UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
(Mark One)
| ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For
the fiscal year ended
OR
| TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
Commission
file number:
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
| (State
or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification No.) |
| (Address of Principal Executive Office) | (Zip Code) |
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
| The Stock Market LLC | ||||
| The
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| The
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Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2)
has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule
405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |
| ☒ | Smaller reporting company | |||
| Emerging growth company |
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness
of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered
public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes
The registrant’s ordinary
shares were not listed on any exchange and had no value as of the last business day of the second fiscal quarter of 2021. The registrant’s
units began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on August 11, 2021 and the registrant’s Class A ordinary shares and warrants began
trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on October 8, 2021. The aggregate market value of the units outstanding, other than shares held
by persons who may be deemed affiliates of the registrant, computed by reference to the closing price for the units on December 31, 2021,
as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market was $
As of March 25, 2022, shares of Class A common stock, $0.000001 per share par value, and shares of Class B common stock, $0.000001 per share par value, were issued and outstanding, respectively. As of March 25, 2022, shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding are subject to possible redemption.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS; SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS
This Annual Report contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Some of the statements in this Annual Report constitute forward-looking statements because they relate to future events or our future performance or future financial condition. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our company, our industry, our beliefs and our assumptions. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this Annual Report may include, for example, statements about:
| ● | our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses; |
| ● | our ability to complete our initial business combination; |
| ● | our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses; |
| ● | our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination; |
| ● | our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination; |
| ● | our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination; |
| ● | our pool of prospective target businesses; |
| ● | the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential acquisition opportunities; |
| ● | our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading; |
| ● | our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting and any material weaknesses of the foregoing; |
| ● | the lack of a market for our securities; |
| ● | the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance; |
| ● | the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or |
| ● | our financial performance. |
The forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the section of this Annual Report entitled “Risk Factors”. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
We use words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “seeks,” “plans,” “estimates,” “targets” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those implied or expressed in the forward-looking statements for any reason, including the factors set forth in “Part I — Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report.
Although we believe that the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of those assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and as a result, the forward-looking statements based on those assumptions also could be inaccurate. Important assumptions include our ability to originate new loans and investments, certain margins and levels of profitability and the availability of additional capital. In light of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of a projection or forward-looking statements in this Annual Report should not be regarded as a representation by us that our plans and objectives will be achieved.
We have based the forward-looking statements included in this Annual Report on information available to us on the date of this Annual Report, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Although we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in this Annual Report, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we may file in the future with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.
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Summary of Risk Factors
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in the section titled “Risk Factors,” alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Such risks include, but are not limited to:
● Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public stockholders do not support such a combination.
● If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders and members of our management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.
● Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash.
● The ability of our public stockholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a business combination with a target.
● The ability of our public stockholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.
● The ability of our public stockholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares could increase the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your shares.
● The requirement that we complete an initial business combination within the period to consummate the initial business combination may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may limit the time we have in which to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our initial business combination on terms that would produce value for our stockholders.
● We may not be able to complete an initial business combination within the period to consummate the initial business combination, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public stockholders may only receive $10.15 per unit, or less than such amount in certain circumstances.
● If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders, directors, executive officers, advisors and their respective affiliates may elect to purchase shares from public stockholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A common stock.
● If a stockholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our initial business combination or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.
● You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
● Subsequent to the completion of our initial business combination, we may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and our share price, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.
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● The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The loss of a business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
● Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination. Upon the loss of control of a target business, new management may not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.
● We are dependent upon our executive officers and directors and their loss could adversely affect our ability to operate.
● Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be totally dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
● Nasdaq may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
● Our sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.01 per founder share, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of the shares of our Class A common stock.
● Since our sponsor paid only approximately $0.01 per share for the founder shares, our officers and directors could potentially make a substantial profit even if we acquire a target business that subsequently declines in value.
● We are a recently incorporated company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
● Past performance by our sponsor and our management team including their affiliates and including the businesses referred to herein, may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us or in the future performance of any business that we may acquire.
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PART I
Item 1. Business.
In this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”), references to the “Company” and to “we,” “us,” “our” and refer to Pono Capital Corp.
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on February 12, 2021. The Company was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”). We are an emerging growth company and, as such, we are subject to all of the risks associated with emerging growth companies.
Our management team is led by our Chief Executive Officer, Dustin Shindo, who brings more than 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur including a previous IPO on the NASDAQ, serving as a public company CEO, and having completed numerous business deals in the countries of eastern and southeastern Asia. Mr. Shindo also serves as the CEO of Junify Corporation, a private company delivering cloud access security services via the SaaS model. We believe our management team’s extensive technology M&A and public company operating expertise will help us identify an exceptional market leading player benefiting from significant growth and accelerating adoption of technology solutions in our target sectors.
The Company’s sponsor is Mehana Equity LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”). The registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on August 10, 2021. On August 13, 2021, the Company consummated its Initial Public Offering of 10,000,000 units (the “Units” and, with respect to the Class A common stock included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”), at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $100,000,000 (see Note 6) (the “Initial Public Offering”). The Company granted the underwriter a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,500,000 Units at the Initial Public Offering price to cover over-allotments, if any.
Simultaneously with the consummation of the closing of the Offering, the Company consummated the private placement of an aggregate of 469,175 units (the “Placement Units”) to the Sponsor at a price of $10.00 per Placement Unit, generating total gross proceeds of $4,691,750 (the “Private Placement”).
On August 18, 2021, the underwriters exercised the over-allotment option in full, and the closing of the issuance and sale of the additional Units occurred (the “Over-allotment Option Units”). The total aggregate issuance by the Company of 1,500,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit resulted in total gross proceeds of $15,000,000. On August 18, 2021, simultaneously with the sale of the Over-allotment Option Units, the Company consummated the private sale of an additional 52,500 Placement Units, generating gross proceeds of $525,000. The Placement Units were issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as the transactions did not involve a public offering.
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A total of $116,725,000, comprised of the proceeds from the Offering and the proceeds of private placements that closed on August 13, 2021 and August 18, 2021, net of the underwriting commissions, discounts, and offering expenses, was deposited in a trust account established for the benefit of the Company’s public stockholders.
On October 8, 2021, the Class A ordinary shares and Public Warrant included in the Units began separate trading.
Proposed Transaction
On March 17, 2022, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among Pono, Pono Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Pono (“Merger Sub”), Benuvia, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Benuvia”), Mehana Equity, LLC, in its capacity as Purchaser Representative, and Shannon Soqui, in his capacity as Seller Representative.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the “Closing”), Merger Sub will merge with and into Benuvia, with Benuvia continuing as the surviving corporation (the “Surviving Corporation”).
Merger Consideration
As consideration for the Merger, the holders of Benuvia securities collectively shall be entitled to receive from us, in the aggregate, a number of our securities with an aggregate value equal to (the “Merger Consideration”) (a) Four Hundred Million U.S. Dollars ($400,000,000) minus (b) the amount by which the aggregate amount of any outstanding indebtedness (minus cash held by Benuvia) of Benuvia at Closing (the “Closing Net Indebtedness”) exceeds Forty Million Dollars ($40,000,000), and minus (c) the value of the options of Benuvia held by employees and consultants that are vested at the Closing that are assumed by us (“Vested Options”), with each Benuvia stockholder receiving, for each share of Benuvia common stock held, a number of shares of our common stock equal to (i) the Per Share Price, divided by (ii) $10.00 (the total portion of the Merger Consideration amount payable to all Benuvia Stockholders in accordance with the Merger Agreement is also referred to herein as the “Stockholder Merger Consideration”)
The Merger Consideration otherwise payable to Benuvia stockholders is subject to the withholding of two escrows: (i) a number of shares of our common stock equal to five percent (5.0%) of the Merger Consideration to be placed in escrow for post-closing adjustments (if any) to the Merger Consideration and (ii) a number of shares mutually agreeable between Benuvia and us not to exceed twenty percent (20.0%) of the Merger Consideration (the “Price Protection Escrow Amount”) to be held for downside protection for non-redeeming stockholders following Closing.
The Merger Consideration is subject to adjustment after the Closing based on confirmed amounts of the Closing Net Indebtedness of Benuvia as of the Closing Date. If the adjustment is a negative adjustment in favor of us, the escrow agent shall distribute to us a number of shares of our common stock with a value equal to the absolute value of the adjustment amount. If the adjustment is a positive adjustment in favor of Benuvia, we will issue to the Benuvia stockholders an additional number of shares of our common stock with a value equal to the adjustment amount.
The Business Combination Agreement and related agreements are further described in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 18, 2022.
Other than as specifically discussed, this Annual Report on Form 10-K does not assume the closing of the Business Combination or the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement.
Our Business Strategy
We will seek to capitalize on the significant relationships of Mr. Shindo, Mr. Chiba and Mr. Iwamura, along with other members of our management team, to identify, evaluate and acquire high growth technology and tech-enabled businesses domestically and abroad in the enterprise security and operations applications, cloud-based content and digital streaming services, as well as other industries which are being disrupted by advances in technology and on technology paradigms including drone technology and service, AI companies, consumer healthcare and wellness, biomedical technology, entertainment/gaming companies, online retail and distance learning industries. If we elect to pursue an investment outside of those industries, our management’s expertise related to those industries may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in the registration statement regarding that industry might not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire.
Our business strategy is to identify and complete our initial business combination with a company that can benefit from (i) the managerial and operational experience of our management team, (ii) additional capital and (iii) access to public securities markets. We plan to leverage our management team’s network of potential proprietary and public transaction sources where we believe a combination of our relationships, knowledge and experience in the technology sector could effect a positive transformation or augmentation of existing businesses to improve their overall value.
The company’s focus is on emerging growth technology companies that are well positioned for the changes in how businesses operate or how and what consumers buy. These changes have accelerated over the past year. Industries that fit this well, include but are not limited to, enterprise security and operations applications, cloud-based content and digital streaming services, drone technology and service, AI companies, consumer healthcare and wellness, biomedical technology, entertainment/gaming companies, distance learning, online retail and e-sports companies. We believe that the way businesses and consumers operate, make decisions, and spend has forever been changed because of the pandemic. These changes have accelerated an already growing digital transformation trend in businesses and reshaped consumer behavior. In particular, we have seen significant changes to distributed work, entertainment, and services that push value points from physical locations to more distant endpoints, most often homes.
Apart from our exclusion from consideration of any potential target businesses in China and Hong Kong, there is no geographic limitation to the location of potential targets, as these types of opportunities are not necessarily bound by geography.
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We believe and already have relationships with a large pool of quality initial business combination targets looking for an opportunity to create liquidity for current investors and currency to acquire other companies. Further, we believe that the management team and board members’ extensive background, careers, reputations, and relationships in cross border business experience gives us the insight and position to identify the ideal targets for a business combination that creates long-term opportunity and value growth and to complete the business combination.
Our Acquisition Criteria
Our acquisition philosophy is rooted in several core tenets, consistent with those that have been utilized in the past by members of our management team as they have evaluated investment opportunities:
● Large and Growing Addressable Market: Our management team will prioritize investing in large and growing industries that are poised for disruption by new technologies. We look for both large problems amenable to technology solutions as well as businesses able to scale to meet the market.
● Proprietary Technology Advantage: We seek businesses protected by proprietary technology advantages, especially scientific breakthroughs and intellectual property. We believe that significant technology innovation provides for years of durable, compounding growth and expanding margins.
● Scaling Business with Compelling Growth Opportunity: While we are primarily focused on the topline growth potential, we will seek to acquire a company which has achieved sufficient technology and business maturity while still maintaining significant runway to capture share in a large addressable market. We look for favorable secular trends and attractive unit economics which can be further enhanced as the business grows.
● World Class Management Teams: We seek to partner with creative and ambitious management teams that have a track record of success to help them execute their vision.
Our Acquisition Process
In evaluating a potential target business, we expect to conduct a comprehensive due diligence review to seek to determine a company’s quality and its intrinsic value. That due diligence review may include, among other things, financial statement analysis, detailed document reviews, technology diligence, multiple meetings with management, consultations with relevant industry and academic experts, competitors, customers and suppliers, as well as a review of additional information that we will seek to obtain as part of our analysis of a target company.
We expect to place significant emphasis on a business combination target’s technology and intellectual property as part of our acquisition evaluation process, consistent with the investment approach of our management team. This due diligence may include the engagement of multiple technical experts across both industry and academia to review the technology, participation in joint due diligence meetings with these technical experts and management, as well as detailed intellectual property due diligence, to determine the nature and quality of a company’s technology innovation.
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We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a business that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from either an independent investment banking firm that is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. Furthermore, in the event that we seek such a business combination, we expect that the independent members of our board of directors would be involved in the process for considering and approving the transaction.
Members of our management team, including our officers and directors, directly or indirectly own our securities following the IPO and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target company is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Each of our officers and directors, as well as our management team, may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination, including if the retention or resignation of any such officers, directors, and management team members was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to such business combination.
Each of our directors, director nominees and officers presently have and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such entity. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to identify and pursue business combination opportunities or complete our initial business combination.
Our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company, and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
Our founder, sponsor, officers, and directors may sponsor, form or participate in other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination and their respective participation in any such companies may present additional conflicts of interest in respect of determining to which such company a particular business combination opportunity should be presented, particularly in the event there is overlap among the investment mandates of such companies. Additionally, one of our directors, Dr. Wuh, has previously invested in two blank check companies, Blueprint Health Merger Corp. and Benessere Capital Acquisition Corp. Dr. Wuh’s investments were made on a passive basis and accordingly, he has no fiduciary duty or any contractual obligation to present business opportunities to these companies. Thus, we do not believe Dr. Wuh’s investments in these two companies, would affect our ability to identify and pursue business opportunities or complete our initial business combination.
Moreover, because our management team has significant experience in identifying and executing multiple acquisition opportunities simultaneously and we are not limited by industry or geography in terms of the acquisition opportunities we can pursue, except with respect to our prohibition from seeking target acquisitions in China and Hong Kong. In addition, our founder, sponsor, officers, and directors are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence.
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Initial Business Combination
Nasdaq rules require that we complete one or more initial business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination.
If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business for the post-acquisition company to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires an interest in the target or assets sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the initial business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our stockholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If the initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for the purposes of a tender offer or for seeking stockholder approval, as applicable.
The net proceeds of the IPO and the sale of the placement units released to us from the trust account upon the closing of our initial business combination may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we complete our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemption of our public shares, we may use the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account following the closing for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. In addition, we may be required to obtain additional financing in connection with the closing of our initial business combination to be used following the closing for general corporate purposes as described above.
There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise. None of our sponsors, officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination. We may also obtain financing prior to the closing of our initial business combination to fund our working capital needs and transaction costs in connection with our search for and completion of our initial business combination.
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Our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, following the IPO and prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will be prohibited from issuing additional securities that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account; or (ii) vote as a class with our public shares: (a) on any initial business combination, or (b) to approve an amendment to our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation to: (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination from the closing of the IPO, or (y) amend the foregoing provisions, unless (in connection with any such amendment to our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation) we offer our public stockholders the opportunity to redeem their public shares.
Status as a Public Company
We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination with us. In a business combination transaction with us, the owners of the target business may, for example, exchange their shares of stock, shares or other equity interests in the target business for our Class A common stock (or shares of a new holding company) or for a combination of our Class A common stock and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. We believe target businesses will find this method a more expeditious and cost-effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. The typical initial public offering process takes a significantly longer period of time than the typical business combination transaction process, and there are significant expenses in the initial public offering process, including underwriting discounts and commissions, that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us.
Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring or could have negative valuation consequences. Once public, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital, an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with stockholders’ interests and the ability to use its shares as currency for acquisitions. Being a public company can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
While we believe that our structure and our management team’s backgrounds will make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view our status as a blank check company, such as our lack of an operating history and our ability to seek stockholder approval of any proposed initial business combination, negatively.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved, If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of the IPO, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to SEC rules from time to time), or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A common stock that is held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700.0 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of any fiscal year for so long as either (1) the market value of our Class A common stock held by non-affiliates did not equal or exceed $250.0 million as of the prior June 30, or (2) our annual revenues did not exceed $100.0 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our Class A common stock held by non-affiliates did not equal or exceed $700.0 million as of the prior June 30.
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Financial Position
With funds available for an initial business combination initially in the amount of $113,275,000 after payment of $3,450,000 of deferred underwriting fees, before fees and expenses associated with our initial business combination (other than deferred underwriting fees), we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt leverage ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.
Effecting our Initial Business Combination
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following the Initial Public Offering. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of the IPO, the private placements of the placement units, our equity, debt or a combination of these as the consideration to be paid in our initial business combination. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.
If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A common stock, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.
We may need to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination, either because the transaction requires more cash than is available from the proceeds held in our trust account, or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of the initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. There are no prohibitions on our ability to issue securities or incur debt in connection with our initial business combination. We are not currently a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities, the incurrence of debt or otherwise.
Sources of Target Businesses
Our process of identifying acquisition targets will leverage our sponsor and our management team’s industry experiences, proven deal sourcing capabilities and broad and deep network of relationships in numerous industries, including executives and management teams, private equity groups and other institutional investors, large business enterprises, lenders, investment bankers and other investment market participants, restructuring advisers, consultants, attorneys and accountants, which we believe should provide us with a number of business combination opportunities. We expect that the collective experience, capability and network of our sponsor, our directors and officers, combined with their individual and collective reputations in the investment community, will help to create prospective business combination opportunities.
In addition, we anticipate that target business candidates may be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers and private investment funds. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us through calls or mailings. These sources may also introduce us to target businesses in which they think we may be interested on an unsolicited basis, since many of these sources will have read the prospectus and know what types of businesses we are targeting. Our officers and directors, as well as their respective affiliates, may also bring to our attention target business candidates of which they become aware through their business contacts as a result of formal or informal inquiries or discussions they may have, as well as attending trade shows or conventions.
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We also expect to receive a number of proprietary deal flow opportunities that would not otherwise necessarily be available to us as a result of the business relationships of our officers and directors. While we do not presently anticipate engaging the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions on any formal basis, we may engage these firms or other individuals in the future, in which event we may pay a finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction. We will engage a finder only to the extent our management determines that the use of a finder may bring opportunities to us that may not otherwise be available to us or if finders approach us on an unsolicited basis with a potential transaction that our management determines is in our best interest to pursue. Payment of finder’s fees is customarily tied to completion of a transaction; in which case any such fee will be paid out of the funds held in the trust account. In no event, however, will our sponsor or any of our existing officers or directors, or any entity with which they are affiliated, be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation by the company prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). None of our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be allowed to receive any compensation, finder’s fees or consulting fees from a prospective business combination target in connection with a contemplated acquisition of such target by us.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a business that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from either an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. Furthermore, in the event that we seek such a business combination, we expect that the independent members of our board of directors would be involved in the process for considering and approving the transaction.
Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities, including entities that are affiliates of our sponsor, pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Delaware law.
Evaluation of a Target Business and Structuring of our Initial Business Combination
Nasdaq rules require that we consummate an initial business combination with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting commissions). The fair market value of our initial business combination will be determined by our board of directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as discounted cash flow valuation, a valuation based on trading multiples of comparable public businesses or a valuation based on the financial metrics of M&A transactions of comparable businesses. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination (including with the assistance of financial advisors), we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. Subject to this requirement, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we will not be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operation.
In any case, we will only complete an initial business combination in which we own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquire a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. If we own or acquire less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses, the portion of such business or businesses that are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of fair market value test.
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To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors as described in more detail in our Registration Statement.
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review, which will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information which will be made available to us. If we determine to move forward with a particular target, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the initial business combination transaction.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of, and negotiation with, a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination. The company will not pay any consulting fees to members of our management team, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to or in connection with our initial business combination.
Lack of Business Diversification
For an indefinite period of time after the completion of our initial business combination, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete business combinations with multiple entities in one or several industries, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations and mitigate the risks of being in a single line of business. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
● subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which we operate after our initial business combination; and
● cause us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products or services.
Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target’s Management Team
Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’s management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. The determination as to whether any of the members of our management team will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our initial business combination, it is unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our initial business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination. Following a business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
Stockholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve our Initial Business Combination
We may conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC subject to the provisions of our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation. However, we will seek stockholder approval if it is required by law or applicable stock exchange rule, or we may decide to seek stockholder approval for business or other reasons.
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Under Nasdaq’s listing rules, stockholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
● we issue shares of common stock that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of our shares of common stock then outstanding (other than in a public offering);
● any of our directors, officers or substantial stockholders (as defined by the Nasdaq rules) has a 5% or greater interest (or such persons collectively have a 10% or greater interest), directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired or otherwise and the present or potential issuance of common stock could result in an increase in outstanding common stock or voting power of 5% or more; or
● the issuance or potential issuance of common stock will result in our undergoing a change of control.
The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination in those instances in which stockholder approval is not required by law will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on business and legal reasons, which include a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:
● the timing of the transaction, including in the event we determine stockholder approval would require additional time and there is either not enough time to seek stockholder approval or doing so would place the company at a disadvantage in the transaction or result in other additional burdens on the company;
● the expected cost of holding a stockholder vote;
● the risk that the stockholders would fail to approve the proposed business combination;
● other time and budget constraints of the company; and
● additional legal complexities of a proposed business combination that would be time-consuming and burdensome to present to stockholders.
Permitted Purchases of Our Securities
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants in privately-negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares or warrants our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and Nasdaq rules. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase shares or public warrants in such transactions prior to completion of our initial business combination.
Subsequent to the consummation of the Initial Public Offering, we have adopted an insider trading policy which requires insiders to: (i) refrain from purchasing our securities during certain blackout periods when they are in possession of any material non-public information and (ii) clear all trades of company securities with a compliance officer prior to execution. We cannot currently determine whether our insiders will make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, as it will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to, the timing and size of such purchases. Depending on such circumstances, our insiders may either make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan or determine that such a plan is not necessary.
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The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our shares of Class A common stock or warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or any of their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the stockholders with whom our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates may pursue privately-negotiated purchases by either the stockholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests tendered by stockholders following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates enter into a private purchase, they would identify and contact only potential selling stockholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against our initial business combination, whether or not such stockholder has already submitted a proxy with respect to our initial business combination. Such persons would select the stockholders from whom to acquire shares based on the number of shares available, the negotiated price per share and such other factors as any such person may deem relevant at the time of purchase. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates will only purchase shares if such purchases comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
Any purchases by our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their respective affiliates who are affiliated purchasers under Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act will only be made to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Rule 10b-18 has certain technical requirements that must be complied with in order for the safe harbor to be available to the purchaser. Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their respective affiliates will not make purchases of shares if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.
Redemption Rights for Public Stockholders upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of the initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, if any, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially $10.15 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters.
The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. Our sponsor, directors and each member of our management have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not completed an initial business combination within the period to consummate the initial business combination. However, we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). If this optional redemption right is exercised with respect to an excessive number of public shares such that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement (described above), we would not proceed with the amendment or the related redemption of our public shares at such time. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the 18-month time period.
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We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the approximately $750,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. We will depend on sufficient interest being earned on the proceeds held in the trust account to pay any tax obligations we may owe. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay taxes on interest income earned on the trust account balance, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $70,000 of such accrued interest to pay taxes, and these costs and expenses.
Limitations on Redemptions
Our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). However, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.
Manner of Conducting Redemptions
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the initial business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek stockholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement or whether we were deemed to be a foreign private issuer (which would require a tender offer rather than seeking stockholder approval under SEC rules). Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require stockholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our shares of outstanding common stock or seek to amend our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation would require stockholder approval. We currently intend to conduct redemptions in connection with a stockholder vote unless stockholder approval is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement and we choose to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC for business or other reasons. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with Nasdaq rules.
If we held a stockholder vote to approve our initial business combination, we will, pursuant to our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation:
● conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules; and
● file proxy materials with the SEC.
In the event that we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our public stockholders with the redemption rights described above upon completion of the initial business combination.
If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the initial business combination. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holder present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. Our initial stockholders will count towards this quorum and, pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, our sponsor and members of our management team have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after the IPO, in favor of our initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding shares of common stock voted, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.
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These quorums and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial stockholders, may make it more likely that we will complete our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or whether they were a stockholder on the record date for the stockholder meeting held to approve the proposed transaction. In addition, our sponsor, directors and each member of our management, have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with (i) the completion of a business combination and (ii) a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not completed an initial business combination within the period to consummate the initial business combination.
If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation:
● conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and
● file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.
Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase Class A common stock in the open market if we elect to redeem our public shares through a tender offer, to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act. In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public stockholders not tendering more than the number of public shares we are permitted to redeem. If public stockholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.
Our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). Redemptions of our public shares may also be subject to a higher net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of our Class A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and all shares of our Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.
Limitation on Redemption upon Completion of Our Initial Business Combination If We Seek Stockholder Approval
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to the Excess Shares. We believe this restriction will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed business combination as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms.
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Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in the IPO could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our sponsor or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares sold in the IPO without our prior consent, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.
Tendering Stock Certificates in Connection with a Tender Offer or Redemption Rights
Public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” will be required to either tender their certificates (if any) to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, mailed to such holders, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/ Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, in each case up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote to approve the initial business combination. The proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate the applicable delivery requirements, which will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two days prior to the initial vote on the initial business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Given the relatively short period in which to exercise redemption rights, it is advisable for stockholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.
There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker a fee of approximately $80.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.
The foregoing is different from the procedures used by many blank check companies. In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, many blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the stockholders’ vote on an initial business combination, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking to exercise his or her redemption rights. After the initial business combination was approved, the company would contact such stockholder to arrange for him or her to deliver his or her certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the stockholder then had an “option window” after the completion of the initial business combination during which he or she could monitor the price of the company’s shares in the market. If the price rose above the redemption price, he or she could sell his or her shares in the open market before actually delivering his or her shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which stockholders were aware they needed to commit before the general meeting, would become “option” rights surviving past the completion of the initial business combination until the redeeming holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a redeeming stockholder’s election to redeem is irrevocable once the initial business combination is approved.
Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination, unless otherwise agreed to by us. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our initial business combination.
If our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public stockholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares. If our initial proposed business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a business combination with a different target until 12 months from the closing of the IPO (or up to 18 months from the closing of the IPO at the election of the Company in two separate three month extensions subject to satisfaction of certain conditions, including the deposit of up to $1,000,000, or $1,150,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per unit in either case) for each three month extension, into the trust account, or as extended by the Company’s stockholders in accordance with our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation).
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Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if no Initial Business Combination
Our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we have only the period to consummate the initial business combination to complete an initial business combination. If we have not completed an initial business combination within the period to consummate the initial business combination, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, if any (less up to $70,000 of interest to pay taxes and potentially, dissolution expenses), divided by the number of the then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
Our sponsor, directors and each member of our management have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within the period to consummate the initial business combination. However, if our sponsor, directors or members of our management team acquire public shares in or after the IPO, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within the period to consummate the initial business combination.
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within the period to consummate the initial business combination, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, if any divided by the number of the then outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). If this optional redemption right is exercised with respect to an excessive number of public shares such that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement, we would not proceed with the amendment or the related redemption of our public shares at such time. This redemption right shall apply in the event of the approval of any such amendment, whether proposed by our sponsor, any executive officer, director or director nominee, or any other person.
We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the approximately $750,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account plus up to $70,000 of funds from the interest on the trust account available to us to pay taxes and if needed, dissolution expenses, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose.
If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of the IPO, the sale of the placement units, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders upon our dissolution would be approximately $10.15. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public stockholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by stockholders will not be substantially less than $10.15. Under Section 281(b) of the DGCL, our plan of dissolution must provide for all claims against us to be paid in full or make provision for payments to be made in full, as applicable, if there are sufficient assets. These claims must be paid or provided for before we make any distribution of our remaining assets to our stockholders. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.
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Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver.
The underwriters will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. In order to protect the amounts held in the trust account, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.15 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.15 per unit, due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest that may be withdrawn to pay our taxes, if any, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business that executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of the IPO against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act
In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy their indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.15 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.15 per unit, due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay our taxes, if any, and our sponsor asserts that they are unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be less than $10.15 per unit.
We will seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of the IPO against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to approximately $750,000 from the proceeds of the IPO and the sale of the placement units with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $60,000). In the event that we liquidate, and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, stockholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors, however such liability will not be greater than the amount of funds from our trust account received by any such stockholder. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $441,750, we may fund such excess with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $441,750, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
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Under the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the period to consummate the initial business combination may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If the corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution.
Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the period to consummate the initial business combination, is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful (potentially due to the imposition of legal proceedings that a party may bring or due to other circumstances that are currently unknown), then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the period to consummate the initial business combination, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any (less up to $70,000 of interest to pay taxes and if needed, dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any) and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Accordingly, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following our 24th month and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with those procedures. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend well beyond the third anniversary of such date.
Because we will not be complying with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the subsequent ten years. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. As described above, pursuant to the obligation contained in our underwriting agreement, we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account. As a result of this obligation, the claims that could be made against us are significantly limited and the likelihood that any claim that would result in any liability extending to the trust account is remote. Further, our sponsor may be liable only to the extent necessary to ensure that the amounts in the trust account are not reduced below (i) $10.15 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest withdrawn to pay taxes and will not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of the IPO against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims.
If we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy or insolvency law and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.15 per unit to our public stockholders. Additionally, if we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by stockholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy or insolvency laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy or insolvency court could seek to recover some, or all amounts received by our stockholders. Furthermore, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing itself and our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons.
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Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only (i) in the event of the redemption of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within the period to consummate the initial business combination, (ii) in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within the period to consummate the initial business combination or (B) with respect to any other provisions relating to the rights of holders of our Class A common stock, or (iii) if they redeem their respective shares for cash upon the completion of the initial business combination. Public stockholders who redeem their shares of our Class A common stock in connection with a stockholder vote described in clause (ii) in the preceding sentence shall not be entitled to funds from the trust account upon the subsequent completion of an initial business combination or liquidation if we have not completed an initial business combination within the period to consummate the initial business combination, with respect to such shares of our Class A common stock so redeemed. In no other circumstances will a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a stockholder’s voting in connection with the initial business combination alone will not result in a stockholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such stockholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above. These provisions of our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation, like all provisions of our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation, may be amended with a stockholder vote.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, public companies and operating businesses seeking strategic business combinations. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than we do. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the initial business combination of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Either of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination.
Employees
We currently have three executive officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters, but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the stage of the initial business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination.
Periodic Reporting and Financial Information
We have registered our Class A common stock and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, this annual report contains financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accounting firm.
We will provide stockholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, sent to stockholders to assist them in assessing the target business. In all likelihood, these financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or reconciled to, GAAP, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. We cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential acquisition candidate will have financial statements prepared in accordance with the requirements outlined above, or that the potential target business will be able to prepare its financial statements in accordance with the requirements outlined above. To the extent that these requirements cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business. While this may limit the pool of potential acquisition candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.
We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to have our internal control procedures audited. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
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We filed a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we are subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the completion of our initial business combination.
As discussed above, we are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of the Initial Public Offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to SEC rules from time to time), or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A common stock that is held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700.0 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.
Corporate Information
Our executive offices are located at 643 Ilalo Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 and our telephone number is (808) 892-6611.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
As a smaller reporting company, as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, we are not required to provide the information required by this Item. Factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in this Annual Report are any of the risks described in our final prospectus for our Initial Public Offering filed with the SEC. Any of these factors could result in a significant or material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition. Additional risk factors not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business or results of operations. As of the date of this Annual Report, there have been no material changes to the risk factors disclosed in our final prospectus for our Initial Public Offering filed with the SEC and declared effective by the SEC on August 10, 2021 or as disclosed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2021 filed with the SEC on November 5, 2021. We may disclose changes to such factors or disclose additional factors from time to time in our future filings with the SEC.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
Not applicable.
Item 2. Properties.
Our executive offices are located at 643 Ilalo Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 and our telephone number is (808) 892-6611. We have agreed to pay Mehana Equity LLC, our sponsor, a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and the use of this office location is included in such $10,000 monthly payment. From IPO to December 31, 2021, $47,096 has been paid. The Sponsor has agreed to pay for the formation cost of $229 and waived to seek reimbursement from the Company for such cost. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
From time to time, we may become involved in legal proceedings relating to claims arising from the ordinary course of business. Our management believes that there are currently no claims or actions pending against us, the ultimate disposition of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not Applicable.
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PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Market Information
Our units, public shares and public warrants are each traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “PONOU,” “PONO” and “PONOW,” respectively. Our units commenced public trading on August 11, 2021, and our public shares and public warrants commenced separate public trading on October 8, 2021. Our Class B common stock is not listed on any exchange.
Holders
As of December 31, 2021, there was 1 holder of record of shares of our common stock and 1 holder of record of our public warrants. A substantially greater number of holders of common stock are “street name” or beneficial holders, whose shares of record are held by banks, brokers, and other financial institutions. As a result, we are unable to estimate the total number of stockholders represented by the record holders of our common stock.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any stock dividends in the foreseeable future. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
None.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
None.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
None.
Use of Proceeds from the Initial Public Offering
As previously reported, on August 13, 2021, Pono Capital Corp (the “Company”) completed its initial public offering (the “Offering”) of 10,000,000 units (“Units”). Each Unit consists of one share of Class A common stock, par value $0.000001 per share (“Class A Common Stock”), and three-quarters of one redeemable warrant (“Warrant”), each whole Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment, pursuant to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-257150). The Units were sold at an offering price of $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $100,000,000.
Subsequently, on August 18, 2021, the underwriters exercised the over-allotment option in full and the closing of the issuance and sale of the additional Units occurred (the “Overallotment Option Units”). The total aggregate issuance by the Company of 1,500,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit resulted in total gross proceeds of $15,000,000. On August 18, 2021, simultaneously with the sale of the Overallotment Option Units, the Company consummated the private sale of an additional 52,500 Placement Units, generating gross proceeds of $525,000. The Placement Units were issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as the transactions did not involve a public offering.
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On October 5, 2021, the Company issued a press release, announcing that the holders of the Units may elect to separately trade the shares of Class A Common Stock, and the Warrants comprising the Units commencing on October 8, 2021. Those Units not separated will continue to trade on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “PONOU,” and the Class A Common Stock, and Warrants that are separated will trade on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “PONO” and “PONOW,” respectively. Holders of Units will need to instruct their brokers to contact Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the Company’s transfer agent, to separate their Units into shares of Class A Common Stock and Warrants.
No payments for our expenses were made in the offering described above directly or indirectly to (i) any of our directors, officers or their associates, (ii) any person(s) owning 10% or more of any class of our equity securities or (iii) any of our affiliates, except in connection with the repayment of outstanding loans and pursuant to the administrative support agreement disclosed herein which we entered into with our sponsor. There has been no material change in the planned use of proceeds from our offering as described in our final prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) related to the Initial Public Offering.
Item 6. Selected Financial Data.
Not applicable.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our audited financial statements and the notes related thereto which are included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those set forth under “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Annual Report including, without limitation, statements under this “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” regarding our financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward looking statements. When used in this Annual Report, words such “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management, identify forward looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such a discrepancy include, but are not limited to, those described in our other SEC filings. Such forward looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, our management. No assurance can be given that results in any forward-looking statement will be achieved and actual results could be affected by one or more factors, which could cause them to differ materially. The cautionary statements made in this Annual Report should be read as being applicable to all forward-looking statements whenever they appear in this Annual Report. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in our filings with the SEC. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph.
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Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on February 12, 2021. We were formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”). We are an emerging growth company and, as such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with emerging growth companies. We intend to effectuate our Business Combination using cash from the proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Private Warrants, our capital stock, debt or a combination of cash, stock and debt.
We expect to continue to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our initial Business Combination will be successful.
Results of Operations
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities from inception to December 31, 2021 were organizational activities, those necessary to prepare for the Initial Public Offering (“Initial Public Offering”) and identifying a target company for a business combination. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents from the proceeds derived from the Initial Public Offering. We incur expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses.
For the period from February 12, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021, we had a net income of $4,585,547 which consisted of a gain on change in fair value of warrant liabilities of $5,621,902, bank incentive of $5 and interest income on marketable securities held in our Trust Account of $3,213 offset by formation and operational costs of $413,230, franchise tax expenses of $120,647 and transaction costs allocated to warrant liabilities of $505,696.
Going Concern, Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates fair value. The Company had $337,595 in cash and no cash equivalents as of December 31, 2021.
At December 31, 2021, substantially all of the assets held in the Trust Account were held in mutual funds.
The accompanying financial statement has been prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP, which contemplates continuation of the Company as a going concern and the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The financial statement does not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Further, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of our financing and acquisition plans. Management plans to address this uncertainty during period leading up to the business combination. The Company will have until August 13, 2022 (or up to February 13, 2023, as applicable) to consummate a Business Combination. If a Business Combination is not consummated by February 13, 2023, less than one year after the date the financial statements are issued, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution of the Company. Management has determined that the mandatory liquidation, should a business combination not occur, and potential subsequent dissolution, raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should the Company be required to liquidate after February 13, 2023. The Company intends to complete the proposed Business Combination before the mandatory liquidation date. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to consummate any business combination by February 13, 2023. Based upon the above analysis, management determined that these conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within less than one year after the date the financial statements are issued. The Company cannot provide any assurance that its plans to raise capital or to consummate a business combination will be successful. Based on the foregoing, management believes that there is a risk that the Company may not have sufficient working capital and borrowing capacity to meet its needs through the earlier of the consummation of the business combination or one year from this filing. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Off-Balance Sheet Financing Arrangements
We have no obligations, assets or liabilities, which would be considered off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2021. We do not participate in transactions that create relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, often referred to as variable interest entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements. We have not entered into any off-balance sheet financing arrangements, established any special purpose entities, guaranteed any debt or commitments of other entities, or purchased any non-financial assets.
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Contractual Obligations
We do not have any long-term debt, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations or long-term liabilities. The underwriter is entitled to a deferred fee of three percent (3.00%) of the gross proceeds of the Offering upon closing of the Business Combination, or $3,450,000. The deferred fee will be paid in cash upon the closing of a Business Combination from the amounts held in the Trust Account, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
On August 13, 2021, the underwriter has given the Company a rebatement of $350,000. The total cash underwriting fee is $1,950,000 and the deferred underwriting fee is $3,450,000. The deferred fee will be forfeited by the underwriters solely in the event that we fail to complete a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
Critical Accounting Policies
The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and income and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. We have identified the following critical accounting policies:
Warrant Liabilities
We account for the Warrants in accordance with the guidance contained in ASC 815-40-15-7D and 7F under which the Warrants do not meet the criteria for equity treatment and must be recorded as liabilities. Accordingly, we classify the Warrants as liabilities at their fair value and adjust the Warrants to fair value at each reporting period. This liability is subject to re-measurement at each balance sheet date until exercised, and any change in fair value is recognized in our statement of operations. The Private Placement Warrants and the Public Warrants for periods where no observable traded price was available are valued using a Monte Carlo simulation. For periods subsequent to the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units, the Public Warrant quoted market price was used as the fair value as of each relevant date.
Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption
We account for our common stock subject to possible conversion in accordance with the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Shares of Class A Common Stock subject to mandatory redemption are classified as a liability instrument and measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable common stock (including common stock that features redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within our control) are classified as temporary equity. At all other times, common stock is classified as stockholders’ equity. Our common stock features certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of our control and subject to occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, shares of Class A Common Stock subject to possible redemption are presented at redemption value as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ equity section of our balance sheet.
Net Income per Common Share
Net income per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. The Company applies the two-class method in calculating earnings per share. Remeasurement associated with the redeemable shares of Class A common stock is excluded from earnings per share as the redemption value approximates fair value.
Recent Accounting Standards
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, “Debt-Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging-Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity” (“ASU 2020-06 “), which simplifies accounting for convertible instruments by removing major separation models required under current GAAP. ASU 2020-06 removes certain settlement conditions that are required for equity contracts to qualify for the derivative scope exception and it also simplifies the diluted earnings per share calculation in certain areas. ASU 2020-06 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted.
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The Company is currently assessing the impact, if any, that ASU 2020-06 would have on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on our financial statements.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.
Not required for smaller reporting companies.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
This information appears following Item 15 of this Report and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer have concluded that during the period covered by this report, our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) were effective at the reasonable assurance level.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
This Report does not include a report of management’s assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting or an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm due to a transition period established by the rules of the SEC for newly public companies.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There have been no changes in internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2021 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting
This Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include a report of management’s assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting or an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm due to a transition period established by rules of the SEC for newly public companies.
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Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the most recent fiscal period that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. Other Information.
Not applicable.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.
Not applicable.
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
Directors and Executive Officers
Our current directors and executive officers are as follows:
| Name | Age | Position | ||
| Dustin Shindo | 48 | Chief Executive Officer, Founder and Director | ||
| Dr. Hank Wuh | 62 | Chief Strategy Officer and Director | ||
| Trisha Nomura | 42 | Chief Financial Officer | ||
| Kotaro Chiba | 47 | Director | ||
| Steve Iwamura | 64 | Director and Chairperson of the Board’s Audit Committee | ||
| Dr. Mike K. Sayama | 67 | Director |
Dustin Shindo, Chief Executive Officer, Founder and Director
Mr. Shindo is an entrepreneur, executive, technologist, and a seasoned advisor with more than 25 years of industry experience. Today, Mr. Shindo also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Junify Corporation since 2017, which operates in California and Japan. Junify offers zero trust network access software (software defined border) via the SaaS business model to help companies better secure their cloud resources. From December 2012 to December 2018, Mr. Shindo served as the Chief Executive Officer of Pono Health providing services in California, Washington, and Hawaii, where he provided consulting, data management, analytics, and software development services. Pono Health was the primary entity of Pono Corporation, founded in December 2012. Mr. Shindo managed healthcare data that includes 70% of Hawaii’s population and for clinics in Washington, Oregon and Arizona. Mr. Shindo also developed analytics platform used to calculate gaps in care, cost savings, and other health metrics.
From March 2001 to March 2010, Mr. Shindo served as the Chief Executive Officer of Hoku Scientific based in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he led the company through an IPO on the NASDAQ Global Market, signed customer contracts totaling USD 2+ billion, secured various financing sources for approximately USD 500 million, including funds from Daiwa Securities, Sumitomo, and Goldman Sachs. From December 1995 to August 1997, Mr. Shindo served as the President of Mehana Brewing Company based in Hilo, Hawaii. In June 1995, Mr. Shindo received his Bachelor of Art’s degree in Accounting/Finance/Marketing at University of Washington based in Seattle, Washington. In May 1999, Mr. Shindo received his Master’s in Business Administration at Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia based in Charlottesville, Virginia. In August 2015, Mr. Shindo completed the SEP program at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford University.
Dr. Hank Wuh, Chief Strategy Officer and Director
Dr. Hank Wuh serves as our Chief Strategy Officer and Director. Dr. Wuh is a physician, inventor, and entrepreneur. Dr. Wuh is President of Unicorn Whisperer, Inc. since July 2018 and is a member of the Board Directors of the Fulbright Association since January 2020, of Cellular Bioengineering, Inc. since August 2003, of The Daily Wellness Company since June 1996, and Lymphax, Inc. since December 2019. Dr. Wuh is also a Trustee of the University of Hawaii Foundation since April 2020, and an advisor to several medical technology companies. Dr. Wuh was the CEO of SKAI Ventures from September 2010 to December 2019 and the Executive Chairman of TruTag Technologies, Inc. from April 2011 to August 2018. Dr. Wuh received his B.A. from Johns Hopkins, a Master of Public Health from Harvard University School of Public Health, Medical Doctorate from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, orthopedic surgery residency at Stanford, and is Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii.
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Trisha Nomura, Chief Financial Officer
Trisha Nomura serves as our CFO. Ms. Nomura owns a consulting firm, Ascend Consulting, LLC. Prior to opening her own firm, Trisha worked in both public accounting and private industry, and was the Chief Operating Officer of HiHR and the Chief People Officer of ProService Hawaii. Trisha began volunteering with the HSCPA since 2010 through the YCPA Squad, has been the Treasurer of Kaneohe Little League since 2013, and is a member of the AICPA, where she was selected to attend the Leadership Academy, has served as an at-large Council member and is now proudly serving on the Association Board of Directors. Trisha is a CPA, not in public practice, and a CGMA. She is a graduate of Creighton University, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting, and of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she earned her Master of Accountancy Degree.
Kotaro Chiba, Independent Director
Mr. Kotaro Chiba is the founder and General Partner of Chiba Dojo Fund, a venture capital based fund in Tokyo focusing its investing on Internet and IOT related start-ups since September 2019. Before launching the Chiba Dojo Fund, Mr. Chiba founded and continues to serve as the General Partner of the Chiba Drone Fund since in June 2017. The Drone Fund is a venture capital-based fund in Tokyo focusing its investment on drones and air mobility start-ups. The Drone Fund aims to create a drone and air-mobility enabled society. One of the Drone Fund’s portfolio companies went public on the Tokyo Mothers Market in December 2019—the first drone company to make an IPO in Japan. As an angel investor, Mr. Chiba has invested in more than 60 startups and 40 VC funds in Internet markets and other fields.
Prior to that, Mr. Chiba was the co-founder, Executive Vice President and director from January 2009 to July 2016 with COLOPL Inc., which focused on mobile gaming services on smartphone applications as well as VR services and location data analysis consulting services, research service dedicated to smartphones. In 2012, he helped lead the company’s listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Mothers) and then in 2014 led the company to a US$4 billion IPO on the Tokyo Exchange market (first section). Prior to that, Mr. Chiba was the founder and director from January 2000 to March 2007 for K Laboratory Inc. (now KLab Inc.) that develops mobile games and online games. Before joining KLab Inc., Mr. Chiba was a mobile web media planner from April 1997 to December 1999 for Recruit Co. Ltd., which is Japan’s largest recruitment company and provides services such as job advertising, temporary staffing, sales promotion, and IT solution.
Since April 2019, Mr. Chiba has been a guest Professor at Keio University, a research-oriented campus located in the city of Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan where he teaches students to become technology innovators. Mr. Chiba is Keio University, SFC Campus graduate, in March 1997, with a Bachelor of Arts in Environment and Information Studies. He is also the first domestic customer of Honda Jet in Japan and holds a private pilot license (FAA Japan).
Dr. Mike K. Sayama, Ph.D., Independent Director
Dr. Mike Sayama has been the Director of Strategy of Community First since January 2021. He was formerly the Executive Director since it was established in July 2016. As the founding executive director, he was responsible for operations, developing a strategic plan for an accountable health community in East Hawaii, community relations, and fund raising. From October 2013 to December 2018, Dr. Sayama served as a Vice President at Pono Health and was Director of Learning Health Homes, a project where he was responsible for managing the East Hawaii Independent Physicians Association (EHI) and implementing a data platform integrating health plan, hospital, and physician data. Dr. Sayama also facilitated the reorganization of EHI and development of its strategic direction. Community First, a 501(c) 3 non-profit, which serves as a neutral forum for healthcare stakeholders in East Hawaii, grew out of the Learning Health Homes Initiative.
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From August 1997 to October 2013, Dr. Sayama served as a Vice President of the Hawaii Medical Service Association, first in Health Benefits Management and then in Customer Relations. In the first position, he streamlined preauthorization and appeal processes, including the elimination of preauthorization for inpatient admissions without increase in inpatient utilization. In his third position he established call centers in Hilo which stabilized the call center work force and improved the timeliness and accuracy of customer service. In 2010, he played a key role in obtaining a $16 million Federal Beacon Grant for Hawaii County to develop models for the use of health information technology. From April 2001 to April 2005, Dr. Sayama was a Director on the City Bank Board, and from April 2005 to April 2009, was a Director on the Boards of Central Pacific Bank and Central Pacific Financial Corporation.
Regarding education, in May 1975, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Yale University, and in August 1979, his Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology from University of Michigan. In August 1982, Dr. Sayama received his Ph.D. degree in Clinical Psychology from University of Michigan. His community service includes being a Director on the Bay Clinic Board (the Federally Qualified Health Center in East Hawaii) and the Abbot of Chozen-ji, International Zen Dojo. Dr. Sayama is the author of numerous papers and books, including Samadhi, Self-Development in Zen, Swordsmanship, and Psychotherapy (State University of New York Press, 1986) and Focused Psychotherapy with Nicholas Cummings, PhD (Brunner Mazel, 1995).
Steve Iwamura, Independent Director and Chairperson of the Board’s Audit Committee
Mr. Steve Iwamura served as the Partner of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC from June 1999 to September 2020 based in Osaka, Japan. Mr. Iwamura was transferred to Japan and pioneered cross-border business advisory services to Japanese companies in Kansai. Mr. Iwamura also served foreign entities entering and doing business in Japan, including foreign joint venture agreement and operations, and venture companies seeking to partner with major Japanese companies. During his profession at Deloitte, Mr. Iwamura was responsible for the M&A negotiations and due diligence; forensic investigations on behalf of court-appointed administrators and creditors, documenting recommendations, providing litigation support and prepared testimony; cross-border restructuring and dispositions consulting together with coordinated multi-jurisdictional business planning; dispute resolution, mediation and negotiating settlement agreements; negotiating licensing agreements, distribution agreements and franchise rights; coordinating solutions for foreign venture operations in Japan involving foreign parent companies and major Japan company partners.
Mr. Iwamura has been serving as an external advisor of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC, Osaka since October 2020, where he continues to perform similar services as above on a time limited basis under an annual services contract. From August 1984 to August 1990, Mr. Iwamura served as an Audit Manager of Deloitte & Touche based in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he provided audit services to Japanese subsidiaries in Hawaii. In June 1984, Mr. Iwamura received his BBA degree in Accounting at University of Hawaii.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
We have five directors upon completion of the IPO. Our board of directors is divided into three classes, with only one class of directors being elected in each year and with each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual meeting of stockholders) serving a three-year term. In accordance with the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq.
The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Kotaro Chiba and Dr. Hank Wuh, will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Dr. Mike Sayama and Steve Iwamura, will expire at our third annual meeting of the stockholders. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Dustin Shindo, will expire at our third annual meeting of stockholders. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after we complete our initial business combination. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after we complete our initial business combination.
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Prior to the completion of an initial business combination, any vacancy on the board of directors may be filled by a nominee chosen by holders of a majority of our founder shares. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason. Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in the IPO, our sponsor, upon completion of an initial business combination, will be entitled to nominate individuals for election to our board of directors, as long as our sponsor holds any securities covered by the registration rights agreement.
Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to nominate persons to the offices set forth in our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation as it deems appropriate. Our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our officers may consist of one or more chairman of the board of directors, chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, vice presidents, secretary, treasurer and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.
Director Independence
Nasdaq listing standards require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship which in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Kotaro Chiba, Mike K. Sayama and Steve Iwamura are “independent directors” as defined in Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules prior to completion of the IPO.
Executive Officer and Director Compensation
After the completion of our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to stockholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer materials furnished to our stockholders in connection with a proposed business combination. We have not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to our members of management. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed business combination because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our executive officers will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.
We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the completion of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our executive officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business but we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our executive officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Our board of directors has three standing committees: an audit committee, a compensation committee and a corporate governance and nominating committee. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, the rules of Nasdaq and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, the rules of Nasdaq require that the compensation committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors.
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Audit Committee
We have established an audit committee of the board of directors. Kotaro Chiba, Steve Iwamura and Mike K. Sayama will serve as members of our audit committee. Our board of directors has determined that each Kotaro Chiba, Steve Iwamura and Mike K. Sayama meet the independent director standard under Nasdaq listing standards and under Rule 10-A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act. Steve Iwamura will serve as the chairman of the audit committee. Each member of the audit committee is financially literate, and our board of directors has determined that each of Steve Iwamura qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules. We have adopted an audit committee charter, which details the principal functions of the audit committee, including:
● appointing, compensating and overseeing our independent registered public accounting firm;
● reviewing and approving the annual audit plan for the company;
● overseeing the integrity of our financial statements and our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements;
● discussing the annual audited financial statements and unaudited quarterly financial statements with management and the independent registered public accounting firm;
● pre-approving all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent registered public accounting firm, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed;
● appointing or replacing the independent registered public accounting firm;
● establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints (including anonymous complaints) we receive concerning accounting, internal accounting controls, auditing matters or potential violations of law;
● monitoring our environmental sustainability and governance practices;
● establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies;
● approving audit and non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm;
● discussing earnings press releases and financial information provided to analysts and rating agencies;
● discussing with management our policies and practices with respect to risk assessment and risk management;
● reviewing any material transaction between our Chief Financial Officer that has been approved in accordance with our Code of Ethics for our officers, and providing prior written approval of any material transaction between us and our President; and
● producing an annual report for inclusion in our proxy statement, in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.
The audit committee is a separately designated standing committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act.
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Compensation Committee
We have established a compensation committee of our board of directors. The members of our compensation committee are Steve Iwamura and Mike K. Sayama. Mike K. Sayama will serve as chairman of the compensation committee. Under Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least two members of the compensation committee, all of whom must be independent directors. Our board of directors has determined that each of Steve Iwamura and Mike K. Sayama is independent. We have adopted a compensation committee charter, which details the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:
● reviewing and approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to our President’s compensation, evaluating our President’s performance in light of those goals and objectives, and setting our President’s compensation level based on this evaluation;
● setting salaries and approving incentive compensation and equity awards, as well as compensation policies, for all other officers who file reports of their ownership, and changes in ownership, of the company’s common stock under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act (the “Section 16 Officers”), as designated by our board of directors;
● making recommendations to the board of directors with respect to incentive compensation programs and equity-based plans that are subject to board approval;
● approving any employment or severance agreements with our Section 16 Officers;
● granting any awards under equity compensation plans and annual bonus plans to our President and the Section 16 Officers;
● approving the compensation of our directors; and
● producing an annual report on executive compensation for inclusion in our proxy statement, in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, as indicated above, other than the payment to Mehana Equity LLC, our sponsor, of $10,000 per month, for up to 12 months (or up to 18 months from the closing of the IPO at the election of the Company in two separate three month extensions subject to satisfaction of certain conditions, including the deposit of up to $1,150,000 ($0.10 per unit) for each three month extension, into the trust account, or as extended by the Company’s stockholders in accordance with our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation), for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our existing stockholders, officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate the consummation of an initial business combination. Accordingly, it is likely that prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, the compensation committee will only be responsible for the review and recommendation of any compensation arrangements to be entered into in connection with such initial business combination.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our executive officers currently serves, and in the past year has not served, as a member of the compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our board of directors.
Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
We have established a corporate governance and nominating committee of our board of directors. The members of our corporate governance and nominating committee are Kotaro Chiba, Mike Sayama and Steve Iwamura will serve as chairman of the corporate governance and nominating committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards, we are required to have a corporate governance and nominating committee composed entirely of independent directors. Our board of directors has determined that each of Messrs. Chiba, Sayama and Iwamura is independent.
| 35 |
The primary function of the corporate governance and nominating committee include:
● identifying individuals qualified to become members of the board of directors and making recommendations to the board of directors regarding nominees for election;
● reviewing the independence of each director and making a recommendation to the board of directors with respect to each director’s independence;
● developing and recommending to the board of directors the corporate governance principles applicable to us and reviewing our corporate governance guidelines at least annually;
● making recommendations to the board of directors with respect to the membership of the audit, compensation and corporate governance and nominating committees;
● overseeing the evaluation of the performance of the board of directors and its committees on a continuing basis, including an annual self-evaluation of the performance of the corporate governance and nominating committee;
● considering the adequacy of our governance structures and policies, including as they relate to our environmental sustainability and governance practices;
● considering director nominees recommended by stockholders; and
● reviewing our overall corporate governance and reporting to the board of directors on its findings and any recommendations.
Guidelines for Selecting Director Nominees
The guidelines for selecting nominees, which is specified in the charter adopted by us, generally provides that person to be nominated:
● should possess personal qualities and characteristics, accomplishments and reputation in the business community;
● should have current knowledge and contacts in the communities in which we do business and, in our industry, or other industries relevant to our business;
● should have the ability and willingness to commit adequate time to the board of directors and committee matters;
● should demonstrate ability and willingness to commit adequate time to the board of directors and committee matters;
● should possess the fit of the individual’s skills and personality with those of other directors and potential directors in building a board of directors that is effective, collegial and responsive to our needs; and
● should demonstrate diversity of viewpoints, background, experience, and other demographics, and all aspects of diversity in order to enable the board of directors to perform its duties and responsibilities effectively, including candidates with a diversity of age, gender, nationality, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
Each year in connection with the nomination of candidates for election to the board of directors, the corporate governance and nominating committee will evaluate the background of each candidate, including candidates that may be submitted by our stockholders.
| 36 |
Code of Ethics
We have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. We have filed a copy of our Code of Ethics and our audit committee charter as exhibits to the registration statement. You are able to review these documents by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s web site at sec.report. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request from us.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
None of our executive officers or directors have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. We may pay consulting, finder or success fees to our initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates for assisting us in consummating our initial business combination. In addition, our initial stockholders, executive officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. There is no limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us.
After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management, or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation materials furnished to our shareholders. The amount of such compensation may not be known at the time of a shareholder meeting held to consider an initial business combination, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation. In this event, such compensation will be publicly disclosed at the time of its determination in a Current Report on Form 8-K, as required by the SEC.
Since our formation, we have not granted any stock options or stock appreciation rights or any other awards under long-term incentive plans to any of our executive officers or directors.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters.
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our Class A common stock, and assuming no purchase of public shares in the IPO, by:
● each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock;
● each of our executive officers and directors that beneficially owns shares of common stock; and
● all our executive officers and directors as a group.
Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all of our common stock beneficially owned by them.
| 37 |
On March 22, 2021, our sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.01 per unit, in exchange for the issuance of 2,875,000 shares of founder shares, par value $0.000001. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by our sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per unit price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The post-offering percentages in the following table assume that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option to purchase additional units, that our sponsor forfeits 375,000 founder shares, that our sponsor purchases 469,175 placement units. As of March 25, 2022, 12,021,675 shares of Class A common stock, $0.000001 per share par value, and 2,875,000 shares of Class B common stock, $0.000001 per share par value, were issued and outstanding, respectively.
| Name and address of beneficial owner(1) | Amount
and nature of beneficial ownership | Approximate percentage of outstanding common stock | ||||||
| Mehana
Equity LLC (1)(2) | 2,869,175 | 22.9 | % | |||||
| Dustin
Shindo(1)(2) | 2,869,175 | 22.9 | % | |||||
| Hank
Wuh(3) | 2,869,175 | 22.9 | % | |||||
| Trisha
Nomura | 20,000 | * | ||||||
| Kotaro
Chiba | 50,000 | * | ||||||
| Mike
K. Sayama | 15,000 | * | ||||||
| Steve Iwamura | 15,000 | * | ||||||
| All executive officers and directors as a group (six individuals) | 2,969,175 | 22.9 | % | |||||
* Less than 1%
(1) Mehana Equity LLC, our sponsor, is the record holder of the securities reported herein. Dustin Shindo, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, is the director and majority owner of our sponsor. By virtue of this relationship, Mr. Shindo may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the securities held of record by our sponsor. Mr. Shindo disclaims any such beneficial ownership except to the extent of his pecuniary interest. The business address of each of these entities and individuals is 643 Ilalo Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.
(2) Interests shown consist solely of founder shares, classified as shares of Class B common stock, as well as placement shares after the IPO. Founder shares are convertible into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment.
(3) Dr. Hank Wuh holds an equity interest in Mehana Equity LLC, our sponsor and disclaims any beneficial ownership other than to the extent of his pecuniary interest in that entity. By virtue of this relationship, Dr. Wuh may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the securities held of record by our sponsor. Dr. Wuh disclaims any such beneficial ownership except to the extent of his pecuniary interest.
The founder shares held by our initial stockholders will represent 20% of our outstanding shares of common stock immediately following the completion of the IPO (excluding any placement units and assuming our initial stockholders do not purchase any public shares in the IPO), with the potential to own as a result of their founder shares up to 22.9% of the outstanding shares of common stock upon completion of the IPO (including the placement units and assuming our initial stockholders do not purchase any public shares in the IPO) based on certain triggering events.
Holders of our public shares will not have the right to appoint any directors to our board of directors prior to our initial business combination. Because of this ownership block, our initial stockholders may be able to effectively influence the outcome of all other matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including amendments to our third amended and restated certificate of incorporation and approval of significant corporate transactions including our initial business combination.
The holders of the founder shares have agreed (a) to vote any founder shares owned by it in favor of any proposed business combination and (b) not to redeem any founder shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination. Our sponsor and our executive officers and directors are deemed to be our “promoters” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws.
| 38 |
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
On March 22, 2021, the Company issued an aggregate of 2,875,000 shares of Class B common stock to the Sponsor for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash. Such Class B common stock includes an aggregate of up to 375,000 shares that were subject to forfeiture by the Sponsor to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part, so that the Sponsor will collectively own at least 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Offering (assuming the initial stockholders do not purchase any Public Shares in the Offering and excluding the Placement Units and underlying securities). The underwriters exercised the over-allotment option in full so those shares are no longer subject to forfeiture.
The initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Class B common stock (except to certain permitted transferees) until, with respect to any of the Class B common stock, the earlier of (i) six months after the date of the consummation of a Business Combination, or (ii) the date on which the closing price of the Company’s common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after a Business Combination, with respect to the remaining any of the Class B common stock, upon six months after the date of the consummation of a Business Combination, or earlier, in each case, if, subsequent to a Business Combination, the Company consummates a subsequent liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their common stock for cash, securities or other property.
On March 22, 2021, the Sponsor committed to loan the Company an aggregate of up to $300,000 to cover expenses related to the Initial Public Offering pursuant to a promissory note (the “Note”). The Note was non-interest bearing and was payable on the earlier of July 31, 2021 or the completion of the Initial Public Offering. Upon IPO, the Company had borrowed $186,542 under the Note. On August 17, 2021, the outstanding balance owed under the Note was repaid in full.
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor may provide us with a loan to the Company up to $1,500,000 as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). Such Working Capital Loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be converted upon consummation of a Business Combination into additional Placement Units at a price of $10.00 per Unit. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans, but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. As of December 31, 2021, there were no amounts outstanding under any Working Capital Loans.
If the Company anticipates that it may not be able to consummate the initial Business Combination within 12 months, the Company may, by resolution of the board if requested by the Sponsor, extend the period of time to consummate a Business Combination up to two times, each by an additional three months (for a total of up to 18 months to complete a Business Combination), subject to the Sponsor depositing additional funds into the trust account as set out below. Pursuant to the terms of the third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and the trust agreement entered into between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, in order for the time available for the Company to consummate the initial Business Combination to be extended, the Sponsor or its affiliates or designees, must deposit into the Trust Account $1,150,000 with the underwriters’ over-allotment option exercised in full ($0.10 per unit in either case), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, for each of the available three month extensions, providing a total possible Business Combination period of 18 months at a total payment value of $2,300,000 with the underwriters’ over-allotment option exercised in full ($0.10 per unit). Any such payments would be made in the form of a loan. Any such loans will be non-interest bearing and payable upon the consummation of a Business Combination out of the proceeds of the trust account released to it.
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.
The following is a summary of fees paid or to be paid to UHY LLP, or UHY, and Marcum LLP, or Marcum, for services rendered.
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Audit Fees. Audit fees consist of fees for professional services rendered for the audit of our year-end financial statements and services that are normally provided by Marcum in connection with regulatory filings. The aggregate fees of UHY for professional services rendered for the audit of our annual financial statements, review of the financial information included in our Forms 8-K for the respective periods and other required filings with the SEC for the period from February 12, 2021 (date of inception) to IPO totaled approximately $79,320. The aggregate fees of Marcum for professional services rendered for the audit of our annual financial statements, review of the financial information included in our Forms 10-Q for the respective periods and other required filings with the SEC for the period from IPO to December 31, 2021 totaled approximately $27,810. The above amounts include interim procedures and audit fees, as well as attendance at audit committee meetings.
Audit-Related Fees. Audit-related fees consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include attest services that are not required by statute or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards. During the period from February 12, 2021 to December 31, 2021, we did not pay UHY or Marcum any audit-related fees.
Tax Fees. We did not pay UHY or Marcum for tax return services, planning and tax advice for the period from February 12, 2021 to December 31, 2021.
All Other Fees. We did not pay UHY or Marcum for any other services for the period from February 12, 2021 to December 31, 2021.
Pre-Approval Policy
Our audit committee was formed upon the consummation of our initial public offering. As a result, the audit committee did not pre-approve all of the foregoing services, although any services rendered prior to the formation of our audit committee were approved by our board of directors. Since the formation of our audit committee, and on a going-forward basis, the audit committee has and will pre-approve all auditing services and permitted non-audit services to be performed for us by our auditors, including the fees and terms thereof (subject to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in the Exchange Act which are approved by the audit committee prior to the completion of the audit).
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statements, and Schedules.
(a) The following documents are filed as part of this report:
(1) Financial Statements:
(2) Financial Statement Schedules:
None.
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(3) Exhibits
We hereby file as part of this Report the exhibits listed in the attached Exhibit Index. Exhibits which are incorporated herein by reference can be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of such material can also be obtained from the Public Reference Section of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates or on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
EXHIBIT INDEX
| * | Filed herewith. |
| ** | Furnished herewith. |
| (1) | Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on August 10, 2021. | |
| (2) | Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form S-1, filed with the SEC on August 4, 2021. |
| 41 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
| F-1 |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of
Pono Capital Corp
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Pono Capital Corp (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021, the related statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ deficit and cash flows for the period from February 12, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from February 12, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Explanatory Paragraph – Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has until August 13, 2022 to complete a business combination or the Company will cease all operations except for the purpose of liquidating. Further, the Company’s cash and working capital as of December 31, 2021 are not sufficient to complete its planned activities for a reasonable period of time, which is considered to be one year from the issuance date of the financial statements. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Marcum llp
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.
March 25, 2022
| F-2 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
BALANCE SHEET
December 31, 2021
| ASSETS | ||||
| Current Assets | ||||
| Cash | $ | |||
| Prepaid expenses | ||||
| Total Current Assets | $ | |||
| Marketable Securities held in trust account | ||||
| Total Assets | $ | |||
LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE CLASS A COMMON STOCK AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT | ||||
| Current liabilities | ||||
| Accrued expenses | $ | |||
| Franchise tax payable | ||||
| Total Current Liabilities | ||||
| Deferred underwriter fee payable | ||||
| Warrant liability | ||||
| Total Non-Current Liabilities | ||||
| Total Liabilities | ||||
| Commitments and Contingencies (Note 6) | ||||
| Redeemable Class A Common Stock | ||||
| Redeemable Class A common stock, $ par value; shares authorized; shares at redemption value of $per share | ||||
| Stockholders’ Deficit | ||||
| Preferred stock, $ par value; shares authorized; issued and outstanding | ||||
| Class A common stock, $ par value; shares authorized; shares issued and outstanding | ||||
| Class B common stock, par value $; shares authorized; shares issued and outstanding | ||||
| Additional paid-in capital | ||||
| Accumulated deficit | ( | ) | ||
| Total Stockholders’ Deficit | ( | ) | ||
| Total Liabilities, Redeemable Class A Common Stock and Stockholders’ Deficit | $ |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements
| F-3 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
for the period from February 12, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021
| For the Period from February 12, 2021 (Inception) through December 31, 2021 | ||||
| Formation and operating costs | $ | |||
| Franchise tax expenses | ||||
| Loss from Operations | ( | ) | ||
| Other Income (Expenses) | ||||
| Bank incentive | ||||
| Interest earned on marketable securities held in trust account | ||||
| Change in fair value of warrant liability | ||||
| Offering costs allocated to warrants | ( | ) | ||
| Other Income, Net | ||||
| Net Income | $ | |||
| Weighted average shares outstanding of Class A common stock subject to redemption | ||||
| Basic and diluted net income per common stock | $ | |||
| Weighted average shares outstanding of Class A non-redeemable common stock | ||||
| Basic and diluted net income per common stock | $ | |||
| Weighted average shares outstanding of Class B non-redeemable common stock | ||||
| Basic and diluted net income per common stock | $ | |||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements
| F-4 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
FOR THE PERIOD FROM FEBRUARY 12, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2021
| Class A | Class B | Additional | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common Stock | Common Stock | Paid in | Accumulated | Stockholders’ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Capital | Deficit | Deficit | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance - February 12, 2021 (inception) | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of Class B Common stock to Sponsor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capital contribution | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sale of Public Units | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class A Common Stock subject to possible redemption | ( |
) | ( |
) | - | ( |
) | - | ( |
) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sale of Private Placement Units | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Initial fair value of private warrant liability | - | - | - | - | ( |
) | - | ( |
) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Remeasurement redemption value of Class A common stock | - | - | - | - | ( |
) | - | ( |
) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Re-classification | - | - | - | - | ( |
) | - | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Adjustment of offering cost | - | - | - | - | - | ( |
) | ( |
) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Net Income | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance – December 31, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( |
) | $ | ( |
) | |||||||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements
| F-5 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE PERIOD FROM FEBRUARY 12, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2021
| Cash flows from operating activities: | ||||
| Net income | $ | |||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||
| Formation costs paid by the Sponsor in the form of capital contribution | ||||
| Interest earned on marketable securities held in Trust Account | ( | ) | ||
| Offering costs allocated to warrants | ||||
| Change in fair value of warrant liabilities | ( | ) | ||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||
| Prepaid expenses | ( | ) | ||
| Accrued expense | ||||
| Franchise tax payable | ||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | ( | ) | ||
| Cash flows from investing activities: | ||||
| Investment of cash in Trust Account | ( | ) | ||
| Net cash used in investing activities | ( | ) | ||
| Cash flows from financing activities: | ||||
| Proceeds from issuance of Class B common stock to Sponsor | ||||
| Proceeds from sale of Units, net of underwriting discount paid | ||||
| Proceeds from sale of private placement units | ||||
| Payment of offering costs | ( | ) | ||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | ||||
| Net change in cash | ||||
| Cash at the beginning of the period | ||||
| Cash at the end of the period | $ | |||
| Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities: | ||||
| Deferred underwriting fee payable | $ | |||
| Initial Classification of Class A common stock subject to redemption | $ | |||
| Proceeds from promissory note and repayment | $ |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements
| F-6 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations, Going Concern and Basis of Presentation
Pono
Capital Corp (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities from inception to December 31, 2021 were organizational activities, those necessary to prepare for the Initial Public Offering (“Initial Public Offering”) and identifying a target company for a business combination. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents from the proceeds derived from the Initial Public Offering (as defined below). The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The
Company’s sponsor is Mehana Equity LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”). The registration statement
for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on August 11, 2021. On August 13, 2021, the Company consummated
its Initial Public Offering of units (the “Units” and, with respect to the Class A common stock included in the
Units being offered, the “Public Shares”), at $ per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $
Simultaneously
with the consummation of the closing of the Offering, the Company consummated the private placement of an aggregate of units
(the “Placement Units”) to the Sponsor at a price of $ per Placement Unit, generating total gross proceeds of $
Subsequently,
on August 18, 2021, the underwriters exercised the over-allotment option in full, and the closing of the issuance and sale of the additional
Units occurred (the “Over-allotment Option Units”). The total aggregate issuance by the Company of units at a price
of $ per unit resulted in total gross proceeds of $
A
total of $
Transaction
costs of the Initial Public Offering amounted to $
Following
the closing of the Initial Public Offering and full exercise of underwriter’s over-allotment option, $
The
Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering
and the sale of the Placement Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating
a Business Combination. NASDAQ rules provide that the Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have
a fair market value equal to at least
| F-7 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations, Going Concern and Basis of Presentation (Continued)
The
Company will provide its stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a
Business Combination either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means
of a tender offer. In connection with a proposed Business Combination, the Company may seek stockholder approval of a Business Combination
at a meeting called for such purpose at which stockholders may seek to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against
a Business Combination. The Company will proceed with a Business Combination only if the Company has net tangible assets of at least
$
The
Company will have until August 13, 2022 (or up to February 13, 2023, as applicable) to consummate a Business Combination. If the
Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within 12 months (or up to 18 months from the closing of the IPO at the election
of the Company in two separate three month extensions subject to satisfaction of certain conditions, including the deposit of up to $
The underwriter has agreed to waive its rights to the deferred underwriting commission held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the assets remaining available for distribution will be less than the amount per Unit in the trust account ($).
The Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to the Company, if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the Trust Account to below $ per share (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account and except as to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of the Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (except for the company’s independent registered accounting firm), prospective target businesses or other entities with which the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account.
| F-8 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations (Continued)
Going Concern and Management Liquidity Plans
As
of December 31, 2021, the Company had $
The accompanying financial statement has been prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP, which contemplates continuation of the Company as a going concern and the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Further, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of our financing and acquisition plans. Management plans to address this uncertainty during period leading up to the Initial Business Combination. The Company will have until August 13, 2022 (or up to February 13, 2023, as applicable) to consummate a Business Combination. If a Business Combination is not consummated by February 13, 2023, less than one year after the date the financial statements are issued, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution of the Company. Management has determined that the mandatory liquidation, should a business combination not occur, and potential subsequent dissolution, raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should the Company be required to liquidate after February 13, 2023. The Company intends to complete the proposed Business Combination before the mandatory liquidation date. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to consummate any business combination by February 13, 2023. Based upon the above analysis, management determined that these conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within less than one year after the date the financial statements are issued. The Company cannot provide any assurance that its plans to raise capital or to consummate an Initial Business Combination will be successful. Based on the foregoing, management believes that there is a risk that the Company will not have sufficient working capital and borrowing capacity to meet its needs through the earlier of the consummation of the Initial Business Combination or one year from this filing. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Risks and Uncertainties
Management is currently evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of the financial statement. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Emerging Growth Company
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, 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 stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Company’s financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
| F-9 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.
Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The
Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash
equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates fair value. The Company had $
Marketable Securities Held in Trust Account
At December 31, 2021, substantially all of the assets held in the Trust Account were held in mutual funds.
Income Taxes
The
Company complies with the accounting and reporting requirements of ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes,” which requires an asset
and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed
for differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities that will result in future taxable or deductible
amounts, based on enacted tax laws and rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income.
Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized ASC Topic 740
prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions
taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be
sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company’s management determined the United States is the Company’s
only major tax jurisdiction. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits, if any, as income
tax expense. There were
| F-10 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption
All
of the Class A common stock sold as part of the Units in the Initial Public Offering contain a redemption feature which allows for the
redemption of such Public Shares in connection with the Company’s liquidation, if there is a stockholder vote or tender offer in
connection with the Business Combination and in connection with certain amendments to the Company’s third amended and restated
certificate of incorporation. In accordance with ASC 480, conditionally redeemable Class A common stock (including shares of Class A
common stock that feature redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence
of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) are classified as temporary equity. Ordinary liquidation events, which
involve the redemption and liquidation of all of the entity’s equity instruments, are excluded from the provisions of ASC 480.
Although the Company did not specify a maximum redemption threshold, its charter provides that currently, the Company will not redeem
its public shares in an amount that would cause its net tangible assets (stockholders’ equity) to be less than $
On December 31, 2021, shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding are subject to possible redemption.
As of December 31, 2021, the Class A Common Stock reflected on the balance sheet are reconciled in the following table:
As of December 31, 2021 | ||||
| Gross Proceeds | $ | |||
| Less: | ||||
| Proceeds allocated to public warrants | ( | ) | ||
| Class A shares issuance costs | ( | ) | ||
| Plus: | ||||
| Remeasurement of carrying value to redemption value | ||||
| Contingently redeemable Class A Common Stock | $ | |||
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial
instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist of a cash account in a financial institution
which, at times may exceed the Federal depository insurance coverage of $
Net income per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common stock shares outstanding for the period. The calculation of diluted income (loss) per share does not consider the effect of the warrants issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering and warrants issued as components of the Private Placement Units (the “Placement Warrants”) since the exercise of the warrants are contingent upon the occurrence of future events and the inclusion of such warrants would be anti-dilutive.
The Company’s statements of operations includes a presentation of income per share for common stock shares subject to possible redemption in a manner similar to the two-class method of income per share. Net income per common share, basic and diluted, for redeemable Class A common stock is calculated by dividing the net income allocable to Class A common stock subject to possible redemption, by the weighted average number of redeemable Class A common stock outstanding since original issuance. Net income per common stock, basic and diluted, for non-redeemable Class A and Class B common stock is calculated by dividing net income allocable to non-redeemable common stock, by the weighted average number of shares of non-redeemable common stock outstanding for the periods. Shares of non-redeemable Class B common stock include the founder shares as these common shares do not have any redemption features and do not participate in the income earned on the Trust Account.
| F-11 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
For The Period from February 12, 2021 (Inception) Through December 31, 2021 | ||||
| Redeemable Class A common stock | ||||
| Numerator: net income allocable to redeemable Class A common shares | $ | |||
| Denominator: weighted average number of redeemable Class A common shares | ||||
| Basic and diluted net income per redeemable Class A common share | $ | |||
| Non-redeemable Class A common shares | ||||
| Numerator: net income allocable to non-redeemable Class A common stock | $ | |||
| Denominator: weighted average number of non-redeemable Class A common shares | ||||
| Basic and diluted net income per non-redeemable Class A common shares | $ | |||
| Non-redeemable Class B common shares | ||||
| Numerator: net income allocable to non-redeemable Class B common stock | $ | |||
| Denominator: weighted average number of non-redeemable Class B common shares | ||||
| Basic and diluted net income per non-redeemable Class B common shares | $ | |||
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
Offering Costs Associated with the Initial Public Offering
Offering costs consisted of legal, accounting, underwriting fees and other costs incurred through the Initial Public Offering that were directly related to the Initial Public Offering. Offering costs are allocated to the separable financial instruments issued in the Initial Public Offering based on a relative fair value basis, compared to total proceeds received. Offering costs associated with derivative warrant liabilities are expensed as incurred, presented as non-operating expenses in the statement of operations. Offering costs associated with the Class A common stock were charged to stockholders’ equity upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering.
Warrant Liabilities
We account for the Warrants in accordance with the guidance contained in ASC 815-40-15-7D and 7F under which the Warrants do not meet the criteria for equity treatment and must be recorded as liabilities. Accordingly, we classify the Warrants as liabilities at their fair value and adjust the Warrants to fair value at each reporting period. This liability is subject to re-measurement at each balance sheet date until exercised, and any change in fair value is recognized in our statement of operations. The Private Placement Warrants and the Public Warrants for periods where no observable traded price was available are valued using a Monte Carlo simulation. For periods subsequent to the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units, the Public Warrant quoted market price was used as the fair value as of each relevant date.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The Fair value is defined as the price that would be received for sale of an asset or paid for transfer of a liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. GAAP establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). These tiers include:
● Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical instruments in active markets;
● Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and
● Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions, such as valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable.
In some circumstances, the inputs used to measure fair value might be categorized within different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In those instances, the fair value measurement is categorized in its entirety in the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
| F-12 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
Derivative Financial Instruments
The Company accounts for derivative financial instruments in accordance with ASC Topic 815. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value upon issuance and remeasured at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statements of operations. The classification of derivative financial instruments is evaluated at the end of each reporting period.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
In August 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-06, Debt — Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40) (“ASU 2020-06”) to simplify accounting for certain financial instruments. ASU 2020-06 eliminates the current models that require separation of beneficial conversion and cash conversion features from convertible instruments and simplifies the derivative scope exception guidance pertaining to equity classification of contracts in an entity’s own equity. The new standard also introduces additional disclosures for convertible debt and freestanding instruments that are indexed to and settled in an entity’s own equity. ASU 2020- 06 amends the diluted earnings per share guidance, including the requirement to use the if-converted method for all convertible instruments. ASU 2020-06 is effective January 1, 2022 and should be applied on a full or modified retrospective basis, with early adoption permitted beginning on January 1, 2021. The Company is currently assessing the impact, if any, that ASU 2020-06 would have on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
Note 3 —Initial Public Offering
Following
the closing of the Initial Public Offering on August 13, 2021 and the sale of the Over-allotment Option Units on August 18, 2021, the
Company sold Units at a purchase price of $ per Unit. Each Unit consists of common stock and three-quarters of
Note 4 — Private Placement
Following
the closing of the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Over-allotment Option Units, the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of
Private Placement Units at a price of $ per Private Placement Unit for an aggregate purchase price of $
The proceeds from the sale of the Placement Units were added to the net proceeds from the Offering held in the Trust Account. The Placement Units are identical to the Units sold in the Initial Public Offering, except for the placement warrants (“Placement Warrants”), as described in Note 7. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the proceeds from the sale of the Placement Units will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the Placement Warrants will expire worthless.
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions
Founder Shares
On
March 22, 2021, the Company issued an aggregate of shares of Class B common stock to the Sponsor
for an aggregate purchase price of $
The
initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Class B common stock (except to certain permitted transferees)
until, with respect to any of the Class B common stock, the earlier of (i) six months after the date of the consummation of a Business
Combination, or (ii) the date on which the closing price of the Company’s common stock equals or exceeds $ per share (as adjusted
for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any
| F-13 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions (Continued)
Promissory Note — Related Party
On
March 22, 2021, the Sponsor committed to loan the Company an aggregate of up to $
Related Party Loans
In
order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor may provide us with a loan to the Company up
to $
If
the Company anticipates that it may not be able to consummate the initial Business Combination within 12 months, the Company may, by
resolution of the board if requested by the Sponsor, extend the period of time to consummate a Business Combination up to two times,
each by an additional three months (for a total of up to 18 months to complete a Business Combination), subject to the Sponsor depositing
additional funds into the trust account as set out below. Pursuant to the terms of the third Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation and the trust agreement entered into between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, in
order for the time available for the Company to consummate the initial Business Combination to be extended, the Sponsor or its affiliates
or designees, must deposit into the Trust Account $
| F-14 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions (Continued)
Administrative Support Agreement
The
Company’s Sponsor has agreed, commencing from the date that the Company’s securities are first listed on NASDAQ through the
earlier of the Company’s consummation of a Business Combination and its liquidation, to make available to the Company certain general
and administrative services, including office space, utilities and administrative services, as the Company may require from time to time.
The Company has agreed to pay to Mehana Equity LLC, the Sponsor, $
Note 6 — Commitments and Contingencies
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares and placement units (including securities contained therein) and units (including securities contained therein) that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans, and any shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of the placement warrants and any shares of Class A common stock and warrants (and underlying Class A common stock) that may be issued upon conversion of the units issued as part of the working capital loans and Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of the founder shares, will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the IPO, requiring us to register such securities for resale (in the case of the founder shares, only after conversion to our Class A common stock). The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, under FINRA Rule 5110, the underwriters and/or their designees may only make a demand registration (i) on one occasion and (ii) during the five-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement relating to the Offering, and the underwriters and/or their designees may participate in a “piggy-back” registration only during the seven-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement relating to the Offering.
Underwriters Agreement
The Company granted the underwriters a 45-day option from the final prospectus relating to the Initial Public Offering to purchase up to additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the Initial Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The
underwriters were entitled to a cash underwriting discount of: (i) two percent (
On
August 13, 2021, the underwriter has given the Company a rebatement of $
Right of First Refusal
For a period beginning on the closing of the IPO and ending 12 months from the closing of a business combination, we have granted EF Hutton a right of first refusal to act as lead-left book running manager and lead left manager for any and all future private or public equity, convertible and debt offerings during such period. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(3)(A)(i), such right of first refusal shall not have a duration of more than three years from the effective date of the registration statement.
| F-15 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
Note 7 – Stockholders’ Equity
Preferred Stock — The Company is authorized to issue preferred shares with a par value of $ per share with such designation, rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s Board of Directors. On December 31, 2021, there were no preferred shares issued or outstanding.
Class A Common Stock — The Company is authorized to issue shares of Class A common stock with a par value of $ per share. Holders of the Company’s Class A common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. On December 31, 2021, there were shares of Class A common stock issued and outstanding.
Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption — We account for our Class A common stock subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Shares of Class A common stock subject to mandatory redemption (if any) are classified as liability instruments and are measured at fair value. Shares of conditionally redeemable Class A common stock (including Class A common stock that feature redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within our control) are classified as temporary equity. At all other times, shares of Class A common stock are classified as shareholders’ equity. Although the Company did not specify a maximum redemption threshold, its charter provides that currently, the Company will not redeem its public shares in an amount that would cause its net tangible assets (stockholders’ equity) to be less than $. However, the threshold in its charter would not change the nature of the underlying shares as redeemable and thus public shares would be required to be disclosed outside of permanent equity. As of December 31, 2021, shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding are subject to possible redemption.
Class
B Common Stock — The Company is authorized to issue shares of Class B common stock with a par value of $
per share.
Warrants — In accordance with the guidance contained in ASC 815-40, the warrants issued in the Initial Public Offering do not meet the criteria for equity treatment thereunder, each warrant must be recorded as a liability. The Company will classify each warrant as a liability at its fair value, with the change in fair value recognized in the Company’s statement of operations.
Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole warrants will trade. The Public Warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination and will expire five years after the completion of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
The Company will not be obligated to deliver any shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the shares of Class A common issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock is available, subject to the Company satisfying its obligations with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and the Company will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption from registration is available.
| F-16 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
Note 7 – Stockholders’ Equity (Continued)
The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of its initial Business Combination, it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement or a new registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, to cause such registration statement to become effective and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of the Company’s initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. Notwithstanding the above, if the Company’s shares of Class A common stock are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, it may, at its option, require holders of Public Warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event the Company so elects, it will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event it does not so elect, it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis.
Redemption
of warrants when the price per Class A common stock equals or exceeds $
● in whole and not in part;
●
at a price of $
● upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, or the 30-day redemption period, to each warrant holder; and
●
if, and only if, the closing price of the Company’s Class A common stock equals or exceeds $
If the Company calls the Public Warrants for redemption, management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise the Public Warrants to do so on a “cashless basis,” as described in the warrant agreement. The exercise price and number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the warrants. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Window and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with the respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.
The Private Placement Warrants will be identical to the Public Warrants underlying the Units being sold in the Public Offering, except that the Private Placement Warrants and the Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination, subject to certain limited exceptions. Additionally, the Private Placement Warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis and be non-redeemable so long as they are held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees. If the Private Placement Warrants are held by someone other than the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the Public Warrants.
On
December 31, 2021, there were
| F-17 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
Note 8 — Income Taxes
The Company did not have any significant deferred tax assets or liabilities as of December 31, 2021.
The Company’s net deferred tax assets are as follows:
| December 31, 2021 | ||||
| Deferred tax asset | ||||
| Organizational costs/Startup expenses | $ | |||
| Net operation loss carryforward | ||||
| Total deferred tax asset | ||||
| Valuation allowance | ( | ) | ||
| Deferred tax asset, net of allowance | $ | |||
As of December 31, 2021, the Company did not have any material U.S. federal and state net operating loss carryovers available to offset future taxable income.
In
assessing the realization of the deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion of all
of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of
future taxable income during the periods in which temporary differences representing net future deductible amounts become deductible.
Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies
in making this assessment. After consideration of all of the information available, management believes that significant uncertainty
exists with respect to future realization of the deferred tax assets and has therefore established a full valuation allowance. For the
period from February 12, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021, the change in the valuation allowance was $
A reconciliation of the federal income tax rate to the Company’s effective tax rate at December 31, 2021 is as follows:
| December 31, 2021 | ||||
| Statutory federal income tax rate | % | |||
| Tax effects of change in fair value of warrant liability | ( | )% | ||
| Tax effects of transaction costs allocated to warrant liability | % | |||
| Change in valuation allowance | % | |||
| Income tax provision | - | % | ||
The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction in various state and local jurisdictions and is subject to examination by the various taxing authorities.
| F-18 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
Note 9 — Fair Value Measurements
The following table presents information about the Company’s assets and derivative warrant liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2021 and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques that the Company utilized to determine such fair value:
| Description: | Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) | Significant other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Significant other Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | |||||||||
| Assets | ||||||||||||
| Marketable securities held in Trust Account | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Warrant Liabilities: | ||||||||||||
| Public Warrants | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Private Placement Warrants | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Transfers to/from Levels 1, 2 and 3 are recognized at the end of the reporting period in which a change in valuation technique or methodology occurs. The estimated fair value of the Public Warrants transferred from a Level 3 measurement to a Level 1 fair value measurement during the period from February 12, 2021 (inception) to December 31, 2021.
On October 1, 2021, the Public Warrants surpassed the 52-day threshold waiting period to be publicly traded in accordance with the effective date of the Prospectus, August 10, 2021. Once publicly traded, the observable input qualifies the liability for treatment as a Level 1 liability. As such, as of December 31, 2021, the Company classified the Public Warrants as Level 1.
The
estimated value of the Public Warrants transferred from a Level 3 measurement to a Level 1 measurement from the initial measurement through
December 31, 2021 was $
| Warrants | ||||
| Fair value as of February 12, 2021 (inception) | $ | |||
| Initial measurement on August 13, 2021 (Level 3) | ||||
| Change in fair value | ( | ) | ||
| Transfer to Level 1 | ( | ) | ||
| Fair value as of December 31, 2021 | $ | |||
The Warrants are measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The Public Warrants were initially valued using a Modified Monte Carlo Simulation. As of December 31, 2021, the Public Warrants were valued using the instrument’s publicly listed trading price as of the balance sheet date, which is considered to be a Level 1 measurement due to the use of an observable market quote in an active market.
At
December 31, 2021, assets held in the Trust Account were $
The
Company recognized $ for the derivative warrant liabilities upon their issuance on August 13, 2021. The Sponsor paid an aggregate
of $
The Company utilizes a binomial Monte-Carlo simulation to estimate the fair value of the warrants at each reporting period for warrants that are not actively traded, which at December 31, 2021 included the Private Placement Warrants. The estimated fair value of the derivative warrant liabilities is determined using Level 3 inputs. Inherent in a binomial Monte Carlo simulation are assumptions related to expected stock-price volatility, expected life, risk-free interest rate and dividend yield. The Company estimates the volatility of its common stock based on historical volatility of select peer companies that matches the expected remaining life of the warrants. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon yield curve on the grant date for a maturity similar to the expected remaining life of the warrants. The expected life of the warrants is assumed to be equivalent to their remaining contractual term. The dividend rate is based on the historical rate, which the Company anticipates remaining at zero.
| F-19 |
PONO CAPITAL CORP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
The following table provides quantitative information regarding Level 3 fair value measurements inputs as their measurement dates:
| August 13, 2021 | December 31, 2021 | |||||||
| Exercise price | $ | $ | ||||||
| Share price | $ | $ | ||||||
| Expected term (years) | ||||||||
| Probability of Acquisition | % | % | ||||||
| Post-Merger Period Volatility | % | % | ||||||
| Risk-free rate | % | % | ||||||
| Dividend yield (per share) | % | % | ||||||
The change in the fair value of the derivative warrant liabilities for the period from August 13, 2021 (Initial Public Offering) through December 31, 2021 is summarized as follows:
| Private Placement Warrants | Public Warrants | Total Warrant Liability | ||||||||||
| Fair value as of August 13, 2021 (Initial Public Offering) | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Change in valuation inputs or other assumptions(1) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Fair value as of December 31, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| (1) |
Note 10 – Subsequent Events
Management has evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to the date that the financial statements was issued. Based upon this review, other than those subsequent events described below, the Company did not identify any other subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.
On March 17, 2022, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among Pono, Pono Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Pono (“Merger Sub”), Benuvia, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Benuvia”), Mehana Equity, LLC, in its capacity as Purchaser Representative, and Shannon Soqui, in his capacity as Seller Representative.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the “Closing”), Merger Sub will merge with and into Benuvia, with Benuvia continuing as the surviving corporation (the “Surviving Corporation”).
As
consideration for the Merger, the holders of Benuvia securities collectively shall be entitled to receive from us, in the aggregate,
a number of our securities with an aggregate value equal to (the “Merger Consideration”) (a) Four Hundred Million
U.S. Dollars ($
The
Merger Consideration otherwise payable to Benuvia stockholders is subject to the withholding of two escrows: (i) a number of shares of
our common stock equal to five percent (
The Merger Consideration is subject to adjustment after the Closing based on confirmed amounts of the Closing Net Indebtedness of Benuvia as of the Closing Date. If the adjustment is a negative adjustment in favor of us, the escrow agent shall distribute to us a number of shares of our common stock with a value equal to the absolute value of the adjustment amount. If the adjustment is a positive adjustment in favor of Benuvia, we will issue to the Benuvia stockholders an additional number of shares of our common stock with a value equal to the adjustment amount.
The Business Combination Agreement and related agreements are further described in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 18, 2022.
| F-20 |
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
None.
| 42 |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Section 13 or 15 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized on the 25th day of March 2022.
| PONO CAPITAL CORP | ||
| By: | /s/ Dustin Shindo | |
| Dustin Shindo | ||
| Chief Executive Officer | ||
In accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Name |
Position |
Date | ||
| /s/ Dustin Shindo | Chief Executive Officer and Director | March 25, 2022 | ||
| Dustin Shindo | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| /s/ Trisha Nomura | Chief Financial Officer | March 25, 2022 | ||
| Trisha Nomura | (Principal Financial Officer) | |||
| /s/ Dr. Hank Wuh | Chief Strategy Officer and Director | March 25, 2022 | ||
| Dr. Hank Wuh | ||||
| /s/ Kotaro Chiba | Director | March 25, 2022 | ||
| Kotaro Chiba | ||||
| /s/ Dr. Mike K. Sayama | Director | March 25, 2022 | ||
| Dr. Mike K. Sayama | ||||
| /s/ Steve Iwamura | Director | March 25, 2022 | ||
| Steve Iwamura |
| 43 |