proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants, together with interest earned thereon, less amounts withdrawn to pay taxes. |
● | “Wag! Premium” is an annual or monthly subscription that offers Pet Parents 10% off all services, including waived booking fees, free advice from licensed pet experts, priority access to top-rated Pet Caregivers, and VIP pet support. |
● | “Wag! Wellness” is a suite of pet wellness services and products, including advice from licensed pet experts, pet wellness plans, pet insurance comparison tools, and the #1 website for pet health, training, and breed resources. |
● | “Warrant Agent” refers to VStock Transfer LLC. |
● | “Warrants” refers, collectively, to the public warrants and the private placement warrants of CHW. |
6
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This proxy statement/prospectus contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of the respective management teams of CHW and Wag!. Although CHW and Wag! believe that their respective plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, neither CHW nor Wag! can assure you that either will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” or “continue” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions that concern CHW’s and Wag!’s expectations, strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements contained in this proxy statement/prospectus include statements about:
● | the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination; |
● | the ability of CHW and Wag! to complete the Business Combination, including satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Business Combination and the issuance of shares to eligible Pet Caregivers on our platform; |
● | the anticipated costs associated with the proposed Business Combination; |
● | Wag!’s financial and business performance following the Business Combination, including financial projections and business metrics; |
● | Wag!’s ability to effectively return to growth and to effectively expand operations; |
● | the potential business or economic disruptions caused by current and future pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; |
● | the ability to obtain and/or maintain the listing of Wag!’s common stock and the warrants on Nasdaq, and the potential liquidity and trading of its securities; |
● | the risk that the proposed Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of Wag! as a result of the announcement and consummation of the proposed Business Combination; |
● | the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, and retain its key employees; |
● | changes in applicable laws or regulations; |
● | Wag!’s ability to raise financing in the future; |
● | Wag!’s officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving the Business Combination; |
● | Wag!’s ability to retain existing and acquire new Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers; |
● | the strength of Wag!’s network, effectiveness of its technology, and quality of the offerings provided through its platform; |
● | the projected financial information, growth rate, strategies, and market opportunities for Wag!; |
● | Wag!’s ability to successfully expand in its existing markets and into new domestic and international markets; |
7
● | Wag!’s ability to provide Pet Parents with access to high quality and well-priced offerings; |
● | Wag!’s ability, assessment of and strategies to compete with its competitors; |
● | Wag!’s assessment of its trust and safety record; |
● | the success of Wag!’s marketing strategies; |
● | Wag!’s ability to accurately and effectively use data and engage in predictive analytics; |
● | Wag!’s ability to attract and retain talent and the effectiveness of its compensation strategies and leadership; |
● | general economic conditions and their impact on demand for the Wag! platform; |
● | Wag!’s plans and ability to build out an international platform and generate revenue internationally; |
● | Wag!’s ability to maintain its licenses and operate in regulated industries; |
● | Wag!’s ability to prevent and guard against cybersecurity attacks; |
● | Wag!’s reliance on third-party service providers for processing payments, web and mobile operating systems, software, background checks, and insurance policies; |
● | seasonal sales fluctuations; |
● | Wag!’s future capital requirements and sources and uses of cash; |
● | the outcome of any known and unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings, including the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances, including the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against CHW and Wag! that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement; |
● | Wag!’s ability to maintain and protect its brand and its intellectual property; and |
● | other factors detailed under the section entitled “Risk Factors.” |
The forward-looking statements contained in this proxy statement/prospectus are based on current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us and/or Wag!. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us and/or Wag! will be those that we and/or Wag! have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control or the control of Wag!), 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. Some of these risks and uncertainties may in the future be amplified by the potential business or economic disruptions caused by current and future pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and there may be additional risks that we consider immaterial or which are unknown. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. We and Wag! 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.
Before any shareholder grants its proxy or instructs how its vote should be cast or vote on the proposals to be put to the Special Meeting, such shareholder should be aware that the occurrence of the events described in the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus may adversely affect us.
8
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMBINATION
AND THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
The following are answers to certain questions that you may have regarding the Business Combination and the shareholder meeting. We urge you to read carefully the remainder of this proxy statement/prospectus because the information in this section may not provide all the information that might be important to you in determining how to vote. Additional important information is also contained in the annexes to this proxy statement//prospectus.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMBINATION
Q: | WHAT IS THE BUSINESS COMBINATION? |
A: | CHW and Wag! have entered into the Business Combination Agreement, pursuant to which, among other things, the Business Combination will be effected in two steps: |
(a) | on the Domestication Closing Date, CHW will change its jurisdiction of incorporation by deregistering as an exempted company in the Cayman Islands and continuing and domesticating as a corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware, upon which CHW will change its name to “Wag! Group Co.” |
(b) | on the Acquisition Closing Date, Merger Sub will merge with and into Wag!, with Wag! surviving the Acquisition Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of New Wag!. In connection with the Domestication, each then-outstanding CHW ordinary share, CHW warrant, and CHW unit will automatically convert into one share of New Wag! common stock, a New Wag! warrant, and one share of New Wag! common stock and one New Wag! warrant, respectively. |
CHW will hold the Special Meeting to, among other things, obtain the approvals required for the Business Combination and the other transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement. You are receiving this proxy statement/prospectus in connection with such meeting. See “The Business Combination Agreement” beginning on page 115. In addition, a copy of the Business Combination Agreement is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex A. We urge you to read carefully this proxy statement/prospectus and the Business Combination Agreement in their entirety.
Q: | WHY AM I RECEIVING THIS DOCUMENT? |
A: | CHW is sending this proxy statement /prospectus to its shareholders to help them decide how to vote their shares of CHW ordinary shares with respect to the matters to be considered at the Special Meeting. |
The Business Combination cannot be completed unless CHW’s shareholders approve the Domestication Proposal, the Business Combination Proposal, the Organizational Documents Proposal, Nasdaq Proposal, the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal and the ESPP Proposal set forth in this proxy statement/prospectus. Information about the Special Meeting, the Business Combination and the other business to be considered by shareholders at the Special Meeting is contained in this proxy statement/prospectus.
This document constitutes a proxy statement of CHW and a prospectus of New Wag!. It is a proxy statement because the board of directors of CHW is soliciting proxies using this proxy statement/prospectus from its shareholders. It is a prospectus because New Wag!, in connection with the Business Combination, is offering shares of common stock in exchange for CHW’s outstanding ordinary shares and as part of the consideration to be received as part of the Business Combination. See “The Business Combination Agreement — Consideration to be Received in the Business Combination”.
Q: | WHAT EQUITY STAKE WILL CHW’S CURRENT SHAREHOLDERS HOLD IN NEW WAG! FOLLOWING THE BUSINESS COMBINATION? |
A: | Following completion of the Business Combination, public shareholders (including Chardan Capital Markets, LLC (“Chardan”), the representative of the underwriters in CHW’s IPO) will own approximately 27.9% of the common equity of New Wag! (assuming that no CHW ordinary shares are elected to be redeemed by public shareholders and subject to the other assumptions set forth in “Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information”). Assuming maximum redemptions by public |
9
shareholders and subject to the other assumptions set forth in “Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information”, CHW’s non-redeeming public shareholders will own 2.2% of the common equity of New Wag! following the Business Combination.
Q: | WHAT EQUITY STAKE WILL CHW CURRENT SHAREHOLDERS, THE SPONSOR, THE PIPE AND BACKSTOP INVESTOR AND CONTINUING WAG! STOCKHOLDERS HOLD IN NEW WAG! IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CONSUMMATION OF THE BUSINESS COMBINATION? |
A: | It is anticipated that, upon completion of the Business Combination, the ownership of New Wag! will be as follows: |
● | CHW’s public shareholders (including Chardan and the anchor investors) are expected to hold 13,282,500 shares of New Wag! common stock, or approximately 27.9% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock; |
● | the PIPE and Backstop Investor is expected to hold 500,000 shares of New Wag! common stock, or approximately 1.1% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock; |
● | the Sponsor is expected to hold 2,405,000 shares of New Wag! common stock, or approximately 5.0% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock; |
● | 300,000 Community Shares are expected to be issued, or approximately 0.6% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock; and |
● | the continuing Wag! stockholders (including Pre-PIPE Investors) are expected to hold 31,100,000 shares of New Wag! common stock, or approximately 65.4% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock. |
The number of shares and the interests set forth above (a) assume that (i) no public shareholders elect to have their public shares redeemed, (ii) there are no other issuances of equity interests of CHW or Wag!, (iii) none of CHW’s initial shareholders or current Wag! stockholders purchase CHW ordinary shares in the open market, (iv) there are no exercises of Wag! options or Wag! warrants and (v) the PIPE and Backstop Investor does not purchase shares in the open market between the date of the PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement and the close of business on the third trading day prior to the special meeting of CHW’s shareholders called in connection with the Business Combination, and (b) do not take into account (i) New Wag! warrants that will remain outstanding following the Business Combination and may be exercised at a later date or (ii) the Earnout Shares or Management Earnout Shares. As a result of the Business Combination, the economic and voting interests of CHW’s shareholders will decrease. If we assume the maximum redemptions scenario described under the section entitled “Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information,” i.e., 12,500,000 public shares are redeemed, and the assumptions set forth in the foregoing clauses (a)(ii)–(v) and (b) remain true, the ownership of New Wag! upon the Acquisition Closing will be as follows:
● | CHW’s public shareholders (including Chardan and the anchor investors) are expected to hold 782,500 shares of New Wag! common stock, or approximately 2.2% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock; |
● | the PIPE and Backstop Investor is expected to hold 500,000 shares of New Wag! common stock, or approximately 1.4% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock; |
● | the Sponsor is expected to hold 2,391,673 shares of New Wag! common stock, or approximately 6.8% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock; |
● | 300,000 Community Shares are expected to be issued, or approximately 0.9% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock; and |
● | the continuing Wag! stockholders (including Pre-PIPE Investors) are expected to hold 31,100,000 shares of New Wag! common stock, or approximately 88.7% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock. |
10
The ownership percentages with respect to New Wag! set forth above do not take into account the shares of common stock that may be issued in connection with the previously issued RSU awards, the shares of common stock that may be issued in connection with the previously issued Wag! stock options and the shares of common stock to be issued as earnout consideration, CHW warrants that will remain outstanding immediately following the Business Combination. If the facts are different from these assumptions, the percentage ownership retained by CHW’s existing shareholders in New Wag! following the Business Combination will be different. For example, if we assume that all outstanding 12,500,000 public warrants and 4,238,636 private placement warrants were exercisable and exercised following completion of the Business Combination and further assume that no public shareholders elect to have their public shares redeemed (and each other assumption set forth in the preceding paragraph remains the same), then the ownership of New Wag! would be as follows:
● | CHW’s public shareholders (including Chardan and the anchor investors) are expected to hold 25,782,500 shares of New Wag! common stock, or approximately 40.1% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock; |
● | the PIPE and Backstop Investor is expected to hold 500,000 shares of New Wag! common stock, or approximately 0.8% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock; |
● | the Sponsor is expected to hold 6,643,636 shares of New Wag! common stock, or approximately 10.3% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock; |
● | 300,000 Community Shares are expected to be issued, or approximately 0.5% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock; and |
● | the continuing Wag! stockholders (including Pre-PIPE Investors) are expected to hold 31,100,000 shares of New Wag! common stock, or approximately 48.3% of the outstanding New Wag! common stock. |
The CHW warrants will become exercisable on the later of the one year following the completion of CHW’s IPO and 30 days following the completion of the Business Combination.
Refer to the pro forma post-combination company common stock issued and outstanding immediately after the Business Combination and PIPE and Backstop Investment in the section entitled “Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information”.
Q: | WHEN WILL THE BUSINESS COMBINATION BE COMPLETED? |
A: | The parties currently expect that the Business Combination will be completed by the third quarter of 2022. However, neither CHW nor Wag! can assure you of when or if the Business Combination will be completed, and it is possible that factors outside of the control of CHW and Wag! could result in the Business Combination being completed at a different time or not at all. The outside date for consummation of the Business Combination is August 8, 2022. CHW must first obtain the approval of CHW shareholders for each of the Condition Precedent Proposals, Wag! must obtain the approval of its stockholders, and CHW and Wag! must also obtain certain necessary regulatory approvals and satisfy other closing conditions. See “The Business Combination Agreement — Conditions to Closing of the Business Combination Agreement.” |
Q: | WHAT HAPPENS IF THE BUSINESS COMBINATION IS NOT COMPLETED? |
A: | If CHW does not complete the Business Combination with Wag! for any reason, CHW would need to search for another target business with which to complete a business combination. If CHW does not complete the Business Combination with Wag! or a business combination with another target business December 1, 2022, CHW must redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the amount then held in the Trust Account (less taxes paid or payable, if any, and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. The Sponsor has no redemption rights in the event a business combination is not effected in the required time period and, accordingly, its founder shares will be worthless. Additionally, in the event of such liquidation, there will be no distribution with respect to CHW’s outstanding warrants. Accordingly, such warrants will expire worthless. |
11
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT OUR EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
Q: | WHAT AM I BEING ASKED TO VOTE ON AND WHY IS THIS APPROVAL NECESSARY? |
A: | CHW shareholders are being asked to vote on the following Shareholder Proposals: |
1. | the Domestication Proposal; |
2. | the Business Combination Proposal; |
3. | the Organizational Documents Proposal; |
4. | the Advisory Charter Proposals; |
5. | the Nasdaq Proposal; |
6. | the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal; |
7. | the ESPP Proposal; and |
8. | the Adjournment Proposal. |
The Business Combination is conditioned upon the approval of the Domestication Proposal, the Business Combination Proposal, the Organizational Documents Proposal, the Nasdaq Proposal, the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal and the EPP Proposal, subject to the terms of the Business Combination Agreement. The Business Combination is not conditioned on the approval of the Advisory Charter Proposals or the Adjournment Proposal. If the Business Combination Proposal is not approved, the other proposals (except the Adjournment Proposal) will not be presented to the shareholders for a vote.
Q: | WHY IS CHW PROPOSING THE DOMESTICATION? |
A: | CHW’s board of directors believes that there are significant advantages to New Wag! that will arise as a result of a change of domicile to Delaware, including, (i) the prominence, predictability and flexibility of Delaware law, (ii) Delaware’s well-established principles of corporate governance and (iii) the increased ability for Delaware corporations to attract and retain qualified directors, each of the foregoing as discussed in greater detail in the section entitled “Proposal No. 1 — The Domestication Proposal — Reasons for the Domestication.” CHW’s board of directors believes that any direct benefit that Delaware law provides to a corporation also indirectly benefits shareholders, who are the owners of the corporation. Additionally, Wag! has required the Domestication as a condition to consummating the Business Combination. |
To effect the Domestication, CHW will file a notice of deregistration with the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies, together with the necessary accompanying documents, and file a certificate of incorporation and a certificate of corporate domestication with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, under which CHW will be domesticated and continue as a Delaware corporation, at which time CHW will change its name to “Wag! Group Co.”
The approval of the Domestication Proposal is a condition to the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement. The approval of the Domestication Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, vote at the Special Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes, while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as a vote cast at the Special Meeting.
Q: | HOW WILL THE DOMESTICATION AFFECT MY PUBLIC SHARES, PUBLIC WARRANTS AND UNITS? |
A: | On the effective date of the Domestication, (a) each outstanding ordinary share will automatically convert into one share of New Wag! common stock, (b) the outstanding warrants to purchase ordinary shares will automatically become exercisable, at the same per share exercise price and for the same number of shares of New Wag! common stock as in effect immediately prior to the Domestication. At a moment in time after the effectiveness of the Domestication and before the closing of the Business |
12
Combination, each outstanding unit of CHW (each of which consists of one share of CHW ordinary shares and one warrant to purchase one share of CHW ordinary shares) will be separated into its component common stock and warrant. Such warrants will become exercisable into shares of common stock any time after the later of the one year following the completion of CHW’s IPO and 30 days following the completion of the Business Combination.
Q: | WHAT ARE THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE DOMESTICATION? |
A: | As discussed more fully under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” below, it is the opinion of McDermott Will & Emery LLP that the Domestication should qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a)(l)(F) of the Code. However, due to the absence of direct guidance on the application of Section 368(a)(1)(F) to a statutory conversion of a corporation holding only investment-type assets such as CHW, this result is not entirely clear. Accordingly, due to the absence of direct guidance, it is not possible to predict whether the IRS or a court considering the issue would take a contrary position. If the Domestication fails to qualify as a reorganization under Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code, subject to the PFIC rules described in further detail below, a U.S. holder generally would recognize gain or loss with respect to its CHW ordinary shares in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between the fair market value of the corresponding shares of New Wag! common stock received in the Domestication and the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its CHW ordinary shares surrendered in exchange therefor. |
Assuming that the Domestication does qualify as a reorganization under Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code, and subject to the discussion of the “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) rules below, U.S. holders (as defined in “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders” below) of CHW ordinary shares generally will be subject to Section 367(b) of the Code and, as a result of the Domestication:
● | A U.S. holder of CHW ordinary shares that, on the date of the Domestication, (i) owns (directly, indirectly, and constructively) CHW ordinary shares that have a fair market value of less than $50,000 and (ii) owns (directly, indirectly, and constructively) less than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of CHW stock entitled to vote and less than 10% of the total value of all classes of CHW stock generally will not recognize any gain or loss and generally will not be required to include any part of CHW’s earnings in income. |
● | A U.S. holder of CHW ordinary shares that, on the date of the Domestication, owns (i) CHW ordinary shares have a fair market value of $50,000 or more, and (ii) owns (directly, indirectly, and constructively) less than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of CHW stock entitled to vote and less than 10% of the total value of all classes of CHW stock will generally recognize gain (but not loss) as a result of the Domestication. As an alternative to recognizing gain, such U.S. holder may file an election to include in income as a deemed dividend the “all earnings and profits amount” (as defined in the U.S. Treasury regulations (“Treasury Regulations”) under Section 367 of the Code) attributable to its CHW ordinary shares provided certain other requirements are satisfied. CHW does not expect that CHW’s cumulative earnings and profits will be material through the date of the Domestication. |
U.S. holders that on the date of the Domestication beneficially own (directly, indirectly, and constructively) 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of CHW stock entitled to vote or 10% or more of the total value of all classes of CHW stock are strongly urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the consequences of the Domestication under Section 367(b) of the Code.
In the case of a transaction, such as the Domestication, that should qualify as a “reorganization” under Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code, a U.S. holder of CHW ordinary shares and warrants may, in certain circumstances, still potentially recognize gain (but not loss) upon the exchange of its CHW ordinary shares or warrants for New Wag! common stock or warrants pursuant to the Domestication under the PFIC rules of the Code unless the U.S. holder makes a timely “qualified electing fund election” or a timely “mark-to-market election.” The gain would equal the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the New Wag! common stock or warrants received in the Domestication over the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the corresponding CHW ordinary shares or warrants surrendered in exchange therefor. The tax on any such gain so recognized would be imposed at the rate applicable to ordinary income and an interest charge would apply. For a more complete discussion of the potential application of the PFIC rules to U.S. holders as a result of the Domestication, see “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders —PFIC Considerations.”
13
Additionally, the Domestication may cause non-U.S. holders (as defined in “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — Non-U.S. Holders” below) to become subject to U.S. federal income withholding taxes on any dividends in respect of such non-U.S. holder’s New Wag! common stock (or warrants) subsequent to the Domestication.
The tax consequences of the Domestication are complex and will depend on a holder’s particular circumstances. All holders are strongly urged to consult their tax advisor for a full description and understanding of the tax consequences of the Domestication, including the applicability and effect of U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax laws. For a more complete discussion of the U.S. federal income tax considerations of the Domestication, see “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
Q: | WHY IS CHW PROPOSING THE BUSINESS COMBINATION? |
A: | CHW was incorporated to effect a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (each, a “business combination”). |
On September 1, 2021, CHW completed its IPO, generating gross proceeds of $125,000,000 (including the partial exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option). Since CHW’s IPO, CHW’s activity has been limited to the evaluation of business combination candidates. Wag! is a leading provider of access to pet care services. Wag! connects Pet Parents with Pet Caregivers to provide dog walking, home visits, training, boarding, access to a licensed pet expert, and access to routine wellness plans.
The board of directors of CHW and the board of directors of Wag! have approved the proposed transaction.
Based on its due diligence investigation of Wag! and the industry in which it operates, including the financial and other information provided by Wag! in the course of its negotiations in connection with the Business Combination Agreement, CHW believes that the Business Combination with Wag! will provide CHW shareholders with an opportunity to participate in the ownership of a company with significant growth potential.
Q: | DID THE CHW BOARD OBTAIN A THIRD-PARTY VALUATION OR FAIRNESS OPINION IN DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO PROCEED WITH THE BUSINESS COMBINATION? |
A: | CHW’s board of directors did not obtain a third-party valuation or fairness opinion in connection with its determination to approve the Business Combination. |
CHW’s officers, directors and advisors have substantial experience in evaluating the operating and financial merits of companies from a wide range of industries and concluded that their experience and backgrounds, together with the experience and sector expertise of CHW’s financial advisors, enabled them to make the necessary analyses and determinations regarding the Business Combination. In addition, CHW’s officers, directors and advisors have substantial experience with mergers and acquisitions. Accordingly, investors will be relying solely on the judgment of CHW’s officers, board of directors and advisors in valuing Wag!’s business.
Q: | DO I HAVE REDEMPTION RIGHTS? |
A: | If you are a holder of public shares, you have the right to demand that CHW redeem such shares for a pro rata portion of the cash held in the Trust Account, which holds the proceeds of CHW’s IPO, as of two business days prior to the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Proposal (including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to CHW to pay its taxes) upon the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement (such rights, “Redemption Rights”). |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a holder of ordinary shares, together with any affiliate of such holder or any other person with whom such holder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption with respect to more than 15% of the ordinary shares. Accordingly, all ordinary shares in excess of 15% held by a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such holder or any other person with whom such holder is acting in concert or as a “group”, will not be redeemed.
14
If passed, the Organizational Documents Proposal would remove the requirement that CHW have at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets after giving effect to the redemption of all such shares.
Q: | WILL HOW I VOTE AFFECT MY ABILITY TO EXERCISE REDEMPTION RIGHTS? |
A: | No. You may exercise your redemption rights whether you vote your ordinary shares for or against, or whether you abstain from voting on, the Business Combination Proposal or any other Shareholder Proposal. As a result, the Business Combination Proposal can be approved by shareholders who will redeem their ordinary shares and no longer remain shareholders and subject to the terms and conditions of the BCA, the Business Combination may be consummated even though the funds available from the Trust Account and the number of public shareholders are substantially reduced as a result of redemptions by public shareholders. Also, with fewer ordinary shares and public shareholders, the trading market for CHW ordinary shares may be less liquid than the market for CHW ordinary shares prior to the Business Combination and CHW may not be able to meet the listing standards of a national securities exchange. In addition, with fewer funds available from the Trust Account, the capital infusion from the Trust Account into Wag!’s business will be reduced. |
Q: | HOW DO I EXERCISE MY REDEMPTION RIGHTS? |
A: | If you are a holder of ordinary shares and wish to exercise your redemption rights, you must demand that CHW redeem your shares for cash no later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time on , 2022 by delivering your share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms to CHW’s transfer agent physically or electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian) system prior to the vote at the Special Meeting. Holders of units must elect to separate the underlying ordinary shares and public warrants prior to exercising redemption rights with respect to the ordinary shares. If holders hold their units in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, holders must notify their broker or bank that they elect to separate the units into underlying ordinary shares and public warrants, or if a holder holds units registered in its own name, the holder must contact VStock Transfer LLC, CHW’s transfer agent, directly and instruct them to do so. Any holder of ordinary shares will be entitled to demand that such holder’s shares be redeemed for a full pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (which, for illustrative purposes, was approximately $ million, or $ per share, as of , 2022, the record date). Such amount, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to CHW to pay its taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), will be paid promptly upon consummation of the Business Combination. However, the proceeds deposited in the Trust Account could become subject to the claims of CHW’s creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of CHW’s public shareholders, regardless of whether such public shareholders vote for or against the Business Combination Proposal. Therefore, the per-share distribution from the Trust Account in such a situation may be less than originally anticipated due to such claims. Your vote on any Shareholder Proposal will have No impact on the amount you will receive upon exercise of your redemption rights. |
Any written demand of redemption rights must be received by CHW’s transfer agent prior to the vote taken on the Business Combination Proposal at the Special Meeting. No demand for redemption will be honored unless the holder’s share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms have been delivered (either physically or electronically) to the transfer agent prior to the vote at the Special Meeting.
If a holder of ordinary shares properly makes a request for redemption and the certificates for the ordinary shares (if any) along with the redemption forms are delivered as described to CHW’s transfer agent as described herein, then, if the Business Combination is consummated, CHW will redeem these shares for a pro rata portion of funds deposited in the Trust Account. If you exercise your redemption rights, then you will be exchanging your ordinary shares for cash.
Any request to redeem public shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time until the deadline for exercising redemption requests and thereafter, with CHW’s consent, until the closing of the Business Combination. If CHW receives valid redemption requests from holders of public shares prior to the redemption deadline, CHW may, at its sole discretion, following the redemption deadline and until the date of Closing, seek and permit withdrawals by one or more of such holders of their redemption requests. CHW may select which holders to seek such withdrawals of redemption requests from based on any factors we may deem relevant, and the purpose of seeking such withdrawals may be to increase the funds held in the Trust Account, including where CHW otherwise would not satisfy the closing condition that the amount in the Trust Account and the proceeds from the PIPE and Backstop Investment and Debt Financing equal or exceed $30 million, following payment of the aggregate amount of cash proceeds that will be required to satisfy any redemptions and payment of all transaction expenses. If you delivered
15
your public shares for redemption to the transfer agent and decide within the required timeframe not to exercise your redemption rights, you may request that the transfer agent return the shares (physically or electronically). You may make such request by contacting CHW’s transfer agent at the email address or address listed under the question “Who can help answer my questions?” below.
Q: | WHAT ARE THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF EXERCISING MY REDEMPTION RIGHTS? |
A: | We expect that a U.S. holder (as defined in “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders” below) that exercises its Redemption Rights to receive cash from the Trust Account in exchange for its New Wag! common stock will generally be treated as selling such New Wag! common stock resulting in the recognition of capital gain or capital loss. There may be certain circumstances in which the redemption may be treated as a distribution for U.S. federal income tax purposes depending on the amount of New Wag! common stock that a U.S. holder owns or is deemed to own (including through the ownership of New Wag! warrants). For a more complete discussion of the U.S. federal income tax considerations of an exercise of redemption rights, see “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.” |
Additionally, because the Domestication will occur prior to the redemption of U.S. holders that exercise redemption rights, U.S. holders exercising redemption rights will be subject to the potential tax consequences of Section 367 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and the potential tax consequences of the rules applicable to a company treated as a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”), as a result of the Domestication. The tax consequences of exercising redemption rights are discussed more fully below under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders — Effect to U.S. Holders of the Public Shares Exercising Redemption Rights.”
All holders considering exercising redemption rights are urged to consult their tax advisor on the tax consequences to them o an exercise of redemption rights, including the applicability and effect of U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax laws.
Q: | DO I HAVE APPRAISAL RIGHTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED BUSINESS COMBINATION AND THE PROPOSED DOMESTICATION? |
A: | No. Neither CHW shareholders nor CHW warrant holders have appraisal rights in connection with the Domestication or the Business Combination under Cayman Islands law or under the DGCL. |
Q: | WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FUNDS DEPOSITED IN THE TRUST ACCOUNT AFTER CONSUMMATION OF THE BUSINESS COMBINATION? |
A: | The net proceeds of CHW’s initial public offering, together with funds raised from the sale of private placement warrants simultaneously with the consummation of CHW’s initial public offering, was placed in the Trust Account immediately following CHW’s initial public offering. After consummation of the Business Combination, the funds in the Trust Account will be used to pay holders of the ordinary shares who exercise redemption rights, to pay fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Business Combination (including aggregate fees of approximately $4,375,000 as deferred underwriting commissions related to CHW’s initial public offering) and, together with the proceeds of the PIPE and Backstop Investment, will be deposited with New Wag! to be used for general corporate purposes. |
Q: | WHAT HAPPENS IF A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF PUBLIC SHAREHOLDERS VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE BUSINESS COMBINATION PROPOSAL AND EXERCISE THEIR REDEMPTION RIGHTS? |
A: | CHW’s public shareholders may vote in favor of the business combination and still exercise their redemption rights. Accordingly, the business combination may be consummated even though the funds available from the trust account and the number of public shareholders are substantially reduced as a result of redemptions by public shareholders. |
If a CHW public shareholder exercises its redemption rights, such exercise will not result in the loss of any warrants that it may hold. Assuming that there are maximum redemptions or 12,500,000 public shares held by CHW’s public shareholders were redeemed, the 12,500,000 retained outstanding CHW public warrants would have had an aggregate value of $ (based on the closing price of the CHW public warrants (on , 2022). If a substantial number of, but not all, CHW public shareholders
16
exercise their redemption rights, any non-redeeming shareholders would experience dilution to the extent such warrants are exercised and additional shares of New Wag! shares are issued.
In no event will CHW redeem its public shares in an amount that would cause its (or New Wag!’s after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement) net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001, as provided in the Existing Organizational Documents.
With fewer public shares and public shareholders, the trading market for New Wag! common stock may be less liquid than the market for CHW’s public shares was prior to the Business Combination and New Wag! may not be able to meet the listing standards for Nasdaq. If New Wag!’s securities are not listed on Nasdaq and certain other conditions are not met, the PIPE and Backstop Investment will not close and any monies paid by the applicable subscriber to CHW pursuant to the subscription agreement shall promptly (but not later than two business days after termination) be returned to the subscriber without any deduction for or on account of any tax, withholding, charges, or set-off. In addition, with fewer funds available from the trust account, the working capital infusion from the trust account into New Wag!’s business will be reduced. See “Risk Factors” for more details.
The below table shows the anticipated share ownership of various holders of New Wag! common stock upon closing of the Business Combination in the no redemption and maximum redemption scenarios and is based on the following assumptions: (i) there are no other issuances of equity interests of CHW or Wag!, (ii) neither the Sponsor nor any of Wag!’s current stockholders purchase CHW public shares in the open market, (iii) the Sponsor forfeits 13,327 founder shares in connection with the Closing pursuant to paragraph 5 of the CHW Founders Stock Letter, (iv) no founder shares are forfeited in connection with price targets or issuance of New Wag! Community Shares pursuant to paragraphs 3 and 6, respectively, of the CHW Founders Stock Letter, (v) no CHW or New Wag! warrants are exercised, and (vi) the PIPE and Backstop Investor does not purchase shares in the open market between the date of the PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement and the close of business on the third trading day prior to the special meeting of CHW’s shareholders called in connection with the Business Combination. The residual equity value owned by non-redeeming shareholders will remain $10.00 per share as illustrated in the sensitivity table below.
Maximum | |||||||
Percentage Share Ownership in New Wag! |
| No Redemptions |
| Redemptions | |||
CHW Public Shareholders (including Chardan and the anchor investors) | 27.9 | % | 2.2 | % | |||
Wag! Shareholders (including the Pre-PIPE Investors) | 65.4 | % | 88.7 | % | |||
PIPE and Backstop Investor | 1.1 | % | 1.4 | % | |||
Community Shares | 0.6 | % | 0.9 | % | |||
Sponsor |
| 5.0 | % | 6.8 | % | ||
Value of the Shares Owned by Non-Redeeming Shareholders |
|
|
|
| |||
Total Shares Outstanding Excluding Warrants | 47,587,500 |
| 35,074,173 | ||||
Total Equity Value Post-Redemptions | $ | 475,875,000 |
| $ | 350,741,730 | ||
Per Share Value | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 |
(1) | Assumes that CHW’s public shareholders exercise redemption rights with respect to 12,500,000 public shares, which represents redemption of 100% of CHW public shares, for an aggregate redemption payment of $125 million. |
(2) | The Sponsor and its Affiliates will hold up to 2,405,000 ordinary shares, which will be cancelled and exchanged on a one-for-one basis for New Wag! common stock upon consummation of the proposed business combination. The Sponsor paid $25,000 for the 2,405,000 founder shares, or approximately $0.01 per founder share. Assuming a value of $10.00 per share of New Wag! common stock, based on the deemed value of $10.00 per share of New Wag! common stock in the proposed business combination, this represents an appreciation in value of approximately $9.99 per share of New Wag! common stock. Assuming a value of $ per share of New Wag! common stock, the closing price of a CHW ordinary shares on, 2022, this represents an appreciation in value of approximately $ per share of New Wag! common stock. |
Q: | HOW DOES THE SPONSOR INTEND TO VOTE ON THE SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS? |
A: | The Sponsor owns of record and is entitled to vote an aggregate of approximately 15% of the outstanding shares of CHW ordinary shares. The Sponsor has agreed to vote any founder shares and any ordinary shares held by it as of the record date in |
17
favor of the Shareholder Proposals. See “The Business Combination Agreement — Related Agreements — CHW Founders Stock Letter.” In addition, the Sponsor has agreed, among other things, (i) from the date of the Business Combination Agreement until the earlier of the Closing or the termination of the Business Combination Agreement in accordance with its terms, to not redeem any ordinary shares (or, if applicable, shares of common stock) held by it and (ii) prior to the consummation of Business Combination or the termination of the Business Combination Agreement, to vote or cause to be voted, all of the CHW shares beneficially owned by Sponsor, at every meeting of the shareholders of CHW at which such matters are considered and at every adjournment or postponement thereof: (1) in favor of (A) the Business Combination and the Business Combination Agreement and the other transactions contemplated thereby (including any proposals recommended by CHW’s Board of Directors in connection with the Business Combination) and (B) any proposal to adjourn or postpone such meeting of shareholders to a later date if there are not sufficient votes to approve the Business Combination; (2) against any action, proposal, transaction or agreement that could reasonably be expected to result in a breach of any covenant, representation or warranty or any other obligation or agreement of CHW under the Business Combination Agreement; and (3) against (A) any proposal or offer from any person concerning (I) a merger, consolidation, liquidation, recapitalization, share exchange or other business combination transaction involving CHW, or (II) the issuance or acquisition of shares of capital stock or other CHW equity securities (other than as contemplated or permitted by the Business Combination Agreement); and (B) any action, proposal, transaction or agreement that would reasonably be expected to (x) impede the fulfillment of CHW’s conditions under the Business Combination Agreement or change in any manner the voting rights of any class of CHW’s shares or (y) result in a breach of any covenant, representation or warranty or other obligation or agreement of Sponsor, Mark Grundman or Jonah Raskas contained in the CHW Founders Stock Letter. See also “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions — CHW Founders Stock Letter.”
Q: | WHAT CONSTITUTES A QUORUM AT THE SPECIAL MEETING? |
A: | The holders of a majority of the voting power of the issued and outstanding CHW ordinary shares entitled to vote at the Special Meeting must be present, in person or virtually or represented by proxy, at the Special Meeting to constitute a quorum and in order to conduct business at the Special Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted as present for the purpose of determining a quorum. The holders of the founder shares, who currently own approximately 15% of the issued and outstanding shares of CHW ordinary shares, will count towards this quorum. In the absence of a quorum, the chairman of the Special Meeting has power to adjourn the Special Meeting. As of the record date for the Special Meeting, holders of CHW ordinary shares would be required to be present to achieve a quorum. |
Q: | WHAT VOTE IS REQUIRED TO APPROVE EACH PROPOSAL AT THE SPECIAL MEETING? |
A: | The Domestication Proposal: |
The approval of the Domestication Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, vote at the Special Meeting. The Domestication Proposal is conditioned on the approval of the Business Combination Proposal. Therefore, if the Business Combination Proposal is not approved, the Domestication Proposal will have no effect, even if approved by CHW’s public shareholders. Pursuant to the IPO Letter Agreement and the CHW Founders Stock Letter, the Sponsor, Mark Grundman and Jonah Raskas have agreed to vote shares representing approximately 15% of the aggregate voting power of the CHW ordinary shares in favor of the Domestication Proposal.
The Business Combination Proposal:
The approval of the Business Combination Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, vote at the Special Meeting. CHW shareholders must approve the Business Combination Proposal in order for the Business Combination to occur. If CHW shareholders fail to approve the Business Combination Proposal, the Business Combination will not occur. Pursuant to the IPO Letter Agreement and as further discussed in the section entitled “The Business Combination Agreement — Related Agreements — CHW Founders Stock Letter,” the Sponsor, Jonah Raskas and Mark Grundman have agreed to vote shares representing approximately 15% of the aggregate voting power of the CHW ordinary shares in favor of the Business Combination Proposal.
18
The Organizational Documents Proposal:
The approval of the Organizational Documents Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, vote at the Special Meeting. The Organizational Documents Proposal is conditioned on the approval of the Domestication Proposal, and, therefore, also conditioned on approval of the Business Combination Proposal. Therefore, if the Business Combination Proposal or the Domestication Proposal is not approved, the Organizational Documents Proposal will have no effect, even if approved by CHW’s public shareholders. Pursuant to the CHW Founders Stock Letter, the CHW Founder Shareholders have agreed to vote shares representing approximately 15% of the aggregate voting power of the CHW ordinary shares in favor of the Organizational Documents Proposal.
The Advisory Charter Proposals:
The approval of any of the Advisory Charter Proposals require an ordinary resolution but is not otherwise required by Cayman Islands law or Delaware law separate and apart from the Organizational Documents Proposal, but pursuant to SEC guidance, CHW is required to submit these provisions to its shareholders separately for approval as an ordinary resolution. However, the shareholder votes regarding these proposals are advisory votes, and are not binding on CHW or the CHW Board (separate and apart from the approval of the Organizational Documents Proposal). Furthermore, the Business Combination is not conditioned on the separate approval of the Advisory Charter Proposals (separate and apart from approval of the Organizational Documents Proposal).
The Nasdaq Proposal:
The approval of the Nasdaq Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, vote at the Special Meeting. The Nasdaq Proposal is conditioned on the approval of the Organizational Documents Proposal, and, therefore, also conditioned on approval of the Domestication Proposal and the Business Combination Proposal. Therefore, if any of the Domestication Proposal, the Business Combination Proposal or the Organizational Documents Proposal is not approved, the Nasdaq Proposal will have no effect, even if approved by CHW’s public shareholders. Pursuant to the IPO Letter Agreement and the CHW Founders Stock Letter, the CHW Founder Shareholders have agreed to vote shares representing approximately 15% of the aggregate voting power of the CHW ordinary shares in favor of the Nasdaq Proposal.
The Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal:
The approval of the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal requires an ordinary resolution, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, vote at the Special Meeting. The Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal is conditioned on the approval of the Nasdaq Proposal and, therefore, also conditioned on the approval of the Domestication Proposal, the Business Combination Proposal, and the Organizational Documents Proposals. Therefore, if any of those proposals is not approved, the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal will have no effect, even if approved by CHW’s public shareholders.
The ESPP Proposal:
The approval of the ESPP Proposal requires an ordinary resolution, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, vote at the Special Meeting. The ESPP Proposal is conditioned on the approval of the Nasdaq Proposal and, therefore, also conditioned on the approval of the Domestication Proposal, the Business Combination Proposal, and the Organizational Documents Proposals. Therefore, if any of those proposals is not approved, the ESPP Proposal will have no effect, even if approved by CHW’s public shareholders.
The Adjournment Proposal:
The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, vote at the Special Meeting. The Adjournment Proposal is not conditioned upon any other Shareholder Proposal.
19
Q: | DO ANY OF CHW’S DIRECTORS OR OFFICERS HAVE INTERESTS IN THE BUSINESS COMBINATION THAT MAY DIFFER FROM OR BE IN ADDITION TO THE INTERESTS OF CHW SHAREHOLDERS? |
A: | CHW’s executive officers and certain non-employee directors may have interests in the Business Combination that may be different from, or in addition to, the interests of CHW’s shareholders generally. The CHW board of directors was aware of and considered these interests to the extent such interests existed at the time, among other matters, in approving the Business Combination Agreement and in recommending that the Business Combination Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby be approved by the shareholders of CHW. See “The Business Combination Proposal — Interests of CHW Directors and Officers in the Business Combination.” |
Q: | WHAT DO I NEED TO DO NOW? |
A: | After carefully reading and considering the information contained in this proxy statement/prospectus, please submit your proxies as soon as possible so that your shares will be represented at the Special Meeting. Please follow the instructions set forth on the proxy card or on the voting instruction form provided by your broker, bank or other nominee if your shares are held in the name of your broker, bank or other nominee. |
Q: | HOW DO I VOTE? |
A: | If you are a shareholder of record of CHW as of , 2022 (the “record date”) you may submit your proxy before the Special Meeting in any of the following ways, if available: |
● | use the toll-free number shown on your proxy card; |
● | visit the website shown on your proxy card to vote via the internet; or |
● | complete, sign, date and return the enclosed proxy card in the enclosed postage-paid envelope. |
If you are a shareholder of record of CHW as of the record date, you may also cast your vote at the Special Meeting
If your shares are held in “street name” through a broker, bank or other nominee, your broker, bank or other nominee will send you separate instructions describing the procedure for voting your shares. “Street name” shareholders who wish to vote at the Special Meeting will need to obtain a proxy form from their broker, bank or other nominee.
Q: | WHEN AND WHERE IS THE SPECIAL MEETING? |
A: | The Special Meeting will be held on , 2022, at local time at the offices of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, located at Vanderbilt Ave, New York, New York 10017, or such other date, time, and place to which such meeting may be adjourned. In light of the novel coronavirus pandemic and to support the well-being of CHW’s shareholders, directors and officers, CHW encourages you to use remote methods of attending the Special Meeting or to attend via proxy. You may attend the Special Meeting and vote your shares electronically during the Special Meeting via live webcast by visiting . You will need the meeting control number that is printed on your proxy card to enter the Special Meeting. You may also attend the meeting telephonically by dialing (within the U.S. and Canada and toll-free) or (outside of the U.S. and Canada, standard rates apply). All CHW shareholders as of the record date, or their duly appointed proxies, may attend the Special Meeting. |
Q: | IF MY SHARES ARE HELD IN “STREET NAME” BY A BROKER, BANK OR OTHER NOMINEE, WILL MY BROKER, BANK OR OTHER NOMINEE VOTE MY SHARES FOR ME? |
A: | If your shares are held in “street name” in a stock brokerage account or by a broker, bank or other nominee, you must provide the record holder of your shares with instructions on how to vote your shares. Please follow the voting instructions provided by your broker, bank or other nominee. Please note that you may not vote shares held in “street name” by returning a proxy card directly to CHW or by voting at the Special Meeting unless you provide a “legal proxy”, which you must obtain from your broker, bank or other nominee. In addition to such legal proxy, if you plan to attend the Special Meeting, but are not a shareholder of record |
20
because you hold your shares in “street name”, please have evidence of your beneficial ownership of your shares (e.g., a copy of a recent brokerage statement showing the shares) and valid photo identification with you at the Special Meeting.
Under the rules of Nasdaq, brokers who hold shares in “street name” for a beneficial owner of those shares typically have the authority to vote in their discretion on “routine” proposals when they have not received instructions from beneficial owners. However, brokers are not permitted to exercise their voting discretion with respect to the approval of matters that Nasdaq determines to be “non-routine” without specific instructions from the beneficial owner. It is expected that all of the Shareholder Proposals are “non-routine” matters. Broker non-votes occur when a broker or nominee is not instructed by the beneficial owner of shares to vote on a particular Shareholder Proposal for which the broker does not have discretionary voting power.
If you are an CHW shareholder holding your shares in “street name” and you do not instruct your broker, bank or other nominee on how to vote your shares, your broker, bank or other nominee will not vote your shares on the Domestication Proposal, the Business Combination Proposal, the Organizational Documents Proposal, the Advisory Charter Proposals, the Nasdaq Proposal, the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal or the Adjournment Proposal. Such abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the vote count for any of the proposals.
Q: | WHAT IF I ATTEND THE SPECIAL MEETING AND ABSTAIN OR DO NOT VOTE? |
A: | For purposes of the Special Meeting, an abstention occurs when a shareholder attends the meeting and does not vote or returns a proxy with an “abstain” vote. |
If you are an CHW shareholder that attends the Special Meeting and fails to vote on the Domestication Proposal, the Business Combination Proposal, the Organizational Documents Proposal, the Advisory Charter Proposals, the Nasdaq Proposal, the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal or the Adjournment Proposal, or if you respond to such proposals with an “abstain” vote, your failure to vote or “abstain” vote in each case will have no effect on the vote count for such proposals.
Q: | WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I RETURN MY PROXY CARD WITHOUT INDICATING HOW TO VOTE? |
A: | If you sign and return your proxy card without indicating how to vote on any particular Shareholder Proposal, the CHW shares represented by your proxy will be voted as recommended by the CHW board of directors with respect to that Shareholder Proposal. |
Q: | MAY I CHANGE MY VOTE AFTER I HAVE DELIVERED MY PROXY OR VOTING INSTRUCTION CARD? |
A: | Yes. You may change your vote at any time before your proxy is voted at the Special Meeting. You may do this in one of three ways: |
● | filing a notice with CHW or its proxy solicitor; |
● | mailing a new, subsequently dated proxy card; or |
● | by attending the Special Meeting and electing to vote your shares. |
If you are a shareholder of record of CHW and you choose to send a written notice or to mail a new proxy, you must submit your notice of revocation or your new proxy to CHW Acquisition Corporation, 2 Manhattanville Road, Suite 403, Purchase, New York 10577 and it must be received at any time before the vote is taken at the Special Meeting. Any proxy that you submitted may also be revoked by submitting a new proxy by mail, or online or by telephone, not later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on , 2022, or by voting at the Special Meeting. Simply attending the Special Meeting will not revoke your proxy. If you have instructed a broker, bank or other nominee to vote your shares of CHW ordinary shares, you must follow the directions you receive from your broker, bank or other nominee in order to change or revoke your vote.
21
Q: | WHAT HAPPENS IF I FAIL TO TAKE ANY ACTION WITH RESPECT TO THE SPECIAL MEETING? |
A: | If you fail to take any action with respect to the Special Meeting and the Business Combination is approved by shareholders and consummated, you will continue to be a shareholder of CHW. Failure to take any action with respect to the Special Meeting will not affect your ability to exercise your redemption rights. If you fail to take any action with respect to the Special Meeting and the Business Combination is not approved, you will continue to be a shareholder of CHW while CHW searches for another target business with which to complete a business combination. |
Q: | WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I RECEIVE MORE THAN ONE SET OF VOTING MATERIALS? |
A: | Shareholders may receive more than one set of voting materials, including multiple copies of this proxy statement/prospectus and multiple proxy cards or voting instruction cards. For example, if you hold your shares in more than one brokerage account, you will receive a separate voting instruction card for each brokerage account in which you hold shares. If you are a holder of record and your shares are registered under more than one name, you will receive more than one proxy card. Please complete, sign, date and return each proxy card and voting instruction card that you receive in order to cast a vote with respect to all of your shares. |
Q: | WHOM SHOULD I CONTACT IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROXY MATERIALS OR VOTING? |
A: | If you have questions about the Proposals or if you need additional copies of the proxy statement/prospectus or the enclosed proxy card you should contact CHW’s proxy solicitor at: |
Advantage Proxy, Inc.
P.O. Box 13581
Des Moines, WA 98198
Toll Free Telephone: (877) 870-8565
Main Telephone: (206) 870-8565
E-mail: ksmith@advantageproxy.com
To obtain timely delivery, CHW’s shareholders must request the materials no later than five business days prior to the extraordinary general meeting.
You may also obtain additional information about CHW from documents filed with the SEC by following the instructions in the section entitled “Additional Information.”
If you intend to seek redemption of your public shares, you will need to send a letter demanding redemption and deliver your shares (either physically or electronically) to CHW’s transfer agent at least two business days prior to the extraordinary general meeting in accordance with the procedures detailed under the question “How do I exercise my redemption rights?” If you have questions regarding the certification of your position or delivery of your shares, please contact:
VStock Transfer LLC
18 Lafayette Place
Woodmere, New York 11598
E-mail: [•]@vstocktransfer.com
Tel: (212) 828-8436
Facsimile: (646) 536-3179
22
SUMMARY OF THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS
This summary highlights selected information from this proxy statement/prospectus and does not contain all of the information that is important to you. To better understand the proposals to be submitted for a vote at the Special Meeting, including the Business Combination, you should read this proxy statement/prospectus, including the Annexes and other documents referred to herein, carefully and in their entirety. The Business Combination Agreement is the legal document that governs the Business Combination and the other transactions that will be undertaken in connection with the Business Combination. The Business Combination Agreement is also described in detail in this proxy statement/prospectus in the section entitled “The Business Combination Proposal—The Business Combination Agreement.”
Unless otherwise specified, all share calculations (1) assume no exercise of redemption rights by the public shareholders in connection with the Business Combination and (2) do not include any shares issuable upon the exercise of the warrants.
The Parties to the Business Combination
CHW Acquisition Corporation (“CHW”)
CHW Acquisition Corporation is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses.
On September 1, 2021, CHW completed its initial public offering of 12,500,000 units, including 1,500,000 units which were subject to the over-allotment option granted to the underwriters, with each unit consisting of one ordinary share and one warrant to purchase one ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share. Simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering and the over-allotment option, CHW consummated the private placement of an aggregate of 4,238,636 warrants to the Sponsor at a purchase price of $1.00 per warrant. A total of $125,000,000 of the net proceeds of the sale of the units in the initial public offering, over-allotment, and the sale of the warrants in the private placement, was placed in a trust account for the benefit of the purchasers of the units in CHW’s initial public offering.
Thirteen qualified institutional buyers or institutional accredited investors which are not affiliated with CHW, the Sponsor, CHW’s directors, or any member of CHW’s management (the “anchor investors”), each purchased units in the IPO at varying amounts not exceeding 9.9% of the units subject to the IPO. In conjunction with each anchor investor purchasing 100% of the units allocated to it, in connection with the closing of the IPO the Sponsor sold 750,000 founder shares in the aggregate to the anchor investors at their original purchase price.
Also on September 1, 2021, CHW issued to the designees of Chardan 62,500 ordinary shares of CHW (the “Representative Shares”). CHW accounted for the Representative Shares as an offering cost of the initial public offering, with a corresponding credit to shareholders’ equity. Since the completion of the IPO, CHW’s activity has been limited to the evaluation of business combination candidates.
Like most blank check companies, CHW’s Existing Organizational Documents provided for the return of the proceeds of CHW’s initial public offering held in the trust account to the holders of public shares if there is no qualifying business combination(s) consummated on or before a certain date (in CHW’s case, December 1, 2022). CHW intends to consummate the Transactions as soon as practicable and will not use the full amount of time through December 1, 2022 to consummate the Transactions unless necessary
CHW’s units, ordinary shares, and warrants are listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “CHWAU,” “CHWA,”and “CHWAW,” respectively.
CHW’s principal executive office is located at 2 Manhattanville Road, Suite 40, Purchase, NY 10577 and its telephone number is (914) 603-5016.
23
CHW Merger Sub, Inc. (“Merger Sub”)
Merger Sub is a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of CHW. Merger Sub does not own any material assets or operate any business. After the consummation of the Transactions, CHW will cease to exist because it will have merged with and into Merger Sub in the Acquisition Merger.
Wag Labs, Inc. (“Wag!”)
Wag! is a leading provider of access to pet care services. Wag! connects Pet Parents with Pet Caregivers to provide dog walking, home visits, training, boarding, access to a licensed pet expert, and access to routine wellness plans.
Wag!’s principal executive office is located at 55 Francisco Street, Suite 360, San Francisco, CA 94133. Its telephone number is (707) 324-4219. Wag!’s corporate website address is https://wag.co/. Wag!’s website and information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the website is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and is not considered part of, this Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
The Business Combination Agreement
The terms and conditions of the Business Combination are contained in the BCA, substantially in the form attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex A, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. CHW encourages you to read the BCA carefully, as it is the legal document that governs the Business Combination. For more information on the BCA, see the section entitled “The Business Combination Agreement.”
Organizational Structure
The following diagrams illustrate the ownership structure of CHW and Wag! as of the date of this proxy statement/prospectus.
24
The following diagram illustrates the ownership structure of New Wag! immediately following consummation of the Business Combination.
* | From and after the Closing, CHW will use the “Wag! Group Co.” name and adopt a corresponding ticker symbol for common stock and warrants to purchase common stock on Nasdaq under the proposed symbols “PET” and “PETW”, respectively. |
Ownership of Wag!
As of this date of this proxy statement/prospectus, there are 6,297,398 shares of Wag! common stock issued and outstanding and 25,645,386 shares of Wag! preferred stock issued and outstanding. As of the date of this proxy statement/prospectus, there are 91,310 Wag! warrants outstanding.
Pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, (a) on the Domestication Closing Date, CHW will change its jurisdiction of incorporation by deregistering as an exempted company in the Cayman Islands and continuing and domesticating as a corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware, upon which CHW will change its name to “Wag! Group Co.”; and (b) on the Acquisition Closing Date, Merger Sub will merge with and into Wag!, with Wag! surviving the Acquisition Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of New Wag!. In connection with the Domestication, each then-outstanding CHW ordinary share, CHW warrant, and CHW unit will automatically convert into one share of New Wag! common stock, a New Wag! warrant, and one share of New Wag! common stock and one New Wag! warrant, respectively.
Business Summary
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references in this Business Summary to the company, “we,” “us,” “our,” “Wag!,” and other similar terms refer to Wag Labs, Inc. and its subsidiaries prior to the Business Combination and to New Wag! and its consolidated subsidiaries after giving effect to the Business Combination.
Mission and Purpose
Our mission is to be the #1 partner to busy Pet Parents. We believe that being busy shouldn’t stop Pet Parents from owning or taking care of their pets. We are dedicated to building a future in which every pet has access to safe, high-quality care. This future will be built by a passionate community of pet lovers who want to spend their time creating joy for pets and those who love them. Wag! is the technology platform for building that future, and we are just getting started.
Wag! exists to make pet ownership possible and to bring joy to pets and those who love them. We are committed to maximizing the happiness of pets and Pet Parents alike. Your furry family member deserves our best, and that’s what we deliver every day, through thoughtful innovation and dedicated team support.
25
Our Business
Wag! develops and supports a proprietary marketplace technology platform available as a website and mobile app that enables independent Pet Caregivers to connect with Pet Parents. The platform allows Pet Parents to make pet services requests in the platform, which can then be fulfilled by Pet Caregivers. Wag! supports dog walking, pet sitting, pet boarding, drop-in visits at the Pet Parent’s home, advice from licensed pet experts, training services, pet insurance comparison tools, and pet wellness plans in 5,200 U.S. cities across all 50 states. From our founding in 2015 through December 2021, we have approved approximately 400,000 Pet Caregivers and there have been over 11.7 million services completed through the Wag! platform.
We developed on-demand dog walking by connecting an already passionate community of local pet lovers and caregivers with Pet Parents. We built a platform where Pet Parents can find local Pet Caregivers who want to earn extra income. We believe that these connections not only enable better care for pets, but also create joy for both parties, and so we sought to simplify the logistics of pet care. We built a simple and easy-to-use platform to enable Pet Parents to discover, book, pay, and review Pet Caregivers online or in our mobile app.
For Pet Caregivers, we built tools to easily create a listing in the Wag! platform, along with simple tools for promoting their profile online, scheduling and booking service opportunities, communicating with Pet Parents, and receiving payment. To assist both Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers, we invested in a customer service team available around the clock to support them along the way. To be a brand dedicated to trust and safety, we thoroughly vet and screen all Pet Caregivers, and all services are covered with up to $1 million property damage protection, subject to applicable policy limitations and exclusions.
With approximately 400,000 approved Pet Caregivers, our network enables us to facilitate connections between pet, parent, and caregiver to best meet the unique needs and preferences of all members of the community. Moreover, we have carefully designed our technology and platform to leverage our growing scale by helping Pet Parents easily find superior local Pet Caregivers as our provider network expands. Our results speak for themselves—Pet Parents love Wag!. Based on internal reporting, from inception through December 2021 Pet Parents have written over 11 million reviews, more than 96% of which have earned five stars.
We have differentiated ourselves from other marketplaces by offering access to a variety of service options, including dog walking, drop-in visits at the Pet Parent’s home, training, overnight boarding, pet sitting, 24/7 consultations with a licensed pet expert, the ability to compare pet insurance plans, and various Wag! Wellness pet plans.
We generate revenue from four distinct streams: (1) service fees charged to Pet Caregivers for use of the platform to discover pet service opportunities and to successfully complete a pet care service to a Pet Parent, (2) subscription and other fees paid by Pet Parents for Wag! Premium, (3) joining fees paid by Pet Caregivers to join and be listed on the platform, and (4) wellness revenue through affiliate fees paid by third-party service partners based on ‘revenue-per-action’ or conversion activity.
We are committed to improving the quality of life for all pets. To give back to our communities, we donate a portion of the proceeds from each walk to local shelters. Through December 2021, we have donated 16 million meals to pets in need through our partnership with the Greater Good Rescue Bank Program. We have also partnered with the Humane Society of the United States to give back to the community.
Our Market Opportunity
U.S. Pet Parents were estimated to spend approximately $109.6 billion on their pets in 2021, according to the American Pet Products Association (“APPA”). This is an increase of over 5% from 2020, driven largely by the spike in the pet population due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 70% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 90.5 million homes.
Pet Parents rely on family and friends, local independent professionals, large commercial pet service companies, or other online marketplaces for help with petcare. For the millions of Pet Parents with travel plans or busy schedules, each existing care option presents its own disadvantages, especially for parents who have concerns that their pet will not receive enough individual care or attention. Wag! was founded to make pet ownership possible because being busy should not stop someone from owning or caring for their pet. We believe a platform like ours can better address Pet Parents’ basic pet care needs. Pet Parents want a positive, stress-free
26
experience for their pets, quality personalized care for their pets, availability of on-demand pet services, technology-enabled ease of access and management for pet services, and pet care that suits their budgets and their lifestyle.
While demand for pet services decreased under travel restrictions, shelter-in-place orders, and work from home requirements beginning in March 2020, pet adoptions simultaneously skyrocketed. Due to this increase in pet ownership, we believe that COVID-19 has created a number of tailwinds to accelerate growth. Both new and experienced Pet Parents may feel less comfortable leaving their pet home alone or in a kennel in the future. We also implemented new features to increase engagement in a contact-free environment, including adding services such as digital in-app video training sessions with a qualified trainer. The financial pressure of COVID-19 may also expand the number of people looking to earn extra income.
In 2021, we have quickly recovered from the decline in our revenue in 2020 due to COVID-19. As of the year ended December 31, 2021 our revenue was $20.1 million, compared to $12.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2020. According to an industry survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (“PwC”) in November and December 2020, 75% of U.S. executives anticipate at least half of the office workforce will return to the office full-time by mid-2022, which we believe will likely have a positive effect on the number of bookings for pet services, such as dog walking, pet sitting, and home visits.
Furthermore, we believe that consumer behavior has continued to shift meaningfully toward online and app-based experiences. For example, one-in-five households in the United States adopted a pet during the pandemic, based on a poll conducted in May 2021 by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (“ASPCA”). Based on the combination of these factors, we believe that our business will have strong growth in the future.
We believe that the commercial market for pet care represents an enormous expansion opportunity. In order to become the go-to solution for Pet Parents, we are investing in and are committed to accelerating growth in existing markets, expanding our subscription offerings, expanding our platform, expanding internationally, and exploring merger and acquisition opportunities.
Our Business Model
We provide an online marketplace that enables Pet Parents to connect with Pet Caregivers for various pet services. We generate revenue from four distinct streams: (1) service fees charged to Pet Caregivers for use of the platform to discover pet service opportunities and to successfully complete a pet care service to a Pet Parent, (2) subscription and other fees paid by Pet Parents for Wag! Premium, (3) joining fees paid by Pet Caregivers to join and be listed on the platform, and (4) wellness revenue through affiliate fees paid by third-party service partners based on ‘revenue-per-action’ or conversion activity.
Our objective is to attract new Pet Parents to our platform, convert them into repeat bookers, and generate a lifetime of bookings from that Pet Parent. A significant portion of Pet Parents join our platform based on word-of-mouth. From the third quarter of 2019 to the fourth quarter of 2021, we saw more than 70% Organic Customer Acquisition, defined as the percentage of new Pet Parents who are not attributable to a paid marketing channel. Based on user data from 2017 to 2021, Wag! estimates the long term Pet Parent Rebooking Rate at 90%. Based on user data from 2020 to 2021, Wag! estimates the Attach Rate at 25%. To attract new Pet Parents and retain our existing Pet Parents, we offer a platform for services, including pre-scheduled and on-demand dog walking, drop-in visits at the Pet Parent’s home, pet boarding at a caregiver’s home, in-home pet sitting, in-home one-on-one dog training, and digital dog training. In the second quarter of 2020, we launched a service that enables Pet Parents to connect with a licensed pet expert around the clock through our platform for real-time advice on their pets’ behavior, health, and other needs. We also offer pet wellness plans and access to a pet insurance comparison tool, which enables Pet Parents to compare insurance quotes from top-rated insurance companies, including Lemonade, Pets Best, Embrace, Trupanion, PetPlan, and Prudent Pet. We introduced Wag! Premium in the first quarter of 2020. Wag! Premium is an annual or monthly subscription that offers 10% off all services booked as well as other features, like waived booking fees, free advice from licensed pet experts, priority access to top-rated Pet Caregivers, and VIP Pet Parent support. On average, Wag! Premium Pet Parents use the service 7 to 8 times per month, as compared to an average of 4 to 5 times per month for Wag! non-premium users. In addition, the number of Wag! Premium subscribers has grown over 115% from January 2021 to December 2021.
Repeated Bookings by Wag!’s Pet Parents
For many Pet Parents, leaving their pet alone creates stress and guilt, and the existing solutions are limited. Wag! was created because lonely pets deserve healthier and happier lives. For Pet Parents who are browsing, booking, and managing care on our
27
platform for the first time, our goal is to delight them by anticipating and addressing their specific, unique needs. We aim to establish Wag! as a simple, reliable, on-demand option for Pet Parents. Our success with Pet Parents is reflected in the data—based on user data from 2017 to 2021, Wag! estimates the long-term Pet Parent Rebooking Rate at 90%.
Our platform allows Pet Parents to choose available on-demand services, the ability to pre-schedule a date and time for services that best suits their needs, and the option to schedule repeat services on a day and time that works for the foreseeable future. To facilitate trust and confidence in services, Pet Parents can start chatting with Pet Caregivers before booking a request and have the ability to browse through trusted caregivers after submitting a sitting or boarding request. Depending on the service, Pet Parents may also receive real-time pictures or videos of their pet enjoying time with local Pet Caregivers. Scheduling a pet service on Wag! is as easy as a few keystrokes or taps on a phone, and the overall experience of booking and paying a Pet Caregiver is simple and intuitive for Pet Parents.
Foundation of Caregiving
Our success is built on the foundation of Pet Caregivers who have chosen to provide their services through us. Through our platform, Pet Caregivers can connect with a nationwide community of pets and Pet Parents. We provide Pet Caregivers flexibility and empowerment, and support their passion for pets. Some Pet Caregivers view the provision of pet care services as their full-time job. We support them by providing an additional avenue to build their pet care business and achieve meaningful income. Other Pet Caregivers simply love and enjoy caring for pets in addition to other avenues of employment. We support these more casual Pet Caregivers by providing them access to Pet Parents looking for pet care services, a means to earn some additional supplemental income, an enjoyable gig involving time outdoors and healthy habits, and flexibility in when and how they perform services. We give both full-time and casual Pet Caregivers the ability to share their love of pets with the Wag! pet community.
Competitive Strengths
We believe that we are uniquely positioned to leverage our core competitive strengths to help us to continue to deliver a compelling marketplace offering of pet services. In doing so, we will continue to differentiate ourselves from our competition and, as a result, will continue to provide a compelling value proposition to our Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers.
We view our strengths as falling into the following categories:
● | Proprietary and innovative technology platform. Our technology platform was built to enable us to connect Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers. We own and operate all meaningful technology utilized in our business. |
● | Large number of high-quality Pet Caregivers. Pet Caregivers are attracted to the Wag! platform. With the ability to make money on their own time, Pet Caregivers enjoy the flexibility of choosing how and when they want to work — claiming a last-minute appointment or planning out an appointment weeks in advance. This is why approximately 400,000 Pet Caregivers are approved to provide services through Wag!. |
● | High-quality pet services. With over 11 million reviews, more than 96% of which have earned five stars, we lead the industry in quality. This is also represented by our Net Promoter Score, provided by an external experience management platform, which averages between 45 to 55 for Pet Caregivers and 65 to 70 for Pet Parents as of the third quarter of 2021. |
● | Service offerings. Our platform offers access to pet services to Pet Parents, more than many of our competitors provide. On our platform, we also offer access to differentiated services as compared to our competitors, such as both in-person and digital dog training, on-demand services, and our subscription service, Wag! Premium. We carefully examine demand in the market before we choose to roll out a new pet service option and continually evaluate the success of each service option with Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers. |
● | Strong Pet Parent loyalty and word-of-mouth. Since its inception in 2015, more than 11.7 million services have been delivered to pets and Pet Parents through the Wag! platform. Our continuous excellence in facilitating connections between pet, parent, and Pet Caregiver translates directly into advantages in our ability to retain Pet Parents. Based on an internal |
28
survey in 2018-2019, 90% of Pet Parents had never used a walker before signing up with Wag!. Based on user data from 2017 to 2021, Wag! estimates the long-term Pet Parent Rebooking Rate at 90%. |
● | Premier online destination for pet advice. According to recent industry surveys, Wag! was the number one online Pets and Animals destination worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2021, with more than 4,200,000 monthly visitors. |
Our Growth Strategies
As a leading marketplace for pet services, it is our mission to continue to find ways to help Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers. Simply put, we want to continue to help Pet Caregivers deploy their expertise more efficiently and effectively, while at the same time helping Pet Parents make better and more informed decisions as quickly as they desire.
We are working to build the safest and most trusted pet service marketplace in the United States and internationally. To achieve this goal, we intend to continue to grow our business by pursuing the following strategies:
● | Accelerate growth in existing markets. We believe that immense growth remains within our existing offerings and geographies. Over 95% of the U.S. population has access to Wag! and as of December 2021, 5.5 million Pet Parents have signed up for a Wag! account. One of the main drivers of our brand is word-of-mouth growth in local markets. With approximately 400,000 Pet Caregivers in 5,200 U.S. cities across all 50 states, we want to continue to increase bookings and services. |
● | Expand subscription offerings. Wag! Premium is an annual or monthly subscription that offers 10% off all services booked as well as waived booking fees, free advice from licensed pet experts, priority access to top-rated Pet Caregivers, and VIP Pet Parent support. We plan to introduce additional service options in the Wag! marketplace to further support pets, parents, and Pet Caregivers and drive significant revenue growth. |
● | Platform expansion. We aim to support Pet Parents with the #1 on-demand mobile first platform including through introducing additional services unique to the Wag! platform. For example, in the second quarter of 2020 we launched in-person and digital one-on-one dog training, and in February 2021 we expanded our platform to include cats and other pets. |
● | International expansion. We aim to support Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers around the world. Currently, Wag! operates in 5,200 U.S. cities across all 50 states, and we intend to expand into international markets in 2022. |
● | Opportunistic mergers and acquisitions. We believe that, over time, we can extend the value of Wag! with strategic acquisitions in the pet industry and others, including pet products, vet care, and technology to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the Wag! platform. |
Foundation of Trust and Safety
Safety on every booking is important to us, and we are committed to reducing the number of incidents in the Wag! community. Because every furry family member deserves our best, we are dedicated to continually improving. Moreover, although infrequent, if things go wrong, we are committed to continually improving our effectiveness in responding. To bring peace of mind for Pet Parents, all Pet Caregivers are screened, background checked, and approved prior to being able to provide services on the Wag! platform. We also have a dedicated 24/7 support team to assist pets, their parents, and Pet Caregivers around the clock and convenient tools for Pet Parents to get real-time information about their pets during a service.
Employees
As of December 2021, we had 75 full-time employees in the United States. Our employees are allocated across our groups as follows: 20 in corporate, 22 in customer experience, 26 in product and engineering, and 7 in marketing. We also engage contractors and consultants. None of our employees are subject to a collective bargaining agreement or represented by a labor union and we have
29
not experienced any work stoppages as a result of any labor or employment disputes. We consider our relationships with our employees to be in good health.
All Pet Caregivers using the Wag! platform are independent contractors. All caregivers must agree to our Terms of Service as well as enter into an Independent Contractor Agreement to use the platform.
Technology and Infrastructure
Our technology platform is designed to provide an efficient marketplace experience across our website and mobile apps. Our technology vision is to build and deliver secure, flexible, scalable systems, tools, and products that exceed our expectations for Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers alike, as well as accelerate growth and improve productivity.
Our booking platform connects to the front-end customer web and mobile users, as well as to our support operations team. This platform also connects to our data science platform. We collect and secure information generated from user activity and use machine learning to continuously improve our booking systems. We have a common platform that allows us to seamlessly internationalize our product, integrate images and videos, use experiments to optimize user experience, test product improvements in real time, monitor our site reliability, and rapidly respond to incidents. Finally, our core booking platform connects to leading third-party vendors for communications, payment processing, IT operations management, as well as background checks.
We focus on user experience, quality, consistency, reliability, and efficiency when developing our software. We are also investing in continuously improving our data privacy, data protection, and security foundations, and we continually review and update our related policies and practices.
Intellectual Property
We rely on a combination of state, federal, and common-law rights and trade secret, trademark, and copyright laws in the United States and other jurisdictions together with confidentiality agreements, contractual restrictions, and technical measures to protect the confidentiality of our proprietary rights. To protect our trade secrets, we control access to our proprietary systems and technology and enter into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and consultants and confidentiality agreements with other third-parties in order to limit access to, and disclosure and use of, our confidential and proprietary technology and to preserve our rights thereto. We also have registered and unregistered trademarks for the names of many of our products and services, and we are the registrant of the domain registrations for all of our material websites.
Support Operations
Our support team assists Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers with bookings, safety issues, and questions concerning any pet services. Because we are committed to the safety and happiness of all pets on our platform, and peace of mind for Pet Parents, we offer 24/7 assistance to our entire community.
Marketing
Our marketing strategy is focused on attracting Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers to our marketplace. We depend on paid marketing, organic marketing and brand marketing strategies, along with creating virality and word-of-mouth acquisition through our product experience. Through our blog, The Daily Wag!, existing Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers, and media, we attract new users to our marketplace. Wag! is top-ranking in the Travel and Local (Google Play) and Travel (iOS) categories for key search terms through App Store optimization and strong consumer rankings and reviews. In addition, our website sees more than five million visitors per month from direct or unpaid traffic sources, the majority of which come from our search engine optimization efforts. From the third quarter of 2019 to the fourth quarter of 2021, we saw 70% Organic Customer Acquisition.
Facilities
Our corporate headquarters is located in San Francisco, California, pursuant to an operating lease that expires in August 2023. We lease additional office space in Phoenix, Arizona and Mountain View, California. We believe that these facilities are generally suitable to meet our needs. From time to time, we have subleased portions of the spaces that we are not currently using.
30
Competitors
The markets in which we operate are highly fragmented. We face multiple competitors across different categories, and our competitors vary in both size and breadth of services. We expect competition to continue, both from current competitors, who may be well-established and enjoy greater resources or other strategic advantages, as well as new entrants into the market, some of which may become significant competitors in the future. Our main competitors include:
● | Family, friends, and neighbors. Our largest competitive dynamic remains the people to whom Pet Parents go for pet care within their personal networks. |
● | Local independent professionals. Local small businesses and independent professionals often operate at small scale with little to no online presence, primarily relying on word of mouth and marketing solutions such as flyers and local ads. As a Pet Parent, it is difficult to know where to find reliable information, who to call, and who to trust. |
● | Large, commercial providers. Large commercial providers, such as kennels and daycares, often struggle to meet the individual needs of Pet Parents and their pets. Such providers can be expensive, and their facilities are often crowded, inducing stress in some pets and leading Pet Parents to question the quality of care their pets receive. |
● | Online aggregators and directories. Pet Parents can also access general purpose online aggregators and directories, such as Craigslist, Nextdoor, or Yelp, to find pet care providers. However, Pet Parents may lack trust in these directories, or find it difficult to find an available and appropriate pet care provider |
● | Other digital marketplaces. We compete with companies such as Rover and the pet care offering on Care.com. We differentiate ourselves with the breadth of our pet service options and simplicity in booking. For example, Wag! is the only marketplace to offer on-demand booking for dog walking and drop-in visits at the Pet Parent’s home, enabling Pet Parents to find a local Pet Caregiver in less than 15 minutes. In addition, our monthly subscription, Wag! Premium, enables Pet Parents to receive a suite of platform features including discounts on additional services, such as boarding, sitting, and training, which has resulted in an Attach Rate of 25% from 2020 to 2021. Finally, through our Wag! Wellness suite of services, Pet Parents can chat with a licensed pet expert 24/7. |
Data Privacy, Data Protection and Security
Our privacy and information security program is reasonably designed and implemented, both within our internal systems and on our platform, in an effort to address the security and compliance requirements of personal or otherwise regulated data related to Pet Parents, Pet Caregivers, and our employees. We have a team of professionals that focuses on technical measures such as application, network, and system security, as well as policy measures related to privacy compliance, internal training and education, business continuity, and documented incident response protocols. Further, we design and implement our platform, offerings, and policies to facilitate compliance with evolving privacy, data protection, and data security laws and regulations, as well as to demonstrate respect for the privacy and data protection rights of our users and employees.
Government Regulation
We are subject to a wide variety of laws, regulations, and standards in the United States and other jurisdictions. These laws, regulations, and standards govern issues such as worker classification, labor and employment, anti-discrimination, payments, pricing, whistleblowing and worker confidentiality obligations, animal and human health and safety, text messaging, subscription services, intellectual property, insurance producer licensing and market conduct, consumer protection and warnings, marketing, product liability, environmental protection, taxation, privacy, data protection, data security, competition, unionizing and collective action, arbitration agreements and class action waiver provisions, terms of service, e-commerce, mobile application and website accessibility, money transmittal, and background checks. These laws, regulations, and standards are often complex and subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity or unclear applicability, and as a result, their application in practice may change or develop over time through judicial decisions or as new guidance or interpretations are provided by regulatory and governing
31
bodies, such as federal, state, and local administrative agencies. Noncompliance with state insurance statutes or regulations may subject Wag! to regulatory action by the relevant state insurance regulator, and, in certain states, private litigation.
National, state, and local governmental authorities have enacted or pursued, and may in the future enact and pursue, measures designed to regulate the “gig economy.” For example, in 2019, the California Assembly passed AB-5, which codified a narrow worker classification test that has had the effect of treating many “gig economy” workers as employees. AB-5 includes a referral agency exemption that specifically applies to animal services and dog walking and grooming, and we believe that Wag! falls within this exemption.
In addition, other jurisdictions could adopt similar laws that do not include such carve outs and which, if applied to Wag!’s platform, could adversely impact its availability and our business.
Other types of new laws and regulations, and changes to existing laws and regulations, continue to be adopted, implemented, and interpreted in response to our business and related technologies. For instance, state and local governments have in the past pursued, or may in the future pursue or enact, licensing, zoning, or other regulation that impacts the ability of individuals to provide home-based pet care.
One of our subsidiaries operates pet insurance comparison engine webpages. This subsidiary is not an underwriter of insurance risk nor does it act in the capacity of an insurance company. Rather, it is licensed and regulated as an insurance producer. On its website, the subsidiary may refer its customers to options for pet insurance plans provided and sold through unaffiliated third parties, including through unaffiliated insurance carriers. The subsidiary’s insurance comparison search feature provides hyperlinks by which consumers are connected with a pet insurance provider’s website to purchase an insurance plan. Each state has its own insurance statutes and regulations and applicable regulatory agency. Generally, each state requires insurers and insurance producers to be licensed in that state. Our subsidiary maintains insurance producer licenses in each state in which it operates. The subsidiary’s website declares that it is neither an underwriter nor an insurer, specifically to highlight that it is not in the business of underwriting insurance plans. All insurance plans referred to by the subsidiary through its insurance comparison search feature are provided by third-party insurance companies. The subsidiary accepts neither premium payments from consumers nor responsibility for paying any amounts on claims.
Debt Financing and Equity Commitments
In connection with entering into the Business Combination Agreement, on February 2, 2022, CHW entered into a definitive commitment letter with Blue Torch Capital LP (together with its affiliated funds and any other parties providing a commitment thereunder, including any additional lenders, agents, arrangers or other parties joined thereto after the date thereof, collectively, the “Debt Financing Sources”), pursuant to which, among other things, the Debt Financing Sources agreed to fund a $30 million senior secured Credit Facility. The lender will additionally be granted warrants to purchase 5% of shares of common stock as of the Acquisition Closing Date at an exercise price of $11.50 per share with terms similar to CHW’s public warrants. The closing and funding of the Credit Facility will occur in connection with the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement. Upon closing, Wag! will be the primary borrower under the Credit Facility, New Wag! will be a parent guarantor and substantially all of Wag!’s existing and future subsidiaries will be subsidiary guarantors (subject to certain customary exceptions). The Credit Facility will be secured by a first priority security interest in substantially all assets of the borrower and the guarantors (subject to certain customary exceptions).
The Credit Facility will bear interest at a floating rate of interest equal to, at the borrower’s option, LIBOR plus 10.00% per annum or the base rate plus 9.00% per annum, with the base rate defined as the greatest of (i) the prime rate announced by the Wall Street Journal from time to time, (ii) the federal funds effective rate plus 0.50% and (iii) one-month LIBOR plus 1.00%. LIBOR will be subject to a floor of 1.00% per annum, and the base rate will be subject to a floor of 2.00% per annum. The definitive documentation for the Credit Facility will include customary provisions for the replacement of LIBOR with an acceptable benchmark replacement rate if and when LIBOR is no longer available for borrowings under the Credit Facility. Interest will be payable in arrears at the end of each LIBOR (or other appropriate published rate) interest period (but at least every three (3) months) for LIBOR borrowings and quarterly in arrears for base rate borrowings. During the existence of certain events of default under the Credit Facility, overdue amounts will bear default rate interest at the rate then applicable plus 2.00% per annum.
32
The Credit Facility will mature three (3) years after the date of closing and will be subject to quarterly amortization payments of principal, in an aggregate amount equal to 2.00% of the principal amount of the Credit Facility in the first year after closing, 3.00% of the principal amount of the Credit Facility in the second year after closing and 5.00% of the principal amount of the Credit Facility in the third year after closing. The remaining outstanding principal balance of the Credit Facility will be due and payable in full on the maturity date. In addition to scheduled amortization payments, the Credit Facility will contain customary mandatory prepayment provisions that will require principal prepayments of the Credit Facility upon certain triggering events, including receipt of asset sale proceeds outside of the ordinary course of business, receipt of certain insurance proceeds, receipt of proceeds of non-permitted debt and receipt of other extraordinary payments. The Credit Facility may also be voluntarily prepaid at any time, subject to the payment of a prepayment premium equal to an interest make-whole payment plus 3.00% of the principal amount of such prepayment in the first year after closing, 2.00% of the principal amount of such prepayment in the second year after closing, and 0% thereafter.
The Credit Facility will be subject to customary representations and warranties, affirmative covenants, financial reporting requirements, negative covenants and events of default. The negative covenants included in the definitive documentation for the Credit Facility will impose restrictions on the ability of the borrower, the guarantors and their subsidiaries to incur indebtedness, grant liens, make investments, make acquisitions, declare and pay restricted payments, prepay junior or subordinated debt, sell assets and enter into transactions with affiliates, in each case, subject to certain customary exceptions. In addition, the Credit Facility will require compliance with certain financial covenants, specifically a monthly minimum revenue covenant and a minimum liquidity covenant.
On January 28, 2022, Wag! entered into the Series P Subscription Agreements with certain institutional and other accredited investors (the “Series P Investors”), pursuant to which, among other things, the Series P Investors purchased an aggregate of 1,100,000 shares of Series P Preferred Stock (the “Series P Shares”) at a cash purchase price of $10.00 per share, resulting in aggregate proceeds to Wag! of $11 million (the “Series P Investment”).
On February 2, 2022, CHW entered into the PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement with a certain qualified institutional buyer (the “PIPE and Backstop Investor”), pursuant to which, among other things, the PIPE and Backstop Investor party thereto agreed to purchase an aggregate of up to 500,000 shares of common stock following the Domestication and substantially concurrent with the Closing at a cash purchase price of $10.00 per share, resulting in aggregate proceeds of $5 million (the “PIPE and Backstop Investment”). Under the PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement, if the PIPE and Backstop Investor acquires shares in the open market between a certain defined period of time as set forth under the agreement and agrees not to redeem those shares, then the common shares agreed to be purchased under the agreement will be reduced on a share-for-share basis by the number of shares so acquired. The PIPE and Backstop Investment is expected to close immediately prior to the Closing.
The PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement contains customary representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of CHW and the PIPE and Backstop Investor and are subject to customary closing conditions (including, without limitation, that there is no amendment or modification to the Business Combination Agreement that is material and adverse to the PIPE and Backstop Investor) and termination rights (including a termination right if the transactions contemplated by the PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement have not been consummated by November 6, 2022, other than as a result of breach by the terminating party). The Series P Investments closed prior to the Closing.
There are important differences between the rights of holders of shares of common stock and holders of CHW ordinary shares. See “The Domestication Proposal—Comparison of Corporate Governance and Shareholders” for a discussion of the different rights associated with holding these securities. In addition, the CHW ordinary shares were originally sold in the CHW IPO as a component of the CHW units for $10.00 per unit. The CHW units consist of one ordinary share and one redeemable CHW warrant.
For more information regarding the PIPE and Backstop Investment, see the section entitled “The Business Combination Agreement — Related Agreements — PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement.” See also the PIPE and Backstop Subscription Agreement attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex G, as the same may be amended, modified, supplemented or waived from time to time in accordance with its terms.
CHW Extraordinary Meeting and the Proposals
The Special Meeting will be held at a.m., Eastern Time, on, 2022, at the offices of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, located at One Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, New York 10017, or such other date, time, and place to which such meeting may be adjourned. In light of the novel coronavirus pandemic and to support the well-being of CHW’s shareholders, directors
33
and officers, CHW encourages you to use remote methods of attending the Special Meeting or to attend via proxy. You may attend the Special Meeting and vote your shares electronically during the Special Meeting via live webcast by visiting . You will need the meeting control number that is printed on your proxy card to enter the Special Meeting. You may also attend the meeting telephonically by dialing: (within the U.S. and Canada and toll-free) or (outside of the U.S. and Canada, standard rates apply). At the Special Meeting, CHW’s shareholders will be asked to approve the Domestication Proposal, the Business Combination Proposal, Organizational Documents Proposal, the Advisory Charter Proposals, the Nasdaq Proposal, the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal (if necessary).
The CHW board of directors has fixed the close of business on (the “record date”) as the record date for determining the holders of CHW ordinary shares entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Special Meeting. As of the record date, there were CHW ordinary shares outstanding and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting. Each share of CHW ordinary shares entitles the holder to one vote at the Special Meeting on each proposal to be considered at the Special Meeting. As of the record date, the Sponsor and CHW’s directors and officers and their affiliates owned and were entitled to vote shares of CHW ordinary shares, representing approximately 15% of the shares of CHW ordinary shares outstanding on that date. CHW currently expects that the Sponsor and its directors and officers will vote their shares in favor of the Shareholder Proposals and, pursuant to the IPO Letter Agreement and the CHW Founders Stock Letter, the Sponsor and directors and officers have agreed to do so. As of the record date, Wag! did not beneficially hold any shares of CHW ordinary shares.
A majority of the voting power of the issued and outstanding CHW ordinary shares entitled to vote at the Special Meeting must be present, in person or virtually or represented by proxy, at the Special Meeting to constitute a quorum and in order to conduct business at the Special Meeting.
Approval of the Business Combination Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, vote at the Special Meeting. Approval of the Domestication Proposal, the Organizational Documents Proposal and the Advisory Charter Proposals require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, vote at the Special Meeting. Approval of the Advisory Charter Proposals, the Nasdaq Proposal, the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal (if necessary) each requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, vote at the Special Meeting.
The Business Combination is conditioned upon the approval of the Domestication Proposal, the Business Combination Proposal, the Organizational Documents Proposal, the Nasdaq Proposal, the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal and the ESPP Proposal subject to the terms of the Business Combination Agreement. The Business Combination is not conditioned on the Advisory Charter Proposals or the Adjournment Proposal. If the Business Combination Proposal is not approved, the other Shareholder Proposals (except the Adjournment Proposal) will not be presented to the shareholders for a vote.
Recommendation of CHW’s Board of Directors
CHW’s board of directors has determined that the Business Combination Proposal is in the best interests of CHW and its shareholders, has approved the Business Combination Proposal, and recommends that shareholders vote “FOR” the Domestication Proposal, “FOR” the Business Combination Proposal, “FOR” the Organizational Documents Proposal, “FOR” each of the Advisory Charter Proposals, “FOR” the Nasdaq Proposal, “FOR” for the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal, “FOR” the ESPP Proposal and “FOR” the Adjournment Proposal, in each case, if presented to the Special Meeting.
CHW‘s Board of Directors’ Reasons for Approval of the Business Combination
On February 1, 2022, the CHW Board (i) determined that the Business Combination and the transactions contemplated thereby are fair to, and in the best interests of, CWH and its stockholders, (ii) approved and adopted the Business Combination Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby and declared their advisability and (iii) directed that the Business Combination Agreement, related transaction documentation and other Shareholder Proposals be submitted to CHW’s shareholders for approval and adoption, and recommended that CHW’s shareholders approve and adopt the Business Combination Agreement, related transaction documentation and such other Shareholder Proposals. In light of the number and wide variety of factors considered in connection with its evaluation of the Business Combination, the Board did not consider it practicable to, and did not attempt to, quantify or otherwise
34
assign relative weights to the specific factors that it considered in reaching its determination and supporting its decision. The CHW board of directors did not seek to obtain a third-party valuation or fairness opinion in connection with their determination to approve the Business Combination. The CHW board of directors viewed its decision as being based on all of the information available and the factors presented and considered by it. In addition, individual directors may have given different weight to different factors. For more information, see the section entitled “The Business Combination Agreement— CHW Board of Directors’ Reasons for the Approval of the Business Combination.” This explanation of CHW’s reasons for the Business Combination and all other information presented in this section is forward-looking in nature and, therefore, should be read in light of the factors discussed under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Consistent with its investment philosophy and strategy, CHW planned to identify target companies in the consumer industry that are positioned for growth and where we can add value through margin enhancement, the ability to capitalize on market trends, and advancing business-to-business relationships. These criteria were not intended to be exhaustive, and the evaluation relating to the merits of CHW’s initial business combination would be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that CHW’s management team deemed relevant. In considering the Business Combination with Wag!, the Board concluded that it met all of the above criteria.
The Board also gave consideration to certain risks related to the Business Combination, which are described in this proxy statement/prospectus under the caption “Risk Factors”.
Certain Regulatory Approvals
The parties will use their respective reasonable best efforts to promptly file all notices, reports and other documents required to be filed by such party with any governmental authority with respect to the Business Combination, and to submit promptly any additional information requested by any such governmental authority. The parties will use their respective reasonable best efforts to promptly obtain all authorizations, approvals, clearances, consents, actions or non-actions of any governmental authority in connection with the applicable filings, applications or notifications. Each party will promptly inform the other parties of any material communication between itself or its representatives and any governmental authority regarding the Business Combination. If a party or any of its affiliates receives any request for supplemental information or documentary material from any governmental authority with respect to the Business Combination, then the party, to the extent necessary and advisable, shall provide a reasonable response to such request as promptly as reasonably practicable.
Conditions to Closing
The Closing is subject to certain customary conditions, including, among other things: (i) the approval of the Business Combination and other matters by CHW’s shareholders; (ii) the expiration or termination of any applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and receipt of certain additional regulatory approvals; (iii) the Available Cash Amount (as defined herein) equaling no less than $30 million at the Closing (pro forma for any payments required to be made in connection with the Business Combination); (iv) (x) fundamental representations and warranties (which includes Organization, Due Authorization, Holding Company; Ownership and Brokers’ Fees) bring down conditions to an “all material respects” standard, (y) general representations and warranties bring down conditions to a “material adverse effect” standard and (z) capitalization representation bring down condition to a “de minimis” standard; (v) covenant bring down conditions to an “all material respects” standard; (vi) the absence of a material adverse effect on the respective parties; and (vii) the effectiveness of this registration statement and the listing of New Wag! common stock to be issued in the Business Combination on Nasdaq. To the extent permitted by law, the conditions in the Business Combination Agreement may be waived by the parties thereto.
Termination
The Business Combination Agreement may be terminated by CHW or Wag! under certain circumstances, including, among others, (i) by mutual written consent of Wag! and CHW, (ii) by either CHW or Wag! if the Acquisition Merger Effective Time shall not have occurred prior to August 8, 2022, (iii) by either Wag! or CHW if any of the Required SPAC Proposals, as defined in the Business Combination Agreement, fail to receive the requisite vote for approval at the Extraordinary General Meeting of CHW’s Shareholders’, or (iv) by a Terminating Company Breach or Terminating SPAC Breach, each as defined in the Business Combination Agreement. See Article IX of the Business Combination Agreement.
35
Date, Time and Place of Extraordinary General Meeting of CHW’s Shareholders
The Special Meeting will be held on , 2022, at a.m., Eastern Time, at the offices of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, located at One Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, New York 10017, or such other date, time, and place to which such meeting may be adjourned. In light of the novel coronavirus pandemic and to support the well-being of CHW’s shareholders, directors and officers, CHW encourages you to use remote methods of attending the Special Meeting or to attend via proxy. You may attend the Special Meeting and vote your shares electronically during the Special Meeting via live webcast by visiting . You will need the meeting control number that is printed on your proxy card to enter the Special Meeting. You may also attend the meeting telephonically by dialing (within the U.S. and Canada and toll-free) or (outside of the U.S. and Canada, standard rates apply).
Voting Power; Record Date
CHW has fixed the close of business on , 2022 as the “record date” for determining CHW shareholders entitled to notice of and to attend and vote at the extraordinary general meeting. As of the close of business on the record date, there were 15,687,500 CHW ordinary shares outstanding and entitled to vote. Each CHW ordinary share is entitled to one vote per share at the extraordinary general meeting. If your shares are held in “street name” or are in a margin or similar account, you should contact your broker to ensure that votes related to the shares you beneficially own are properly voted.
Quorum and Vote of CHW Shareholders
A quorum of CHW shareholders is necessary to hold a valid meeting of shareholders. The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of at least 50% of the ordinary shares entitled to vote constitutes a quorum.
The approval of each of the Business Combination Proposal, the Advisory Charter Proposals, the Nasdaq Proposal, the Omnibus Incentive Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal, respectively, requires an ordinary resolution, being the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by CHW’s shareholders present in person (virtually) or represented by proxy at the extraordinary general meeting and entitled to vote on such matter (and absent shareholders, shareholders who are present but do not vote, blanks and abstentions are not counted).
The approval of each of the Domestication Proposal and the Organizational Documents Proposal requires a special resolution, being the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by CHW’s shareholders present in person (virtually) or represented by proxy at the extraordinary general meeting and entitled to vote on such matter (and absent shareholders, shareholders who are present but do not vote, blanks and abstentions are not counted).
Redemption Rights
Public shareholders may seek to redeem the public shares that they hold, regardless of whether they vote for the Business Combination, against the Business Combination or do not vote in relation to the Business Combination. Any public shareholder may request redemption of their public shares for 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 Business Combination, including interest (less taxes paid or payable, if any, and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares. If a holder properly seeks redemption as described in this section and the Business Combination is consummated, the holder will no longer own these shares following the Business Combination.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such holder or any other person with whom such holder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to 15% or more of the public shares. Accordingly, if a public shareholder, alone or acting in concert or as a group, seeks to redeem more than 15% of the public shares, then any such shares in excess of that 15% limit would not be redeemed for cash.
CHW’s initial shareholders will not have redemption rights with respect to any ordinary shares owned by them, directly or indirectly.
36
You will be entitled to receive cash for any public shares to be redeemed only if you:
(i) | hold (a) public shares or (b) units and you elect to separate your units into the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising your redemption rights with respect to the public shares; and |
(ii) | prior to p.m., Eastern Time, on, 2022, (a) submit a written request to the transfer agent that CHW redeem your public shares for cash and (b) deliver your share certificates for your public shares (if any) to the transfer agent, physically or electronically through DTC. |
Any request to redeem public shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time until the deadline for exercising redemption requests and thereafter, with CHW’s consent, until the closing of the Business Combination. If CHW receives valid redemption requests from holders of public shares prior to the redemption deadline, CHW may, at its sole discretion, following the redemption deadline and until the date of Closing, seek and permit withdrawals by one or more of such holders of their redemption requests. CHW may select which holders to seek such withdrawals of redemption requests from based on any factors we may deem relevant, and the purpose of seeking such withdrawals may be to increase the funds held in the Trust Account, including where CHW otherwise would not satisfy the closing condition that the amount in the Trust Account and the proceeds from the Pre-PIPE Investment, PIPE and Backstop Investment and Debt Financing equal or exceed $30 million, following payment of the aggregate amount of cash proceeds that will be required to satisfy any redemptions and payment of all transaction expenses. If you delivered your public shares for redemption to the transfer agent and decide within the required timeframe not to exercise your redemption rights, you may request that the transfer agent return the shares (physically or electronically). You may make such request by contacting CHW’s transfer agent at the email address or address listed under the question “Who can help answer my questions?” below. If the Business Combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then CHW’s public shareholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights will not be entitled to redeem their shares. In such case, CHW will promptly return any shares previously delivered by public holders.
If a public shareholder exercises its redemption rights, then it will be exchanging its redeemed public shares for cash and will no longer own those public shares. You will be entitled to receive cash for your public shares only if you properly exercise your right to redeem the public shares that you will hold upon the Domestication, No later than the close of the vote on the Business Combination Proposal, and deliver your ordinary shares (either physically or electronically) to the transfer agent, prior to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on , 2022, and the Business Combination is consummated.
In order for public shareholders to exercise their redemption rights in respect of the Business Combination, public shareholders must properly exercise their right to redeem the public shares that you will hold upon the Domestication No later than the close of the vote on the Business Combination Proposal and deliver their ordinary shares (either physically or electronically) to the transfer agent, prior to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time on , 2022. Therefore, the exercise of redemption rights occurs prior to the Domestication. For the purposes of Article 48.5 of the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of CHW and Cayman Islands law, the exercise of redemption rights shall be treated as an election to have such public shares repurchased for cash and references in this proxy statement/prospectus shall be interpreted accordingly. Immediately following the Domestication and the consummation of the Business Combination, public shareholders who properly exercised their redemption rights in respect of their public shares shall be paid.
No Appraisal Rights
CHW’s shareholders will not have appraisal rights under Cayman Islands law or otherwise in connection with the Business Combination Proposal or the other Shareholder Proposals.
Proxy Solicitation
Proxies may be solicited by mail, telephone or in person. CHW has engaged Advantage Proxy, Inc. to assist in the solicitation of proxies. If a shareholder grants a proxy, it may still vote its shares in person if it revokes its proxy before the Special Meeting. A shareholder also may change its vote by submitting a later-dated proxy as described in the section entitled “The Extraordinary General Meeting — Revoking Your Proxy.”
37
Interests of CHW’s Directors and Officers in the Business Combination
In considering the recommendation of the board of directors of CHW to vote in favor of approval of the Domestication Proposal, the Business Combination Proposal, the Organizational Documents Proposal and the other Shareholder Proposals, shareholders should keep in mind that the Sponsor and certain members of the board of directors and officers of CHW and the Sponsor, including its directors and officers, have interests in such Shareholder Proposals that are different from, or in addition to, those of CHW’s shareholders generally. In particular:
● | If CHW does not consummate a business combination by December 1, 2022 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association), it would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, redeeming all of the outstanding ordinary shares for cash and, subject to the approval of its remaining shareholders and its board of directors, dissolving and liquidating, subject in each case to its obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such event, the 12,500,000 ordinary shares would be worthless because following the redemption of the public shares, CHW would likely have few, if any, net assets and because the holders of our founder shares have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to the founder shares if we fail to complete a Business Combination within the required period. |
● | The Sponsor purchased the founder shares prior to our initial public offering for approximately $0.009 per share. The shares of common stock that the Sponsor will hold following the Business Combination, if unrestricted and freely tradable, would have had aggregate market value of $ based upon the closing price of $ per share of public share on Nasdaq on , the record date. Given such shares will be subject to lock-up restrictions, we believe such shares have less value. |
● | Sponsor purchased 4,238,636 private placement warrants, each exercisable to purchase one ordinary share at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment, at a price of $1.00 per warrant, and such private placement warrants will expire and be worthless if a business combination is not consummated within 15 months of the consummation of the IPO (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Existing Organizational Documents). |
● | Certain directors and officers of CHW may be deemed to have or share beneficial ownership of the founder shares held directly by the Sponsor by virtue of their ownership interest in the manager of the Sponsor. |
● | CHW’s existing directors and officers will be eligible for continued indemnification and continued coverage under CHW’s directors’ and officers’ liability insurance after the Business Combination. |
● | In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to CHW if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to CHW, or a prospective target business with which CHW has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account. This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account or to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of CHW’s initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. |
● | Following consummation of the Business Combination, Sponsor, our officers and directors and their respective affiliates would be entitled to reimbursement for certain reasonable out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and consummating an initial business combination, and repayment of any other loans, if any, and on such terms as to be determined by CHW from time to time, made by Sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. However, if CHW fails to consummate a business combination within the required period, Sponsor and CHW’s officers and directors and their respective affiliates will not have any claim against the Trust Account for reimbursement. |
38
● | Under the terms of the Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, New Wag! grants CHW Founder Shareholders certain customary demand, shelf and piggyback registration rights with respect to their shares of New Wag! common stock. |
● | Under the terms of the Business Combination Agreement, following the Acquisition Closing, in the event that New Wag! conducts a tender offer or other redemption, termination or cancellation of the assumed CHW warrants, each of (x) the CHW Founder Shareholders, collectively, and (y) certain members of New Wag’s management, collectively, shall be entitled to receive five percent (5%) of any cash proceeds actually received by New Wag as a result of the exercise of any such assumed CHW warrants in connection with such redemption. |
Stock Exchange Listing
We expect to list the shares of New Wag! common stock and warrants to purchase shares of common stock on Nasdaq under the proposed symbols “PET” and “PETW”, respectively.
Sources and Uses of Funds for the Business Combination
The following tables summarize the estimated sources and uses for funding the Business Combination assuming (i) that none of CHW’s outstanding ordinary shares are redeemed in connection with the Business Combination (“No Redemptions”) and (ii) that 12.5 million outstanding ordinary shares are redeemed in connection with the Business Combination (representing all the outstanding public shares (“Maximum Redemptions”)). The number of ordinary shares redeemable assuming Maximum Redemptions assumes that the per share Redemption Price is $10.00; the actual per share Redemption Price will be equal to the pro rata portion of the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination.
Estimated Sources and Uses (No Redemptions, in millions)
Sources |
|
| Uses |
|
| |||
Proceeds from Trust Account | $ | 125 |
| Cash from Balance Sheet | $ | 152 | ||
Pre-PIPE Investment |
| 11 |
| Closing Cash Consideration |
| — | ||
PIPE and Backstop Investment |
| 5 |
| Transaction Costs | 19 | |||
Credit Facility | 30 | |||||||
Total Sources | $ | 171 |
| Total Uses | $ | 171 |
Estimated Sources and Uses (Maximum Redemptions, in millions)
Sources |
|
| Uses |
|
| |||
Proceeds from Trust Account | $ | 0 |
| Cash from Balance Sheet | $ | 27 | ||
Pre-PIPE Investment | 11 | Closing Cash Consideration | — | |||||
PIPE and Backstop Investment | 5 | Transaction Costs | 19 | |||||
Credit Facility |
| 30 |
|
| ||||
|
| |||||||
Total Sources | $ | 46 |
| Total Uses | $ | 46 |
The foregoing has been prepared using the following assumptions:
● | Assuming No Redemptions: This “minimum scenario” presentation assumes that none of the 12,500,000 public shares outstanding as of the record date are redeemed by CHW’s public shareholders. |
● | Assuming Maximum Redemptions: This presentation assumes that CHW’s public shareholders redeem 12,500,000 shares of CHW’s ordinary shares. This calculation assumes that the full $5 million in aggregate proceeds are received from the PIPE and Backstop Investment and that the amount in the Trust Account (prior to any redemptions) is equal to $125 million (approximately the amount in the Trust Account as of December 31, 2021), resulting in an aggregate redemption payment (based on an estimated redemption price per share of approximately $10) of $125 million. |
39
For additional information, including the assumptions underlying the Assuming No Redemptions and Assuming Maximum Redemptions scenarios presented above, see “Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information.”
Comparison of Corporate Governance and Shareholder Rights
Following the consummation of the Business Combination, the rights of CHW shareholders who become New Wag! stockholders in the Business Combination will no longer be governed by the Existing Organizational Documents and instead will be governed by the Proposed Charter and the Proposed Bylaws of New Wag!. See “The Domestication Proposal — Comparison of Corporate Governance and Shareholders.”
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
For a discussion summarizing the U.S. federal income tax considerations of the Domestication and exercise of redemption rights, please see “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
Expected Accounting Treatment
The Business Combination will be accounted for as a reverse recapitalization, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Under this method of accounting, CHW will be treated as the acquired company for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the Business Combination will be treated as the equivalent of Wag! issuing shares for the net assets of CHW, accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of CHW will be recognized at historical cost (which is expected to be consistent with carrying value), with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded. This determination is primarily based on Wag! stockholders comprising a relative majority of the voting power of New Wag! and having the ability to nominate a majority of the members of the Board of New Wag! Wag!’s operations, and Wag!’s senior management comprising the senior management of New Wag!. Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the financial statements of New Wag! will represent a continuation of the financial statements of Wag! with the Business Combination being treated as the equivalent of Wag! issuing stock for the net assets of CHW, accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of CHW will be stated at historical costs, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded. Operations prior to the Acquisition Merger will be presented as those of Wag! in future reports of New Wag!.
There will be no accounting effect or change in the carrying amount of the assets and liabilities of the Company as a result of the U.S. Domestication. The business, capitalization and liabilities of the Company immediately following the U.S. Domestication will be the same as those immediately prior to the U.S. Domestication. There will also not be any accounting impact regarding the change in par value in the shares of the Company as a result of the U.S. Domestication.
Regulatory Matters
The Domestication, the Acquisition Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement are not subject to any additional U.S. federal or state regulatory requirements or approvals, or any regulatory requirements or approvals under the laws of the Cayman Islands, except for the registration by the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands of the plans of merger.
Emerging Growth Company
CHW 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 independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and 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
40
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 an election to opt out is irrevocable. CHW 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, CHW, 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 CHW’s financial statements with another public company that is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company that has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Risk Factors
In evaluating the proposals to be presented at the Special Meeting, a shareholder should carefully read this proxy statement/prospectus and especially consider the factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors.”
Summary of Risk Factors
You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this proxy statement/prospectus, before voting on the Shareholder Proposals. For purposes of the below summary of risk factors, “we” and “our” refers to Wag! or New Wag!, as the context may require. Such risks include, but are not limited to:
● | We may be subject to cybersecurity risks and changes to data protection regulation; |
● | We face increasing competition in many aspects of our business; |
● | We may not realize the anticipated benefits of our business acquisitions, and any acquisition, strategic relationship, joint venture or investment could disrupt our business and harm our operating results and financial condition; |
● | If we are unable to manage our growth and expand our operations successfully, our reputation, brands, business and results of operations may be harmed; |
● | We are subject to risks related to our dependency on our key management members and other key personnel, as well as attracting, retaining and developing qualified personnel in a highly competitive talent market; |
● | We may be subject to litigation risks and may face liabilities and damage to our professional reputation as a result; |
● | Our businesses are subject to extensive domestic and foreign regulations that may subject us to significant costs and compliance requirements; |
● | We are subject to risks related to effectuating the Domestication including potentially adverse tax consequences and less favorable shareholder rights under the DGCL than under Cayman Islands Law; |
● | We may be subject to risks related to our status as an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act; |
● | Because the Company will become a publicly traded company by means other than a traditional underwritten initial public offering, the Company’s stockholders may face additional risks and uncertainties; |
● | CHW and Wag! are subject to risks that may prevent the consummation and completion of the Business Combination, including the approval of each Condition Precedent Proposal, the failure to meet closing conditions, the failure of the PIPE and Backstop Investment to close, and the failure of the Credit Facility to close; |
41
● | Some of CHW’s officers and directors may have conflicts of interest that may influence or have influenced them to support or approve the Business Combination without regard to your interests or in determining whether Wag! is appropriate for CHW’s initial business combination; |
● | If third parties bring claims against CHW, the proceeds held in the Trust Account could be reduced and the per share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share; |
● | You may only be able to exercise your public warrants on a “cashless basis” under certain circumstances, and if you do so, you will receive fewer shares of common stock from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash; |
● | The grant of registration rights to certain of our investors and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our common stock; |
● | We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of the warrants could be increased, the exercise period could be shortened and the number of ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without approval of each warrant affected; |
● | Failure to achieve and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could result in our failure to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations which could have a material adverse effect on our business and stock price; and |
● | The compliance obligations of CHW and Wag! under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an acquisition. |
42
SUMMARY HISTORICAL CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF CHW
The following table shows selected historical financial information of CHW Acquisition Corporation for the periods and as of the dates indicated. The selected historical financial information of CHW Acquisition Corporation was derived from the historical financial statements of CHW Acquisition Corporation included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus. The following table should be read in conjunction with “CHW Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and CHW’s historical financial statements and the notes and schedules related thereto, included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus.
For the period January 12, | ||||
2021 (inception) through | ||||
| December 31, 2021 | |||
Statement of Operations Data: |
| |||
Net loss | $ | (829,563) | ||
Basic and diluted net loss per share - redeemable ordinary shares | $ | (0.11) | ||
Basic and diluted net loss per share - non-redeemable ordinary shares | $ | (0.11) | ||
Statement of Cash Flow Data: |
|
| ||
Net cash used in operating activities | $ | (795,937) | ||
Net cash used in investing activities |
| (125,000,000) | ||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
| 126,483,518 |
| December 31, 2021 | ||
Balance Sheet Data: | |||
Total cash | $ | 687,581 | |
Total assets |
| 126,237,285 | |
Total liabilities |
| 4,958,331 | |
Total ordinary shares subject to possible redemption |
| 125,000,000 | |
Total shareholders’ equity (deficit) |
| (3,721,046) |
43
SUMMARY HISTORICAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF WAG!
The following tables show selected historical financial data of Wag! for the periods ended and as of the dates indicated. The selected historical statements of operations data of Wag! for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 and the historical balance sheet data as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 are derived from Wag!’s audited financial statements included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus. In the opinion of Wag!’s management, the consolidated financial statements include all adjustments necessary to state fairly Wag!’s financial position as of December 31, 2021 and the consolidated results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.
The financial information contained in this section relates to Wag!, prior to and without giving pro forma effect to the impact of the Acquisition Merger and, as a result, the results reflected in this section may not be indicative of the results of the post-combination company going forward. For more information regarding such financial information, see “Summary Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information” included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus.
Additionally, the following selected historical consolidated financial information should be read together with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and “Wag! Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” appearing elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus. The selected historical financial information in this section is not intended to replace Wag!’s consolidated financial statements and the related notes. Wag!’s historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in the future and Wag!’s consolidated results for the year ended December 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2022 or any other period.
Years Ended December 31, | ||||||
($ in thousands, except percentages) |
| 2021 |
| 2020 | ||
Revenue | $ | 20,082 | $ | 11,970 | ||
Cost of revenue, excluding depreciation and amortization |
| 2,777 |
| 2,756 | ||
Total operating expenses, including depreciation and amortization |
| 27,830 |
| 28,185 | ||
Gain on forgiveness of PPP loan |
| 3,482 |
| — | ||
Interest (expense) income, net |
| (61) |
| 145 | ||
Loss before income taxes |
| (7,104) |
| (18,826) | ||
Income tax benefit (expense) |
| 793 |
| (13) | ||
Net loss | $ | (6,311) | $ | (18,839) | ||
Net loss per share, basic and diluted | $ | (1.07) | $ | (3.35) | ||
Weighted average shares, basic and diluted |
| 5,908,062 |
| 5,623,515 |
December 31, | ||||||
Consolidated Balance Sheet Data |
| 2021 |
| 2020 | ||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 2,628 | $ | 3,049 | ||
Short-term investments |
| 2,771 |
| 16,358 | ||
Total current assets |
| 12,010 |
| 21,935 | ||
Working capital (1) |
| 2,030 |
| 13,971 | ||
Total assets |
| 16,462 |
| 23,174 | ||
Total liabilities |
| 12,310 |
| 13,101 | ||
Mezzanine equity |
| 110,265 |
| 110,265 | ||
Accumulated deficit | $ | (109,850) | $ | (103,539) | ||
Total stockholders’ deficit | $ | (106,113) | $ | (100,192) |
(1) | Working capital is defined as current assets less current liabilities. See the financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus for further details regarding Wag!’s current assets and current liabilities. |
44
SUMMARY UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The following unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information presents the combination of the financial information of CHW Acquisition Corporation (“CHW”) and Wag Labs, Inc. (“Wag!”), adjusted to give effect to the Business Combination. The following unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information has been prepared in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X.
The historical financial information of CHW was derived from the audited financial statements of CHW as of December 31, 2021 and for the period from January 12, 2021 (inception) to December 31, 2021 included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus. The historical financial information of Wag! was derived from the audited financial statements of Wag! as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021, included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus.
The unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Statements have been developed from and should be read in conjunction with:
● | the historical audited financial statements of CHW as of December 31, 2021 and for the period from January 12, 2021 (inception) to December 31, 2021; |
● | the historical audited consolidated financial statements of Wag! as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021; |
● | other information relating to CHW and Wag! included in this proxy statement/prospectus/ information statement, including the Business Combination Agreement and the description of certain terms thereof set forth under the section titled “The Business Combination Agreement” |
Notwithstanding the legal form of the business combination pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, the Business Combination will be accounted for as a reverse recapitalization in accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations, using the acquisition method. No goodwill or other intangible assets will be recorded, and, for accounting purposes, the Business Combination will be treated as the equivalent of Wag! issuing shares for the net assets of CHW, accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of CHW will be recognized at carrying value. For accounting purposes, the acquirer is the entity that has obtained control of another entity and, thus, consummated a business combination. The determination of whether control has been obtained begins with the evaluation of whether control should be evaluated based on the variable interest or voting interest model pursuant to ASC Topic 810, Consolidation (“ASC 810”). In all redemption scenarios, Wag! has been determined to be the accounting acquirer based on evaluation of the following factors:
● | Wag!’s shareholders will have majority of the voting power under both the No Redemption and Maximum Redemption scenarios; |
● | Wag! will appoint the majority of the board of directors of New Wag!; |
● | Wag!’s existing management will comprise the management of New Wag!; |
● | Wag! will comprise the ongoing operations of New Wag!; |
● | Wag! is the larger entity based on historical business operations; |
The unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information has been prepared using the assumptions below with respect to the potential redemption into cash of Wag!’s Public Shares:
● | Assuming No Redemptions: This presentation assumes that no CHW public shareholder exercises redemption rights with respect to its shares for a pro rata portion of the funds in the Trust Account. |
● | Assuming Maximum Redemptions: This scenario assumes that 12,500,000 CHW ordinary shares are redeemed for their pro rata share (assumed redemption price of $10.00 per share based on the funds held in the Trust Account as of December 31, |
45
2021) for aggregate redemption proceeds of $125.0 million. This Maximum Redemption scenario is based on the maximum number of redemptions which may occur, but which would still provide Series P Preferred Stock proceeds of $11 million, PIPE financing proceeds of $5.0 million, loan proceeds of $30 million before giving effect to the payment of the estimated transaction costs of $ 14.2 million, excluding CHW’s deferred underwriting commissions from its IPO, incurred in connection with the Merger. |
Unaudited Combined Statement of Operations Data:
For the Year Ended December 31, 2021 | ||||||
Assuming No | Assuming Maximum | |||||
Pro Forma Combined |
| Pro Forma Combined | ||||
Revenue |
| $ | 18,582 | $ | 18,582 | |
Cost and expenses: | — | — | ||||
Cost of revenue exclusive of depreciation and amortization | 2,777 | 2,777 | ||||
Platform operations and support | 14,135 | 14,135 | ||||
Sales and marketing | 13,029 | 13,029 | ||||
General and administrative | 35,084 | 35,084 | ||||
Depreciation and amortization | 388 | 388 | ||||
Total cost and expenses | 65,413 | 65,413 | ||||
Gain on forgiveness of PPP loan | 3,482 | 3,482 | ||||
Interest (expense) / income, net | (3,634) | (3,634) | ||||
Loss before income taxes | (46,983) | (46,983) | ||||
Income taxes | 793 | 793 | ||||
Net loss | $ | (46,190) | $ | (46,190) | ||
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding | 47,587,500 | 35,074,173 | ||||
Basic and diluted loss per share | $ | (0.97) | $ | (1.32) |
Unaudited Combined Balance Sheet Data:
Selected Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2021 |
| Pro Forma Combined |
| Pro Forma Combined | ||
Total assets | $ | 168,891 | $ | 43,891 | ||
Total liabilities | $ | 41,166 | $ | 41,166 | ||
Total stockholders’ equity | $ | 127,725 | $ | 2,725 |
46
COMPARATIVE HISTORICAL AND UNAUDITED PRO FORMA
PER SHARE FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The following table sets forth historical comparative per share information of Wag!, on a stand-alone basis, and the unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined per share information after giving effect to the Business Combination, assuming No Redemptions and Maximum Redemptions, respectively.
The historical information should be read in conjunction with the sections of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “Wag!’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “CHW’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” as well as the historical financial statements and related notes thereto of each of CHW and Wag! included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined per share information is derived from, and should be read in conjunction with, the information contained in the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information.”
The unaudited pro forma combined share information does not purport to represent what the actual results of operations of Wag! would have been had the Business Combination been completed or to project Wag!’s results of operations that may be achieved after the Business Combination. The unaudited pro forma combined net loss per share information below does not purport to represent what the actual results of operations of Wag! would have been had the Business Combination been completed or to project Wag!’s results of operations that may be achieved after the Business Combination. The unaudited pro forma stockholders’ equity per share information below does not purport to represent what the value of CHW equity and Wag! equity would have been had the Business Combination been completed nor the stockholders’ equity per share for any future date or period.
The following table sets forth:
● | Historical per share information of CHW for period from inception through December 31, 2021; |
● | Historical per share information of Wag! for the year ended December 31, 2021; and |
● | Unaudited pro forma per share information of the combined company for the year ended December 31, 2021 after giving effect to the Business Combination, assuming the redemption scenarios as follows: |
● | Assuming No Redemptions: This presentation assumes that no CHW public shareholder exercises redemption rights with respect to its shares for a pro rata portion of the funds in the Trust Account. |
● | Assuming Maximum Redemptions: This scenario assumes that 12,500,000 CHW ordinary shares are redeemed for their pro rata share (assumed redemption price of $10.00 per share based on the funds held in the Trust Account as of December 31, 2021) for aggregate redemption proceeds of $125.0 million. This maximum redemption scenario is based on the maximum number of redemptions which may occur but which would still provide Series P Preferred Stock proceeds of $11 million, PIPE financing proceeds of $5.0 million and loan proceeds of $30 million before giving effect to the payment of the estimated transaction costs of $14.2 million, excluding CHW’s deferred underwriting commissions from its IPO, incurred in connection with the Merger. |
The pro forma book value shares outstanding, and net loss per share information reflects the Business Combination, assuming the Post-Combination Company shares were outstanding since January 1, 2021. The weighted average shares outstanding and net loss per share information give pro forma effect to the Business Combination and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement as if they had occurred on January 1, 2021.
47
In both scenarios, the amount of cash available is sufficient to pay transaction expenses.
|
|
| Unaudited Pro Forma Combined | |||||||||
As of and for the Year Ended December 31, 2021 | CHW Acquisition | Wag | No Redemption |
| Maximum Redemption | |||||||
(In thousands, except per share data) | ||||||||||||
Book value per share(2)(3) | $ | 1.17 | $ | 16.88 | $ | 2.68 | $ | 0.08 | ||||
Number of shares outstanding of CHW Founder shares – basic and diluted | 3,171,069 | |||||||||||
Number of shares outstanding of CHW Public shares – basic and diluted | 4,284,703 | |||||||||||
Weighted average shares outstanding of Wag! – basic and diluted | 5,908,062 | 47,587,500 | 35,074,173 | |||||||||
Net loss per share of CHW Founder shares – basic and diluted | $ | (0.11) | ||||||||||
Net loss per share of CHW Public shares – basic and diluted | $ | (0.11) | ||||||||||
Net loss per share of Wag! – basic and diluted | $ | (1.07) | $ | (0.97) | $ | (1.32) |
(1) | Historical values for Wag! are adjusted to reflect net proceeds of the merger as if it took place on January 1, 2021. |
(2) | Historical book value per share is equal to the total stockholders’ equity divided by weighted average common stock shares outstanding. |
(3) | Pro Forma book value per share is equal to pro forma total stockholders’ equity divided by pro forma common stock shares outstanding. |
48
MARKET PRICE, TICKER SYMBOL AND DIVIDEND INFORMATION
CHW
CHW’s units, ordinary shares and public warrants are currently listed on NASDAQ under the symbols “CHWAU”, “CHWA” and “CHWAW”, respectively.
The closing price of the units, ordinary shares and public warrants on , 2022, the last trading day before announcement of the execution of the Business Combination Agreement, was $ , and $ , respectively. As of , 2022 the record date for the Special Meeting, the most recent closing price of the units, ordinary shares and public warrants was $ , $ and $ , respectively.
Holders of the units, ordinary shares and public warrants should obtain current market quotations for their securities. The market price of CHW’s securities could vary at any time before the Business Combination.
Holders
As of December 31, 2021, there were holder of record of CHW’s units, holders of record of CHW’s ordinary shares, and holders of record of CHW’s public warrants. The number of holders of record does not include a substantially greater number of “street name” holders or beneficial holders whose units, public shares and public warrants are held of record by banks, brokers and other financial institutions.
Dividend Policy
CHW has not paid any cash dividends on its ordinary shares to date and does not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of the Business Combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon New Wag!’s revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of the Business Combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to the Business Combination will be within the discretion of New Wag!’s board of directors at such time. New Wag!’s ability to declare dividends may also be limited by restrictive covenants pursuant to any debt financing.
Wag!
Historical market price information for Wag!’s common stock is not provided because there is no public market for any equity interest of Wag!.
49
RISK FACTORS
Shareholders should carefully consider the following risk factors, together with all of the other information included in this proxy statement/prospectus, before they decide whether to vote or instruct their vote to be cast to approve the proposals described in this proxy statement/prospectus. The following risk factors apply to the business and operations of Wag Labs, Inc. and will also apply to the business and operations of New Wag! following the completion of the Business Combination. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in these risk factors, alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may adversely affect the ability to complete or realize the anticipated benefits of the business combination, and may have an adverse effect on the business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations of the post-combination company. You should also carefully consider the following risk factors in addition to the other information included in this proxy statement/prospectus, including matters addressed in the section entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” CHW Acquisition Corporation or Wag Labs, Inc. may face additional risks and uncertainties that are not presently known to CHW Acquisition Corporation or Wag Labs, Inc., or that CHW Acquisition Corporation or Wag Labs, Inc. currently deems immaterial, which may also impair CHW Acquisition Corporation’s or Wag Labs, Inc.’s business or financial condition. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes to the financial statements included herein.
Risks Related to Wag Labs, Inc.’s Business and to New Wag!’s Business Following the Business Combination
Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in the below sections of this proxy statement/prospectus to the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our,” and “Wag!” refers to Wag Labs, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries prior to the consummation of the Business Combination and to New Wag! and its consolidated subsidiaries following the Business Combination. The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes, and other financial information included elsewhere within this proxy statement/prospectus. This discussion includes forward-looking information regarding our business, results of operations and cash flows and contractual obligations and arrangements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results may differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, those discussed in the sections of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Wag Labs, Inc.’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
The COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of actions to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic have materially adversely impacted and may continue to materially adversely impact Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic. To limit the spread of the virus, governments have imposed various restrictions, including emergency declarations at the federal, state, and local levels, school and business closings, quarantines, “shelter at home” orders, restrictions on travel, limitations on social or public gatherings, and other social distancing measures. These actions, which led to an increased reliance on online meeting tools rather than in-person meetings and business travel, have had and may continue to have a material adverse impact on Wag!’s business and operations and demand for pet care. For example, they have resulted in a reduction in the number of overnight bookings as people travel less and daytime services as people working from home care for their pets themselves.
The COVID-19 pandemic has materially adversely affected Wag!’s operating results and may continue to materially adversely impact Wag!’s financial condition and prospects. In light of the continued evolving nature of COVID-19 and the uncertainty it has produced around the world, it is not possible to predict the COVID-19 pandemic’s cumulative and ultimate impact on our future business operations, results of operations, financial position, liquidity, and cash flows. The extent of the impact of the pandemic on our business and financial results will depend largely on future developments, including the continued duration of the spread of the outbreak both globally and within the United States, including whether there will be further resurgences of COVID-19 in various regions, vaccination rates in various regions, the impact on capital, foreign currencies exchange and financial markets, governmental or regulatory orders that impact our business, and whether the impacts may result in permanent changes to our end-user’ behavior, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Demand for Wag!’s offerings may remain depressed for a significant length of time if COVID-19 results in long-term changes in behavior and Wag! cannot predict when, if ever, demand will return to pre-COVID-19 levels. In addition, Wag! cannot predict the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had and will have on Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers and Wag! may continue to be materially adversely impacted. Any of the foregoing factors, or other cascading effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that are not currently foreseeable, will materially adversely impact Wag!’s business, operating results, financial condition and prospects.
50
In response to the economic challenges and uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Wag!’s business, Wag! has moved to a hybrid workplace setup in which employees have the voluntary option to go to the office. However there is no requirement for employees to go to the office at this time nor any plans for such a requirement in the immediate future. Wag! is positioned to leverage technology for employees and teams to work from home and accomplish their work without going into the office. Any employee that chooses to voluntarily go to the office must submit proof of vaccination, and thus the office is only open to vaccinated employees. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, from June to July 2020, Wag! participated in Work Share (Shared Work) programs in Arizona and California in order to assist its employees during the temporary economic downturn resulting from the pandemic. These programs were an alternative to layoffs, allowing Wag! to keep employees despite the reduction in work. As of August 2020, all employees have returned to their regular, full-time positions at the company, which remains the case to date.
Wag! has incurred net losses in each year since inception and experienced significant fluctuations in its operating results, which make it difficult to forecast future results, such as its ability to achieve profitability.
Wag! incurred net losses of U.S.$6.3 million and U.S.$18.8 million in 2021 and 2020, respectively. As of December 31, 2021, Wag! had an accumulated deficit of $109.9 million. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wag!’s monthly revenue declined rapidly after March 2020. Historically, Wag! has invested significantly in efforts to grow its Pet Parent and Pet Caregiver network, introduced new or enhanced offerings and features, increased marketing spend, expanded operations, hired additional employees, and enhanced the platform. This focus may not be consistent with Wag!’s short-term expectations and may not produce the long-term benefits expected.
Wag!’s operating results may vary significantly and are not necessarily an indication of future performance. Wag! experiences seasonality in its Pet Parent Monthly Frequency, Service Fill Rate, Wag! Premium Attach Rate, and Pet Parent Cohort Behavior, which Wag! expects to continue and which may become more extreme. In addition, Wag!’s operating results may fluctuate as a result of a variety of other factors, some of which are beyond Wag!’s control. As a result, Wag! may not accurately forecast its operating results. Moreover, Wag! bases its expense levels and investment plans on estimates for revenue that may turn out to be inaccurate and Wag! may not be able to adjust its spending quickly enough if its revenue is less than expected, resulting in losses that exceed Wag!’s expectations. If Wag!’s assumptions regarding the risks and uncertainties that Wag! uses to plan its business are incorrect or change, or if Wag! does not address these risks successfully, Wag!’s operating results could differ materially from its expectations and Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Online marketplaces for pet care are still in relatively early stages of growth and if demand for them does not continue to grow, grows slower than expected, or fails to grow as large as expected, Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results could be materially adversely affected.
Demand for booking pet care through online marketplaces has grown rapidly since the 2015 launch of Wag!’s platform, but such platforms are still relatively new and it is uncertain to what extent market acceptance will continue to grow, if at all. Wag!’s success will depend on the willingness of people to obtain pet care through platforms like Wag!’s platform. If the public does not perceive these services as beneficial, or chooses not to adopt them, or instead adopts alternative solutions based on changes in Wag!’s reputation for trust and safety, offering prices, availability of services, or other factors outside of Wag!’s control, then the market for Wag!’s platform may not further develop, may develop slower than Wag! expects, or may not achieve the growth potential Wag! expects, any of which could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.
Wag!’s marketing efforts to help grow the business may not be effective.
Promoting awareness of Wag!’s platform is important to its ability to grow the business and to attract new Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers. Since inception, Wag!’s user base has grown in large part as a result of word-of-mouth, complemented by paid and organic search, social media, and other online advertising and infrequent television advertising. Many of Wag!’s marketing efforts to date have focused on amplifying and accelerating this word-of-mouth momentum and such efforts may not continue to be effective. Although Wag! continues to rely significantly on word-of-mouth, organic search, and other unpaid channels, it believes that a significant amount of the growth in the number of Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers that use the platform also is attributable to its paid marketing initiatives. Prior to the impact of COVID-19, marketing efforts included referrals, affiliate programs, free or discount trials, partnerships, display advertising, billboards, radio, video, television, direct mail, social media, email, podcasts, hiring and classified advertisement websites, mobile “push” communications, search engine optimization, and paid keyword search campaigns. Even if Wag! successfully increases revenue as a result of paid marketing efforts, it may not offset the additional marketing expenses incurred.
51
If marketing efforts to help grow the business are not effective, Wag! expects that its business, financial condition, and operating results may be materially adversely affected.
If Wag! fails to retain existing Pet Caregivers or attract new Pet Caregivers, or if Pet Caregivers fail to provide high-quality offerings, Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.
Wag!’s business depends on Pet Caregivers maintaining their use of Wag!’s platform and engaging in practices that encourage Pet Parents to book their services. If Pet Caregivers do not establish or maintain enough availability, the number of bookings declines for a particular period, or Pet Caregiver pricing is unattractive or insufficient, revenue will decline and Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.
Pet Caregivers have a range of options for offering their services. They may advertise their offerings in multiple ways that may or may not include Wag!’s platform. Some of Wag!’s Pet Caregivers have chosen to cross-list their offerings, which reduces the availability of such offerings on Wag!’s platform. When offerings are cross-listed, the price paid by Pet Parents on Wag!’s platform may be or may appear to be less competitive for many reasons, including differences in fee structure and policies, which may cause Pet Parents to book through other platforms or with other competitors, which could materially adversely affect Wag!’s business, operating results and financial condition. Additionally, certain Pet Parents reach out to Wag!’s Pet Caregivers (and vice versa) and incentivize them to list or book directly with them and bypass Wag!’s platform, which reduces the use of Wag!’s platform. Some Pet Caregivers may choose to stop offering services all together for a variety of reasons, including work obligations or health concerns.
While Wag! plans to continue to invest in its Pet Caregiver community and in tools to assist Pet Caregivers, including its technology and algorithms, these investments may not be successful in retaining existing Pet Caregivers or growing the number of Pet Caregivers and listings on Wag!’s platform. In addition, Pet Caregivers may not establish or wish to maintain listings if Wag! cannot attract prospective Pet Parents to its platform and generate bookings from a large number of Pet Parents. If Wag! is unable to retain existing Pet Caregivers or add new Pet Caregivers, or if Pet Caregivers elect to market their offerings directly, exclusively with a competitor, or cross-list with a competitor, Wag!’s platform may be unable to offer a sufficient supply of on-demand services to attract Pet Parents to use its platform. If Wag! is unable to attract and retain individual Pet Caregivers in a cost-effective manner, or at all, Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected. In addition, the number of bookings on Wag! may decline as a result of a number of other factors affecting pet care providers, including: the COVID-19 pandemic; Pet Caregivers booking on other third-party platforms as an alternative to offering on Wag!’s platform; economic, social and political factors; Pet Caregivers not receiving timely and adequate support from Wag!; perceptions of trust and safety on and off Wag!’s platform; negative experiences with pets and Pet Parents, including pets who damage pet care provider property; Wag!’s efforts or failure or perceived failure to comply with regulatory requirements; and Wag!’s decision to remove Pet Caregivers from its platform for not adhering to Wag!’s Community Guidelines or other factors Wag! deems detrimental to its community.
If Wag! fails to retain existing Pet Parents or add new Pet Parents, or if Pet Parents fail to receive high-quality offerings, Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.
Wag!’s success depends significantly on retaining existing Pet Parents and attracting new Pet Parents to use Wag!’s platform, increasing the number of repeat bookings that Pet Parents make, and attracting them to different types of service offerings on Wag!’s platform. Pet Parents have a range of options for meeting their pet care needs, including neighbors, family and friends, local independent operators, large, commercial providers such as kennels and daycares, other online aggregators and directories, and other digital marketplaces.
Wag!’s ability to attract and retain Pet Parents could be materially adversely affected by a number of factors, such as: Pet Caregivers failing to provide differentiated, high-quality and adequately available pet services at competitive prices; the fees Wag! charges to Pet Parents for booking services; taxes; Wag!’s failure to facilitate new or enhanced offerings or features that Pet Parents value; the performance of Wag!’s platform; Pet Parents not receiving timely and adequate support from Wag!; negative perceptions of the trust and safety of Wag!’s platform; negative associations with, or reduced awareness of, Wag!’s brand; declines and inefficiencies in Wag!’s marketing efforts; Wag!’s efforts or failure or perceived failure to comply with regulatory requirements; and Wag!’s decision to remove Pet Parents from its platform for not adhering to Wag!’s Community Guidelines or other factors Wag! deems detrimental to its community. For incidents that occur during services booked through Wag!’s platform, liable Pet Parents may be protected with up to $1 million property damage protection, subject to applicable policy limitations and exclusions. While Wag!
52
intends to continue this property damage protection, if it discontinues this policy, whether because payouts under these policies or insurance premiums become cost prohibitive or for any other reason, then the number of Pet Parents who list with Wag! may decline.
Events beyond Wag!’s control also may materially adversely impact Wag!’s ability to attract and retain Pet Parents, including: the COVID-19 pandemic or other pandemics or health concerns; increased or continuing restrictions on travel and immigration; the impact of climate change on travel and seasonal destinations (such as fires, floods and other natural disasters); and macroeconomic and other conditions outside of Wag!’s control affecting travel or business activities generally.
In addition, if Wag!’s platform is not easy to navigate, Pet Parents have an unsatisfactory sign-up, search, booking, or payment experience on Wag!’s platform, the content provided on Wag!’s platform is not displayed effectively, Wag! is not effective in engaging Pet Parents, or fails to provide a user experience in a manner that meets rapidly changing demand, Wag! could fail to attract and retain new Pet Parents and engage with existing Pet Parents, which could materially adversely affect its business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Wag!’s fee structure is impacted by a number of factors and ultimately may not be successful in attracting and retaining Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers.
Demand for Wag!’s platform is highly sensitive to a range of factors, including the availability of services at times and prices appealing to Pet Parents, prices that Pet Caregivers set for their services, the level of potential earnings required to attract and retain Pet Caregivers, incentives paid to Pet Caregivers and the fees, and commissions Wag! charges Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents. Many factors, including operating costs, legal and regulatory requirements, constraints or changes, and Wag!’s current and future competitors’ pricing and marketing strategies, could significantly affect Wag!’s pricing strategies. Existing or future competitors offer, or may in the future offer, lower-priced or a broader range of offerings. Similarly, certain competitors may use marketing strategies that enable them to attract or retain Pet Parents or Pet Caregivers at a lower cost than Wag!. There can be no assurance that Wag! will not be forced, through competition, regulation, or otherwise, to increase the incentives paid to Pet Parents that use the platform, reduce the fees and commissions charged Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents, or to increase marketing and other expenses to attract and retain Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers in response to competitive pressures. Wag! has launched and may in the future launch, new fee or pricing strategies and initiatives or modify existing fee strategies, any of which may not ultimately be successful in attracting and retaining Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers. Further, Pet Parents’ price sensitivity may vary by geographic location, and as Wag! expands, Wag!’s fee structure may not enable Wag! to compete effectively in these locations.
Any further and continued decline or disruption in the travel and pet care services industries or economic downturn would materially adversely affect Wag!’s business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Wag!’s financial performance is partially dependent on the strength of the travel and pet services industries. The outbreak of COVID-19 has caused many governments to implement quarantines and significant restrictions on travel or to advise that people remain at home where possible and avoid crowds, which has had a particularly negative impact on bookings for pet services. Wag! expects that COVID-19 will continue to materially adversely impact its bookings and business. The extent and duration of such impact remains uncertain and is dependent on future developments that are difficult to predict accurately, such as the severity, transmission, and resurgence rate of COVID-19, vaccination rates and its effectiveness, the extent and effectiveness of containment actions taken, including mobility restrictions and the impact of these and other factors on travel or work behavior in general and on Wag!’s business in particular.
Other events beyond Wag!’s control can result in declines in travel or continued work-from-home mandates. Because these events or concerns and the full impact of their effects, are largely unpredictable, they can dramatically and suddenly affect travel and work behavior by consumers and therefore demand for Wag!’s platform and pet services, which would materially adversely affect Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition.
Wag!’s financial performance is also subject to global economic conditions and their impact on levels of discretionary consumer spending. Downturns in worldwide or regional economic conditions, such as the downturn resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic or volatility due to geopolitical instability, have led or could lead to a general decrease in travel and spending on pet care services and such downturns in the future may materially adversely impact demand for Wag!’s platform. Such a shift in Pet Parent behavior would materially adversely affect Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition.
53
The business and industry in which Wag! participates are highly competitive and Wag! may be unable to compete successfully with its current or future competitors.
Wag! operates in a highly competitive environment and faces significant competition in attracting Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents. Pet Parents have a range of options to find and book pet care offerings, both online and offline. Wag! believes that its competitors include:
● | friends, family, and neighbors that Pet Parents go to for pet care within their personal networks; |
● | local independent operators; |
● | large, commercial providers such as kennels and daycares; |
● | online aggregators and directories, such as Craigslist, Nextdoor, and Yelp; and |
● | other digital marketplaces, such as Rover and the pet care offerings on Care.com. |
Wag! believes that its ability to compete effectively depends upon many factors both within and beyond its control, including:
● | the popularity and adoption of online marketplaces to obtain services from individual pet care providers; |
● | the popularity, utility, ease of use, performance, and reliability of Wag!’s offerings compared to those of its competitors; |
● | Wag!’s reputation and brand strength relative to its competitors; |
● | the prices of offerings and the fees Wag! charges pet care providers and Pet Parents on its platform; |
● | Wag!’s ability to attract and retain high quality Pet Caregivers; |
● | the perceived safety of offerings on Wag!’s platform, especially during and following the COVID-19 pandemic; |
● | cancellation policies, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and other health-related disruptions; |
● | Wag!’s ability, and the ability of its competitors, to develop new offerings; |
● | Wag!’s ability to establish and maintain relationships with partners; |
● | changes mandated by, or that Wag! elects to make, to address, legislation, regulatory authorities or litigation, including settlements, judgments, injunctions, and consent decrees; |
● | Wag!’s ability to attract, retain, and motivate talented employees; |
● | Wag!’s ability to raise additional capital; and |
● | acquisitions or consolidation within Wag!’s industry. |
Currently, Wag!’s primary competition is from the friends, family, and neighbors to whom Pet Parents often turn for pet services within their personal networks. Current and potential competitors (including any new entrants into the market) may enjoy substantial competitive advantages over Wag!, such as greater name recognition, longer operating histories, greater category share in certain markets, market-specific knowledge, established relationships with local Pet Parents and pet care providers and larger existing user bases in certain markets, more successful marketing capabilities, and substantially greater financial, technical, and other resources than Wag! has. Competitors may be able to provide Pet Parents with a better or more complete experience and respond more quickly and
54
effectively than Wag! can to new or changing opportunities, technologies, standards, or Pet Caregiver and Pet Parent requirements or preferences. The pet care industry also may experience significant consolidation or the entrance of new players. Some of Wag!’s competitors could adopt aspects of Wag!’s business model, which could affect Wag!’s ability to differentiate its offerings from competitors. Increased competition could result in reduced demand for Wag!’s platform from Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents, slow Wag!’s growth and materially adversely affect Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition. Consolidation among Wag!’s competitors could give them increased scale and may enhance their capacity, abilities, and resources and lower their cost structures. In addition, emerging start-ups may be able to innovate and focus on developing a new product or service faster than Wag! can or may foresee consumer need for new offerings or technologies before Wag! does. If Wag! fails to retain existing Pet Caregivers or attract new Pet Caregivers, Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.
New offerings and initiatives can be costly and if Wag! unsuccessfully pursues such offerings and initiatives, it may fail to grow and Wag!’s business, operating results, financial condition, and prospects would be materially adversely affected.
Wag! plans to invest in new offerings and initiatives to further differentiate the company from its competitors. Developing and delivering new offerings and initiatives increases Wag!’s expenses and organizational complexity. Wag! has and may continue to experience difficulties in developing and implementing these new offerings and initiatives.
Wag!’s new offerings and initiatives have a high degree of risk, as they may involve unproven businesses with which Wag! has limited or no prior development or operating experience. There can be no assurance that consumer demand for such offerings and initiatives will exist or be sustained at the levels that Wag! anticipates, that Wag! will be able to successfully manage the development and delivery of such offerings and initiatives, or that any of these offerings or initiatives will gain sufficient market acceptance to generate sufficient revenue to offset associated expenses or liabilities. It is also possible that offerings developed by others will render Wag!’s offerings and initiatives noncompetitive or obsolete. Even if Wag! is successful in developing new offerings and initiatives, regulatory authorities may subject Wag! or its pet care providers and Pet Parents to new rules, taxes, or restrictions or more aggressively enforce existing rules, taxes, or restrictions, that could increase Wag!’s expenses or prevent Wag! from successfully commercializing these initiatives. If Wag! does not realize the expected benefits of its investments, it may fail to grow and its business, operating results, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.
Wag! relies on internet search engines to drive traffic to its platform to grow revenue and if Wag! is unable to drive traffic cost-effectively, it would materially adversely affect Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition.
Wag!’s success depends in part on its ability to attract Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents through unpaid internet search results on search engines, such as Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. The number of Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents that Wag! attracts to its platform from search engines is due in large part to how and where Wag!’s website ranks in unpaid search results. These rankings can be affected by many factors, many of which are not under Wag!’s direct control and may change frequently. As a result, links to Wag!’s website or mobile applications may not be prominent enough to drive traffic to Wag!’s website and Wag! may not know how or otherwise be able to influence the results. In some instances, search engine companies may change these rankings in a way that promotes their own competing products or services or the products or services of one or more of Wag!’s competitors. Search engines may also adopt a more aggressive auction-pricing system for paid search keywords that would cause Wag! to incur higher advertising costs or reduce Wag!’s market visibility to prospective Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents. Any reduction in the number of Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents directed to Wag!’s platform could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.
Further, Wag! has used paid marketing products offered by search engines and social media platforms to distribute paid advertisements that drive traffic to Wag!’s platform. A critical factor in attracting Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents to Wag!’s platform has been how prominently offerings are displayed in response to search queries for key search terms. The success of pet services logistics and Wag!’s brand has at times led to increased costs for relevant keywords as Wag!’s competitors competitively bid on Wag!’s keywords, including Wag!’s brand name. However, Wag! may not be successful at its efforts to drive traffic growth cost-effectively. If Wag! is not able to effectively increase its traffic growth without increases in spend on paid marketing, it may need to increase its paid marketing spend in the future, including in response to increased spend on marketing from its competitors and its business, operating results, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
55
Maintaining and enhancing Wag!’s brand reputation is critical to Wag!’s growth and negative publicity could damage Wag!’s brand, thereby harming Wag!’s ability to compete effectively and could materially adversely affect Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition.
Trust in Wag!’s brand is essential to the strength of Wag!’s business. Maintaining and enhancing Wag!’s brand reputation is critical to Wag!’s ability to attract Pet Caregivers, Pet Parents, and employees, to compete effectively, to preserve and deepen the engagement of Wag!’s existing Pet Caregivers, Pet Parents, and employees, to maintain and improve Wag!’s standing in the communities where its pet care providers operate, including its standing with community leaders and regulatory bodies, and to mitigate legislative or regulatory scrutiny, litigation, and government investigations. Wag! is heavily dependent on the perceptions of Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents who use Wag!’s platform to help make word-of-mouth recommendations that contribute to Wag!’s growth. Negative perception of Wag!’s platform or company may harm Wag!’s reputation, brand, and local network effects, including as a result of:
● | complaints or negative publicity about Wag!, Wag!’s platform, Pet Parents, Pet Caregivers, or Wag!’s policies and guidelines; |
● | illegal, negligent, reckless, or otherwise inappropriate behavior by Pet Caregivers, Pet Parents, or third parties; |
● | injuries or other safety-related issues involving pets; |
● | a pandemic or an outbreak of disease, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, in which constituents of Wag!’s network become infected; |
● | a failure to facilitate a sufficient level of bookings or to enable a competitive level of earnings for pet care providers; |
● | a failure to provide Pet Parents access to competitive pricing and quality; |
● | a failure to provide access to a range of offerings options sought by Pet Parents; |
● | fraudulent activity; |
● | actual or perceived disruptions or defects in Wag!’s platform, such as site outages, payment disruptions, privacy or data security breaches, other security incidents, or other actual or perceived incidents that may impact the reliability of Wag!’s services; |
● | litigation over, or investigations by regulators into, Wag!’s platform; |
● | users’ lack of awareness of, or compliance with, Wag!’s policies; |
● | changes to Wag!’s policies that users or others perceive as overly restrictive, unclear, inconsistent with Wag!’s values or mission, or not clearly articulated; |
● | a failure to comply with legal, tax, and regulatory requirements; |
● | a failure to enforce Wag!’s policies in a manner that users perceive as effective, fair, and transparent; |
● | a failure to operate Wag!’s business in a way that is consistent with its values and mission; |
● | inadequate or unsatisfactory user support experiences; |
● | illegal or otherwise inappropriate behavior by Wag!’s management team or other employees or contractors; |
56
● | negative responses by Pet Parents or Pet Caregivers to new services on Wag!’s platform; |
● | a failure to register Wag!’s trademarks and prevent or defend against misappropriation or third-party challenges to Wag!’s existing or new trademarks; |
● | negative perception of Wag!’s treatment of employees, Pet Parents, Pet Caregivers, or of Wag!’s response to employee, Pet Parents, and Pet Caregiver sentiment related to political or social causes or actions of management; or |
● | any of the foregoing with respect to Wag!’s competitors, to the extent such resulting negative perception affects the public’s perception of Wag! or Wag!’s industry. |
Any incident, whether actual or rumored to have occurred, involving the safety or security of pets, Pet Caregivers, Pet Parents, or other members of the public, fraudulent transactions, or incidents that are mistakenly attributed to Wag! and any media coverage resulting therefrom, could create a negative public perception of Wag!’s platform, which would adversely impact Wag!’s ability to attract Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents. The impact of these issues may be more pronounced if Wag! is seen to have failed to provide prompt and appropriate support or Wag!’s platform policies are perceived to be too permissive, too restrictive, or providing Pet Caregivers or Pet Parents with unsatisfactory resolutions. Wag! has been the subject of media reports, social media posts, blogs, and other forums that contain allegations about Wag!’s business or activity on Wag!’s platform that create negative publicity. As a result of these complaints and negative publicity, some Pet Caregivers have refrained from and may in the future refrain from, offering services through Wag!’s platform and some Pet Parents have refrained from and may in the future refrain from, using Wag!’s platform, which could materially adversely affect Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition.
Wag!’s brand reputation could also be harmed if Wag! fails to comply with regulatory requirements as interpreted by certain governments or agencies or otherwise fails, or is perceived to fail, to act responsibly in a number of other areas, such as: animal welfare; safety and security; data security; privacy practices and data protection; provision of information about users and activities on Wag!’s platform, including as requested by certain governments or agencies; sustainability; advertising and social media endorsement regulation and guidance; human rights; diversity; non-discrimination; concerns relating to the “gig” economy; business practices; including those relating to Wag!’s platform and offerings; strategic plans; business partners; employees; competition; litigation and response to regulatory activity; the environment; and local communities. Media, legislative or government scrutiny around Wag!’s company relating to any of the above areas or others could cause backlash and could adversely affect Wag!’s brand reputation with Wag!’s Pet Caregivers, Pet Parents, and communities. Social media compounds the potential scope of the negative publicity that could be generated and the speed with which such negative publicity may spread. Any resulting damage to Wag!’s brand reputation could materially adversely affect Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition.
In addition, Wag! relies on Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents to provide trustworthy reviews and ratings that Wag!’s Pet Caregivers or Pet Parents may rely upon to help decide whether or not to book a particular offering or accept a particular booking and that Wag! uses to enforce quality standards. Wag! relies on these reviews to further strengthen trust among members of Wag!’s community. Wag!’s Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents may be less likely to rely on reviews and ratings if they believe that Wag!’s review system does not generate trustworthy reviews and ratings.
Wag! has procedures in place to combat fraud or abuse of its review system, but cannot guarantee that these procedures are or will be effective. In addition, if Wag!’s Pet Parents do not leave reliable reviews and ratings, other potential Pet Caregivers or Pet Parents may disregard those reviews and ratings, and Wag!’s systems that use reviews and ratings to make quality standards transparent would be less effective, which could reduce trust within Wag!’s community and damage Wag!’s brand reputation and could materially adversely affect its business, operating results, and financial condition.
Actions by Pet Caregivers or Pet Parents that are criminal, violent, inappropriate, or dangerous, or fraudulent activity, may undermine the safety or the perception of safety of Wag!’s platform and Wag!’s ability to attract and retain Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents and materially adversely affect Wag!’s reputation, business, operating results, and financial condition.
Wag! has no control over or ability to predict the specific actions of Wag!’s users and other third parties during the time that pets or Pet Parents are with Pet Caregivers or otherwise and therefore, Wag! cannot guarantee the safety of pets, Pet Caregivers, Pet Parents, and third parties. The actions of pets, Pet Caregivers, Pet Parents, and other third parties may result in pet and human
57
fatalities, injuries, other harm, fraud, invasion of privacy, property damage, discrimination, and brand reputational damage, which have created and could continue to create potential legal or other substantial liabilities for Wag!.
All new Pet Caregivers on Wag!’s platform undergo third-party background checks before they can offer their services on Wag!’s platform. U.S. Pet Caregivers are subject to a social security number and address trace and are checked against national and county criminal offense databases, sex offender registries, and certain global and domestic regulatory, terrorist and sanctions watchlists.
Wag! does not verify the identity of or require background checks for Pet Parents, nor does Wag! verify or require background checks for third parties who may be present during a service made through its platform. In addition, Wag! does not currently and may not in the future require Pet Caregivers to re-verify their identity or undergo subsequent background checks following their successful completion of their initial screening process.
Wag!’s screening processes rely on, among other things, information provided by Pet Caregivers and Wag!’s ability to validate that information and the effectiveness of third-party service providers that support Wag!’s verification processes may be limited. Certain verification processes, including legacy verification processes on which Wag! previously relied, may be less reliable than others. These processes are beneficial but not exhaustive and have limitations. There can be no assurances that these measures will significantly reduce criminal or fraudulent activity on Wag!’s platform. The criminal background checks for Pet Caregivers and other screening processes rely on, among other things, information provided by Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents, Wag!’s ability to validate that information, the accuracy, completeness, and availability of the underlying information relating to criminal records, the digitization of certain records, the evolving regulatory landscape in this area, such as relating to data privacy, data protection, and criminal background screening, and on the effectiveness of third-party service providers that may fail to conduct such background checks adequately or disclose information that could be relevant to a determination of eligibility.
In addition, Wag! has not in the past and may not in the future undertake to independently verify the safety, suitability, location, quality, and compliance with Wag! policies or standards and legal compliance, of all Wag!’s Pet Caregivers’ offerings. Wag! has not in the past and may not in the future undertake to independently verify the location, safety, or suitability of offerings for individual pets and Pet Parents or the suitability, qualifications, or credentials of pet care providers. Where Wag! has undertaken the verification or screening of certain aspects of Pet Caregiver qualifications and offerings, the scope of such processes may be limited and rely on, among other things, information provided by Pet Caregivers and the ability of Wag!’s internal teams or third-party vendors to adequately conduct such verification or screening practices. In addition, Wag! has not in the past taken and may not in the future take steps to re-verify or re-screen Pet Caregiver qualifications or offerings following initial review. Wag! has in the past relied and may in the future, rely on Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents to disclose information relating to their offerings and such information may be inaccurate or incomplete. Wag! has created policies and standards to respond to issues reported with offerings, but certain offerings may pose heightened safety risks to individual users because those issues have not been reported to Wag! or because Wag!’s customer support team has not taken the requisite action based on Wag!’s policies. Wag! relies, at least in part, on reports of issues from Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents to investigate and enforce many of Wag!’s policies and standards. In addition, Wag!’s policies may not contemplate certain safety risks posed by offerings or by individual Pet Caregivers or Pet Parents or may not sufficiently address those risks.
Wag! also has faced or may face civil litigation, regulatory investigations, and inquiries involving allegations of, among other things, unsafe or unsuitable offerings, discriminatory policies, data processing, practices or behavior on and off Wag!’s platform or by Pet Caregivers, Pet Parents, and third parties, general misrepresentations regarding the safety or accuracy of offerings on Wag!’s platform, and other Pet Caregiver, Pet Parent, or third-party actions that are criminal, violent, inappropriate, dangerous, or fraudulent. While Wag! recognizes that it needs to continue to build trust and invest in innovations that will support trust when it comes to Wag!’s policies, tools, and procedures to protect Pet Caregivers, Pet Parents, and the communities in which Wag!’s Pet Caregivers operate, it may not be successful in doing so. Similarly, offerings that are inaccurate, of a lower than expected quality, or that do not comply with Wag!’s policies may harm Pet Parents and public perception of the quality and safety of offerings on Wag!’s platform and materially adversely affect its reputation, business, operating results, and financial condition.
If Pet Caregivers, Pet Parents, or third parties engage in criminal activity, misconduct, fraudulent, negligent, or inappropriate conduct, or use Wag!’s platform as a conduit for criminal activity, Pet Parents may not consider Wag!’s platform and the offerings on Wag!’s platform safe and Wag! may receive negative media coverage, or be subject to involvement in a government investigation concerning such activity, which could adversely impact Wag!’s brand reputation and lower the usage rate of Wag!’s platform.
58
Wag! has a limited operating history in an evolving industry, which makes it difficult to evaluate our future prospects and may increase the risk that Wag! will not be successful.
Wag! launched operations in 2015 and since then has frequently: (1) increased the number of local markets in which it offers services; (2) expanded Wag!’s platform features and services; and (3) changed Wag!’s fee structure. Because the market for accessing pet care is rapidly evolving and has not yet reached widespread adoption, it is difficult for us to predict our future operating results. This limited operating history and Wag!’s evolving business make it difficult to evaluate Wag!’s prospects and the risks and challenges Wag! may encounter. These risks and challenges include Wag!’s ability to:
● | accurately forecast its revenue and plan its operating expenses; |
● | increase the number of and retain existing Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers that use its platform; |
● | successfully compete with current and future competitors; |
● | provide our users with superior experiences; |
● | successfully expand its business in existing markets and enter new markets and geographies; |
● | anticipate and respond to macroeconomic changes and changes in the markets in which Wag! operates; |
● | maintain and enhance the value of its reputation and brand; |
● | adapt to rapidly evolving trends in the ways service providers and consumers interact with technology; |
● | avoid interruptions or disruptions in its service; |
● | develop a scalable, high-performance technology infrastructure that can efficiently and reliably handle increased usage, as well as the deployment of new features and services; |
● | hire, integrate, and retain talented technology, marketing, customer service, and other personnel; |
● | effectively manage rapid growth in its personnel and operations; and |
● | effectively manage its costs. |
If Wag! fails to address the risks and difficulties that it faces, including those associated with the challenges listed above as well as those described elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section, its business, financial condition, and operating results could be materially adversely affected.
Wag! bases its decisions regarding expenditures in Pet Parent acquisition in part on its analysis of the Gross Bookings generated from Pet Parents that it acquired in prior periods. Wag!’s estimates and assumptions may not accurately reflect future results and Wag! may not be able to recover its Pet Parent acquisition costs.
Wag!’s success depends on its ability to attract Pet Parents in a cost-effective manner. Wag!’s decisions regarding investments in Pet Parent acquisition substantially depend upon Wag!’s analysis of the revenue generated from Pet Parents acquired in earlier periods. Wag!’s analysis regarding Pet Parent acquisition investment and revenue includes several assumptions, such as:
● | Wag! makes various assumptions based on its historical data with respect to the rebooking rates of Pet Parents. If Wag!’s assumptions regarding such repurchase rates are incorrect, its revenue relative to Pet Parent acquisition cost could be less favorable than it believes. |
59
● | The analysis which Wag! presents in the sections of this proxy statement/prospectus captioned “Information about Wag! — Competitive Strengths” and “Wag!’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Factors Affecting Our Results of Operation and Material Trends” include a discussion of various cohorts. While Wag! believes the trends reflected by these cohorts are illustrative of Wag!’s Pet Parent base, the results of particular cohorts inherently reflect a distinct group Pet Parents and may not be representative of Wag!’s current or future composite group of Pet Parents, particularly as Wag! grows, its Pet Parent base broadens and it expands to new local markets. |
● | Wag!’s analysis focuses on support and acquisition marketing expenses incurred during the period in which the Pet Parents were originally acquired and makes various assumptions with respect to the level of additional marketing or other expenses necessary to maintain Pet Parent loyalty and generate booking activity in subsequent periods. If Wag!’s assumptions regarding such expenses in subsequent periods are incorrect, Wag!’s revenue relative to Pet Parent acquisition cost could be less favorable than Wag! believes. |
If Wag!’s assumptions regarding its Pet Parent acquisition investment and resulting revenue from bookings, including those relating to the effectiveness of Wag!’s marketing expenditures, prove incorrect, Wag!’s ability to generate revenue from its investments in new Pet Parent acquisitions may be less than Wag! has assumed and less than it has experienced in the past. In such case, Wag! may need to increase expenses or otherwise alter its strategy and its business, financial condition, and operating results may be materially adversely affected.
If use of Wag!’s platform in large metropolitan areas is negatively affected, its financial results and future prospects could be adversely impacted.
Wag! derives a significant portion of its bookings and historically has generated a significant portion of its growth in more densely populated urban areas. Wag!’s business and financial results may be susceptible to economic, social and regulatory conditions, or other circumstances that tend to impact such areas. An economic downturn, increased competition, or regulatory obstacles in these areas could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results to a much greater degree than would the occurrence of such events in other areas. Further, Wag! expects that it will continue to face challenges in penetrating lower-density suburban and rural areas, where Wag!’s network is smaller and finding local Pet Caregivers is more difficult, the cost of pet ownership is lower, and alternative Pet Caregivers may be more convenient. If Wag! is not successful in penetrating suburban and rural areas, or if it is unable to operate in certain key metropolitan areas in the future, its ability to serve what it considers to be its total addressable market would be limited and its business, financial condition, and operating results would suffer.
If Wag! cannot successfully manage the unique challenges presented by international markets, Wag! may not be successful in expanding its operations outside the United States.
Wag!’s strategy may include the expansion of its operations to international markets. Although some of Wag!’s executive officers have experience in international business from prior positions, Wag! has little experience with operations outside the United States. Wag!’s ability to successfully execute this strategy is affected by many of the same operational risks Wag! faces in expanding our U.S. operations. In addition, Wag!’s international expansion may be adversely affected by its ability to attract local Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers to its platform, obtain and protect relevant trademarks, domain names, and other intellectual property, as well as by local laws and customs, legal and regulatory constraints, political and economic conditions, and currency regulations of the countries or regions in which Wag! may intend to operate in the future. Risks inherent in expanding operations internationally also include, among others, the costs and difficulties of managing international operations, adverse tax consequences, domestic and international tariffs, and trade policies and greater difficulty in securing and enforcing intellectual property rights. If Wag! invests substantial time and resources to expand its operations internationally and is unable to manage these risks effectively, Wag!’s business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.
In addition, international expansion may increase Wag!’s risks in complying with various laws and standards, including with respect to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, export controls, privacy, and trade and economic sanctions.
60
Any international operations involve additional risks, and exposure to these risks may increase if Wag! expands internationally.
Wag! may expand its operations internationally. Wag!’s platform is currently only available in English, and Wag! may have difficulty modifying its technology and content for use in non-English-speaking markets or fostering new communities in non-English-speaking markets. Wag!’s ability to manage its business and conduct its operations internationally requires considerable management attention and resources, and is subject to the particular challenges of supporting a rapidly growing business in an environment of multiple languages, cultures, customs, legal systems, alternative dispute systems, regulatory systems, and commercial infrastructures. Furthermore, in most international markets, Wag! would not be the first entrant, and competitors may be better positioned than Wag! is to succeed. Expanding internationally may subject Wag! to risks that it has either not faced before or increase its exposure to risks that it currently faces, including risks associated with:
● | recruiting and retaining qualified, multi-lingual employees; |
● | increased competition from local websites and guides and potential preferences by local populations for local providers; |
● | providing solutions in different languages for different cultures, which may require that Wag! modify its solutions and features to ensure that they are culturally relevant in different countries; |
● | credit risk and higher levels of payment fraud; |
● | currency exchange rate fluctuations; |
● | foreign exchange controls that might prevent us from repatriating cash earned outside the United States; |
● | political and economic instability in some countries; |
● | double taxation of our international earnings and potentially adverse tax consequences due to changes in the tax laws of the United States or the foreign jurisdictions in which we operate; and |
● | higher costs of doing business internationally. |
Risks Related to Regulation and Taxation
If Pet Caregivers are reclassified as employees under applicable law, Wag!’s business would be materially adversely affected.
Wag! is subject to claims, lawsuits, arbitration proceedings, administrative actions, government investigations, and other legal and regulatory proceedings at the U.S. federal, state, and municipal levels challenging the classification of Pet Caregivers that use Wag!’s platform as independent contractors. The tests governing whether a service provider is an independent contractor or an employee vary by governing law and are typically highly fact sensitive. Laws and regulations that govern the status and classification of independent contractors are subject to changes and divergent interpretations by various authorities, which can create uncertainty and unpredictability for Wag!. As referenced above, Wag! maintains that Pet Caregivers that use Wag!’s platform are independent contractors. However, Pet Caregivers may be reclassified as employees, especially in light of the evolving rules and restrictions on service provider classification and their potential impact on participants in the “gig economy.” A reclassification of service providers as employees would adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results, including as a result of:
● | monetary exposure arising from, or relating to failure to, withhold and remit taxes (including with respect to the Pet Caregiver Issuance), unpaid wages and wage and hour laws and requirements (such as those pertaining to failure to pay minimum wage and overtime, or to provide required breaks and wage statements), expense reimbursement, statutory and punitive damages, penalties, and government fines; |
● | injunctions prohibiting continuance of existing business practices; |
● | claims for employee benefits (including equity incentives), social security, workers’ compensation, and unemployment; |
61
● | claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation under civil rights laws; |
● | claims under laws pertaining to unionizing, collective bargaining, and other concerted activity; |
● | other claims, charges, or other proceedings under laws and regulations applicable to employers and employees, including risks relating to allegations of joint employer liability or agency liability; and |
● | harm to Wag!’s reputation and brand. |
In the United States, national, state, and local governmental authorities have enacted or pursued, and may in the future enact and pursue, measures designed to regulate the gig economy. For example, in 2019 the California Assembly passed AB-5, which codified a narrow worker classification test that has had the effect of treating many “gig economy” workers as employees. AB-5 now includes a referral agency exemption that specifically applies to animal services, dog walking, and grooming. While Wag! believes that Pet Caregivers who use Wag!’s platform fall within such exemption, the interpretation or enforcement of the exemption could change. In addition, other jurisdictions (including in international geographies where Wag! may in the future offer its platform) could pursue similar laws that do not include such carve outs and which, if applied to Wag!’s platform, could adversely impact Wag!’s platform’s availability and its business. In the past, Wag! has been subject to claims by representatives of Pet Caregivers alleging various misclassification claims and wage and hour violations. These claims have been settled, but Wag! may be subject to similar claims and legal proceedings in the future.
In addition to the harms listed above, a reclassification of Pet Caregivers as employees would require Wag! to significantly alter its existing business model and operations and impact Wag!’s ability to add and retain Pet Caregivers to its platform and grow its business, which Wag! would expect to have an adverse effect on its business, financial condition, and operating results.
Wag! is licensed to operate in regulated industries and if these licenses are revoked or suspended, Wag!’s business may be materially adversely affected.
Wag! operates in regulated industries, including insurance, which require licenses to operate in the jurisdictions in which Wag! operates. One Wag! subsidiary is currently licensed as an insurance agency in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Wag! cannot guarantee that it will be able to refer its customers to options for pet insurance nationwide in the near term or at all. Wag!’s ability to retain state licenses depends on its ability to meet licensing requirements enacted or promulgated in each state. If Wag! is unable to satisfy the applicable licensing requirements of any particular state, it could lose its license to do business in such state, or have certain referral compensation agreements suspended or terminated, and may result in the suspension of its authority to receive commission compensation for the referral of such insurance business. If these licenses are revoked or suspended, Wag!’s regulated business could be materially adversely affected and it may be forced to temporarily suspend operations in affected jurisdictions. This may require Wag! to expend substantial resources or to discontinue certain services or platform features, which might further adversely affect Wag!’s business. Any costs incurred to prevent or mitigate this potential liability could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.
Wag!’s business is subject to a variety of U.S. laws and regulations, many of which are unsettled and still developing and failure to comply with such laws and regulations could subject Wag! to claims or otherwise adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, or operating results.
Online marketplaces offering pet care services are a rapidly developing business model and are quickly evolving. Wag! is or may become subject to a variety of laws in the United States and other jurisdictions. Laws, regulations, and standards governing issues such as worker classification, labor and employment, anti-discrimination, animal safety, home-based pet care licensing and regulation, insurance producer licensing and market conduct, online payments, gratuities, pricing and commissions, subscription services, intellectual property, background checks, and tax are often complex and subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity. The scope and interpretation of these laws and whether they are applicable to Wag!, are often uncertain and may be conflicting, including varying standards and interpretations among countries, between state or province and federal law, between individual states or provinces and even at the city and municipality level. As a result, their application in practice may change or develop over time through judicial decisions or as new guidance or interpretations are provided by regulatory and governing bodies. Wag! has been proactively working with state and local governments and regulatory bodies to ensure that Wag!’s platform is available broadly in the United States.
62
Additionally, laws relating to the potential liability of providers of online services for activities of their users and other third parties are currently being tested by a number of claims, including actions based on invasion of privacy and other torts, unfair competition, copyright, and trademark infringement and other theories based on the nature and content of the materials searched, the ads posted, or the content provided by users. In addition, regulatory authorities in the United States at the federal and state level are considering a number of legislative and regulatory proposals concerning privacy and other matters that may be applicable to Wag!’s business. For more information regarding such privacy and security laws and regulations, and the impact of such laws and regulations on Wag!’s business, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Privacy and Technology—Changes in laws, regulations, or industry standards relating to privacy, data protection, or the protection or transfer of data relating to individuals, or any actual or perceived failure by Wag! to comply with such laws and regulations or any other obligations, including contractual obligations, relating to privacy, data protection, or the protection or transfer of data relating to individuals, could adversely affect Wag!’s business.” It is also likely that if Wag!’s business grows and evolves and Wag!’s services are used in a greater number of geographies, Wag! would become subject to laws and regulations in additional jurisdictions. It is difficult to predict how existing laws would be applied to Wag!’s business and the new laws to which it may become subject.
In the United States, money transmission is subject to various state and federal laws and the rules and regulations are enforced by multiple authorities and governing bodies, including numerous federal, state, and local agencies who may define money transmission differently. Outside of the United States, Wag! would be subject to additional laws, rules, and regulations related to the provision of payments and financial services if it expands internationally. If Wag! expands into new jurisdictions, the foreign regulations and regulators governing Wag!’s business that Wag! is subject to will expand as well. Noncompliance with such regulations may subject Wag! to fines or other penalties in one or more jurisdictions levied by federal or state or local regulators, including state Attorneys General, as well as those levied by foreign regulators. In addition to fines, penalties for failing to comply with applicable rules, and regulations could include criminal and civil proceedings, forfeiture of significant assets or other enforcement actions. Wag! could also be required to make changes to Wag!’s business practices or compliance programs as a result of regulatory scrutiny.
Recent financial, political, and other events may increase the level of regulatory scrutiny on larger companies, technology companies in general and companies engaged in dealings with independent service providers or otherwise viewed as part of the “gig economy.” Regulatory and administrative bodies may enact new laws or promulgate new regulations that are adverse to Wag!’s business, or they may view matters or interpret laws and regulations differently than they have in the past or in a manner adverse to Wag!’s business, including by changing employment-related laws or by regulating or capping the commissions businesses like Wag!’s agree to with service providers or the fees that Wag! may charge Pet Parents. Given the short operating history to-date of Wag! and its licensed insurance subsidiary, and the rapid speed of growth of both, Wag! is particularly vulnerable to regulators reviewing its practices and customer communications. As a result of any noncompliance with such requirements, regulators could impose fines, rebates or other penalties, including revocation or suspension of its licenses, and cease-and-desist orders for an individual state, or all states, until the identified noncompliance is rectified. In addition, regulatory scrutiny or action may create different or conflicting obligations on Wag! from one jurisdiction to another, which creates additional challenges to managing Wag!’s business.
Wag!’s success, or perceived success, and increased visibility may also drive some businesses that perceive Wag!’s business model as a threat to their services, or otherwise negatively, to raise their concerns to local policymakers and regulators. These businesses and their trade association groups or other organizations may take actions and employ significant resources to shape the legal and regulatory regimes in jurisdictions where Wag! may have, or seek to have, a market presence in an effort to change such legal and regulatory regimes in ways intended to adversely affect or impede Wag!’s business and the ability of Pet Parents and service providers to use Wag!’s platform.
If Wag! is not able to comply with these laws or regulations or if it becomes liable under these laws or regulations, including any future laws or regulations that it may not be able to anticipate at this time, it could be materially adversely affected and it may be forced to implement new measures to reduce Wag!’s exposure to this liability. This may require Wag! to expend substantial resources or to discontinue certain services or platform features, which would adversely affect Wag!’s business. Any failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations could also subject Wag! to claims and other legal and regulatory proceedings, fines, or other penalties, criminal and civil proceedings, forfeiture of significant assets, and other enforcement actions. In addition, the increased attention to liability issues as a result of lawsuits and legislative proposals could adversely affect Wag!’s reputation or otherwise impact the growth of Wag!’s business. Any costs incurred to prevent or mitigate this potential liability are also expected to adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.
63
Government regulation of the Internet, mobile devices and e-commerce is evolving and unfavorable changes could substantially adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.
Wag! is subject to general business regulations and laws as well as regulations and laws specifically governing the Internet, mobile devices, and e-commerce that are constantly evolving. Existing and future laws and regulations, or changes thereto, may impede the growth of the Internet, mobile devices, e-commerce, or other online services and increase the cost of providing online services, require Wag! to change Wag!’s business practices, or raise compliance costs or other costs of doing business. These regulations and laws, which continue to evolve, may address taxation, tariffs, privacy, data retention and protection, data security, pricing and commissions, content, copyrights, distribution, social media marketing, advertising practices, sweepstakes, mobile, electronic contracts and other communications, consumer protection, text messaging, Internet and mobile application access to Wag!’s offerings and the characteristics and quality of online offerings, the provision of online payment services, and the characteristics and quality of services. For more information regarding such privacy and security laws and regulations, and the impact of such laws and regulations on Wag!’s business, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Privacy and Technology—Changes in laws, regulations, or industry standards relating to privacy, data protection, or the protection or transfer of data relating to individuals, or any actual or perceived failure by Wag! to comply with such laws and regulations or any other obligations, including contractual obligations, relating to privacy, data protection, or the protection or transfer of data relating to individuals, could adversely affect Wag!’s business.” It is not clear how existing laws governing issues such as property ownership, sales, use and other taxes, libel, and personal privacy apply to the Internet and e-commerce. In addition, if Wag! expands internationally, it is possible that foreign government entities may seek to censor content available on Wag!’s mobile applications or website or may even attempt to block access to Wag!’s mobile applications and website. Any failure, or perceived failure, by Wag! to comply with any of these laws or regulations could result in damage to Wag!’s reputation and brand, a loss in business and proceedings, or actions against Wag! by governmental entities or others, which could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.
Wag! is subject to regulatory inquiries, claims, lawsuits, government investigations, and various proceedings and other disputes, and may face potential liability and expenses for legal claims, which could materially adversely affect Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition.
Wag! is or may become subject to claims, lawsuits, arbitration proceedings, government investigations, and other legal, regulatory, and administrative proceedings, including those involving pet injury, personal injury, property damage, worker classification, pay model, labor and employment, unemployment insurance benefits, workers’ compensation, anti-discrimination, commercial disputes, competition, Pet Caregiver and Pet Parent complaints, intellectual property disputes, compliance with regulatory requirements, data security, advertising practices, tax issues, and other matters. Wag! may become subject to additional types of claims, lawsuits, government investigations, and legal or regulatory proceedings as its business grows and as it deploys new services. Results of investigations, inquiries, and related governmental action are inherently unpredictable and, as such, there is always the risk of an investigation, or inquiry having a material impact on Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results, particularly if an investigation, or inquiry results in a lawsuit or unfavorable regulatory enforcement or other action. Any claims against Wag!, whether meritorious or not, could be time-consuming and can have an adverse impact on Wag! in light of the costs associated with cooperating with, or defending against, such matters and the diversion of management resources and other factors.
Determining reserves for Wag!’s pending litigation is a complex and fact-intensive process that requires significant subjective judgment and speculation. It is possible that a resolution of one or more such proceedings could result in substantial damages, settlement costs, fines, and penalties that could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results. These proceedings could also result in harm to Wag!’s reputation and brand, sanctions, consent decrees, injunctions, or other orders requiring a change in Wag!’s business practices. Any of these consequences could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results. Further, under certain circumstances, Wag! has contractual and other legal obligations to indemnify and to incur legal expenses on behalf of Wag!’s business and commercial partners and current and former directors and officers.
Wag! is subject to claims, lawsuits, and other legal proceedings seeking to hold Wag! vicariously liable for the actions of pets, Pet Parents, and Pet Caregivers.
Wag! is subject to claims, lawsuits, and other legal proceedings seeking to hold Wag! vicariously liable for the actions of pets, Pet Parents, and Pet Caregivers. In the ordinary course of business, Wag!’s customer service team receives claims pursuant to the Customer Claims Policy. Claims and threats of legal action that arise from pet sitting services booked through the Wag! website or applications may be sent directly to Wag!’s legal department or may be received by Wag!’s customer service team. Various parties
64
have from time to time claimed and may claim in the future, that Wag! is liable for damages related to accidents or other incidents involving pets, Pet Parents, Pet Caregivers, and third parties. For example, third parties have asserted legal claims against Wag! in connection with personal injuries related to pet or human safety issues or accidents caused by Pet Caregivers or animals. Wag! has incurred expenses to settle personal injury claims, which it sometimes chooses to settle for reasons including customer goodwill, expediency, protection of Wag!’s reputation, and to prevent the uncertainty of litigating, and it expects that such expenses will continue to increase as its business grows and it faces increasing public scrutiny. Wag! currently is named as a defendant in a number of matters related to accidents or other incidents involving users of Wag!’s platform, pets, or third parties. Pending or threatened legal proceedings could have a material impact on Wag!’s business, financial condition, or operating results. Regardless of the outcome of any legal proceeding, any injuries to, or deaths of, any Pet Parents, Pet Caregivers, animals, or third parties could result in negative publicity and harm to Wag!’s brand, reputation, business, financial condition, and operating results.
Reports, whether true or not, of animal-borne illnesses and injuries caused by pet care or unsanitary handling, cleaning, or grooming or other pet services incidents have led to potential legal claims against and severely injured the reputations of, participants in the pet services business and could do so in the future as well. In addition, reports of animal-borne illnesses or other safety issues occurring solely at competitors that are not on Wag!’s platform, could, as a result of negative publicity about the pet services industry generally, adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.
Wag! also faces potential liability and expense for claims, including class, collective and other representative actions, by or relating to Pet Caregivers regarding, among other things, the classification of Pet Caregivers that use Wag!’s platform as well as Wag!’s caregiver pay model, including claims regarding disclosures it makes with respect to sales tax, service fees, and gratuities, the process of signing up to become a Pet Caregiver, including the background check process and the nature and frequency of Wag!’s communications to Pet Caregivers via email, text, or telephone. Wag! also faces potential liability and expense for claims, including class actions, relating to, among other things, its caregiver pay model, including claims regarding disclosures it makes with respect to sales tax, service fees and gratuities, the services it facilitates, discrepancies between the information on its website and mobile applications, the experience of Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers, and the nature and frequency of its marketing communications via email, text, or telephone.
For additional information, please see “Information About Wag!—Legal Proceedings.”
In addition, Wag! faces potential claims and litigation relating to possible pet and human fatalities, injuries, other violent acts, illness (including COVID-19), cancellations and refunds, property damage, motor vehicle accidents, and privacy or data protection violations that occurred during a service booked on Wag!’s platform. Wag! could face additional litigation and government inquiries and fines relating to Wag!’s business practices, cancellations, and other consequences due to natural disasters or other unforeseen events beyond Wag!’s control such as wars, regional hostilities, health concerns, including epidemics and pandemics such as COVID-19, or law enforcement demands and other regulatory actions.
Wag! may be impacted by costly or burdensome arbitration and class action proceedings, and its use of arbitration and class action waivers subjects Wag! to certain risks to its reputation and brand, as well as challenges to those waivers.
Wag! includes arbitration and class action waiver provisions in Wag!’s terms of service with the Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers that use Wag!’s platform, as well as in the Pet Care Provider Platform Use Agreement that Pet Caregivers must sign to be approved to provide services on Wag!’s platform. These provisions are intended to streamline the litigation process for all parties involved, as they can in some cases be faster and less costly than litigating disputes in state or federal court. However, arbitration can be costly and burdensome and the use of arbitration and class action waiver provisions subjects Wag! to certain risks to Wag!’s reputation and brand, as these provisions have been the subject of increasing public scrutiny. In order to minimize these risks to Wag!’s reputation and brand, Wag! may limit its use of arbitration and class action waiver provisions or be required to do so in a legal or regulatory proceeding, either of which could cause an increase in Wag!’s litigation costs and exposure. Additionally, Wag! permits certain users of its platform to opt out of such provisions, which could also cause an increase in Wag!’s litigation costs and exposure.
Further, with the potential for conflicting rules regarding the scope and enforceability of arbitration and class action waivers on a state-by-state basis, as well as between state and federal law, there is a risk that some or all of Wag!’s arbitration and class action waiver provisions could be subject to challenge or may need to be revised to exempt certain categories of protection. If these provisions were found to be unenforceable, in whole or in part, or specific claims are required to be exempted, Wag! could experience an increase in Wag!’s costs to litigate disputes and the time involved in resolving such disputes and Wag! could face increased
65
exposure to potentially costly lawsuits, each of which could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.
Wag! is subject to various U.S. anti-corruption laws and other anti-bribery and anti-kickback laws and regulations.
Wag! is subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or the FCPA, and other anticorruption, anti-bribery, and anti-money laundering laws in the jurisdictions in which it does business. These laws generally prohibit Wag! and Wag!’s employees from improperly influencing government officials or commercial parties in order to obtain or retain business, direct business to any person, or gain any improper advantage. The FCPA and other applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws also may hold Wag! liable for acts of corruption and bribery committed by Wag!’s third-party business partners, representatives, and agents who are acting on Wag!’s behalf. Wag! and its third-party business partners, representatives, and agents may have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or state-owned or affiliated entities and it may be held liable for the corrupt or other illegal activities of these third-party business partners and intermediaries and its employees, representatives, contractors, and agents, even if it does not explicitly authorize such activities. These laws also require that Wag! keeps accurate books and records and maintain internal controls and compliance procedures designed to prevent any such actions. While Wag! has policies and procedures to address compliance with such laws, it cannot assure that its employees and agents will not take actions in violation of its policies or applicable law, for which it may be ultimately held responsible and its exposure for violating these laws increases as its international presence expands and as it increases sales and operations in foreign jurisdictions. Any violation of the FCPA or other applicable anti-bribery, anti-corruption, and anti-money laundering laws could result in whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage, investigations, imposition of significant legal fees, loss of export privileges, severe criminal or civil sanctions, or suspension or debarment from U.S. government contracts, substantial diversion of management’s attention, a drop in New Wag!’s stock price, or overall adverse consequences to Wag!’s business, all of which may have an adverse effect on Wag!’s reputation, business, financial condition, and operating results.
Taxing authorities may successfully assert that Wag! has not properly collected, or in the future should collect, sales and use, gross receipts, value added, or similar taxes and may successfully impose additional obligations on Wag! and any such assessments, obligations, or inaccuracies could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.
The application of non-income, or indirect, taxes, such as sales and use tax, value-added tax, goods and services tax, business tax, and gross receipt tax, to businesses like Wag!’s is a complex and evolving issue. Many of the fundamental statutes and regulations that impose these taxes were established before the adoption and growth of the Internet and e-commerce. Significant judgment is required on an ongoing basis to evaluate applicable tax obligations and as a result, amounts recorded are estimates and are subject to adjustments. In many cases, the ultimate tax determination is uncertain because it is not clear how new and existing statutes might apply to Wag!’s business.
In addition, governments are increasingly looking for ways to increase revenue, which has resulted in discussions about tax reform and other legislative action to increase tax revenue, including through indirect taxes. Such taxes could adversely affect Wag!’s financial condition, and operating results. For instance, if Wag! or Pet Caregivers try to pass along increased additional taxes and raise fees or prices to pet parents, booking volume may decline.
Wag! is subject to indirect taxes, such as payroll, sales, use, value-added, and goods and services taxes and it has, and may in the future, face various indirect tax audits in various U.S. jurisdictions. Wag! believes that it remits indirect taxes in all relevant jurisdictions in which it generates taxable sales, based on its understanding of the applicable laws in those jurisdictions. However, tax authorities may raise questions about, or challenge or disagree with, Wag!’s calculation, reporting, or collection of taxes and may require Wag! to collect taxes in jurisdictions in which Wag! does not currently do so or to remit additional taxes and interest and could impose associated penalties and fees. Further, even where Wag! is collecting taxes and remitting them to the appropriate authorities, it may fail to accurately calculate, collect, report, and remit such taxes. A successful assertion by one or more tax authorities requiring Wag! to collect taxes in jurisdictions in which it does not currently do so or to collect additional taxes in a jurisdiction in which it currently collect taxes, could result in substantial tax liabilities, including taxes on past sales, as well as penalties and interest, could discourage Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers from utilizing its offerings, or could otherwise harm its business, financial condition, and operating results. Wag! is currently subject to audits by taxing authorities and other forms of investigation, audit, or inquiry conducted by federal, state, or local governmental agencies. Wag! is also subject to routine IRS audits, including those regarding 1099 Statements. In addition, Wag! is subject to an ongoing claim with a state tax authority related to the collection of sales and use taxes in that state, which Wag! has challenged in court and was required to pay to the state the amount of the claim of $1.2 million as a
66
prerequisite to a court challenge. The dispute process is still ongoing, but due to the inherent uncertainties in the final outcome of such matters, Wag! can give no assurance that it will prevail in such matters, which could have an adverse effect on Wag!’s business. As of December 31, 2021, management did not believe that the outcome of pending matters would have a material adverse effect on Wag!’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. For more information, see the section entitled, “Information About Wag!—Legal Proceedings”.
As a result of these and other factors, the ultimate amount of tax obligations owed may differ from the amounts recorded in Wag!’s financial statements and any such difference may adversely affect Wag!’s operating results in future periods in which Wag! changes its estimate of tax obligations or in which the ultimate tax outcome is determined.
Wag! may have exposure to greater than anticipated tax liabilities.
Wag! is subject to income taxes in the United States. Wag!’s effective tax rate could be materially adversely affected by changes in the mix of earnings and losses in jurisdictions with differing statutory tax rates, changes in tax laws, tax treaties, and regulations or the interpretation of them, certain non-deductible expenses, and the valuation of deferred tax assets. Increases in Wag!’s effective tax rate would reduce profitability or increase losses.
Many of the underlying laws, rules and regulations imposing taxes and other obligations were established before the growth of the Internet and ecommerce. Taxing authorities in various jurisdictions are currently reviewing the appropriate treatment of companies engaged in Internet commerce and may make changes to existing tax or other laws that could result in additional taxes relating to Wag!’s activities, and/or impose obligations on us to collect such taxes. New tax laws or regulations could be enacted at any time, which could adversely affect Wag!’s business operations and financial performance. Further, existing tax laws and regulations could be interpreted, modified or applied adversely to Wag!.
Wag! has been subject to examination and may be subject to examination in the future, by federal, state, and local tax authorities on income, employment, sales, and other tax matters. While Wag! regularly assesses the likelihood of adverse outcomes from such examinations and the adequacy of Wag!’s provision for taxes, there can be no assurance that such provision is sufficient and that a determination by a tax authority would not have an adverse effect on Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results. Certain risks relating to employment taxes and sales taxes are described in more detail under “If Pet Caregivers are reclassified as employees under applicable law, Wag!’s business would be materially adversely affected.” If Pet Caregivers are reclassified as employees under federal or state law, Wag!’s business would be materially adversely affected. Taxing authorities may successfully assert that Wag! has not properly collected, or in the future should collect, sales and use, gross receipts, value added, or similar taxes and may successfully impose additional obligations on Wag! and any such assessments, obligations, or inaccuracies could adversely affect its business, financial condition, and operating results.
Wag!’s ability to use its net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.
As of December 31, 2021, Wag! had U.S. federal and state net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) of approximately $200 million and $171 million, respectively. The federal NOLs generated as of December 31, 2017 of $23.3 million will expire in 2037, while $176.6 million federal NOLs generated in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 do not expire but may only offset 80% of taxable income in periods of future utilization. The state NOLs will begin to expire in 2038 and will continue to expire through 2041. It is possible that Wag! will not generate taxable income in time to use NOLs before their expiration, or at all. Under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change NOLs and certain other tax attributes to offset its post-change taxable income may be limited. In general, an “ownership change” will occur if there is a cumulative change in Wag!’s ownership by “5 percent stockholders” that exceeds 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. Wag! has, in the past, experienced ownership changes, and if it experiences one or more ownership changes as a result of the proposed Business Combination or future transactions in Wag!’s stock, Wag!’s ability to use NOLs to reduce future taxable income and liabilities may be subject to annual limitations as a result of prior ownership changes and ownership changes that may occur in the future, including as a result of this offering.
Under the legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, or the Tax Act, as amended by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), net operating losses incurred in taxable years that began after December 31, 2017 may offset 100% of current year taxable income in 2018, 2019, and 2020 taxable years and limited to 80% for tax years after
67
December 31, 2020. NOLs arising in taxable years ending after December 31, 2017 can be carried forward indefinitely, but NOLs generated in tax years ending before January 1, 2018 will continue to have a two-year carryback and 20-year carryforward period. In addition, the CARES Act allows NOLs incurred in 2018, 2019, and 2020 to be carried back to each of the five preceding taxable years to generate a refund of previously paid income taxes. As Wag! maintains a full valuation allowance against Wag!’s U.S. NOLs, these changes will not impact Wag!’s balance sheet as of December 31, 2021 or results of operations.
There is also a risk that Wag!’s existing net operating losses or tax credits could expire or otherwise be unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities, either as the result of regulatory changes issued, possibly with retroactive effect, by various jurisdictions seeking to raise revenue to help counter the fiscal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, or for other unforeseen reasons. A temporary suspension of the use of certain net operating losses and tax credits has been enacted in California and other states may enact suspensions as well.
Risks Related to Our Indebtedness
New Wag! will enter into a definitive financing agreement with Blue Torch Capital LP (“Blue Torch”) for a $30 million senior secured Credit Facility. The Credit Facility will be secured by substantially all assets of New Wag! and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Credit Parties”), including the Credit Parties’ intellectual property and equity interests in the Credit Parties’ subsidiaries, subject to certain exceptions. Additionally, the definitive documentation for the Credit Facility will state that, if there is an occurrence of an uncured event of default, Blue Torch will be able to foreclose on all or some of the Credit Parties’ assets that are collateral for the Credit Facility, and securities in the Credit Parties and their subsidiaries could be rendered worthless.
New Wag! will enter into a definitive financing agreement with Blue Torch Capital LP (“Blue Torch”) for a $30 million senior secured Credit Facility in connection with the closing of the Business Combination. The Credit Facility will be secured by substantially all assets of New Wag! and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Credit Parties”), including the Credit Parties’ intellectual property and equity interests in the Credit Parties’ subsidiaries, subject to customary exceptions. Additionally, the definitive documentation for the Credit Facility will state that, if the Credit Parties default on their payment or performance obligations in respect of the Credit Facility, Blue Torch will be able to foreclose on all or some of the Credit Parties’ assets that are collateral for the Credit Facility, which would materially harm the Credit Parties’ business, financial condition and results of operations. The pledge of these assets and other restrictions contained in the definitive financing documentation for the Credit Facility may also limit the Credit Parties’ flexibility in raising capital for other purposes. Because substantially all of the Credit Parties’ assets will be pledged to secure the Credit Facility, the Credit Parties’ ability to incur additional secured indebtedness or to sell or dispose of assets to raise capital may be impaired, which could have an adverse effect on the Credit Parties’ financial flexibility. See the section entitled “The Business Combination Agreement — Additional Agreements — Financing” located elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus for more information about the Credit Facility.
Our debt obligations could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
We have incurred in the past, and may incur in the future, debt to finance our operations, capital investments, and business acquisitions and to restructure our capital structure.
Our debt obligations could materially and adversely impact us. For example, these obligations could:
● | require us to use a large portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on debt, which will reduce the amount of cash flow available to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, research and development, or R&D, expenditures and other business activities; |
● | result in certain of our debt instruments being accelerated to be immediately due and payable or being deemed to be in default if certain terms of default are triggered, such as applicable cross-default and/or cross-acceleration provisions; |
● | limit our future ability to raise funds for capital expenditures, strategic acquisitions or business opportunities, R&D and other general corporate requirements; |
● | restrict our ability to incur specified indebtedness, create or incur certain liens and enter into sale-leaseback financing transactions; |
68
● | increase our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions; and |
● | increase our exposure to interest rate risk from variable rate indebtedness. |
Our financing agreement with Blue Torch will contain covenants, including requirements to maintain certain levels of minimum revenue and minimum liquidity, restrictions on restricted payments and other customary debt covenants. A breach of the covenants can result in an event of default under the Credit Facility and as such allow Blue Torch to pursue certain remedies. In addition, the Credit Facility will include cross-default or cross-acceleration provisions that could result in the Credit Facility being accelerated and/or terminated if an event of default or acceleration of maturity occurs under any of our other indebtedness. For more information about these and other financing arrangements, see “Wag!’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources.” Our ability to comply with these provisions may be affected by events beyond our control, and if we are unable to meet or maintain the necessary covenant requirements or satisfy, or obtain waivers for, the continuing covenants and other performance obligations contained in the Credit Facility, we may lose the ability to borrow under all of our debt facilities, which could materially and adversely affect our business.
Our ability to meet our payment obligations under our debt facilities depends on our ability to generate significant cash flows or obtain external financing in the future. We cannot assure you that we will be able to generate sufficient cash flow or obtain external financing on terms acceptable to us or at all.
Our ability to meet our payment obligations under our debt facilities depends on our ability to generate significant cash flows or obtain external financing in the future. This ability, to some extent, is subject to market, economic, financial, competitive, legislative and regulatory factors as well as other factors that are beyond our control. There can be no assurance that our business will generate cash flow from operations, or that additional capital will be available to us, in amounts sufficient to enable us to meet our debt payment obligations and to fund other liquidity needs. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flows to service our debt payment obligations, we may need to refinance or restructure our debt, sell assets, reduce or delay capital investments, or seek to raise additional capital. If we are unable to implement one or more of these alternatives, we may be unable to meet our debt payment obligations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
Our ability to refinance existing debt and borrow additional funds is affected by a variety of factors, including:
● | limitations imposed on us under existing and future debt facilities that contain restrictive covenants and borrowing conditions that may limit our ability to raise additional debt; |
● | a decline in liquidity in the credit markets, including due to the COVID-19 pandemic; |
● | volatility in our business; |
● | prevailing interest rates; |
● | the financial strength of the lenders from whom we borrow; |
● | the decision of lenders from whom we borrow to reduce their exposure to our industry due to global economic conditions, or a change in such lenders’ strategic plan, future lines of business, the COVID-19 pandemic, or otherwise; |
● | the amount of eligible collateral pledged on debt facilities, which may be less than the borrowing capacity of these facilities; |
● | more stringent financial covenants in such refinanced facilities, which we may not be able to achieve; and |
● | accounting changes that impact calculations of covenants in our debt facilities. |
If the refinancing or borrowing guidelines become more stringent and such changes result in increased costs to comply or decreased loan production volume, such changes could materially and adversely affect our business.
69
Risks Related to Privacy and Technology
Wag! has been subject to cybersecurity attacks in the past and anticipates being the target of future attacks. Any actual or perceived breach of security or security incident or privacy or data protection breach or violation, including via cyberattacks, data breaches, hacks, ransomware attacks, data loss, unauthorized access to or use of data (including personal information) and other breaches of its information technology systems, could interrupt Wag!’s operations, harm its brand, and adversely affect its reputation, business, financial condition, and operating results.
Wag!’s business involves the collection, storage, processing, and transmission of personal information and other sensitive and proprietary data of Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers. Additionally, Wag! maintains sensitive and proprietary information relating to Wag!’s business, such as Wag!’s own proprietary information, other confidential information, and personal information relating to individuals such as Wag!’s employees. An increasing number of organizations have disclosed breaches of their information security systems and other information security incidents, some of which have involved sophisticated and highly targeted attacks. Given the nature of the information Wag! uses and stores, third parties may seek to gain unauthorized access to such information, and thus the secure maintenance of this information is critical to Wag!’s business and reputation. In addition, these incidents can originate on Wag!’s vendors’ websites, which can then be leveraged to access Wag!’s website, further preventing Wag!’s ability to successfully identify and mitigate the attack.
Because techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to or to sabotage information systems change frequently and may not be known until launched against Wag!, even if it takes all reasonable precautions, including to the extent required by law, Wag! may be unable to anticipate or prevent these attacks, react in a timely manner, or implement adequate preventive measures and may face delays in Wag!’s detection or remediation of, or other responses to, security breaches and other privacy-, data protection- and security-related incidents. Additionally, because Wag! may also share information with third-party service providers to conduct its business, if any of its business partners or service providers with whom Wag! shares information fail to implement adequate data-security practices or fail to comply with Wag!’s terms and policies or otherwise suffer a network or other security breach, Wag!’s users’ information may be improperly accessed, used or disclosed. Such breaches experienced by other companies may also be leveraged against Wag!. For example, credential stuffing attacks are becoming increasingly common and sophisticated actors can mask their attacks, making them increasingly difficult to identify and prevent. Wag! has previously experienced incidents of fraud on its platform that it believes involved credential stuffing attacks and which it was unable to preemptively detect or prevent. In addition, hardware, software, or applications Wag! develops or procures from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture or other problems that could unexpectedly compromise information security, or users on Wag!’s platform could have vulnerabilities on their own devices that are unrelated to Wag!’s systems and platform but could mistakenly be attributed to Wag!. See “Risk Factors— Risks Related to Privacy and Technology—Any error, bug, vulnerability or systems defect or failure and resulting interruptions in the availability of Wag!’s website, mobile applications, or platform could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.”
Although Wag! has developed reasonable systems and processes that are designed to protect data of Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers that use its platform, protect its systems and the proprietary, sensitive and confidential information it maintains, prevent data loss, and prevent security breaches and security incidents, Wag!’s security measures have not fully protected against such matters in the past. For example, we have been subject to phishing, credential stuffing or distributed denial-of-service attacks, and therefore Wag! cannot guarantee that no such or other attacks will occur in the future or that they will not be successful. Accordingly, Wag! may experience data security breaches, cyberattacks, hacks, ransomware attacks, data loss, unauthorized access to or use of data (including personal information) or other data security incidents. Further, the IT and infrastructure used in Wag!’s business may be vulnerable to cyberattacks or security breaches or to damages from computer viruses, worms, and other malicious software programs or other attacks, covert introduction of malware to computers and networks, unauthorized access, including impersonation of unauthorized users, efforts to discover and exploit any security vulnerabilities or securities weaknesses, and other similar disruptions, which may permit third parties to access data, including personal information and other sensitive data of Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers, Wag!’s employees’ personal information, or Wag!’s other sensitive, confidential or proprietary data that it maintains or that otherwise is accessible through those systems. For more information see “Risk Factors—Any error, bug, vulnerability or systems defect or failure and resulting interruptions in the availability of Wag!’s website, mobile applications, or platform could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.” Employee error, malfeasance, or other errors in the storage, use, or transmission of any of these types of data also could result in an actual or perceived privacy, data protection, or security breach or other security incident. In addition, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees, service providers, users or customers to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to Wag!’s data or the data or accounts of Wag!’s users or other
70
parties. Although Wag! has policies restricting access to the information it stores, there is a risk that these policies may not be effective in all cases.
Any actual or perceived breach of privacy or data protection, or any actual or perceived security breach or other incident that impacts Wag!’s platform or systems, other IT and infrastructure used in Wag!’s business, or data maintained or processed in Wag!’s business, could interrupt Wag!’s operations, result in Wag!’s platform being unavailable, result in loss or improper access to, or acquisition or disclosure of, data, result in fraudulent transfer of funds, harm Wag!’s reputation, brand and competitive position, damage Wag!’s relationships with third-party partners, or result in claims, litigation, regulatory investigations and proceedings, increased credit card processing fees and other costs, and significant legal, regulatory and financial exposure, including, but not limited to, ongoing monitoring by regulators and any such incidents or any perception that Wag!’s security measures are inadequate could lead to loss of Pet Parents’ and Pet Caregivers’ confidence in, or decreased use of, Wag!’s platform, any of which could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results. Any actual or perceived breach of privacy, data protection or security, or other security incident, impacting any entities with which Wag! shares or discloses data (including, for example, Wag!’s third-party technology providers) could have similar effects. Further, any cyberattacks or actual or perceived security, privacy or data protection breaches, and other incidents directed at, or suffered by, Wag!’s competitors could reduce confidence in Wag!’s industry and, as a result, reduce confidence in Wag!. Wag! also expects to incur significant costs in an effort to detect and prevent privacy, data protection and security breaches, and other privacy-, data protection- and security-related incidents and it may face increased costs and requirements to expend substantial resources in the event of an actual or perceived privacy, data protection, or security breach or other incident occurs.
While Wag! maintains cyber insurance that may help provide coverage for these types of incidents, it cannot assure you that Wag!’s insurance will be adequate to cover all of its costs and liabilities related to any incidents, that insurance will continue to be available to Wag! on economically reasonable terms, or at all, or that any insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against Wag! that exceed available insurance coverage or the occurrence of changes in Wag!’s insurance policies, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements, could adversely affect Wag!’s business, reputation, results of operations, and financial condition.
Changes in laws, regulations, or industry standards relating to privacy, data protection, or the protection or transfer of data relating to individuals, or any actual or perceived failure by Wag! to comply with such laws and regulations or any other obligations, including contractual obligations, relating to privacy, data protection, or the protection or transfer of data relating to individuals, could adversely affect Wag!’s business.
Wag! receives, transmits, and stores a large volume of regulated, personally identifiable information relating to users on its platform, as well as personally identifiable information relating to other individuals such as its employees. Numerous local, municipal, state, federal, and international laws and regulations address privacy and the collection, storing, sharing, use, disclosure, disposal, and protection of certain types of data, including, but not limited to the California Online Privacy Protection Act, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (restricting telemarketing and the use of automated SMS text messaging), Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, and the California Consumer Privacy Act and its accompanying regulations (collectively the “CCPA”). These laws, rules, and regulations regulating the personal information received, transmitted, and stored by Wag! evolve frequently and their scope may continually change, through new legislation, amendments to existing legislation and changes in enforcement and may be inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another.
The CCPA, which went into effect on January 1, 2020, among other things, requires covered companies to provide new disclosures to California consumers about such companies’ data collection, use and sharing practices, gives California residents expanded rights to access and delete their personal information, and affords such consumers abilities to opt out of certain sharing and sales of personal information. The law also prohibits covered businesses from discriminating against consumers (for example, charging more for services) for exercising their CCPA rights. The CCPA imposes severe statutory damages as well as a private right of action for certain data breaches that result in the unauthorized access to, or exfiltration, theft, or disclosure of personal information. This private right of action is expected to increase the likelihood of and risks associated with data breach litigation. The CCPA has not been subject to significant litigation and judicial interpretation and it remains unclear how various provisions of the CCPA will be interpreted and enforced. Subsequently, in November 2020, California voters passed the California Privacy Rights and Enforcement Act of 2020 (the “CPRA”). The CPRA, which will take effect in most material respects on January 1, 2023, further expands the CCPA with additional data privacy compliance requirements, including by expanding consumers’ rights with respect to certain sensitive
71
personal information, that may impact Wag!’s business and establishes a regulatory agency dedicated to enforcing those requirements, potentially resulting in further uncertainty and requiring Wag! to incur additional costs and expenses , and potentially changing business practices, in an effort to comply.
The CPRA and the CCPA have led to other states passing similar laws. On March 2, 2021, Virginia passed the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, which goes into effect January 1, 2023, and on July 8, 2021, Colorado passed the Colorado Privacy Act, which goes into effect July 1, 2023. Both of the statutes in Virginia and Colorado were modeled after and are very similar to the CCPA and CPRA. These laws may lead other states or even the U.S. Congress to pass comparable legislation. The effects of the CPRA, the CCPA and other similar state or federal laws, are significant and may require Wag! to modify its data processing practices and policies and incur substantial compliance-related costs and expenses that are likely to increase over time. Additionally, many laws and regulations relating to privacy and the collection, storing, sharing, use, disclosure, and protection of certain types of data are subject to varying degrees of enforcement and new and changing interpretations by courts and may require Wag! to divert resources from other initiatives and projects to address these evolving compliance and operational requirements. The CCPA, CPRA, the Virginia and Colorado privacy laws and other laws or regulations relating to privacy, data protection, and information security, particularly any new or modified laws or regulations, or changes to the interpretation or enforcement of such laws or regulations, that require enhanced protection of certain types of data or new obligations with regard to data retention, transfer, or disclosure, could greatly increase the cost of providing Wag!’s platform, require significant changes to Wag!’s operations, or even prevent Wag! from providing its platform in jurisdictions in which Wag! currently operates and in which it may operate in the future, all of which may have a material and adverse impact on Wag!’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
Additionally, Wag! has incurred and may continue to incur, significant expenses in an effort to comply with privacy, data protection, and information security standards and protocols imposed by law, regulation, industry standards, or contractual obligations. Publication of Wag!’s privacy statement and other policies regarding privacy, data protection, and data security may subject Wag! to investigation or enforcement actions by regulators if those statements or policies are found to be deficient, lacking transparency, deceptive, unfair, or misrepresentative of Wag!’s practices. In general, negative publicity of Wag! regarding actual or perceived violations of its end users’ privacy-related rights, including fines and enforcement actions against it or other similarly placed businesses, also may impair users’ trust in Wag!’s privacy practices and make them reluctant to give their consent to share their data with Wag!. In addition to government regulation, privacy advocates and industry groups have and may in the future propose self-regulatory standards from time to time, which may legally or contractually apply to Wag!, or it may elect to comply with such standards. These various privacy, data protection, and data security legal obligations that apply to Wag! may evolve in a manner that relates to Wag!’s practices or the features of Wag!’s mobile applications or website and Wag! may need to take additional measures to comply with the new and evolving legal obligations, including but not limited to training efforts for Wag!’s employees, contractors, and third-party partners. Such efforts may not be successful or may have other negative consequences. In particular, with laws and regulations such as the CCPA and industry standards imposing new and relatively burdensome obligations and with substantial uncertainty over the interpretation and application of these and other laws and regulations, Wag! may face challenges in addressing their requirements and making necessary changes to Wag!’s policies and practices and may incur significant costs and expenses in an effort to do so.
Wag! also is bound by contractual obligations related to privacy, data protection, and data security and Wag!’s efforts to comply with such obligations may not be successful or may have other negative consequences. With regard to Wag!’s commercial arrangements, Wag! and its counterparties, including business partners and external service providers, might be subject to contractual obligations regarding the processing of personal data. While Wag! believes its and its counterparties’ conduct under these agreements is in material compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, standards, certifications and orders relating to data privacy or security, Wag! or its counterparties may fail, or be alleged to have failed, to be in full compliance. In the event that Wag!’s acts or omissions result in alleged or actual failure to comply with applicable laws, regulations, standards, certifications and orders relating to data privacy or security, Wag! may incur liability. While Wag! endeavors to include indemnification provisions or other protections in such agreements to mitigate liability and losses stemming from its counterparties’ acts or omissions, Wag! may not always be able to negotiate for such protections and, even where it can, there is no guarantee that its counterparties will honor such provisions or that such protections will cover the full scope of Wag!’s liabilities and losses.
Despite Wag!’s efforts to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other obligations relating to privacy, data protection, and information security, it is possible that Wag!’s interpretations of the law, practices, or platform could be inconsistent with, or fail or be alleged to fail to meet all requirements of, such laws, regulations, or obligations. Wag!’s failure, or the failure by Wag!’s third-party providers, Pet Parents, or Pet Caregivers on Wag!’s platform, or consequences associated with Wag!’s efforts to comply with
72
applicable laws or regulations or any other obligations relating to privacy, data protection, or information security, or any compromise of security that results in unauthorized access to, or use or release of data relating to Pet Caregivers, Pet Parents, or other individuals, or the perception that any of the foregoing types of failure or compromise has occurred, could damage Wag!’s reputation, discourage new and existing Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents from using Wag!’s platform, or result in fines, investigations, or proceedings by governmental agencies and private claims and litigation, any of which could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results. Even if not subject to legal challenge, the perception of privacy concerns, whether or not valid, may harm Wag!’s reputation and brand which could materially adversely affect its business, financial condition, and operating results.
The success of Wag!’s platform relies on Wag!’s algorithms and other proprietary technology and any failure to operate and improve Wag!’s algorithms or to develop other innovative proprietary technology effectively could materially adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.
Wag! uses proprietary algorithms in an effort to maximize user satisfaction and retention, as well as to optimize return on marketing expenses. Any failure to successfully operate or improve Wag!’s algorithms or to develop other innovative proprietary technology could materially adversely affect Wag!’s ability to maintain and expand its business. Operation failures could lead to fewer bookings, which could in turn lead to less or lower quality data, which could affect Wag!’s ability to improve its algorithms and maintain, market and scale its platform effectively. Additionally, there is increased governmental interest in regulating technology companies. Any failure, or perceived failure, or negative consequences associated with Wag!’s efforts to comply with any present or future laws or regulations in this area could subject Wag! to claims, actions, and other legal and regulatory proceedings, fines or other penalties, and other enforcement actions and result in damage to Wag!’s reputation and adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.
Any error, bug, vulnerability, or systems defect or failure and resulting interruptions in the availability of Wag!’s website, mobile applications, or platform could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.
Wag!’s success depends on Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers being able to access Wag!’s platform at any time. Wag!’s systems, or those of third parties upon which Wag! relies, may experience service interruptions or degradation or other performance problems because of hardware and software defects, malfunctions or inappropriate maintenance, distributed denial-of-service and other cyberattacks, infrastructure changes, human error, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, natural disasters, power losses, disruptions in telecommunications services, fraud, military or political conflicts, terrorist attacks, computer viruses, ransomware, malware, or other events. Wag!’s systems also may be subject to break-ins, sabotage, theft, and intentional acts of vandalism, including by Wag!’s own employees. In such an event, Wag! may need to expend additional resources to bring the incident to an end, mitigate the liability associated with the fallout of such incident, make notifications to regulators and individuals affected, replace damaged systems or assets, defend itself in legal proceedings and compensate customers or end users. Further, some of Wag!’s systems are not fully redundant and Wag!’s disaster recovery planning may not be sufficient for all eventualities. Wag!’s business interruption insurance may not be sufficient to cover all of Wag!’s losses that may result from interruptions in Wag!’s service as a result of systems failures and similar events.
Wag!’s platform incorporates highly technical and complex technologies. Such technologies and software may now or in the future contain undetected errors, bugs, or vulnerabilities, some of which may only be discovered after the code has been released. Any error, bug or vulnerability in Wag!’s products or services, systems or control failure, cybersecurity incidents, data security breach or attack on or compromise of Wag!’s security or the security of its business partners could result in the loss, theft or inaccessibility of, unauthorized access to, or improper use or disclosure of, users’ or Wag!’s employees’ data and could result in governmental or regulatory action, including resulting in fines or penalties, litigation, and financial and legal exposure, which could seriously harm Wag!’s reputation, brand and business, and impair its ability to attract and retain users, customers and advertisers. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Privacy and Technology—Wag! has been subject to cybersecurity attacks in the past and anticipates being the target of future attacks. Any actual or perceived breach of security or security incident or privacy or data protection breach or violation, including via cyberattacks, data breaches, hacks, ransomware attacks, data loss, unauthorized access to or use of data (including personal information) and other breaches of its information technology systems, could interrupt Wag!’s operations, harm its brand, and adversely affect its reputation, business, financial condition, and operating results.”
Wag! has experienced and will likely continue to experience system failures and other events or conditions from time to time that interrupt the availability or reduce or affect the speed or functionality of Wag!’s platform. Minor interruptions can result in new user acquisition losses that are never recovered. Affected users could seek monetary recourse from Wag! for their losses and such claims,
73
even if unsuccessful, would likely be time-consuming and costly for Wag! to address. Further, in some instances, Wag! may not be able to identify the cause or causes of these performance problems within an acceptable period of time. A prolonged interruption in the availability or reduction in the availability, speed, or other functionality of Wag!’s platform could adversely affect its business, brand, and reputation and could result in fewer Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers using Wag!’s platform.
Wag! primarily relies on Amazon Web Services to deliver its services to users on its platform and any disruption of or interference with its use of Amazon Web Services could adversely affect its business, financial condition, and operating results.
Wag! relies in part upon the stable performance of our servers, networks, IT infrastructure and data processing systems for provision of our products and services. For example, Wag! currently relies on Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) to host its platform and support its operations. Wag! does not have control over the operations of the facilities of AWS that it uses. The facilities of AWS are vulnerable to damage or interruption from internal and external factors, including natural disasters, cybersecurity attacks, terrorist attacks, power outages, and similar events or acts of misconduct. Wag!’s platform’s continuing and uninterrupted performance is critical to its success. Wag! has experienced, and expects that in the future it will experience, interruptions, delays, and outages in service and availability from time to time due to a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes, human or software errors, website hosting disruptions, and capacity constraints. In addition, any changes in AWS’ service levels may adversely affect Wag!’s ability to meet the requirements of users on its platform. Since Wag!’s platform’s continuing and uninterrupted performance is critical to its success, sustained or repeated system failures would reduce the attractiveness of its platform. It may become increasingly difficult or expensive to maintain and improve Wag!’s performance, especially during peak usage times, as it expands the usage of its platform. Any negative publicity arising from these disruptions could harm Wag!’s reputation and brand and may adversely affect the usage of its platform. Any of the above circumstances or events may harm Wag!’s reputation and brand, reduce the availability or usage of its platform, lead to a significant short-term loss of revenue, increase its costs, and impair its ability to attract new users, any of which could adversely affect its business, financial condition, and operating results.
Wag! relies on third-party payment service providers to process payments made by Pet Parents and payments made to Pet Caregivers on its platform. If these third-party payment service providers become unavailable or Wag! is subject to increased fees, its business, operating results, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Wag! relies on a number of third-party payment service providers, including payment card networks, banks, payment processors, and payment gateways, to link Wag! to payment card and bank clearing networks to process payments made by Wag!’s Pet Parents and payments made to Pet Caregivers through Wag!’s platform. Wag! also relies on these third-party providers to address Wag!’s compliance with various laws, including money transmission regulations. Wag! has agreements with these providers, some of whom are the sole providers of their particular service. If these companies become unwilling or unable to provide these services to Wag! on acceptable terms, Wag! is unable to integrate with a provider in a timely manner, or regulators take action against Wag!, Wag!’s business may be disrupted. In such case, Wag! would need to find an alternate payment service provider and it may not be able to secure similar terms or replace such payment service provider in an acceptable time frame. If Wag! needs to migrate to alternative or integrate additional third-party payment service providers for any reason, the transition or addition would require significant time and management resources and may not be as effective, efficient, or well-received by Wag!’s Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents or adequately address regulatory requirements. Any of the foregoing risks related to third-party payment service providers, including compliance with money transmission rules in any jurisdiction in which Wag! operates, could cause Wag! to incur significant losses and, in certain cases, require Wag! to make payments to Pet Caregivers out of its funds, which could materially adversely affect its business, operating results, and financial condition.
In addition, the software and services provided by Wag!’s third-party payment service providers may fail to meet Wag!’s expectations, contain errors or vulnerabilities, be compromised, or experience outages. Any of these risks could cause Wag! to lose its ability to accept online payments or other payment transactions or facilitate timely payments to Pet Caregivers on Wag!’s platform, which could make Wag!’s platform less convenient and desirable to its users and adversely affect Wag!’s ability to attract and retain Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents. For more information, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Privacy and Technology—Any error, bug, vulnerability or systems defect or failure and resulting interruptions in the availability of Wag!’s website, mobile applications, or platform could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.”
If Wag! fails to invest adequate resources into the payment processing infrastructure on Wag!’s platform, or if Wag!’s investment efforts are unsuccessful or unreliable, Wag!’s payments activities may not function properly or keep pace with competitive offerings, which could adversely impact their usage. Further, Wag!’s ability to expand its payments activities into additional countries is
74
dependent upon the third-party providers Wag! uses to support these activities. As Wag! expands the availability of its platform to additional geographies or offer new payment methods to its Pet Caregivers and Pet Parents in the future, it may become subject to additional regulations and compliance requirements and exposed to heightened fraud risk, which could lead to an increase in its operating expenses.
For certain payment methods, including credit and debit cards, Wag! pays interchange and other fees and such fees result in significant costs. Payment card network costs have increased and may continue to increase in the future, the interchange fees and assessments that they charge for each transaction that accesses their networks and may impose special fees or assessments on any such transaction. Wag!’s payment card processors have the right to pass any increases in interchange fees and assessments on to Wag!. Credit card transactions result in higher fees to Wag! than transactions made through debit cards. Wag! also faces a risk of increased transaction fees and other fines and penalties, if Wag! or its service providers fail to comply with payment card industry security standards. Any material increase in interchange fees in the United States or other geographies, including as a result of changes in interchange fee limitations imposed by law in some geographies, or other network fees or assessments, or a shift from payment with debit cards to credit cards could increase Wag!’s operating costs and materially adversely affect Wag!’s business, operating results, and financial condition.
Wag! relies on third parties to provide some of the software or features for its platform and depends on the interoperability of its platform across third-party applications and services. If such third parties were to interfere with the distribution of Wag!’s platform or with its use of such software, its business would be materially adversely affected.
Wag! relies upon certain third parties to provide software or features for its platform. If the third parties Wag! relies upon cease to provide access to the third-party software that Wag!, Pet Parents, and Pet Caregivers use, cease providing access to such software on terms that Wag! believes to be attractive or reasonable, or stop providing Wag! with the most current version of such software, Wag! may be required to seek comparable software from other sources, which may be more expensive or inferior, or may not be available at all, any of which would adversely affect Wag!’s business. For example, Wag! relies on Google Maps and Apple Maps for maps and location data for functionality on Wag!’s platform and Wag! integrates applications, content, and data from third parties to deliver its platform and services.
Third-party applications, products, and services are constantly evolving and Wag! may not be able to maintain or modify its platform to ensure its compatibility with third-party offerings following development changes. If Wag! loses such compatibility, experience difficulties, or increased costs in integrating Wag!’s offerings into alternative devices or systems, or manufacturers or operating systems elect not to include Wag!’s offerings, make changes that degrade the functionality of Wag!’s offerings, or give preferential treatment to competitive products, the growth of Wag!’s community and its business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Wag! relies on mobile operating systems and application marketplaces to make its applications available to Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers and if Wag! does not effectively operate with or receive favorable placements within such application marketplaces and maintain high user reviews, its usage or brand recognition could decline and its business, financial results, and operating results could be materially adversely affected.
Wag! largely depends on mobile operating systems, such as Android and iOS and their respective application marketplaces to make Wag!’s applications available to Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers that use Wag!’s platform on mobile devices. Any changes in such systems or application marketplaces that degrade the functionality of Wag!’s applications or give preferential treatment to Wag!’s competitors’ applications could adversely affect Wag!’s platform’s usage on mobile devices. If such mobile operating systems or application marketplaces limit or prohibit Wag! from making its applications available to Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers, make changes that degrade the functionality of Wag!’s applications, increase the cost to users or to Wag! of using such mobile operating systems or application marketplaces or Wag!’s applications, impose terms of use unsatisfactory to Wag!, or modify their search or ratings algorithms in ways that are detrimental to Wag!, or if Wag!’s competitors’ placement in such mobile operating systems’ application marketplace is more prominent than the placement of Wag!’s applications, Wag!’s user growth could slow, pause, or decline. Wag!’s applications have experienced fluctuations in the past and it anticipates similar fluctuations in the future. Any of the foregoing risks could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.
As new mobile devices and mobile platforms, as well as entirely new technology platforms are developed and released, there is no guarantee that certain devices will support Wag!’s platform or effectively roll out updates to its applications. Additionally, in order
75
to deliver high-quality applications, Wag! needs to ensure that its platform is designed to work effectively with a range of mobile technologies, systems, networks, and standards, which can require cooperation from participants in the mobile device industry. Wag! may not be successful in developing or maintaining relationships with key participants in the mobile device industry that enhance users’ experience. If Pet Parents or Pet Caregivers that use Wag!’s platform encounter any difficulty accessing or using Wag!’s applications on their mobile devices or if Wag! is unable to adapt to changes in popular mobile operating systems, Wag! expects that its user growth and user engagement would be materially adversely affected.
Wag!’s platform may contain third-party open source software components, the use of which could expose us to information security vulnerabilities, result in failures, errors and defects, or subject us to possible litigation or to certain unfavorable conditions, including requirements that we offer our products that incorporate the open source software for no cost or that we make publicly available our confidential, proprietary source code; any such failure to comply with the terms of the underlying open source software licenses could restrict Wag!’s ability to provide its platform.
Though Wag! generally avoids “open source” software, Wag!’s platform may contain software modules licensed to it by third-party authors under “open source” licenses. Use and distribution of open source software may entail greater risks than use of third-party commercial software, as open source licensors generally do not provide support, warranties, indemnification, or other contractual protections regarding infringement claims or the quality of the code. Accordingly, Wag! cannot ensure that the authors of such open source software will implement or push updates to address security risks or will not abandon further development and maintenance. In addition, the public availability of such software may make it easier for others to compromise Wag!’s platform. Many of the risks associated with the use of open source software cannot be eliminated, and could, if not properly addressed, negatively affect Wag!’s business. To the extent that Wag!’s systems depend upon the successful operation of the open source software it uses, any undetected errors or defects in this open source software could prevent the deployment or impair the functionality of Wag!’s systems or applications, delay the introduction of new solutions, result in a failure of its systems, products or services, and injure Wag!’s reputation. For example, undetected errors or defects in open source software could render it vulnerable to breaches or security attacks and make Wag!’s systems more vulnerable to data breaches. Wag! has processes in place to help alleviate these risks, but it cannot be sure that all open source software is identified or submitted for approval prior to use in its solutions, products and services. Any of these risks could be difficult to eliminate or manage, and, if not addressed, could adversely affect Wag!’s ownership of proprietary intellectual property, the security of its systems, products and services, or its business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Some open source licenses contain unfavorable requirements that may, depending on how the licensed software is used or modified, require that Wag! makes available source code for modifications or derivative works it creates based upon the licensed open source software, authorizes further modification and redistribution of that source code, makes its software available at little or no cost, or grants other licenses to Wag!’s intellectual property. This could enable Wag!’s competitors to create similar offerings with lower development effort and time and ultimately could result in a loss of Wag!’s competitive advantages. Alternatively, to avoid the release of the affected portions of Wag!’s source code, Wag! could be required to purchase additional licenses, expend substantial time and resources to re-engineer some or all of its software or cease use or distribution of some or all of its software until it can adequately address the concerns.
Wag! also releases certain of its proprietary software modules to the public under open source licenses. Although Wag! has certain policies and procedures in place to monitor its use of open source software that are designed to avoid subjecting its platform to conditions it does not intend, those policies and procedures may not be effective to detect or address all such conditions. In addition, the terms of many open source licenses have not been interpreted by U.S. or foreign courts and there is a risk that these licenses could be construed in a way that could impose unanticipated conditions or restrictions on Wag!’s ability to provide or distribute its platform. From time to time, there have been claims challenging the ownership of open source software against companies that incorporate open source software into their solutions. As a result, Wag! could be subject to lawsuits by parties claiming ownership of what Wag! believes to be open source software. If Wag! is held to have breached or failed to fully comply with all the terms and conditions of an open source software license, it could face infringement or other liability, or be required to seek costly licenses from third parties to continue providing its platform on terms that are not economically feasible, to re-engineer its platform, to discontinue or delay the provision of its platform if re-engineering could not be accomplished on a timely basis, or to make generally available, in source code form, its proprietary code, any of which could adversely affect its business, financial condition, and operating results.
76
Risks Related to Wag!’s Intellectual Property
Failure to adequately protect Wag!’s intellectual property could adversely affect Wag!’s business, financial condition, and operating results.
Wag!’s business depends on its intellectual property and proprietary technology, the protection of which is crucial to the success of its business. Wag! relies on a combination of trademar