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As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on December 20, 2021

Registration No. 333-259756

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   6770   85-4151240

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(Primary Standard Industrial

Classification Code Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

1900 M St. NW, Suite 300

Washington, DC 20036

(202) 765-3077

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Miguel Payan

Chief Executive Officer

and Director

1900 M St. NW, Suite 300

Washington, DC 20036

(202) 765-3077

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

Copies to:

Christopher M. Zochowski

Bradley A. Noojin

Shearman & Sterling LLP

401 9th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20004

Tel: (202) 508-8000

  

Mitchell S. Nussbaum

David J. Levine

Loeb & Loeb LLP

345 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10154

Tel: (212) 407-4000

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box:  ☐

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer      Smaller reporting company  
     Emerging growth company  

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of Each Class of

Security Being Registered

 

Amount

Being

Registered

 

Proposed

Maximum

Offering Price

per Security(1)

 

Proposed

Maximum
Aggregate

Offering Price(1)

  Amount of
Registration Fee

Units, each consisting of one share of Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, and three-fourths of one redeemable warrant(2)

  20,125,000 Units   $10.00   $201,250,000   $18,655.88

Shares of Class A common stock included as part of the Units(2)(3)

  20,125,000 Shares   —     —     (4)

Redeemable warrants included as part of the Units(2)(3)

  15,093,750 Warrants   —     —     (4)

Total

          $201,250,000   $18,655.88(5)

 

 

(1)

Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee.

(2)

Includes 2,625,000 units, consisting of 2,625,000 shares of Class A common stock and 1,968,750 redeemable warrants, which may be issued upon exercise of a 45-day option granted to the underwriter to cover over-allotments, if any.

(3)

Pursuant to Rule 416, there are also being registered an indeterminable number of additional securities as may be issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions.

(4)

No fee pursuant to Rule 457(g).

(5)

Previously paid with the initial filing of this Registration Statement on September 24, 2021.

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED DECEMBER 20, 2021

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

$175,000,000

HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

 

17,500,000 Units

 

 

Henley Park Acquisition Corp. is a blank check company newly incorporated in Delaware whose business purpose is to effect a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to as our initial business combination. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to an initial business combination with us.

This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of Class A common stock and three-fourths of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. The warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and 12 months from the closing of this offering and will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or our liquidation, as described herein. We may redeem the warrants under certain circumstances, as described in this prospectus. The underwriter has a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to 2,625,000 additional units to cover over-allotments, if any.

We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of 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 described below as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding shares of Class A common stock that were sold as part of the units in this offering, which we refer to collectively as our public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering, or up to 21 months from the closing of this offering if extended by our board at the request of our sponsor as described herein, we will redeem 100% of the public shares at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and certain conditions as further described herein.

Our sponsor, Henley Park Sponsor Group I LLC, has committed to purchase an aggregate of 7,300,000 private placement warrants (or 8,087,500 private placement warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, at a price of $1.00 per warrant, or $7,300,000 in the aggregate (or $8,087,500 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), and Maxim Group LLC, the representative of the underwriters, who we sometimes refer to as the representative has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 875,000 private placement warrants (or 1,006,250 private placement warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, at a price of $1.00 per warrant, or $875,000 in the aggregate (or $1,006,250 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. All of the proceeds we receive from these purchases will be placed in the trust account described below. Our board may at the request of our sponsor extend the period of time we have to complete an initial business combination up to two times each by an additional 3 months for a total up to 21 months to complete a business combination from the closing of this offering) (the “Extension Period”).

Our initial stockholders currently own an aggregate of 5,031,250 shares of Class B common stock (up to 656,250 shares of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised), which will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to the adjustments described herein.

Currently, there is no public market for our units, Class A common stock or warrants. We intend to apply to have our units listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under the symbol “HPACU,” so that they are listed on or promptly after the date of this prospectus, although we cannot guarantee that they will be approved. We expect the Class A common stock and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Maxim Group LLC informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our satisfaction of certain conditions as described further herein. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A common stock and warrants will be listed on the NYSE under the symbols “HPAC” and “HPACWS,” respectively.

We are an “emerging growth company” under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 29 for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

     Per
Unit
     Total  

Public offering price

   $ 10.00      $ 175,000,000  

Underwriting discounts and commissions(1)

   $ 0.55      $ 9,625,000  

Proceeds, before expenses, to us

   $ 9.45      $ 165,375,000  

 

(1)

$0.20 per unit, or $3,500,000 in the aggregate (or $4,025,000 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), is payable upon the closing of this offering. Includes $0.35 per unit, or $6,125,000 in the aggregate (or up to $7,043,750 in the aggregate if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States and released to Maxim Group LLC for its own account only upon the completion of an initial business combination. See also “Underwriting” for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriter.

Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, $177,625,000, or $204,268,750 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.15 per unit in either case), will be deposited into a trust account in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, after deducting $3,500,000 in underwriting discounts and commissions payable upon the closing of this offering (or $4,025,000 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), and an aggregate of $477,644 to pay fees and expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and $1,572,356 for working capital following the closing of this offering.

The underwriter is offering the units for sale on a firm commitment basis. The underwriter expects to deliver the units to the purchasers on or about                , 2021.

 

 

Sole Book-Running Manager

Maxim Group LLC

             , 2021


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

SUMMARY

     1  

RISK FACTORS

     29  

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     63  

USE OF PROCEEDS

     64  

DIVIDEND POLICY

     67  

DILUTION

     68  

CAPITALIZATION

     70  

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

     71  

PROPOSED BUSINESS

     76  

MANAGEMENT

     98  

PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

     109  

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

     112  

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

     114  

U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

     128  

UNDERWRITING

     137  

LEGAL MATTERS

     145  

EXPERTS

     145  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

     145  

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

     F-1  

We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information, and we take no responsibility for any other information others may give to you. We are not, and the underwriter is not, making an offer to sell securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus.

TRADEMARKS

This prospectus contains references to trademarks and service marks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ® or TM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that the applicable licensor will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, its rights to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.

 

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SUMMARY

This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. As this is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making an investment decision. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under “Risk Factors” and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before investing.

Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus or the context otherwise requires, references to:

 

   

“amended and restated certificate of incorporation” are to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be in effect as of the date of this prospectus;

 

   

“common stock” are to our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock;

 

   

“DGCL” are to the Delaware General Corporation Law as the same may be amended from time to time;

 

   

“directors” are to our current directors and director nominees identified herein;

 

   

“executive officers” are to our officers identified herein;

 

   

“Extension Period” are to the date which our sponsor may at its option extend the period of time for us to consummate a business combination (up to two times, each by an additional 3 months, for a total up to 21 months);

 

   

“founder shares” are to shares of Class B common stock initially purchased by our sponsor in a private placement prior to this offering and the shares of Class A common stock that will be issued upon the automatic conversion of the shares of Class B common stock at the time of our initial business combination as described herein;

 

   

“initial stockholders” are to holders of our founder shares prior to this offering;

 

   

“management” or our “management team” are to our executive officers and directors;

 

   

“Maxim” are to Maxim Group LLC, the representative of the underwriters in this offering;

 

   

“NYSE” are to the New York Stock Exchange;

 

   

“private placement warrants” are to the warrants issued to our sponsor and Maxim in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering;

 

   

“public shares” are to shares of Class A common stock sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market);

 

   

“public warrants” are to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market);

 

   

“public stockholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our initial stockholders and management team to the extent our initial stockholders and/or members of our management team purchase public shares, provided that each initial stockholder’s and member of our management team’s status as a “public stockholder” will only exist with respect to such public shares;

 

   

“sponsor” are to Henley Park Sponsor Group I LLC, a Delaware limited liability company; and

 

   

“we,” “us,” “company” or “our company” are to Henley Park Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation.

Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes the underwriter will not exercise its over-allotment option and, therefore, that our initial stockholders will forfeit 656,250 founder shares for no consideration.

Our Company

We are a newly organized blank check company, incorporated in Delaware and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, recapitalization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not identified any potential initial business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any potential initial business combination target. While we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any industry or sector, we intend to focus on automation, connectivity, electrification, and smart mobility (ACES) sectors.

 

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Business Opportunity Overview

We believe Henley Park Acquisition Corp. will benefit from the experience and ongoing business tenure of its executive officers and directors who have served long careers in the finance, industry, investment and government sectors. Our officers and directors have experience with asymmetric market intelligence derived from the access our executive officers and directors have to investment opportunities. This access is derived by the Henley Park Capital ecosystem of businesses and relationships, led by a diverse investment group. Henley Park Capital is a private investment firm that is both a public and private market investor. Henley Park Capital and its affiliates have taken an approach that is analogous to private equity investing which includes sourcing deals, conducting due diligence, structuring investments, and hands-on involvement with portfolio companies. The management team has partnered with and invested alongside high-profile family offices and global financial institutions. According to McKinsey & Company, since 2010, investors have poured nearly $330 billion into more than 2,000 mobility companies focused on ACES: Autonomous: $106 billion, Connectivity: $61 billion, Electrification: $62 billion, Smart Mobility: $100 billion, with over $80 billion of this amount invested since the beginning of 2019 alone. About two-thirds of the $329 billion, or $206 billion, went to autonomous-vehicle (AV) technologies and smart mobility. A lower amount—approximately $123 billion—went to connectivity and electric vehicles (EVs), suggesting that companies prefer to develop these technologies in-house, rather than by pursuing inorganic growth.

We intend to look for companies with a strong backlog well past 2025 to justify any valuations prior to communicating our initial business combination. We are aware that tech-enabled mobility technology will have to navigate regulatory and other hurdles to reach broad acceptance, including concerns about the safety of driverless vehicles, such as trucks hauling thousands of pounds of freight on public highways. However, we believe there will continue to be strong investor interest in the sector because of the savings that autonomous technology could provide through reduced labor costs and increased efficiency in the commercial sector at the time in which we complete our initial business combination.

In focusing on ACES, securing a strong position across all four ACES areas would cost a single player more than $70 billion through 2030. It is doubtful any individual company could shoulder this level of investment by itself. Setting the right technology focus is crucial and requires a detailed understanding of the technologies underlying the ACES trends, which our management and team has.

Our Management Team

We believe that our management team is well positioned to identify attractive businesses within the tech-enabled services industry as it relates to transportation and mobility. Developments in ACES should continue to impact the transportation and mobility industry verticals and we believe that our management team can execute. The type of company we are targeting would benefit from access to the public markets and the skills of our management team and Board of Directors. Our objective is to consummate our initial business combination with such a business and enhance stockholder value by improving the target’s operational performance. We believe we can achieve this objective by utilizing our management team’s extensive experience in both transportation and mobility in combination with our management team’s network of contacts in the industry. We believe many companies in the transportation and mobility industries could benefit from access to the public markets but have been unable to do so due to a number of factors, including the time it takes to conduct a traditional IPO, market volatility and pricing uncertainty. We intend to focus on evaluating more established companies with leading competitive positions, strong management teams and strong long-term potential for revenue growth and margin expansion.

Mr. Miguel Payan is our Chief Executive Officer and Director. Mr. Payan has more than 25 years of mobility, strategy, technology and executive experience. Mr. Payan previously was a Ford (NYSE: F) Smart Mobility Senior Executive. Ford Smart Mobility is a Palo Alto, California-based company that was formed to design, build, grow and invest in emerging mobility services. At Ford Smart Mobility, Mr. Payan acquired commercial solutions, micro-transit, micro-mobility, and cloud-based software businesses, and created new ones, such as the non-emergency medical transportation business. This organic and inorganic business development grew the mobility portfolio exponentially. Specifically, he was responsible for the acquisition of Spin, a provider of dock-less mobility systems intended to offer station-less electric scooter sharing options. Mr. Payan was also integral in the Ford

 

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Mobility investment that enabled ClimaCell (now Tomorrow.io) secure $45M in its Series B funding. Tomorrow.io is a developer of a hyper-local weather forecasting platform. While at Ford Mobility, Mr. Payan also led the acquisition of Autonomic, an open mobility cloud-based platform designed to provide the platform with the necessary building blocks for smart mobility applications and services. Autonomic’s Transportation Mobility Cloud connects the diverse components of today’s urban mobility systems, including connected vehicles, mass transit, pedestrians, city infrastructure and service providers with the goal of orchestrating a safer, more efficient and sustainable transportation network by routing self-driving cars, managing large-scale fleets and helping residents plan transit journeys. Mr. Payan also led Ford Mobility’s Transloc acquisition. Transloc develops transit technologies designed to deliver flexible and micro transit traveling experiences. Mr. Payan also has broad Board of Director experience. He served on the Board of Advisors for EdgeConneX, a provider of highly proximate, high-powered, purpose-built data centers, prior to the their $3B acquisition by the global private equity firm, EQT. Along with serving as a board member, he has also engaged full time with EdgeConneX to develop its strategy for the far-edge micro-data center play to support autonomous vehicle deployment, as well as to develop its EV charging infrastructure market entry strategy. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for SHIFT5, a cybersecurity and data analytics company that focuses on preventing and resolving bad-actor intrusions in military and commercial vehicles. Mr. Payan also advised on several other companies that were acquired by large conglomerates, including SmartThings, which was acquired by Samsung; Intelligrated which was acquired by Honeywell and Resideo, which was divested by Honeywell. While at Samsung, he created the ARTIK IoT platform business, which delivers device-to-cloud security for companies to build, develop and manage secure, interoperable, and intelligent IoT products and services for everything from smart homes to high-tech factories. Mr. Payan is a highly insightful strategic and analytical senior executive with international, multi-industry experience, specializing in strategy and strategic planning, digital transformation, program and project management, user engagement, idea commercialization, RPA & continuous improvement, trends analysis, and risk assessment. Beyond the vast experience detailed above, Mr. Payan’s work experience also includes time at Capital One (NYSE: COF), Honeywell International (NASD: HON), Samsung and McKinsey & Company. He has a proven track record of creating new mission-oriented businesses and successfully taking them to market, along with serving as a senior-level adviser, providing clients the insights needed to capture opportunities. Finally, he is a dedicated and driven leader who fosters bottom-line impact through innovation and digital customer engagement. Mr. Payan earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from The University Illinois and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

 

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Robert Haywood is our President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Haywood has more than 35 years of executive, strategy, and consumer experience. Mr. Haywood is well-regarded in the C-suite space having successfully scaled several businesses and led 5 private equity exits via maximizing brand value, consumer centricity, performance management, and data science utilizing advanced analytics to drive profitable growth through innovations in consumer and customer engagement. He has been a strategic team leader with an outstanding record for building strong teams, organizational development, and stakeholder alliances with P&L responsibility ranging from $25M to $3.5B and organizations as large as 800 professionals.

Formerly, he led a team as Chief Revenue Officer that acquired CoverGirl and Max Factor for $3.2B. He also led an acquisition team that executed 7 acquisition initiatives including the acquisition of Camay, Zest, Walgreens.com, and Avon with economic values ranging from $14M to $2.5B. He also advised on the launching of a SPAC Legacy Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: LGC) and its $300M IPO. He also led operations of a Private Equity portfolio company as President growing revenue from $30M to +$100M and 40% EBITDA. There he led investment and acquisition of three follow-on acquisitions for ZT Wealth / ZT Corporate which successfully exited to a strategic buyer. While President, he developed dual-go-to-market strategy accelerating customer acquisition +40%. He achieved that through utilizing Advanced Data Analytics to identify and target high need customers and increasing average returns from 1.5x to 4.5x. He also increased the average client contribution from 7 fold. He also recruited a national sales and marketing organization utilizing a strategic combination of internal contract sales organization, and broker organizations.

Prior to serving as a President, he was a Vice President of Global Consumer Engagement, Sales and Marketing, Global Marketing at Mattel (NASD: MAT). There, he led global consumer engagement for Mattel Brands, Fisher Price, HIT Entertainment, and American Girl across all consumer spending totaling $1B. He directed development of all consumer activity and touch points in retail and online promotions, TV, digital marketing, social media, content creation and entertainment, live events, and eCommerce. While an executive at Mattel, he rose from VP of International Marketing where he led the development of regional commercial programming, eCommerce and online strategy, digital marketing, insights, TV media, and marketing assets. Then he became VP of Global Marketing where he managed global marketing infrastructure, assets, eCommerce merchandising strategy, SEO merchandising strategy, and social media content localization.

Mr. Haywood was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EBD Soft, Inc., North America. As CEO, he led the global expansion of the European based web application company. He also launched its US operations by developing a strategic direction to ensure successful global expansion. Specifically, he repositioned the product platform and established consultancy resulting in significant customer acquisitions and +40% of total US revenue. He was also EVP, Global Sales and Business Development for NTR Global. There, he led enterprise sales, global partnerships and strategic alliances for a provider of Cloud based remote support solutions with operations in 61 countries (B2C, B2B, Enterprise). It was acquired by ASG Software. He also expanded global operations, establishing new global accounts and strategic partnerships resulting in an 18% increase in revenue.

He was also EVP, Sales-Business Development for Amphire Solutions/ iTradeNetwork, Inc. As EVP, he led marketing, sales, and business development activities for a supply chain solution provider. It was acquired by Accel-KKR. As EVP, he increased monthly transactions 20% to $1B and increased customer acquisition 35% via implementation of new go-to-market strategy and introduction of valued added services. He also developed the Industry’s 1st Foodservice database and negotiated sale to NPD. Mr. Haywood was the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Big Foot Giant Tire Company. As CEO he led operations of retail sales and repairs of giant tires for large equipment servicing the construction and mining industries. He also negotiated an exit to a strategic buyer achieving targeted investor return. He also led acquisition of new customers including Fortune 500 industry leaders including Kiewit Corporation and Michelin Tires increasing revenue +260%. Mr. Haywood was also the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) ClearPath Technology. At ClearPath, he led development of the business model, product functionality, and marketing plan of the SaaS provider of Cloud Based Big Data Analytics and Business Intelligence for the FMCG/CPG industry. The system provided advanced analytics for marketing mix optimization, ROI contribution, insights, and resource allocation and planning. He also negotiated exit to a strategic partner.

He was a Vice President and Managing Director at AC NIELSEN (NYSE: NLSN) where he led all sales, marketing, and consulting services efforts in ACNielsen’s Western Area. There he spearheaded product development / customization and the identification of strategies to market ACNielsen syndicated products and software applications to retailers and manufacturers in marketing, sales, trade marketing, and marketing research functions to address client business issues. He also was a Vice President for Marketing & Sales at Upper Deck. There he was responsible for all marketing, sales, and merchandising efforts, while also repositioning the brand and category while increasing sales and profits by over 150% and distribution into 700 new outlets. Mr. Haywood has broad management experience from his time as a Brand Manager at Quaker Oats and Kraft Foods, where he led all customer, consumer, trade marketing efforts. Mr. Haywood also played in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and USFL for the Philadelphia Stars. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for Corsa System, a Silicon Valley, CA based leading provider of SSL/TLS encrypted data inspection services for high capacity networks delivered as a private cloud service. Mr. Haywood received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Princeton University and Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chicago, Booth Graduate School of Business.

Leighton Carroll will be one of our directors upon the effective date of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Carroll has over 25 years of technology experience, including leading the development of wireless networks, engineering, and software companies. Mr. Carroll is the President of QuadGen Wireless Solutions, Inc., a national telecommunications services engineering firm. Under Mr. Carroll’s leadership since joining in 2016, the business has seen significant growth through customer and service diversification, most recently obtaining back-to-back growth rates in excess of 30% annually. Prior to QuadGen Wireless, Mr. Carroll was the Chief Executive Officer of Squan Holdings where he transformed a New York metro wireless construction firm into a wireless and transport engineering and delivery company with 11 offices in 10 states. Mr. Carroll is also the former CEO of Wireless Maritime Services (WMS) where he grew the private equity backed business from $3 million in revenue to $100 million in 3 years through both organic and inorganic growth. including international expansion. Before serving as the CEO of WMS, Mr. Carroll was a Merger and Integration executive for AT&T (NYSE: T). While at AT&T, he was part of the team that most recently completed the Cricket and Alltel acquisitions, which included the launch of the New Cricket brand nationally. Other notable AT&T accomplishments included seeing AT&T win the JD Powers award as an executive leader during the customer service transformation, leading the country in attainment as a VP-GM and representing the company worldwide while running international operations for wireless technology. Mr. Carroll graduated from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). He also has attended executive education courses at Harvard Business School, the Wharton Business School and the MIT Sloan School of Business. Mr. Carroll is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors given his extensive management history of leading wireless networks, engineering, and software companies.

Michael Pietropola will be one of our directors upon the effective date of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Pietropola has more than 37 years of experience in the technology and telecommunications industry. Mr. Pietropola is the President of Pietropola Consulting LLC. Most recently, in December 2020, after four years, he stepped down as a member of the Board of Directors member of InSite Wireless Group following its $3.5 billion acquisition by American Tower (NYSE: AMT). Prior to joining the board of InSite, Mr. Pietropola was an executive at AT&T (NYSE:T). At AT&T, Mr. Pietropola was the Vice President of Construction and Engineering for the Southeast region. As a regional Vice President, he was responsible for an annual budget in excess of $3.0 billion dollars, which focused on the deployment of the wireless and wireline outside infrastructure. Mr. Pietropola held the title of Vice President of Network Service until Cingular became AT&T after Southwestern Bell acquired Bellsouth in 2007. He held senior positions overseeing the core network design and implementation in preparation for the first iPhone launch and subsequent exponential growth of the new generation smart phones. Mr. Pietropola played an integral role in the creation of Cingular Wireless—a joint venture between

 

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BellSouth and Southwestern Bell wireless companies. He helped build a world-class wireless network operations organization and oversaw the development of standards and policies to ensure consistent practices throughout the nationwide network. He was one of two board members representing Cingular in a joint venture between Cingular and T-Mobile, which combined network operations in California and New York City from 2001 until the deal was absolved in 2004. He also served as a special advisor for Pensare Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC that completed the business combination with American Virtual Cloud Technologies (NASDAQ: AVCT) in 2019. Mr. Pietropola graduated from and sits on the visiting executive committee of Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2016, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh honored Mr. Pietropola with its distinguished alumni award. Mr. Pietropola is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of his significant professional experience in varied roles within the technology and telecommunications industry.

Garnet S. Heraman will be one of our directors upon the effective date of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Heraman has over 25 years of experience as a multistage investor at the intersection of innovation, diversity and technology. Currently, Mr. Heraman is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Aperture VC, a $100M fintech and diversity fund backed by Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) Truist (NYSE: TFC), PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) and FIS (NYSE: FIS). He is also Chairman of FUEL OZ.Capital, an opportunity zone sponsor building an e-sports innovation center in Atlanta, GA. Previously, he was a Co-Founder of Aegis Investment Partners, a private equity group specializing in growth capital for Corporate Venture Capital deals. He is an investor or board member of numerous ventures including: Iryss Financial, Gather Voices, Gizer.io, Empyreal Logistics, GivKwik, Candy Lab AR, Dynepic, playPORTAL, Makomi and Biba. He also is Chairman of the mission-driven ecommerce company, Karina Dresses. Mr. Heraman’s non-profit work includes the Brookings Institute (business roundtable advisor); the Columbia Venture Community; TiE New York, where he was a founding board member (1999-2001); The CORO Foundation, which named him to their prestigious Leadership New York Program (2000-1); and Rhizome.org, the world’s first digital art space on the web (1996). He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Columbia University, Masters of Science in Econometrics from the London School of Economics and a Masters in Business Administration from the NYU Stern School of Business. Mr. Heraman is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors given his extensive management history of investing and growing both large and small technology-enabled companies.

Business Strategy

Our acquisition and value creation strategy is to identify, acquire and, after our initial business combination, build, a company in an industry or sector that complements the experience of our management team and can benefit from our operational expertise. We will have a generalist approach to industry sectors, but with particular emphasis on industries where we have core competencies and experiences, or industries in which we can leverage the resources and synergistic collaboration with the Henley Park Capital ecosystem of businesses and relationships, such as technology enabled transportation and logistics, telecommunications, and ACES.

We will target specific niches (i) that have attractive growth characteristics, as well as strong cash flow profiles, (ii) where we can consistently produce proprietary deal flow and (iii) that can provide the acquired company’s operating management team with access to primary sources of market intelligence. We will seek to generate a diverse flow of investment opportunities from our management team and board’s collective networks, and will employ rigorous underwriting standards, transaction analysis and execution.

 

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Business Combination Criteria

Consistent with our strategy, we have identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses and, when evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review that will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews and inspection of facilities, as applicable, as well as a review of financial and other information that will be made available to us. We intend to use the following and other criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet any or all of these criteria or guidelines.

We intend that the criteria will focus on the following strategic themes:

 

   

Companies located in the United States;

 

   

Companies that embrace today’s digital transformation and experience;

 

   

Knowledgeable management teams with relevant industry experience and capabilities to lead a public company;

 

   

Companies exposed to attractive end-market trends;

 

   

Companies that have a track record of resilient revenue and earnings;

 

   

Companies that are small and midsize businesses; and

 

   

Companies that would benefit from status as a public company.

These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our stockholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the SEC.

Initial Business Combination

If we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 15 months, our board at the request of our sponsor may 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 21 months to complete a business combination), subject to the sponsor depositing additional funds into the trust account as set out below. Our shareholders will not be entitled to vote or redeem their shares in connection with any such extension. Pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, in order for the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination to be extended, our sponsor or its affiliates or designees, upon five days advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the trust account $1,750,000, or $2,012,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per unit in either case), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, for each of the two extensions providing a total possible business combination period of 21 months at a total payment value of $3,500,000, or $4,025,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.20 per unit in either case). Any such payments would be made in the form of a non-interest bearing loan. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. If we do not complete a business combination, we will not repay such loans. Our sponsor and its affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the trust account to extend the time for us to complete our initial business combination.

The rules of the NYSE and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation 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 (excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount held in 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 (including with the assistance of financial advisors), we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or a valuation or appraisal firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it likely that our board of directors will be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects.

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. However, we may structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or 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 a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act.

 

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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, shares or other equity securities 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 issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% of net assets test described above. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.

Corporate Information

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and 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 this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter; and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the end of that fiscal year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that fiscal year’s second fiscal quarter. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.

Our executive offices are located at 1900 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036 and our phone number is (202) 765-3077.

 

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THE OFFERING

In making your decision on whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the backgrounds of the members of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company and the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section below entitled “Risk Factors” in this prospectus.

 

Securities offered   

17,500,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of:

 

•  one share of Class A common stock; and

 

•  three-fourths of one redeemable warrant.

Proposed NYSE symbols   

Units: “HPACU”

 

Class A common stock: “HPAC”

 

Warrants: “HPACWS”

Trading commencement and separation of shares of Class A common stock and warrants

  

The units are expected to begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The shares of Class A common stock and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Maxim Group LLC informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the shares of Class A common stock and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into shares of Class A common stock and warrants. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least two units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.

 

Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination.

Separate trading of the Class A common stock and warrants is prohibited until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K

   In no event will the Class A common stock and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering. If the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option.

 

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Units:

  

Number outstanding before this offering

   0

Number outstanding after this offering

   17,500,000(1)

Common stock:

  

Number outstanding before this offering

   5,031,250(2)

Number outstanding after this offering

   21,875,000(1)(3)

Warrants:

  

Number of private placement warrants to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering

   8,175,000(1)

Number of warrants to be outstanding after this offering and the private placement

   21,300,000(1)(4)

Exercisability

   Each whole warrant offered in this offering is exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. We structured each unit to contain three-fourths of one warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A common stock, as compared to units issued by some other special purpose acquisition companies which contain a warrant exercisable for one whole share, in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination. We believe this makes us a more attractive business combination partner for target businesses.

Exercise price

   $11.50 per share, subject to adjustments as described herein. In addition, if (x) we issue additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of Class A common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our initial stockholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our initial stockholders or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued

 

(1)

Assumes no exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option and the forfeiture by our initial stockholders of an aggregate of 656,250 founder shares.

(2)

Includes up to an aggregate of 656,250 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our initial stockholders depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised.

(3)

Comprised of 17,500,000 shares of Class A common stock and 5,031,250 shares of Class B common stock (founder shares). Class B common stock is convertible into shares of our Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described herein adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights”.

(4)

Comprised of 13,125,000 public warrants included in the units to be sold in this offering and 8,175,000 private placement warrants to be sold in the private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering.

 

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   Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume-weighted average trading price of our Class A common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day after the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described adjacent to “Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
Exercise period   

The warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and 12 months from the closing of this offering; provided in each case that, we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the Securities Act, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement).

 

We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants at this time. However, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and, following the effective date of the registration statement, we will use commercially reasonable efforts 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 our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption from registration. Notwithstanding the above, if our shares of Class A common stock are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a

 

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national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.

 

The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. On the exercise of any warrant, the warrant exercise price will be paid directly to us.

Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00

  

Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants for cash:

 

•  in whole and not in part;

•  at a price of $0.01 per warrant;

 

•  upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, which we refer to as the “30-day redemption period”; and

 

•  if, and only if, the last reported sale price (the “closing price”) of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Stockholder’s Warrants — Anti-dilution adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.

 

We will not redeem the warrants as described above unless an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock is available throughout the 30-day redemption period, except if the warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

 

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   If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average last reported sale price of the Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. Please see the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Stockholders Warrants” for additional information.

Founder shares

   On June 10, 2021, our sponsor paid $25,000 to purchase 5,031,250 founder shares, or approximately $0.005 per share. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by the sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per share price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 20,125,000 units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering. Up to 656,250 of the founder shares may be forfeited depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, we will effect a stock dividend, stock split or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our initial stockholders, on an as-converted basis, at 20% of our issued and outstanding common stock upon the consummation of this offering (excluding shares underlying the private placement warrants).
   The founder shares are identical to the shares of Class A common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, except that:
  

•  Only holders of the founder shares have the right to vote on the appointment of directors prior to our initial business combination and holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason;

  

•  the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below;

  

•  the founder shares are entitled to registration rights;

  

•  our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares they hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares they hold in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period.

 

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However, our initial stockholders will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. Permitted transferees of the founder shares held by our sponsor, initial stockholders, officers and directors would be subject to the same restrictions. In addition, if we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, our initial stockholders have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares acquired by them during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholder’s founder shares, we would need 6,562,501, or 37.5%, of the 17,500,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised) or 1,093,751, or 6.25%, of the 17,500,000 public shares (assuming the minimum number of shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised); and

 

•  the founder shares are automatically convertible into our Class A common stock concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights.”

Transfer restrictions on founder shares   

Our initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earlier to occur of: (i) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction after our initial business combination that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property; except to certain permitted transferees and under certain circumstances as described herein under “Principal Stockholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”. Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) the closing price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination or (2) we consummate a transaction after our initial business combination which results in our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares for cash, securities or other property, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up.

 

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Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights

   The founder shares will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the total number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding after such conversion (after giving effect to any redemptions of shares of Class A common stock by public stockholders), including the total number of shares of Class A common stock issued, or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued, by the company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial business combination, excluding any shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities or rights exercisable for or convertible into shares of Class A common stock issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement warrants issued to our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers and directors upon conversion of working capital loans, provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.

Appointment of Directors; Voting Rights

   Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. 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. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended by approval of at least 90% of the shares of our Class B common stock voting in an annual meeting. With respect to any other matter submitted to a vote of our stockholders, including any vote in connection with our initial business combination, except as required by law, holders of our founder shares and holders of our public shares will vote together as a single class, with each share entitling the holder to one vote.

Ability to extend time to complete business combination

   If we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 15 months, our board at the request of our sponsor may 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 21 months to complete a business combination), subject to the sponsor depositing additional funds into the trust account as set out below. Our shareholders will not be entitled to vote or redeem their shares in connection with any such extension. Pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, in order for the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination to be extended, our sponsor or its affiliates or designees, upon five days advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the trust account $1,750,000, or $2,012,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per unit in either case), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, for each of the two extensions providing a total possible business combination period of 21 months at a total payment value of $3,500,000, or $4,025,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.20 per unit in either case). Any such payments would be made in the form of a non-interest bearing loan. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. If we do not complete a business combination, we will not repay such loans. Our sponsor and its affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the trust account to extend the time for us to complete our initial business combination.

Private placement warrants

   Our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 7,300,000 private placement warrants (or 8,087,500 private placement warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, at a price of $1.00 per warrant, or $7,300,000 in the aggregate (or $8,087,500 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is

 

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exercised in full), and the representative has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 875,000 private placement warrants (or 1,006,250 private placement warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, at a price of $1.00 per warrant, or $875,000 in the aggregate (or $1,006,250 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. A portion of the purchase price of the private placement warrants will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account such that at the time of closing of this offering $177,625,000 (or $204,268,750 million if the underwriter exercises its over-allotment option in full) will be held in the trust account. The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering.

 

Transfer restrictions on private placement warrants

   The private placement warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, except as described herein under “Principal Stockholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”.

Proceeds to be held in trust account

  

The NYSE rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants be deposited in a trust account. Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, $177,625,000, or $10.15 per unit (or $204,268,750, or $10.15 per unit, if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be deposited into a trust account in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, after deducting $3,500,000 in underwriting discounts and commissions payable upon the closing of this offering (or $4,025,000 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), and an aggregate of $477,644 to pay fees and expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and $1,572,356 for working capital following this offering.

 

The proceeds to be placed in the trust account include $6,125,000 (or $7,043,750 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting commissions, assuming the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised.

 

Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (a) the completion of our initial business combination, (b) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (i) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, or (ii) with respect to

 

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   any other material provisions relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (c) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public stockholders.

Anticipated expenses and funding sources

  

Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, no proceeds held in the trust account will be available for our use, except the withdrawal of interest to pay our taxes and/or to redeem our public shares in connection with an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as described above. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. We estimate the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $0.14 million per year, assuming an interest rate of 0.08% per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, we may pay our expenses only from such interest withdrawn from the trust account to pay such taxes and:

 

•  the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not held in the trust account, which initially will be approximately $1,572,356 in working capital after the payment of approximately $477,644 in expenses relating to this offering; and

 

•  any loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or their affiliates or other third parties, although they are under no obligation to advance funds or invest in us, and provided that any such loans will not have any claim on the proceeds held in the trust account unless such proceeds are released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private placement warrants, at a price of $1.00 per warrant, at the option of the lender.

Expression of Interest

   The representative has informed us that it and/or its affiliates or accounts over which it and/or its affiliates have discretionary authority have expressed an interest in purchasing up to 7.0% of the units to be sold in this offering. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase and are simply expressions of intent, these entities may determine to purchase fewer or no units at all in the offering or may purchase more units than they indicate an interest in purchasing (although they do not intend to exceed 9.99% ownership in the aggregate). In addition, the representative may determine to allocate fewer units to any of these entities than the entities indicate an interest in purchasing or to not sell any units to these entities. The underwriters will receive the same underwriting discount on any units purchased by these entities as they will on any other units sold to the public in this offering. If the representative or any of its affiliates or accounts over which it and/or its affiliates have discretionary authority purchases any units in this offering or otherwise in the open market, it has no obligation to vote the underlying shares in favor of any business combination, nor does it have an obligation not to redeem any such shares or hold any such units or underlying shares beyond the consummation of an initial business combination, if any. Any trading decisions made by any of the foregoing entities will be made by them based on market conditions at the time of the proposed sale or redemption. The representative’s affiliates will not receive any economic or other interest in our sponsor.

Conditions to completing our initial business combination

   The rules of the NYSE and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation 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 (excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount held in 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

 

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   business combination. 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 that is a member of FINRA or a valuation or appraisal firm. While we consider it likely that our board of directors will be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects.
   We will complete our initial business combination only if the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or is otherwise not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the initial business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity securities 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 issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% of net assets test described above, provided that, in the event that the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses and we will treat the transactions together as our initial business combination for purposes of seeking stockholder approval or conducting a tender offer, as applicable.

Permitted purchases of public shares and public warrants by our Affiliates and other transactions with respect to 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 initial stockholders, sponsor, officers, directors,

 

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   advisors or their affiliates may purchase 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 public shares or public warrants our initial stockholders, executives, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and the NYSE rules. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, executives, officers, directors, advisors, or any of their respective affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. 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. Subsequent to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt an insider trading policy which will require 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. 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. See “Proposed Business — Permitted Purchases of Our Securities” for a description of how our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their affiliates will select which stockholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction. Our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their affiliates will not make any purchases if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) of, or Rule 10b-5 under, the Exchange Act.

 

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   The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such public 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 also 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 an initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our public 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.

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 public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.15 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 underwriter. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares they hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.

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) without a stockholder vote by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed initial 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 requirements. Asset

 

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   acquisitions and stock 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 outstanding common stock or seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation would require stockholder approval. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on the NYSE, we will be required to comply with the NYSE’s stockholder approval rules.
   The requirement that we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above will be contained in provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and will apply whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on the NYSE. Such provisions may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon.
   If we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with a stockholder meeting, we will:
  

•  conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules; and

  

•  file proxy materials with the SEC.

   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 holders 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 letter agreement, our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of 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. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholder’s founder shares, we would need only 6,562,501, or 37.5%, of the 17,500,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised) or 1,093,751, or 6.25%, of the 17,500,000 public shares (assuming the minimum number of shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised). These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial stockholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate

 

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   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. We intend to give not less than 10 days’ nor more than 60 days’ prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination.
   If a stockholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will:
  

•  conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E under 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 pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.

   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 a specified number of public shares, which number will be based on the requirement that we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement that may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. 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.
   Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act to purchase shares of our Class A common stock in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
   We intend to require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their stock certificates to our transfer agent or deliver

 

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their shares to our transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a stockholder vote, we intend to require a public stockholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. We believe that this will allow our transfer agent to efficiently process any redemptions without the need for further communication or action from the redeeming public stockholders, which could delay redemptions and result in additional administrative cost. If the proposed initial business combination is not approved and we continue to search for a target company, we will promptly return any certificates or shares delivered by public stockholders who elected to redeem their shares.

 

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed initial 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 initial business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of 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 initial 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 Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.

Limitation on redemption rights of stockholders holding 15% or more of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a stockholder vote

   Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, 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 amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide

 

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   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 redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, without our prior consent. We believe the restriction described above will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to redeem their shares 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. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights against a business combination 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 stockholder’s ability to redeem to no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering, 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 stockholder’s ability to vote all of their shares (including all shares held by those stockholders that hold more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering) for or against our initial business combination.

Release of funds in trust account on closing of our initial business combination

   Upon the completion of our initial business combination, the funds held in the trust account will be used to pay amounts due to any public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights as described above under “Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our initial business combination,” to pay the underwriter its deferred underwriting commissions, to pay all or a portion of the consideration payable to the target or owners of the target of our initial business combination and to pay other expenses associated with 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 and expenses in connection with our initial business combination, 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 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.

 

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Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination        Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we will have only 15 months from the closing of this offering plus any applicable Extension Period to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the 15-month period or any applicable Extension Period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, 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 (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholder’s 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, 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. 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 15-month period or the applicable Extension Period.
   Our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers and directors have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period. However, if our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers or directors acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted 15-month to 21-month time frame.
  

The underwriter has agreed to waive its rights to its deferred underwriting commission held in the trust account in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension 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 our public shares.

   Our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-initial business combination activity,

 

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   unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A common stock 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, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described above under “Limitations on redemptions.” For example, our board of directors may propose such an amendment if it determines that additional time is necessary to complete our initial business combination. In such event, we will conduct a proxy solicitation and distribute proxy materials pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act seeking stockholder approval of such proposal, and in connection therewith, provide our public stockholders with the redemption rights described above upon stockholder approval of such amendment.
Limited payments to insiders   

There will be no finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation paid by us to our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers or directors, or any affiliate of our sponsor or executive officers prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination. However, the following payments will be made to our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, and, if made prior to our initial business combination will be made from funds held outside the trust account.

•  Repayment of up to an aggregate of $300,000 in loans or advances made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses;

 

•  Payment to our sponsor and its affiliates of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities, and secretarial and administrative services provided to members of our management team;

 

•  Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating and completing an initial business combination; and

 

•  Repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our executive officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination entity at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The terms of such warrants would be identical to those of the private placement warrants. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans.

 

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Audit Committee    We will establish and maintain an audit committee to, among other things, monitor compliance with the terms described above and the other terms relating to this offering. If any noncompliance is identified, then the audit committee will be charged with the responsibility to immediately take all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise to cause compliance with the terms of this offering. For more information, see the section of this prospectus entitled “Management — Committees of the Board of Directors — Audit Committee.”
Conflicts of Interest    Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to another entity pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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 the 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. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. For more information, see the section entitled “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”

 

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RISKS

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:

 

   

We are a blank check company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.

 

   

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.

 

   

Our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.”

 

   

Your only opportunity to effect your investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash.

 

   

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders and management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.

 

   

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 requirement that we complete our initial business combination within 15 months after the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may limit the time we have in which to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets, in particular as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our initial business combination on terms that would produce value for our stockholders.

 

   

Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and other events and the status of debt and equity markets.

 

   

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates may elect to purchase shares or warrants from public stockholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our securities.

 

   

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 submitting or tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.

 

   

You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

 

   

You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.

 

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Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the required time period, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.15 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on our redemption of their shares, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

   

If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 15 months following the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, it could limit the amount of cash available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.

 

   

Past performance by our management team and their affiliates, including investments and transactions in which they have participated and businesses with which they have been associated, may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in the company.

 

   

Unlike some other similarly structured special purpose acquisition companies, our initial stockholders may receive additional shares of Class A common stock if we issue a substantial number of additional shares of Class A common stock or shares of preferred stock to consummate an initial business combination.

 

   

We may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination and such reincorporation may result in taxes imposed on stockholders or warrant holders.

SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA

The following table summarizes the relevant financial data for our business and should be read with our financial statements, which are included in this prospectus. We have not had any significant operations to date, so only balance sheet data is presented.

 

     June 10, 2021      September 30, 2021  
     Actual      Actual      As Adjusted  
     (Audited)      (Unaudited)         

Balance Sheet Data

        

Working capital (deficit)(1)

   $ (11,000    $ (393,023    $ 1,596,306  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets(2)

     60,000        417,132        179,221,306  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total liabilities(3)

     36,000        393,182        6,125,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Value of common stock subject to possible redemption(4)

     —          —          177,625,000  

Stockholder’s equity (deficit)(5)

     24,000        23,950        (4,528,694

 

(1)

The “as adjusted” calculation includes $1,572,356 of cash held outside the trust account, plus $23,950 of actual stockholder’s equity on September 30, 2021.

(2)

The “as adjusted” calculation equals $177,625,000 of cash held in trust from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, plus $1,572,356 in cash held outside the trust account, plus $23,950 of actual stockholder’s equity on September 30, 2021.

(3)

The “as adjusted” calculation equals $6,125,000 of deferred underwriting commissions, assuming the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised.

(4)

The “as adjusted” calculation equals the 17,500,000 shares of Class A common stock purchased in the public offering multiplied by the redemption value of $10.15 per share.

(5)

Excludes 17,500,000 “as adjusted” calculation equals the “as adjusted” total assets, less the “as adjusted” total liabilities, less the value of common stock that may be redeemed in connection with our initial business combination ($10.15 per share).

The “as adjusted” information gives effect to the sale of the units in this offering, the sale of the private placement warrants, repayment of up to an aggregate of $300,000 in loans or advances made to us by our sponsor and the payment of the estimated expenses of this offering and assumes no exercise of the underwriter’s over- allotment option. The “as adjusted” total assets amount includes the $177,625,000 (or $204,268,750 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, which amount, less deferred underwriting commissions, will be available to us only upon the completion of our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period. The “as adjusted” working capital and “as adjusted” total assets include $6,125,000 (or $7,043,750 if the underwriter’s over- allotment option is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting commissions, assuming the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised. The underwriter will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions.

If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 15 months or any Extension Period, we will redeem 100% of the public shares at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and certain conditions as further described herein. Our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or applicable Extension Period.

 

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, before making a decision to invest in our units. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Relating to our Search for, and Consummation of or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination

Our stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, and even if we hold a vote, holders of our founder shares will participate in such vote, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public stockholders do not support such a combination.

We may choose not to hold a stockholder vote to approve our initial business combination if the business combination would not require stockholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement. Except for as required by applicable law or stock exchange requirement, the decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow stockholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors, such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to seek stockholder approval. Even if we seek stockholder approval, the holders of our founder shares will participate in the vote on such approval. Accordingly, we may complete our initial business combination even if a majority of our public stockholders do not approve of the business combination we complete. Please see the section entitled “Proposed Business — Stockholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination” for additional information.

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.

At the time of your investment in us, you will not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of our initial business combination. Since our board of directors may complete a business combination without seeking stockholder approval, public stockholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the business combination, unless we seek such stockholder vote. Accordingly, your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding our initial business combination may be limited to exercising your redemption rights within the period of time (which will be at least 20 business days) set forth in our tender offer documents mailed to our public stockholders in which we describe our initial business combination.

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders and management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.

Our initial stockholders will own 20% of our outstanding common stock immediately following the completion of this offering. Our initial stockholders and management team also may from time to time purchase Class A common stock prior to our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, if we seek stockholder approval of an initial business combination, such initial business combination will be approved if we receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares voted at such meeting, including the founder shares. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholder’s founder shares, we would need 6,562,501, or 37.5%, of the 17,500,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised) or 1,093,751, or 6.25%, of the 17,500,000 public shares (assuming the minimum number of shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised). Accordingly, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreement by our initial stockholders and management team to vote in favor of our initial business combination will increase the likelihood that we will receive the requisite stockholder approval for such initial business combination.

 

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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.

We may seek to enter into a business combination transaction agreement with a prospective target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public stockholders exercise their redemption rights, we would not be able to meet such closing condition and, as a result, would not be able to proceed with the business combination. Furthermore, 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. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 or make us unable to satisfy a minimum cash condition as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination. Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into a business combination transaction with us.

The ability of our public 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.

At the time we enter into an agreement for our initial business combination, we will not know how many stockholders may exercise their redemption rights, and therefore will need to structure the transaction based on our expectations as to the number of shares that will be submitted for redemption. If our initial business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, we will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the trust account to meet such requirements, or arrange for third party financing. In addition, if a larger number of shares is submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for third party financing. Raising additional third-party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. Furthermore, this dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provision of the Class B common stock results in the issues of shares of Class A common stock on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the shares of Class B common stock at the time of our initial business combination. In addition, the amount of the deferred underwriting commissions payable to Maxim will not be adjusted for any shares that are redeemed in connection with an initial business combination. The per share amount we will distribute to stockholders who properly exercise their redemption rights will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commission and after such redemptions, the amount held in trust will continue to reflect our obligation to pay the entire deferred underwriting commissions. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us 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.

If our initial business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful is increased. If our initial business combination is unsuccessful, you would not receive your pro rata portion of the trust account until we liquidate the trust account. If you are in need of immediate liquidity, you could attempt to sell your shares in the open market; however, at such time our shares may trade at a discount to the pro rata amount per share in the trust account. In either situation, you may suffer a material loss on your investment or lose the benefit of funds expected in connection with your exercise of redemption rights until we liquidate or you are able to sell your shares in the open market.

 

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The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within 15 months after the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may limit the time we have in which to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets, in particular as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our initial business combination on terms that would produce value for our stockholders.

Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware that we must complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination with any target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the timeframe described above. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our initial business combination on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.

Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a “pandemic.” The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted, and a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases could result, in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets worldwide, and the business of any potential target business with which we consummate a business combination could be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, we may be unable to complete a business combination if continued concerns relating to COVID-19 restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors or the target company’s personnel, vendors and services providers are unavailable to negotiate and consummate a transaction in a timely manner. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our search for a business combination will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. If the disruptions posed by COVID-19 or other matters of global concern continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate a business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected.

Our initial business combination or reincorporation may result in taxes imposed on stockholders or warrant holders.

We may effect a business combination with a target company in another jurisdiction, reincorporate in the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located, or reincorporate in another jurisdiction. Such transactions may result in tax liability for a stockholder or warrant holder in the jurisdiction in which the stockholder or warrant holder is a tax resident (or in which its members are resident if it is a tax transparent entity), in which the target company is located, or in which we reincorporate. In the event of a reincorporation pursuant to our initial business combination, such tax liability may attach prior to any consummation of redemptions. We do not intend to make any cash distributions to pay such taxes.

Our board at the request of our sponsor has the right to extend the term we have to complete our initial business combination up to 21 months, without providing our stockholders with redemption rights.

We will have 15 months from the closing of this offering to consummate an initial business combination. However, if we anticipate that we may not be able to complete our initial business combination within 15 months, we may, by resolution of our board if requested by our sponsor, extend the period of time to consummate a business combination up to 21 months, subject to the sponsor depositing additional funds into the trust account. Our stockholders will not be entitled to vote or redeem their shares in connection with any such extension.

This feature is different than the traditional special purpose acquisition company structure, in which any extension of the company’s period to complete a business combination requires a vote of the company’s stockholders and stockholders have the right to redeem their public shares in connection with such vote.

We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within 15 months after the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, 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 receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, which may be less than $10.15 per share in certain circumstances and our warrants will expire worthless.

We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within 15 months after the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period. Our ability to complete our initial business combination may be negatively impacted by general market conditions, volatility in the capital and debt markets and the other risks described herein. For example, the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to grow both in the U.S. and globally and, while the extent of the impact of the outbreak on us will depend on future developments, it could limit our ability to complete our initial business combination, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all. Furthermore, we may be unable to complete a business combination if continued concerns relating to COVID-19 restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors or the target company’s personnel, vendors and services providers are unavailable to negotiate and consummate a transaction in a timely manner. Additionally, the outbreak of COVID-19 may negatively impact businesses we may seek to acquire. It may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section, such as those related to the market for our securities and cross-border transactions. If we have not completed our initial business combination within 15 months after the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, 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 (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholder’s 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, 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.

 

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If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers, directors, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares or public warrants 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 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 initial stockholders, sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates may purchase 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, although they are under no obligation to do so. There is no limit on the number of shares our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and NYSE rules. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material non-public information), our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, other than as expressly stated herein, 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. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares or public warrants in such transactions. Such purchases may include a contractual acknowledgment that such stockholder, although still the record holder of our shares, is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights.

In the event that our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public stockholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling stockholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to (i) vote such shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the business combination, (ii) 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 or (iii) 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. We expect 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. See “Proposed Business — Permitted Purchases of Our Securities” for a description of how our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their affiliates will select which stockholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction.

In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our Class A common stock or public warrants and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to obtain or maintain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.

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.

We will comply with the proxy rules or tender offer rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our initial business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a stockholder fails to receive our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, such stockholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly tender or submit public shares for redemption. For example, we intend to require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their stock certificates to our transfer agent, or to deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a stockholder vote, we intend to require a public stockholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. In the event that a stockholder fails to comply with these or any other procedures disclosed in the proxy or tender offer materials, as applicable, its shares may not be redeemed. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Proposed Business — Submitting Stock Certificates in Connection with Redemption Rights.”

 

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The securities in which we invest the proceeds held in the trust account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the interest income available for payment of taxes or reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.15 per share.

The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. While short-term U.S. treasury obligations currently yield a positive rate of interest, they have briefly yielded negative interest rates in recent years. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the possibility that it may in the future adopt similar policies in the United States. In the event of very low or negative yields, the amount of interest income (which we may use to pay our taxes, if any) would be reduced. In the event that we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders are entitled to receive their pro-rata share of the proceeds then held in the trust account, plus any interest income (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses). If the balance of the trust account is reduced below $177,625,000 as a result of negative interest rates, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders may be reduced below $10.15 per share.

You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.

Since the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants are intended to be used to complete an initial business combination with a target business that has not been selected, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the United States securities laws. However, because we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 upon the completion of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means our units will be immediately tradable and we will have a longer period of time to complete our initial business combination than do companies subject to Rule 419. Moreover, if this offering were subject to Rule 419, that rule would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless and until the funds in the trust account were released to us in connection with our completion of an initial business combination. For a more detailed comparison of our offering to offerings that comply with Rule 419, please see “Proposed Business — Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.”

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a “group” of stockholders are deemed to hold in excess of 15% of our Class A common stock, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our Class A common stock.

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 amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides 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 more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering without our prior consent, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” However, we would not be restricting our stockholder’s ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.

 

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Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.

We expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess similar or greater technical, human and other resources to ours or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, we are obligated to offer holders of our public shares the right to redeem their shares for cash at the time of our initial business combination in conjunction with a stockholder vote or via a tender offer. Target companies will be aware that this may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination.

Additionally, in recent years, the number of special purpose acquisition companies that have been formed has increased substantially. Many potential targets for special purpose acquisition companies have already entered into an initial business combination, and there are still many special purpose acquisition companies preparing for an initial public offering, as well as many such companies currently in registration. As a result, at times, fewer attractive targets may be available to consummate an initial business combination. Because there are more special purpose acquisition companies seeking to enter into an initial business combination with available targets, the competition for available targets with attractive fundamentals or business models may increase, which could cause target companies to demand improved financial terms. Attractive deals could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry sector downturns, geopolitical tensions, or increases in the cost of additional capital needed to close business combinations or operate targets post-business combination. This could increase the cost of, delay or otherwise complicate or frustrate our ability to find and consummate an initial business combination, and may result in our inability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors altogether.

Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.

If the net proceeds of this offering not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 15 months following the closing of the offering or any applicable Extension Period, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.

Of the net proceeds of this offering, only $1,572,356 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. We believe that, upon closing of this offering, the funds available to us outside of the trust account will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 15 months following such closing or any applicable Extension Period; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Of the funds available to us, we could use a portion of the funds available to us to pay fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business. We could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision in letters of intent or merger agreements designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent or merger agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a target business.

 

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In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $477,644, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $477,644, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. The amount held in the trust account will not be impacted as a result of such increase or decrease. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor, management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Neither our sponsor, members of our management team nor any of their affiliates is under any obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Any such advances would be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination entity at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The terms of such warrants would be identical to those of the private placement warrants. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors, as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. Consequently, our public stockholders may only receive an estimated $10.15 per share, or possibly less, on our redemption of our public shares, and our warrants will expire worthless.

If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.15 per share.

Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (except for 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, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements they may not be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account, including, but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain 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 consider whether competitive alternatives are reasonably available to us and will only enter into an agreement with such third party if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be in the best interests of the company under the circumstances. The underwriter of this offering as well as our registered independent public accounting firm will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account.

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. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders could be less than the $10.15 per public share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Pursuant to the letter agreement the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.15 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 public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriter of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.15 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.

 

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Our directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders.

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.15 per 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 public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case less taxes payable, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment and subject to their fiduciary duties may choose not to do so in any particular instance. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders may be reduced below $10.15 per share.

Changes in the market for directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and complete an initial business combination.

In recent months, the market for directors and officers liability insurance for special purpose acquisition companies has changed. Fewer insurance companies are offering quotes for directors and officers liability coverage, the premiums charged for such policies have generally increased and the terms of such policies have generally become less favorable. There can be no assurance that these trends will not continue.

The increased cost and decreased availability of directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate an initial business combination. In order to obtain directors and officers liability insurance or modify its coverage as a result of becoming a public company, the post-business combination entity might need to incur greater expense, accept less favorable terms or both. However, any failure to obtain adequate directors and officers liability insurance could have an adverse impact on the post- business combination’s ability to attract and retain qualified officers and directors.

In addition, even after we were to complete an initial business combination, our directors and officers could still be subject to potential liability from claims arising from conduct alleged to have occurred prior to the initial business combination. As a result, in order to protect our directors and officers, the post-business combination entity may need to purchase additional insurance with respect to any such claims (“run-off insurance”). The need for run-off insurance would be an added expense for the post-business combination entity and could interfere with or frustrate our ability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors.

 

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If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy court may seek to recover such proceeds, and the members of our board of directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to our creditors, thereby exposing the members of our board of directors and us to claims of punitive damages.

If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by stockholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our stockholders. In addition, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages.

If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority over the claims of our stockholders and the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.

If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy 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, the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.

If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.

If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including:

 

   

restrictions on the nature of our investments; and

 

   

restrictions on the issuance of securities,

each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. In addition, we may have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including:

 

   

registration as an investment company with the SEC;

 

   

adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and

 

   

reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations that we are not subject to.

In order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading of securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. Our business will be to identify and complete a business combination and thereafter to operate the post-transaction business or assets for the long term. We do not plan to buy businesses or assets with a view to resale or profit from their resale. We do not plan to buy unrelated businesses or assets or to be a passive investor.

 

 

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We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the trust account may only be invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. This offering is not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of either: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period; and (iii) absent an initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-initial business combination activity, our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public stockholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete a business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.

Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.

We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we will be required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.

Our stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.

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 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If a 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. However, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the 15th month from the closing of this offering (or the end of any Extension Period) in the event we do not complete our initial business combination and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the foregoing procedures.

 

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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 10 years following our dissolution. 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. If our plan of distribution complies with Section 281(b) of the DGCL, 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 likely be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. 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 beyond the third anniversary of such date. 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 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, 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.

We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after the consummation of our initial business combination, which could delay the opportunity for our stockholders to elect directors.

In accordance with the NYSE 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 the NYSE. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after we consummate a business combination, and thus may not be in compliance with Section 211(b) of the DGCL, which requires an annual meeting of stockholders be held for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with a company’s bylaws unless such election is made by written consent in lieu of such a meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to our consummation of a business combination, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 211(c) of the DGCL.

Because we are neither limited to evaluating a target business in a particular industry sector nor have we selected any specific target businesses with which to pursue our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.

Our efforts to identify a prospective initial business combination target will not be limited to a particular industry, sector or geographic region. While we may pursue an initial business combination opportunity in any industry or sector, we intend to capitalize on the ability of our management team to identify, acquire and operate a business or businesses that can benefit from our management team’s established global relationships and operating experience. Our management team has extensive experience in identifying and executing strategic investments globally and has done so successfully in a number of sectors. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation prohibits us from effectuating a business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet selected or approached any specific target business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any stockholders or warrant holders who choose to remain stockholders or warrant holders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

 

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Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses, we may enter into our initial business combination with a target that does not meet such criteria and guidelines, and as a result, the target business with which we enter into our initial business combination may not have attributes entirely consistent with our general criteria and guidelines.

Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines for evaluating prospective target businesses, it is possible that a target business with which we enter into our initial business combination will not have all of these positive attributes. If we complete our initial business combination with a target that does not meet some or all of these guidelines, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does meet all of our general criteria and guidelines. In addition, if we announce a prospective business combination with a target that does not meet our general criteria and guidelines, a greater number of stockholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a target business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. In addition, if stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain stockholder approval of our initial business combination if the target business does not meet our general criteria and guidelines. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.

We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from a valuation or appraisal firm, and consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our stockholders from a financial point of view.

Unless we complete our initial business combination with an affiliated entity or our board of directors cannot independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses (including with the assistance of financial advisors), we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or from a valuation or appraisal firm that the price we are paying is fair to our stockholders from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our stockholders will be relying on the judgment of our board of directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.

We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a business combination, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our stockholder’s investment in us.

Although we have no commitments as of the date of this prospectus to issue any notes or other debt securities, or to otherwise incur outstanding debt following this offering, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our initial business combination. We and our executive officers have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held in the trust account. As such, no issuance of debt will affect the per share amount available for redemption from the trust account. Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:

 

   

default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;

 

   

acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;

 

   

our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand;

 

   

our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding;

 

   

our inability to pay dividends on our Class A common stock;

 

   

using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our Class A common stock if declared, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes;

 

   

limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;

 

   

increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and

 

   

limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.

 

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We may issue our shares to investors in connection with our initial business combination at a price which is less than the prevailing market price of our shares at that time.

In connection with our initial business combination, we may issue shares to investors in private placement transactions (so-called PIPE transactions) at a price of $10.15 per share or which approximates the per-share amounts in our trust account at such time, which is generally approximately $10.15. A purpose of such issuances may be to enable us to provide sufficient liquidity to the post-business combination entity. The price of the shares we issue may therefore be less, and potentially significantly less, than the market price for our shares at such time.

We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operations and profitability.

The net proceeds from this offering and the private placement of warrants will provide us with $177,625,000 (or $204,268,750 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) that we may use to complete our initial business combination (after taking into account the $6,125,000 (or $7,043,750 if the underwriter’s over- allotment option is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting commissions).

We may effectuate our initial business combination with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, we may not be able to effectuate our initial business combination with more than one target business because of various factors, including the existence of complex accounting issues and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present operating results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:

 

   

solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset, or

 

   

dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.

This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our initial business combination.

 

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We may attempt to simultaneously complete business combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to complete our initial business combination and give rise to increased costs and risks that could negatively impact our operations and profitability.

If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses that are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete our initial business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.

We may seek acquisition opportunities with an early-stage company, a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue or earnings.

To the extent we complete our initial business combination with an early-stage company, a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine. These risks include investing in a business without a proven business model and with limited historical financial data, volatile revenues or earnings, intense competition and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors and we may not have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.

We may attempt to complete our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.

In pursuing our business combination strategy, we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately held company. Very little public information generally exists about private companies, and we could be required to make our decision on whether to pursue a potential initial business combination on the basis of limited information, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable (if at all) as we believed at the time of signing an agreement to acquire such private company or that fails to meet the projections upon which our valuation may be based.

We may seek business combination opportunities with a high degree of complexity that require significant operational improvements, which could delay or prevent us from achieving our desired results.

We may seek business combination opportunities with large, highly complex companies that we believe would benefit from operational improvements. While we intend to implement such improvements, to the extent that our efforts are delayed or we are unable to achieve the desired improvements, the business combination may not be as successful as we anticipate. To the extent we complete our initial business combination with a large complex business or entity with a complex operating structure, we may also be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine, which could delay or prevent us from implementing our strategy. Although our management team will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business and its operations, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors until we complete our business combination. If we are not able to achieve our desired operational improvements, or the improvements take longer to implement than anticipated, we may not achieve the gains that we anticipate. Furthermore, some of these risks and complexities may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks and complexities will adversely impact a target business. Such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a smaller, less complex organization.

 

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We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete our initial business combination with which a substantial majority of our stockholders or warrant holders do not agree.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except 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. In addition, our proposed initial business combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. As a result, we may be able to complete our initial business combination even though a substantial majority of our public stockholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of 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 business combination or redeem any shares in connection with such initial business combination, all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.

In order to effectuate an initial business combination, special purpose acquisition companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and other governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or governing instruments in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination that our stockholders may not support.

In order to effectuate a business combination, special purpose acquisition companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, special purpose acquisition companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds and extended the time to consummate an initial business combination and, with respect to their warrants, amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. Amending our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock, and amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least 50% of the warrants. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require us to provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash if we propose an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-initial business combination activity. To the extent any of such amendments would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of the securities offered through this registration statement, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments or extend the time to consummate an initial business combination in order to effectuate our initial business combination.

 

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The provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account) may be amended with the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other special purpose acquisition companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our stockholders may not support.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that any of its provisions related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement of warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public stockholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon. In all other instances, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may be amended by holders of a majority of our outstanding common stock entitled to vote thereon, subject to applicable provisions of the DGCL or applicable stock exchange rules. Our initial stockholders, who will collectively beneficially own 20% of our common stock upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), may participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation which govern our pre-business combination behavior more easily than some other special purpose acquisition companies, and this may increase our ability to complete a business combination with which you do not agree. Our stockholders may pursue remedies against us for any breach of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.

Our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A common stock 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, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Our stockholders are not parties to, or third- party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our sponsor, executive officers or directors for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our stockholders would need to pursue a stockholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.

Certain agreements related to this offering may be amended without stockholder approval.

Each of the agreements related to this offering to which we are a party, other than the warrant agreement and the investment management trust agreement, may be amended without stockholder approval. Such agreements are: the underwriting agreement; the letter agreement among us and our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers and directors; the registration rights agreement among us and our initial stockholders; the private placement warrants purchase agreement between us and our sponsor; and the administrative services agreement among us, our sponsor and an affiliate of our sponsor. These agreements contain various provisions that our public stockholders might deem to be material. For example, our letter agreement and the underwriting agreement contain certain lock-up provisions with respect to the founder shares, private placement warrants and other securities held by our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers and directors. Amendments to such agreements would require the consent of the applicable parties thereto and would need to be approved by our board of directors, which may do so for a variety of reasons, including to facilitate our initial business combination. While we do not expect our board of directors to approve any amendment to any of these agreements prior to our initial business combination, it may be possible that our board of directors, in exercising its business judgment and subject to its fiduciary duties, chooses to approve one or more amendments to any such agreement. Any amendment entered into in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination will be disclosed in our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to such initial business combination, and any other material amendment to any of our material agreements will be disclosed in a filing with the SEC. Any such amendments would not require approval from our stockholders, may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible, and may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities. For example, amendments to the lock-up provision discussed above may result in our initial stockholders selling their securities earlier than they would otherwise be permitted, which may have an adverse effect on the price of our securities.

 

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We may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.

We have not selected any specific business combination target but intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants. As a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemption by public stockholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. Further, we may be required to obtain additional financing in connection with the closing of our initial business combination 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, or to fund the purchase of other companies. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination.

We may engage the underwriters or their affiliates to provide additional services to us after this offering, which may include acting as financial advisor in connection with an initial business combination or as placement agent in connection with a related financing transaction. The underwriters are entitled to receive deferred commissions that will be released from the trust only on a completion of an initial business combination. These financial incentives may cause the underwriters to have potential conflicts of interest in rendering any such additional services to us after this offering, including, for example, in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination.

We may engage the underwriters or their affiliates to provide additional services to us after this offering, including, for example, identifying potential targets, providing financial advisory services, acting as a placement agent in a private offering or arranging debt financing. We may pay the underwriters or their affiliates fair and reasonable fees or other compensation that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with the underwriters or their affiliates and no fees or other compensation for such services will be paid to the underwriters or their affiliates prior to the date that is 60 days from the date of this prospectus, unless such payment would not be deemed underwriter’s compensation in connection with this offering. The underwriters are also entitled to receive deferred commissions that are conditioned on the completion of an initial business combination. The fact that the underwriters or their affiliates’ financial interests are tied to the consummation of a business combination transaction may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in providing any such additional services to us, including potential conflicts of interest in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination.

Our initial stockholders control a substantial interest in us and thus may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.

Upon closing of this offering, our initial stockholders will own 20% of our issued and outstanding common stock (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering and excluding shares underlying the private placement warrants). Accordingly, they may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. If our initial stockholders purchase any units in this offering or if our initial stockholders purchase any additional Class A common stock in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase their control. Neither our initial stockholders nor, to our knowledge, any of our officers or directors, have any current intention to purchase additional securities, other than as disclosed in this prospectus. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our Class A common stock. In addition, our board of directors, whose members were elected by our sponsor, is and will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a terms for three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the completion of the business combination. If there is an annual meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for election and our initial stockholders, because of their ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. 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. Accordingly, our initial stockholders will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination.

 

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Because we must furnish our stockholders with target business financial statements, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial business combination with some prospective target businesses.

The federal proxy rules require that the proxy statement with respect to the vote on an initial business combination include historical and pro forma financial statement disclosure. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with our tender offer documents, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), or international financial reporting standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IFRS”), depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”). These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such financial statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.

Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our initial business combination, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an initial business combination.

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2022. 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 comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on us as compared to other public companies because a target business with which we seek to complete our initial business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such business combination.

Risks Relating to the Post-Business Combination Company

Subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination, we may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and the price of our securities, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.

Even if we conduct extensive due diligence on a target business with which we combine, we cannot assure you that this diligence will identify all material issues that may be present with a particular target business, that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through a customary amount of due diligence, or that factors outside of the target business and outside of our control will not later arise. As a result of these factors, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in our reporting losses. Even if our due diligence successfully identifies certain risks, unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with our preliminary risk analysis. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our securities. In addition, charges of this nature may cause us to violate net worth or other covenants to which we may be subject as a result of assuming pre-existing debt held by a target business or by virtue of our obtaining debt financing to partially finance the initial business combination or thereafter. Accordingly, any stockholders or warrant holders who choose to remain stockholders or warrant holders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

 

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Resources could be wasted in researching business combinations that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.

We anticipate that the investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys and others. If we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public stockholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.

Our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.”

As of September 30, 2021, the Company had $159 in cash and a working capital deficit of $(393,023) (excluding deferred offering costs). Further, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of our financing and acquisition plans. Management’s plans to address this need for capital through this offering are discussed in the section of this prospectus titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to consummate an initial business combination will be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

The financial statements contained elsewhere in this prospectus do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to consummate this offering or our inability to continue as a going concern.

Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.

Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. The role of our key personnel in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory positions following our initial business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a company regulated by the SEC, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements.

Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination, and a particular business combination may be conditioned on the retention or resignation of such key personnel. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation following our initial business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is the most advantageous.

Our key personnel may be able to remain with our company after the completion of our initial business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to us after the completion of the business combination. Such negotiations also could make such key personnel’s retention or resignation a condition to any such agreement. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business, subject to their fiduciary duties under Delaware law.

 

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We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may effect our initial business combination with a target business whose management may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company.

When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’s management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target business’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target business’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any stockholders or warrant holders who choose to remain stockholders or warrant holders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The loss of a business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.

The role of an acquisition candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an acquisition candidate’s management team will remain associated with the acquisition candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place.

Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination. We cannot provide assurance that, upon loss of control of a target business, new management will possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.

We may structure our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for us not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We will not consider any transaction that does not meet such criteria. Even if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares of Class A common stock in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares of Class A common stock, our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding Class A common stock subsequent to such transaction. In addition, other minority stockholders may subsequently combine their holdings resulting in a single person or group obtaining a larger share of the company’s shares than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that our management will not be able to maintain control of the target business.

If we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may adversely affect us.

If we pursue a target business with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we may face additional burdens in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing such initial business combination, and if we effect such initial business combination, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations. Furthermore, we would be subject to risks associated with cross-border business combinations, including in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing our initial business combination, conducting due diligence in a foreign jurisdiction, having such transaction approved by any local governments, regulators or agencies and changes in the purchase price based on fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.

If we effect our initial business combination with such a company, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in an international setting, including any of the following:

 

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costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations;

 

   

rules and regulations regarding currency redemption;

 

   

complex corporate withholding taxes on individuals;

 

   

laws governing the manner in which future business combinations may be effected;

 

   

exchange listing and/or delisting requirements;

 

   

tariffs and trade barriers;

 

   

regulations related to customs and import/export matters;

 

   

local or regional economic policies and market conditions;

 

   

unexpected changes in regulatory requirements;

 

   

challenges in managing and staffing international operations;

 

   

longer payment cycles;

 

   

tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States;

 

   

currency fluctuations and exchange controls;

 

   

rates of inflation;

 

   

challenges in collecting accounts receivable;

 

   

cultural and language differences;

 

   

employment regulations;

 

   

underdeveloped or unpredictable legal or regulatory systems;

 

   

corruption;

 

   

protection of intellectual property;

 

   

social unrest, crime, strikes, riots and civil disturbances;

 

   

regime changes and political upheaval;

 

   

terrorist attacks and wars; and

 

   

deterioration of political relations with the United States.

We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, we may be unable to complete such initial business combination, or, if we complete such initial business combination, our operations might suffer, either of which may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

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Risks Relating to Our Management Team

We may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and executive officers.

We have agreed to indemnify our officers, directors and advisors to the fullest extent permitted by law. However, our officers, directors and advisors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account and to not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will be able to be satisfied by us only if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination. Our obligation to indemnify our officers and directors may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. Furthermore, a stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.

Past performance by our management team and their affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.

Information regarding performance by, or businesses associated with, our management team or businesses associated with them is presented for informational purposes only. Past performance by our management team is not a guarantee either (i) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to locate a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. You should not rely on the historical record of the performance of our management team’s or businesses associated with them as indicative of our future performance of an investment in us or the returns we will, or is likely to, generate going forward.

We may seek business combination opportunities in industries or sectors that may be outside of our management’s areas of expertise.

We will consider a business combination outside of our management’s areas of expertise if a business combination candidate is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive business combination opportunity for our company. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in any particular business combination candidate, we cannot assure you that we will adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors in this offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a business combination candidate. In the event we elect to pursue a business combination outside of the areas of our management’s expertise, our management’s expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this prospectus regarding the areas of our management’s expertise would not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire. As a result, our management may not be able to ascertain or assess adequately all of the relevant risk factors. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such stockholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

We are dependent upon our executive officers and directors and their loss could adversely affect our ability to operate.

Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, our executive officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our officers and directors, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. In addition, our executive 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 their time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence. We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or executive officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or executive officers could have a detrimental effect on us.

Our executive officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.

Our executive officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for a business combination and their other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Each of our executive officers is engaged in several other business endeavors

 

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for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation, and our executive officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. Our independent directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. If our executive officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination. For a complete discussion of our executive officers’ and directors’ other business affairs, please see “Management — Officers, Directors and Director Nominees.”

Our officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.

Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. 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 pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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 the 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. In addition, our sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Any such companies, businesses or ventures may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination. However, we do not believe that any such potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.

For a complete discussion of our executive officers’ and directors’ business affiliations and the potential conflicts of interest that you should be aware of, please see “Management — Officers, Directors and Director Nominees,” “Management — Conflicts of Interest” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”

Our executive officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates may have competitive pecuniary interests that conflict with our interests.

We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, executive officers, security holders or affiliates from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact, we may enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or executive officers, although we do not intend to do so. Nor do we have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.

The personal and financial interests of our directors and executive officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and selecting a target business and completing a business combination. Consequently, our directors’ and executive officers’ discretion in identifying and selecting a suitable target business may result in a conflict of interest when determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our stockholder’s best interest. If this were the case, it would be a breach of their fiduciary duties to us as a matter of Delaware law and we or our stockholders might have a claim against such individuals for infringing on our stockholder’s rights. However, we might not ultimately be successful in any claim we may make against them for such reason.

 

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We may engage in a business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers, directors or existing holders which may raise potential conflicts of interest.

In light of the involvement of our sponsor, executive officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers, directors or existing holders. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.” Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. Our sponsor, executive officers and directors are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our initial business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no substantive discussions concerning a business combination with any such entity or entities. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria for a business combination as set forth in “Proposed Business — Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of Our Initial Business Combination” and such transaction was approved by a majority of our independent and disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or a valuation or appraisal firm regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of a business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers, directors or existing holders, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the business combination may not be as advantageous to our public stockholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.

Since our sponsor, executive officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed (other than with respect to public shares they may acquire during or after this offering), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.

On June 10, 2021, our sponsor paid $25,000 to purchase 5,031,250 founder shares, or approximately $0.0050 per share. The purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 20,125,000 units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering. Up to 656,250 of the founder shares may be forfeited depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment is exercised. The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement to purchase an aggregate of 7,300,000 private placement warrants (or 8,087,500 warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), or $1.00 per warrant, that will also be worthless if we do not complete our initial business combination. The personal and financial interests of our executive officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination. This risk may become more acute as the date that is 15 months after of the closing of this offering nears or any applicable Extension Period, which is the deadline for our completion of an initial business combination.

Risks Relating to Our Securities

You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those shares of Class A common stock that such stockholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholder’s

 

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rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination prior to or during the applicable Extension Period. In addition, if our plan to redeem our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering is not completed for any reason or during the applicable Extension Period, compliance with Delaware law may require that we submit a plan of dissolution to our then-existing stockholders for approval prior to the distribution of the proceeds held in our trust account. In that case, public stockholders may be forced to wait beyond 15 months or the applicable Extension Period from the closing of this offering before they receive funds from our trust account. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

 

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Holders of our Class A common stock will not be entitled to vote on any appointment of directors prior to our initial business combination.

Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. 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. Accordingly, you may not have any say in the management of our company prior to the completion of an initial business combination.

We are not registering the shares of our Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time, and such registration may not be in place when an investor desires to exercise warrants, thus precluding such investor from being able to exercise its warrants except on a cashless basis and potentially causing such warrants to expire worthless.

We are not registering the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time. However, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days, after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the registration under the Securities Act of the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and thereafter will use our best efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days following our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current or correct or the SEC issues a stop order.

If the shares of Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, under the terms of the warrant agreement, holders of warrants who seek to exercise their warrants will not be permitted to do so for cash and, instead, will be required to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption from registration.

In no event will warrants be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we 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 or qualification is available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the shares of our Class A common stock included in the units. There may be a circumstance where an exemption from registration exists for holders of our private placement warrants to exercise their warrants while a corresponding exemption does not exist for holders of the warrants included as part of units sold in this offering. In such an instance, our sponsor and its transferees (which may include our directors and executive officers) would be able to sell the common stock underlying their warrants while holders of our public warrants would not be able to exercise their warrants and sell the underlying common stock. There may be a circumstance where an exemption from registration exists for holders of our private placement warrants to exercise their warrants while a corresponding exemption does not exist for holders of the warrants included as part of units sold in this offering. In such an instance, our sponsor and its transferees (which may include our directors and executive officers) would be able to sell the shares of common stock underlying their warrants while holders of our public warrants would not be able to exercise their warrants and sell the underlying shares of common stock. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

If our 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 “covered securities” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, not permit holders of warrants who seek to exercise their warrants to do so for cash and, instead, require them to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act; in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement or register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws to the extent an exemption is not available.

 

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In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities (other than upon a cashless exercise as described above) or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws.

You may only be able to exercise your public warrants on a “cashless basis” under certain circumstances, and if you do so, you will receive fewer shares of Class A common stock from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.

The warrant agreement provides that in the following circumstances holders of warrants who seek to exercise their warrants will not be permitted to do for cash and will, instead, be required to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act: (i) if the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act in accordance with the terms of the warrant agreement; (ii) if we have so elected and the shares of Class A common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of “covered securities” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act; and (iii) if we have so elected and we call the public warrants for redemption. If you exercise your public warrants on a cashless basis, you would pay the warrant exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” of our shares of Class A common stock (as defined in the next sentence) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” is the average reported closing price of the shares of Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is received by the warrant agent or on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants, as applicable. As a result, you would receive fewer shares of Class A common stock from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.

The grant of registration rights to our initial stockholders and holders of our private placement warrants may make it more difficult to complete our initial business combination, and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our shares of Class A common stock.

Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, our initial stockholders and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the shares of Class A common stock into which founder shares are convertible, holders of our private placement warrants and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the private placement warrants and the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants and holders of warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans may demand that we register such warrants or the Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of such warrants. The registration rights will be exercisable with respect to the founder shares and the private placement warrants and the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of such private placement warrants. We will bear the cost of registering these securities. The registration and availability of such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A common stock. In addition, the existence of the registration rights may make our initial business combination more costly or difficult to conclude. This is because the stockholders of the target business may increase the equity stake they seek in the combined entity or ask for more cash consideration to offset the negative impact on the market price of our Class A common stock that is expected when the shares of common stock owned by our initial stockholders, holders of our private placement warrants or holders of our working capital loans or their respective permitted transferees are registered.

 

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We may issue additional shares of Class A common stock or shares of preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue shares of Class A common stock upon the conversion of the founder shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our stockholders and likely present other risks.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 380,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 20,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering, there will be 341,200,000 and 15,625,000 (assuming in each case that the underwriter has not exercised its over-allotment option and assuming the forfeiture of 656,250 shares of Class B common stock) authorized but unissued shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, respectively, available for issuance which amount does not take into account shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants or shares issuable upon conversion of the Class B common stock. The Class B common stock is automatically convertible into Class A common stock concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination, initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth herein and in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Immediately after this offering, there will be no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding.

We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of Class A common stock or shares of preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue shares of Class A common stock to redeem the warrants upon conversion of the Class B common stock at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions as set forth therein. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares 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 amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination beyond 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, or (y) amend the foregoing provisions. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, like all provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, may be amended with a stockholder vote. The issuance of additional shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock:

 

   

may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering;

 

   

may subordinate the rights of holders of Class A common stock if shares of preferred stock are issued with rights senior to those afforded our Class A common stock;

 

   

could cause a change in control if a substantial number of shares of Class A common stock is issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and

 

   

may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A common stock and/or warrants.

Unlike some other similarly structured special purpose acquisition companies, our initial stockholders will receive additional shares of Class A common stock if we issue certain shares to consummate an initial business combination.

The founder shares will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the total number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding after such conversion (after giving effect to any redemptions of shares of Class A common stock by public stockholders), including the

 

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total number of shares of Class A common stock issued, or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued, by the company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial business combination, excluding any shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities or rights exercisable for or convertible into shares of Class A common stock issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement warrants issued to our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers and directors upon conversion of working capital loans, provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis. This is different than some other similarly structured special purpose acquisition companies in which the initial stockholders will only be issued an aggregate of 20% of the total number of shares to be outstanding prior to our initial business combination.

The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination.

We are offering our units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit and the amount in our trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.15 per public share, implying an initial value of $10.00 per public share. However, prior to this offering, our sponsor paid a nominal aggregate purchase price of $25,000 for the founder shares, or approximately $0.005 per share. As a result, the value of your public shares may be significantly diluted upon the consummation of our initial business combination, when the founder shares are converted into public shares. For example, the following table shows the dilutive effect of the founder shares on the implied value of the public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination, assuming that our equity value at that time is $171,500,000, which is the amount we would have for our initial business combination in the trust account after payment of $6,125,000 of deferred underwriting commissions, assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised, no interest is earned on the funds held in the trust account, and no public shares are redeemed in connection with our initial business combination, and without taking into account any other potential impacts on our valuation at such time, such as the trading price of our public shares, the business combination transaction costs, any equity issued or cash paid to the target’s sellers or other third parties, or the target’s business itself, including its assets, liabilities, management and prospects, as well as the value of our public and private placement warrants. At such valuation, each share of our Class A common stock would have an implied value of $7.84 per share upon consummation of our initial business combination, which would be a 21.6% decrease as compared to the initial implied value per public share of $10.00 (the price per unit in this offering, assuming no value to the public warrants).

 

Public shares

     17,500,000  

Founder shares

     4,375,000  
  

 

 

 

Total shares

     21,875,000  
  

 

 

 

Total funds in trust available for initial business combination (less deferred underwriting commissions)

   $ 171,500,000  

Initial implied value per public share

   $ 10.00  

Implied value per share upon consummation of initial business combination

   $ 7.84  

The value of the founder shares following completion of our initial business combination is likely to be substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our common stock at such time is substantially less than $10.15 per share.

Upon the closing of this offering, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option, our sponsor will have invested in us an aggregate of $7,325,000, comprised of the $25,000 purchase price for the founder shares and the $7,300,000 purchase price for the private placement warrants. Assuming a trading price of $10.15 per share upon consummation of our initial business combination, the 4,375,000 founder shares would have an aggregate implied value of $44,406,250, even if the trading price of our common stock was as low as approximately $1.67 per share, and the private placement warrants were worthless, the value of the founder shares would be equal to the sponsor’s initial investment in us. As a result, our sponsor is likely to be able to recoup its investment in us and make a substantial profit on that investment, even if our public shares have lost significant value. Accordingly, our management team, which owns interests in our sponsor, may have an economic incentive that differs from that of the public shareholders to pursue and consummate an initial business combination rather than to liquidate and to return all of the cash in the trust to the public shareholders, even if that business combination were with a riskier or less-established target business. For the foregoing reasons, you should consider our management team’s financial incentive to complete an initial business combination when evaluating whether to redeem your shares prior to or in connection with the initial business combination.

Our initial stockholders paid an aggregate of $25,000 to cover certain of our offering costs in exchange for 5,031,250 founder shares, or approximately $0.0050 per founder share and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our shares of Class A common stock.

The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the share of Class A common stock and none to the warrant included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our initial stockholders acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon closing of this offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units, you and the other public stockholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 110.4% or $11.04 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value (deficit) per share after this offering of $(1.04) and the initial offering price of $10.00 per unit. This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the founder shares result in the issuance of shares of Class A common stock on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the founder shares at the time of our initial business combination and would become exacerbated to the extent that public stockholders seek redemptions from the trust for their public shares. In addition, because of the anti-dilution protection in the founder shares, any equity or equity-linked securities issued in connection with our initial business combination would be disproportionately dilutive to our Class A common stock.

We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the exercise period could be shortened and the number of shares of Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without your approval.

Our warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or stock (at a ratio different than initially provided), shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of shares of Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.

Our warrant agreement designates the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our warrants, which could limit the ability of warrant holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.

Our warrant agreement provides that, subject to applicable law, (i) any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement, including under the Securities Act, will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and (ii) that we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. We will waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, these provisions of the warrant agreement will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our warrant agreement. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions of the warrant agreement, is filed in a court other than a court of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (a “foreign action”) in the name of any holder of our warrants, such holder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in the State of New York in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the forum provisions (an “enforcement action”), and (y) having service of process made upon such warrant holder in any such enforcement action by service upon such warrant holder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such warrant holder.

This choice-of-forum provision may limit a warrant holder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with our company, which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our warrant agreement inapplicable or unenforceable with respect to one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and result in a diversion of the time and resources of our management and board of directors.

We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.

We have the ability to redeem the outstanding public warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the closing price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Stockholder’s Warrants — Anti-dilution adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to proper notice of such redemption and provided that certain other conditions are met. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem the warrants as set forth above even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise the warrants. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you to (i) exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, we expect would be substantially less than the market value of your warrants. None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees.

Our warrants and founder shares may have an adverse effect on the market price of our shares of Class A common stock and make it more difficult to effectuate our initial business combination.

We will be issuing warrants to purchase 13,125,000 shares of our Class A common stock (or up to 15,093,750 shares of Class A common stock if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) as part of the units offered by this prospectus and, simultaneously with the closing of this offering, we will be issuing in a private placement an aggregate of 8,175,000 private placement warrants (or 9,093,750 private placement warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share. Our initial stockholders currently own an aggregate of 5,031,250 founder shares (up to 656,250 shares of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised). The founder shares are convertible into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as set forth herein. In addition, if our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors makes any working capital loans, such lender may convert those loans into up to an additional 1,500,000 private placement warrants, at the price of $1.00 per warrant.

 

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To the extent we issue shares of Class A common stock for any reason, including to effectuate a business combination, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional shares of Class A common stock upon exercise of these warrants and conversion rights could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Such warrants, when exercised, will increase the number of issued and outstanding shares of Class A common stock and reduce the value of the Class A common stock issued to complete the business combination. Therefore, our warrants and founder shares may make it more difficult to effectuate a business transaction or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.

Because each unit contains three-fourths of one warrant and only a whole warrant may be exercised, the units may be worth less than units of other special purpose acquisition companies.

Each unit contains three-fourths of one warrant. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, no fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units, and only whole units will trade. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of shares of Class A common stock to be issued to the warrant holder. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include one common share and one warrant to purchase one whole share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination. We believe this makes us a more attractive business combination partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if it included a warrant to purchase one whole share.

The determination of the offering price of our units, the size of this offering and terms of the units is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities and size of an offering of an operating company in a particular industry. You may have less assurance, therefore, that the offering price of our units properly reflects the value of such units than you would have in a typical offering of an operating company.

Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants were negotiated between us and the underwriter. In determining the size of this offering, management held customary organizational meetings with representatives of the underwriter, both prior to our inception and thereafter, with respect to the state of capital markets, generally, and the amount the underwriter believed it reasonably could raise on our behalf. Factors considered in determining the size of this offering, prices and terms of the units, including the Class A common stock and warrants underlying the units, include:

 

   

the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies;

 

   

prior offerings of those companies;

 

   

our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values;

 

   

a review of debt to equity ratios in leveraged transactions;

 

   

our capital structure;

 

   

an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies;

 

   

general conditions of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and

 

   

other factors as were deemed relevant.

Although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering size, price and terms of the units is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities of an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results.

 

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There is currently no market for our securities and a market for our securities may not develop, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities.

There is currently no market for our securities. Stockholders therefore have no access to information about prior market history on which to base their investment decision. Following this offering, the price of our securities may vary significantly due to one or more potential business combinations and general market or economic conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases). Following this offering, the price of our securities may vary significantly due to one or more potential business combinations and general market or economic conditions. Furthermore, an active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established and sustained.

General Risk Factors

We are a blank check company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.

We are a blank check company incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware with no operating results, and we will not commence operations until obtaining funding through this offering. Because we lack an operating history, you have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective of completing our initial business combination. We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning a business combination and may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we fail to complete our initial business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.

We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.

We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor internal controls attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our stockholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our Class A common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.

Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.

 

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Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30th, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and Delaware law may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our shares of Class A common stock and could entrench management.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that stockholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include a staggered board of directors and the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred stock, which may make more difficult the removal of management and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.

We are also subject to anti-takeover provisions under Delaware law, which could delay or prevent a change of control. Together these provisions may make the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and Delaware law may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, that (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us, our directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us, our directors, officers or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware, except any claim (A) as to which the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, or (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, this choice of forum provision may limit or make more costly a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or other stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. If a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

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Additionally, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal courts shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act against us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or agents. Section 22 of the Securities Act, however, created concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Accordingly, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provisions, and the enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ charter documents has been challenged in legal proceedings. While the Delaware courts have determined that such exclusive forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions, and there can be no assurance that such provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions.

Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to these provisions; however, we note that investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Cyber incidents or attacks directed at us could result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss.

We depend on digital technologies, including information systems, infrastructure and cloud applications and services, including those of third parties with which we may deal. Sophisticated and deliberate attacks on, or security breaches in, our systems or infrastructure, or the systems or infrastructure of third parties or the cloud, could lead to corruption or misappropriation of our assets, proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data. As an early stage company without significant investments in data security protection, we may not be sufficiently protected against such occurrences. We may not have sufficient resources to adequately protect against, or to investigate and remediate any vulnerability to, cyber incidents. It is possible that any of these occurrences, or a combination of them, could have adverse consequences on our business and lead to financial loss.

 

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some of the statements contained in this prospectus may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about:

 

   

our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses;

 

   

our ability to complete our initial business combination;

 

   

our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses;

 

   

our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our executive officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination;

 

   

our executive 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 executive officers and directors to generate a number of potential business combination opportunities;

 

   

our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;

 

   

the lack of a market for our securities;

 

   

the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance;

 

   

the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or

 

   

our financial performance following this offering.

The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors”. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We are offering 17,500,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering together with the funds we will receive from the sale of the private placement warrants will be used as set forth in the following table.

 

     Without Over-
allotment
Option
    Over-allotment
Option
Exercised
 

Gross proceeds

    

Gross proceeds from units offered to public(1)

   $ 175,000,000     $ 201,250,000  

Gross proceeds from private placement warrants offered in the private placement

     8,175,000       9,093,750  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total gross proceeds

     183,175,000       210,343,750  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Estimated offering expenses(2)

    

Underwriting commissions (2.0% of gross proceeds from units offered to public, excluding deferred portion)(3)(5)

     3,500,000       4,025,000  

Legal fees and expenses

     275,000       275,000  

Accounting fees and expenses

     40,000       40,000  

SEC/FINRA Expenses

     49,344       49,344  

NYSE listing and filing fees

     75,000       75,000  

Printing and engraving

     35,000       35,000  

Miscellaneous

     3,300       3,300  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total estimated offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions)

     477,644       477,644  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Proceeds after estimated offering expenses

   $ 179,197,356     $ 205,841,106  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Held in trust account(3)

   $ 177,625,000     $ 204,268,750  

% of public offering size

     101.5     101.5

Not held in trust account

   $ 1,572,356     $ 1,572,356  

The following table shows the use of the approximately $1,572,356 of net proceeds not held in the trust account: (5)

 

     Amount      % of Total  

Legal, accounting, due diligence, travel, and other expenses in connection with any business combination(6)

   $ 380,000        24.17

Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations

     75,000        4.77

NYSE and other regulatory fees

     85,000        5.41

Director and officer liability insurance premiums(4)

     572,356        36.40

Payment for office space, utilities, administrative and support services

     150,000        9.54

Consulting, travel and miscellaneous expenses incurred during search for initial business combination target

     220,000        13.99

Miscellaneous

     90,000        5.70
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 1,572,356        100.00
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)

Includes amounts payable to public stockholders who properly redeem their shares in connection with our successful completion of our initial business combination.

(2)

A portion of the offering expenses has been paid from the proceeds of loans from our sponsor of up to $300,000 as described in this prospectus. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $477,644 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses other than underwriting commissions. In the event that offering expenses are less than set forth in this table, any such amounts will be used for post-closing working capital expenses.

(3)

The underwriter has agreed to defer underwriting commissions of 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering. Upon and concurrently with the completion of our initial business combination, up to $6,125,000, which constitutes the underwriter’s deferred commissions (or up to $7,043,750 if the underwriter’s over- allotment option is exercised in full), will be paid to the underwriter from the funds held in the trust account. See “Underwriting”. The remaining funds, less amounts released to the trustee to pay redeeming stockholders, will be released to us and can be used to pay all or a portion of the purchase price of the business or businesses with which our initial business combination occurs or for general corporate purposes, including payment of principal or interest on indebtedness incurred in connection with our initial business combination, to fund the purchases of other companies or for working capital. The underwriter will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions.

(4)

This amount represents the approximate amount of annual director and officer liability insurance premiums we anticipate paying following the completion of this offering through the consummation of our initial business combination.

 

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(5)

These expenses are estimates only. Our actual expenditures for some or all of these items may differ from the estimates set forth herein. For example, we may incur greater legal and accounting expenses than our current estimates in connection with negotiating and structuring our initial business combination based upon the level of complexity of such business combination. In the event we identify a business combination target in a specific industry subject to specific regulations, we may incur additional expenses associated with legal due diligence and the engagement of special legal counsel. In addition, our staffing needs may vary and as a result, we may engage a number of consultants to assist with legal and financial due diligence. We do not anticipate any change in our intended use of proceeds, other than fluctuations among the current categories of allocated expenses, which fluctuations, to the extent they exceed current estimates for any specific category of expenses, would not be available for our expenses. The amount in the table above does not include interest available to us from the trust account. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. We estimate the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $0.14 million per year, assuming an interest rate of 0.08% per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount.

(6)

Includes estimated amounts that may also be used in connection with our initial business combination to fund a “no shop” provision and commitment fees for financing.

Of the $183,175,000 in gross proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus (or $210,343,750 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), $177,625,000 ($10.15 per unit) (or $204,268,750 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.15 per unit)) will be deposited into a trust account in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, after deducting $3.5 million in underwriting discounts and commissions payable upon the closing of this offering (or $4.025 million if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) and an aggregate of $477,644 to pay fees and expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following this offering. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. We estimate the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $35,525 per year, assuming an interest rate of 0.02% per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount.

We expect that the interest earned on the trust account will be sufficient to pay income taxes. We will not be permitted to withdraw any of the principal or interest held in the trust account, except for the withdrawal of interest to pay our taxes, until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, subject to applicable law, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-initial business combination activity.

The net proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we ultimately complete our 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 and expenses in connection with our initial business combination, we may apply the balance of the cash released from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into following consummation of this offering. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, following this offering 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 amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination beyond 15 months or any applicable Extension Period, from the closing of this offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions.

We believe that amounts not held in trust will be sufficient to pay the costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated. This belief is based on the fact that while we may begin preliminary due diligence of a target business in connection with an indication of interest, we intend to undertake in-depth due diligence, depending on the circumstances of the relevant prospective business combination, only after we have negotiated and signed a letter of intent or other preliminary agreement that addresses the terms of a business combination. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a business combination is less than the actual

 

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amount necessary to do so, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. If we are required to seek additional capital, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or any of their affiliates, but such persons are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.

Subsequent to the closing of this offering, we will pay our sponsor and its affiliates $10,000 per month for office space, utilities, and secretarial and administrative services provided to members of our management team. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan or advance us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of December 31, 2021 or the closing of this offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of the $477,644 of offering proceeds that has been allocated to the payment of offering expenses.

In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. Except as set forth above, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

 

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DIVIDEND POLICY

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. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of our issued and outstanding common stock upon the consummation of this offering (excluding shares underlying the private placement warrants). 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.

 

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DILUTION

The difference between the public offering price per share of Class A common stock, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units we are offering pursuant to this prospectus or the private placement warrants, and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with the sale and exercise of warrants, including the private placement warrants, which would cause the actual dilution to the public stockholders to be higher, particularly where a cashless exercise is utilized. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities (including the value of shares of Class A common stock which may be redeemed for cash), by the number of shares of outstanding Class A common stock.

At September 30, 2021, our net tangible book deficit was $(393,023), or approximately $(0.08) per share of common stock. After giving effect to the sale of 17,500,000 shares of Class A common stock included in the units we are offering by this prospectus (or 20,125,000 shares of Class A common stock if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), the sale of the private placement warrants and the deduction of underwriting commissions and estimated expenses of this offering, our pro forma net tangible book deficit at September 30, 2021 would have been $(4,528,694) or $(1.04) per share (or $(5,447,444) or $(1.08) per share if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), representing an immediate decrease in net tangible book value (as decreased by the value of 17,500,000 shares of Class A common stock that may be redeemed for cash, or 20,125,000 shares of Class A common stock if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) of $(0.96) per share (or $(1.00) if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) to our initial stockholders as of the date of this prospectus and an immediate dilution to public stockholders from this offering of $10.00 per share. Total dilution to public stockholders from this offering will be $11.04 per share (or $11.08 per share if the underwriter’s over- allotment option is exercised in full).

The following table illustrates the dilution to the public stockholders on a per-share basis, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units or the private placement warrants:

 

     Without
Over-allotment
    With
Over-allotment
 

Public offering price

   $ 10.00     $ 10.00  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net tangible book deficit before this offering

     (0.08     (0.08

Decrease attributable to public stockholders and sale of the private placement warrants

     (0.96     (1.00
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Pro forma net tangible book deficit after this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants

     (1.04     (1.08
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Dilution to public stockholders

   $ 11.04     $ 11.08  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Percentage of dilution to public stockholders

     110.4     110.8

For purposes of presentation, we have reduced our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option) by $177,625,000 because holders of up to 100.0% of our public shares may redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account at a per share redemption price equal to the amount in the trust account as set forth in our tender offer or proxy materials (initially anticipated to be the aggregate amount held in trust two business days prior to the commencement of our tender offer or stockholders meeting, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes), divided by the number of shares of Class A common stock sold in this offering.

 

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The following table sets forth information with respect to our initial stockholders and the public stockholders:

 

     Shares Purchased     Total Consideration     Price
per

Share
 
   Number      Percentage     Amount      Percentage  

Initial Stockholders

     4,375,000        20.00   $ 25,000        0.01   $ 0.006  

Public Stockholders

     17,500,000        80.00     175,000,000        99.99   $ 10.00  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   
     21,875,000        100.00   $ 175,025,000        100.00  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

Assumes that 656,250 founder shares are forfeited after the closing of this offering in the event the underwriter does not exercise its over-allotment option.

The pro forma net tangible book value (deficit) per share after the offering (assuming that the underwriter does not exercise its over-allotment option) is calculated as follows:

 

     Without
Overallotment
     With
Overallotment
 

Numerator:

     

Net tangible book deficit before this offering

   $ (393,023)      $ (393,023)  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net proceeds from this offering and sale of the private placement warrants(1)

     179,197,356        205,841,106  

Plus: Offering costs paid in advance, excluded from tangible book value

     416,973        416,973  

Less: Deferred underwriting commissions

     (6,125,000)        (7,043,750)  

Less: Proceeds held in trust subject to redemption(2)

     (177,625,000)        (204,268,750)  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ (4,528,694)      $ (5,447,444)  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Denominator:

     

Class B common stock outstanding prior to this offering

     5,031,250        5,031,250  

Class B common stock forfeited if over-allotment is not exercised

     (656,250)        —    

Class A common stock included in the units offered

     17,500,000        20,125,000  

Less: Class common stock subject to redemption

     (17,500,000)        (20,125,000)  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     4,375,000        5,031,250  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)

Expenses applied against gross proceeds include offering expenses of $477,644 and underwriting commissions of $3,500,000 or $4,025,000 (if the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised) (excluding deferred underwriting fees). See “Use of Proceeds.”

(2)

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 initial stockholders, sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates may purchase 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. In the event of any such purchases of our shares prior to the completion of our initial business combination, the number of shares of Class A common stock subject to redemption will be reduced by the amount of any such purchases, increasing the pro forma net tangible book value per share. See “Proposed Business — Permitted Purchases of Our Securities.”

 

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CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth our capitalization at September 30, 2021, and as adjusted to give effect to the filing of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the sale of our units in this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities, assuming no exercise by the underwriter of its over-allotment option:

 

     September 30, 2021  
     Actual      As Adjusted  

Notes payable and due to related party(1)

   $ 2,400      $ —    

Deferred underwriting commissions

     —          6,125,000  

Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, -0- and 17,500,000 shares are subject to possible redemption, actual and as adjusted, respectively(2)

     —          177,625,000  

Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding, actual and as adjusted

     —          —    

Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, 380,000,000 shares authorized; -0- and -0- shares issued and outstanding (excluding -0- and 17,500,000 shares subject to possible redemption), actual and as adjusted, respectively

     —          —    

Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value, 20,000,000 shares authorized, 5,031,250 and 4,375,000 shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted, respectively(3)

     503        437  

Additional paid-in capital

     24,497        —    

Accumulated deficit

     (1,050      (4,529,131
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total stockholder’s equity (deficit)

   $ 23,950      $ (4,528,694
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total capitalization

   $ 26,350      $ 179,221,306  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)

Our sponsor may loan or advance us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. The “as adjusted” information gives effect to the repayment of any loans or advances made by our sponsor out of the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants. As of September 30, 2021, we had borrowed $2,400 from our sponsor.

 

(2)

Upon the completion of our initial business combination, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash at a per share price equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares.

 

(3)

Actual share amount is prior to any forfeiture of founder shares and as adjusted amount assumes no exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option and forfeiture of an aggregate of 656,250 founder shares.

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF

FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Overview

We are a newly organized blank check company, incorporated in Delaware and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, recapitalization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not identified any potential initial business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any potential initial business combination target. While we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any industry or sector, we intend to focus on automation, connectivity, electrification, and smart mobility (ACES) sectors. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the private placement warrants, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following the consummation of this offering or otherwise), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to banks or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing.

The issuance of additional shares in connection with a business combination to the owners of the target or other investors:

 

   

may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering, which dilution would increase if the anti-dilution provisions in the Class B common stock resulted in the issuance of Class A common stock on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B common stock;

 

   

may subordinate the rights of holders of Class A common stock if shares of preferred stock are issued with rights senior to those afforded our Class A common stock;

 

   

could cause a change in control if a substantial number of shares of our Class A common stock are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors;

 

   

may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us by diluting the share ownership or voting rights of a person seeking to obtain control of us; and

 

   

may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our Class A common stock and/or warrants.

Similarly, if we issue debt securities or otherwise incur significant debt to banks or other lenders or the owners of a target, it could result in:

 

   

default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;

 

   

acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;

 

   

our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand;

 

   

our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding;

 

   

our inability to pay dividends on our Class A common stock;

 

   

using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our Class A common stock if declared, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes;

 

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limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;

 

   

increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and

 

   

limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.

As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, at September 30, 2021, we had deferred offering costs of $416,973. Further, we expect to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our initial business combination will be successful.

Results of Operations and Known Trends or Future Events

We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities since inception have been organizational activities and those necessary to prepare for this offering. Following this offering, we will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of our initial business combination. We will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents after this offering. There has been no significant change in our financial or trading position and no material adverse change has occurred since the date of our audited financial statements. After this offering, we expect to incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our liquidity needs have been satisfied prior to the completion of this offering through the capital contribution from our sponsor of $25,000 to purchase the founder shares, and up to $300,000 in loans or advances available from our sponsor. As of September 30, 2021 we had borrowed $2,400 from our sponsor.

We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of the units in this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants for an aggregate purchase price of $8,175,000 (or $9,093,750 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), after deducting offering expenses of approximately $477,644, underwriting commissions of $3,500,000 (or $4,025,000 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) (excluding deferred underwriting commissions of $6,125,000, or $7,043,750 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be $179,197,356 (or $205,841,106 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full). $177,625,000 (or $204,268,750 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be held in the trust account, which includes the deferred underwriting commissions described above. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. The remaining approximately $1,572,356 will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $477,644, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $477,644, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.

We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the trust account (excluding deferred underwriting commissions) to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest to pay our taxes. We estimate our annual franchise tax obligations, based on the number of shares of our common stock authorized and outstanding after the completion of this offering, to be $200,000, which is the maximum amount of annual franchise taxes payable by us as a Delaware corporation per annum, which we may pay from funds from this offering held outside of the trust account or from interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and released to us for this purpose. Our annual income tax obligations will depend on the amount of interest and other income earned on the amounts held in the trust account. We expect the

 

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interest earned on the amount in the trust account will be sufficient to pay our income taxes. To the extent that our equity or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.

Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we will have available to us the approximately $1,572,356 of proceeds held outside the trust account. We will use these funds to primarily identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, and structure, negotiate and complete a business combination.

We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business prior to our initial business combination. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

We expect our primary liquidity requirements during that period to include approximately $380,000 for legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses associated with structuring, negotiating and documenting successful business combinations; $75,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting requirements; $85,000 for NYSE and other regulatory fees; $572,356 for payment of directors and officers insurance premiums, and approximately $220,000 for consulting, travel and miscellaneous expenses to be incurred during our search for an initial business combination target, and $90,000 for general working capital that will be used for miscellaneous expenses and reserves. We will also pay our sponsor and its affiliates $10,000 per month for office space, utilities, and secretarial and administrative services provided to members of our management team following the closing of this offering.

These amounts are estimates and may differ materially from our actual expenses. In addition, we could use a portion of the funds not being placed in trust to pay commitment fees for financing, fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business or as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into an agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business, the amount that would be used as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision would be determined based on the terms of the specific business combination and the amount of our available funds at the time. Our forfeiture of such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise) could result in our not having sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conducting due diligence with respect to, prospective target businesses.

Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing to complete our 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 business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. In addition, we intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, and, as a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemptions by public stockholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed

 

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initial business combination. We may also obtain financing prior to the closing of our initial business combination to fund our working capital needs and transaction costs in connection with our search for and completion of our initial business combination. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following consummation of this offering. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. In addition, following our initial business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.

Controls and Procedures

We are not currently required to certify an effective system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer and no longer an emerging growth company would we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.

Prior to the closing of this offering, we have not completed an assessment, nor has our independent registered public accounting firm tested our systems, of internal controls. We expect to assess the internal controls of our target business or businesses prior to the completion of our initial business combination and, if necessary, to implement and test additional controls as we may determine are necessary in order to state that we maintain an effective system of internal controls. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. Many small and mid-sized target businesses we may consider for our initial business combination may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:

 

   

staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties;

 

   

reconciliation of accounts;

 

   

proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate;

 

   

evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions;

 

   

documentation of processes, assumptions and conclusions underlying significant estimates; and

 

   

documentation of accounting policies and procedures.

Because it will take time, management involvement and perhaps outside resources to determine what internal control improvements are necessary for us to meet regulatory requirements and market expectations for our operation of a target business, we may incur significant expenses in meeting our public reporting responsibilities, particularly in the areas of designing, enhancing, or remediating internal and disclosure controls. Doing so effectively may also take longer than we expect, thus increasing our exposure to financial fraud or erroneous financing reporting.

Once our management’s report on internal controls is complete, we will retain our independent registered public accounting firm to audit and render an opinion on such report when required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act. The independent registered public accounting firm may identify additional issues concerning a target business’s internal controls while performing their audit of internal control over financial reporting.

 

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Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

The net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be invested in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Results

As of September 30, 2021, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K and did not have any commitments or contractual obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus as we have not conducted any operations to date.

JOBS Act

The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We will qualify as an “emerging growth company” and under the JOBS Act will be allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.

Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company,” we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an independent registered public accounting firm’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the independent registered public accounting firm’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis), and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the CEO’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of this offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.

 

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PROPOSED BUSINESS

General

We are a newly organized blank check company, incorporated in Delaware and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, recapitalization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not identified any potential initial business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any potential initial business combination target. While we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any industry or sector, we intend to focus on automation, connectivity, electrification, and smart mobility (ACES) sectors.

Business Opportunity Overview

We believe Henley Park Acquisition Corp. will benefit from the experience and ongoing business tenure of its executive officers and directors who have served long careers in the finance, industry, investment and government sectors. Our officers and directors have experience with asymmetric market intelligence derived from the access our executive officers and directors have to investment opportunities. This access is derived by the Henley Park ecosystem of businesses and relationships, led by a diverse investment group. Henley Park Capital is a private investment firm that is both a public and private market investor. Henley Park Capital and its affiliates have taken an approach that is analogous to private equity investing which includes sourcing deals, conducting due diligence, structuring investments, and hands-on involvement with portfolio companies. The management team has partnered with and invested alongside high-profile family offices and global financial institutions. According to McKinsey & Company, since 2010, investors have poured nearly $330 billion into more than 2,000 mobility companies focused on ACES, with over $80 billion of this amount invested since the beginning of 2019 alone — $329B; Autonomous: $106B, Connectivity: $61B, Electrification: $62B, Smart Mobility: $100B). About two-thirds of the total investment, or $206 billion, went to autonomous-vehicle (AV) technologies and smart mobility. A lower amount—about $123 billion—went to connectivity and electric vehicles (EVs), suggesting that companies prefer to develop these technologies in-house, rather than by pursuing inorganic growth.

We intend to look for companies with a strong backlog well past 2025 to justify any valuations prior to communicating our initial business combination. We are aware that tech-enabled mobility technology will have to navigate regulatory and other hurdles to reach broad acceptance, including concerns about the safety of driverless vehicles, such as trucks hauling thousands of pounds of freight on public highways. However, we believe there will continue to be strong investor interest in the sector because of the savings that autonomous technology could provide through reduced labor costs and increased efficiency in the commercial sector during the time in which we complete our initial business combination.

In focusing on ACES, securing a strong position across all four ACES areas would cost a single player more than $70 billion through 2030. It is doubtful any individual company could shoulder this level of investment by itself. Setting the right technology focus is crucial and requires a detailed understanding of the technologies underlying the ACES trends, which the management and team of Henley Park Acquisition Corp. have.

Our Management Team

We believe that our management team is well positioned to identify attractive businesses within the tech-enabled services industry as it relates to transportation and mobility. Developments in ACES should continue to impact the transportation and mobility industry verticals and we believe that our management team can execute. The type of company would benefit from access to the public markets and the skills of our management team and Board of Directors. Our objective is to consummate our initial business combination with such a business and enhance stockholder value by improving its operational performance. We believe we can achieve this objective by utilizing our management team’s extensive experience in both transportation and mobility in combination with our management team’s network of contacts in the industry. We believe many companies in the transportation and mobility industry could benefit from access to the public markets but have been unable to do so due to a number of factors, including the time it takes to conduct a traditional IPO, market volatility and pricing uncertainty. We intend to focus on evaluating more established companies with leading competitive positions, strong management teams and strong long-term potential for revenue growth and margin expansion.

 

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Mr. Miguel Payan is our Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Payan has more than 25 years of mobility, strategy, technology and executive experience. Mr. Payan previously was a Ford (NYSE: F) Smart Mobility Senior Executive. Ford Smart Mobility is a Palo Alto, California-based company that was formed to design, build, grow and invest in emerging mobility services. At Ford Smart Mobility, Mr. Payan acquired commercial solutions, micro-transit, micro-mobility, and cloud-based software businesses, and created new ones, such as the non-emergency medical transportation business. This organic and inorganic business development grew the mobility portfolio exponentially. Specifically, he was responsible for the acquisition of Spin, a provider of dock-less mobility systems intended to offer station-less electric scooter sharing option. Mr. Payan was also integral in the Ford Mobility investment that enabled ClimaCell (now Tomorro.io) secure $45M in its series B funding. Tomorrow.io is a developer of a hyper-local weather forecasting platform. While at Ford, he also led the acquisition of Autonomic, an open mobility cloud-based platform designed to provide the platform with the necessary building blocks for smart mobility applications and services. The company’s Transportation Mobility Cloud connects the diverse components of today’s urban mobility systems including connected vehicles, mass transit, pedestrians, city infrastructure and service providers with the goal of orchestrating a safer, more efficient and sustainable transportation network by routing self-driving cars, managing large-scale fleets and helping residents plan transit journeys. Mr. Payan also led the Transloc acquisition. Transloc develops transit technologies designed to deliver flexible and micro transit traveling experiences. He also has broad Board of Director experience. He has served on the Board of Advisors for EdgeConneX, a provider of highly proximate, high-powered, purpose-built data centers, prior to the their $3B acquisition by the global private equity firm, EQT. Along with serving as a board member, he has also engaged full time with EdgeConneX to develop its strategy for the far-edge micro-data center play to support autonomous vehicle deployment, as well as to develop its EV charging infrastructure market entry strategy. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for SHIFT5, a cybersecurity and data analytics company that focuses on preventing and resolving bad-actor intrusions in military and commercial vehicles. He also advised on several other companies that were acquired by large conglomerates. He advised on SmartThings, which was acquired by Samsung; Intelligrated which was acquired by Honeywell and Resideo which Honeywell divested from. While at Samsung, he created the ARTIK IoT platform business, which delivers device-to-cloud security for companies to build, develop and manage secure, interoperable, and intelligent IoT products and services for everything from smart homes to high-tech factories. Mr. Payan is a highly insightful strategic and analytical senior executive with international, multi-industry experience, specializing in strategy and strategic planning, digital transformation, program and project management, user engagement, idea commercialization, RPA & continuous improvement, trends analysis, and risk assessment. Beyond the vast experience as detailed above, Mr. Payan’s work experience also includes time at Capital One (NYSE: COF), Honeywell International (NASD: HON), Samsung and McKinsey & Company. He has a proven track record of creating new mission-oriented businesses and successfully taking them to market. Along with serving as a senior-level adviser, providing clients the insights needed to capture opportunities. Finally, he is a dedicated and driven leader who fosters bottom-line impact through innovation and digital customer engagement. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from The University Illinois and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

Robert Haywood is our President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Haywood has more than 35 years of executive, strategy, and consumer experience. Mr. Haywood is well-regarded in the C-suite space having successfully scaled several businesses and led 5 private equity exits via maximizing brand value, consumer centricity, performance management, and data science utilizing advanced analytics to drive profitable growth through innovations in consumer and customer engagement. He has been a strategic team leader with an outstanding record for building strong teams, organizational development, and stakeholder alliances with P&L responsibility ranging from $25M to $3.5B and organizations as large as 800 professionals.

Formerly, he led a team as Chief Revenue Officer that acquired CoverGirl and Max Factor for $3.2B. He also led an acquisition team that executed 7 acquisition initiatives including the acquisition of Camay, Zest, Walgreens.com, and Avon with economic values ranging from $14M to $2.5B. He also advised on the launching of a SPAC Legacy Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: LGC) and its $300M IPO. He also led operations of a Private Equity portfolio company as President growing revenue from $30M to +$100M and 40% EBITDA. There he led investment and acquisition of three follow-on acquisitions for ZT Wealth / ZT Corporate which successfully exited to a strategic buyer. While President, he developed dual-go-to-market strategy accelerating customer acquisition +40%. He achieved that through utilizing Advanced Data Analytics to identify and target high need customers and increasing average returns from 1.5x to 4.5x. He also increased the average client contribution from 7 fold. He also recruited a national sales and marketing organization utilizing a strategic combination of internal contract sales organization, and broker organizations.

Prior to serving as a President, he was a Vice President of Global Consumer Engagement, Sales and Marketing, Global Marketing at Mattel (NASD: MAT). There, he led global consumer engagement for Mattel Brands, Fisher Price, HIT Entertainment, and American Girl across all consumer spending totaling $1B. He directed development of all consumer activity and touch points in retail and online promotions, TV, digital marketing, social media, content creation and entertainment, live events, and eCommerce. While an executive at Mattel, he rose from VP of International Marketing where he led the development of regional commercial programming, eCommerce and online strategy, digital marketing, insights, TV media, and marketing assets. Then he became VP of Global Marketing where he managed global marketing infrastructure, assets, eCommerce merchandising strategy, SEO merchandising strategy, and social media content localization.

Mr. Haywood was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EBD Soft, Inc., North America. As CEO, he led the global expansion of the European based web application company. He also launched its US operations by developing a strategic direction to ensure successful global expansion. Specifically, he repositioned the product platform and established consultancy resulting in significant customer acquisitions and +40% of total US revenue. He was also EVP, Global Sales and Business Development for NTR Global. There, he led enterprise sales, global partnerships and strategic alliances for a provider of Cloud based remote support solutions with operations in 61 countries (B2C, B2B, Enterprise). It was acquired by ASG Software. He also expanded global operations, establishing new global accounts and strategic partnerships resulting in an 18% increase in revenue.

He was also EVP, Sales-Business Development for Amphire Solutions/ iTradeNetwork, Inc. As EVP, he led marketing, sales, and business development activities for a supply chain solution provider. It was acquired by Accel-KKR. As EVP, he increased monthly transactions 20% to $1B and increased customer acquisition 35% via implementation of new go-to-market strategy and introduction of valued added services. He also developed the Industry’s 1st Foodservice database and negotiated sale to NPD. Mr. Haywood was the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Big Foot Giant Tire Company. As CEO he led operations of retail sales and repairs of giant tires for large equipment servicing the construction and mining industries. He also negotiated an exit to a strategic buyer achieving targeted investor return. He also led acquisition of new customers including Fortune 500 industry leaders including Kiewit Corporation and Michelin Tires increasing revenue +260%. Mr. Haywood was also the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) ClearPath Technology. At ClearPath, he led development of the business model, product functionality, and marketing plan of the SaaS provider of Cloud Based Big Data Analytics and Business Intelligence for the FMCG/CPG industry. The system provided advanced analytics for marketing mix optimization, ROI contribution, insights, and resource allocation and planning. He also negotiated exit to a strategic partner.

He was a Vice President and Managing Director at AC NIELSEN (NYSE: NLSN) where he led all sales, marketing, and consulting services efforts in ACNielsen’s Western Area. There he spearheaded product development / customization and the identification of strategies to market ACNielsen syndicated products and software applications to retailers and manufacturers in marketing, sales, trade marketing, and marketing research functions to address client business issues. He also was a Vice President for Marketing & Sales at Upper Deck. There he was responsible for all marketing, sales, and merchandising efforts, while also repositioning the brand and category while increasing sales and profits by over 150% and distribution into 700 new outlets. Mr. Haywood has broad management experience from his time as a Brand Manager at Quaker Oats and Kraft Foods, where he led all customer, consumer, trade marketing efforts. Mr. Haywood also played in the private cloud service. Mr. Haywood received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Princeton University and Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chicago, Booth Graduate School of Business.

 

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Leighton Carroll will be one of our directors upon the effective date of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Carroll has more than 25 years of technology experience including leading the development of wireless networks, engineering, and software companies. Mr. Carroll is the President of QuadGen Wireless Solutions, Inc., a national telecommunications services engineering firm. Under Mr. Carroll’s leadership, since joining in 2016, the business has seen significant growth through customer and service diversification, most recently obtaining back-to-back growth rates in excess of 30% annually. Prior to QuadGen Wireless, Mr. Carroll was the Chief Executive Officer of Squan Holdings where he transformed a NY metro wireless construction firm into a wireless and transport engineering and delivery company with 11 offices in 10 states. Mr. Carroll is also the former CEO of WMS where he grew the private equity backed business from $3 million in revenue to $100 million in 3 years through both organic and inorganic growth including international expansion. Before serving as the CEO of WMS, Mr. Carroll was a Merger and Integration executive for AT&T (NYSE: T). While there, he was part of the team that most recently completed the Cricket and Alltel acquisitions which included the launch of the New Cricket brand nationally. Other notable AT&T accomplishments included seeing AT&T win the JD Powers award as an executive leader during the customer service transformation, leading the country in attainment as a VP-GM and representing the company worldwide while running international operations for wireless technology. Mr. Carroll graduated from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). He also has an executive education from Harvard Business School, the Wharton Business School and the MIT Sloan School of Business. Mr. Carroll is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors given his extensive management history of leading wireless networks, engineering, and software companies.

 

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Michael Pietropola will be one of our directors upon the effective date of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Pietropola has more than 37 years of experience in the technology and telecommunications industry. Mr. Pietropola is the President of Pietropola Consulting LLC. Most recently, he stepped down as a four-year Board of Directors member of InSite Wireless Group following its $3.5 billion acquisition by American Tower (NYSE: AMT) in December 2020. Prior to joining the board of InSite, Mr. Pietropola was an executive at AT&T (NYSE:T). There, Mr. Pietropola was the Vice President of Construction and Engineering for the Southeast region. As a regional Vice President, he was responsible for an annual budget in excess of $3 billion dollars. That budget focused on the deployment of the wireless and wireline outside infrastructure. Mr. Pietropola held the title of Vice President of Network Service until Cingular became AT&T after Southwestern Bell acquired Bellsouth in 2007. He held senior positions overseeing the core network design and implementation in preparation for the first iPhone launch and subsequent exponential growth of the new generation smart phones. Mr. Pietropola played an integral role in the creation of Cingular Wireless—a joint venture between BellSouth and Southwestern Bell wireless companies. He helped build a world-class wireless network operations organization and oversaw the development of standards and policies to ensure consistent practices throughout the nationwide network. He was one of two board members representing Cingular in a joint venture between Cingular and T-Mobile, which combined network operations in California and New York City from 2001 until the deal was absolved in 2004. He also served as a special advisor for Pensare Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that completed the business combination of American Virtual Cloud Technologies (NASDAQ: AVCT). Mr. Pietropola graduated from Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. He sits on the visiting executive committee for the Swanson School at the University of Pittsburgh.    In 2016, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh honored him with its distinguished alumni award. Mr. Pietropola is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of his significant professional experience in varied roles within the technology and telecommunications industry.

Garnet S. Heraman will be one of our directors upon the effective date of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Heraman has over 25 years of experience as a multistage investor at the intersection of innovation, diversity and technology. Currently, Mr. Heraman is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Aperture VC, a $100M fintech and diversity fund backed by Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) Truist (NYSE: TFC), PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) and FIS (NYSE: FIS). He is also Chairman of FUEL OZ.Capital, an opportunity zone sponsor building an e-sports innovation center in Atlanta, GA. Previously, he was a Co-Founder of Aegis Investment Partners, a private equity group specializing in growth capital for Corporate Venture Capital deals. He is an investor or board member of numerous ventures including: Iryss Financial, Gather Voices, Gizer.io, Empyreal Logistics, GivKwik, Candy Lab AR, Dynepic, playPORTAL, Makomi and Biba. He also is Chairman of the mission-driven ecommerce company, Karina Dresses. Mr. Heraman’s non-profit work includes the Brookings Institute (business roundtable advisor); the Columbia Venture Community; TiE New York, where he was a founding board member (1999-2001); The CORO Foundation, which named him to their prestigious Leadership New York Program (2000-1) and; Rhizome.org, the world’s first digital art space on the web (1996). He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Columbia University, Masters of Science in Econometrics from the London School of Economics and a Masters in Business Administration from the NYU Stern School of Business. Mr. Heraman is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors given his extensive management history of investing and growing both large and small technology-enabled companies.

The Market Opportunity – Tech Mobility Focus

Presently, Henley Park Acquisition Corp. sees a vast opportunity in the tech-enabled mobility space. Technology investments during the COVID-19 pandemic have increased dramatically given the shift in consumer and corporate behavior. Specifically, investment in future-mobility technologies has continued throughout the pandemic at an increased pace, as the pandemic has highlighted challenges and opportunities in transportation and logistics. For example, ecommerce saw its estimated 10-year growth being captured in 2020. Strong tailwinds have also crystalized opportunities in the past year, including the current U.S. presidential administration’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan impacting many ACES areas. OEMs have committed $250 billion of investment in EVs and fuel cell development by 2023. Several commercial-vehicle manufacturers have announced partnerships with two technology companies to develop AVs. According to our analysis, investment in mobility technologies totaled $39 billion through October

 

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2020, suggesting that total spending for the year will likely be similar to the $51 billion seen in 2019. Since 2010, with 65 percent coming from venture-capital and private-equity (VC/PE) companies and 28 percent from tech players. Traditional automotive companies only accounted for 7 percent, or roughly $20 billion to $25 billion, of the total invested. According to Pitchbook, in Q1 2021, mobility tech startups raised a staggering $23.4 billion, up 65.5% QoQ and 150.8% YoY—a quarterly record for the segment.

Electrification

It has become increasingly clear to the management of Henley Park, that the design of future electric vehicle platforms will require a complete process rethink that prioritizes manufacturing cost and total cost of ownership. Many current electric vehicle platforms suffer from carryover design processes based on internal combustion engine development. For example, most electric vehicle “skateboard” platforms are not truly flat, but instead contain elevated components on both ends of the vehicle. This design philosophy can create limitations, since components being elevated above the skateboard chassis results in lessened cargo space, an important consideration for fleet operators, and reduced design and manufacturing flexibility, as incremental changes to an existing skateboard chassis can require hundreds of millions of dollars in development costs. The research suggests that companies building modular electric vehicle technology with a focus on total cost of ownership will be in a more favorable competitive position relative to others as the shift to electric reshapes the industry. Beyond electric vehicle manufacture, public and private charging infrastructure currently presents many challenges and a wide range of future opportunities. According to the Alliance of Automotive Innovation, the state of California alone will need 1.5 million chargers by 2030. The software revolution for power management will see many companies succeed in this realm. This shift towards electrification presents management with countless investment opportunities.

Autonomous

While full autonomous vehicles are still a few years away, advances in machine learning and sensor technologies have accelerated the level of driving automation in the past few years. Applications in the ride-share, logistics, and warehouse environments have already reached Level 4 high driving automation. These trends will continue to evolve driven by increases in productivity, decreases in vehicle total cost of ownership, and safety benefits. Today many passenger vehicles include advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) that offer Level 2, partial automation, and Level 3, conditional automation. These ADAS systems and related components are not only foundational for eventual full Level 5 automation, but also present great areas for investment opportunities.

LIDAR

Furthermore, as we look to full vehicle automation, our management and research has revealed that cameras and radar alone are not enough to provide enough sensory detail for full vehicle automation, and view LIDAR as laying the essential technological foundation for autonomous driving. LIDAR, which uses light emitted from lasers to determine the shape and distance of an object, has seen rapid growth and adoption within the automotive industry in recent years. By providing three-dimensional mapping of surroundings, LIDAR systems enable vehicles to sense their environments.

For example, time-of-flight LIDAR will need to be mounted behind windshields because Frequent-Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) struggles with glass interference. Also, FMCW LIDAR will be difficult to commercialize, as it depends on experimental techniques that have yet to be manufactured at scale. This challenge presents new growth as companies not currently in market or those that are mature, can be acquired and scaled with public capital from Henley Park.

Henley Park management views LIDAR startups as serving a large, rapidly growing addressable market as viable acquisition targets. Morningstar forecasts the total market for advanced driver assistance systems and automated driver systems to grow from $15.2 billion in 2020 to $75.4 billion in 2030 through sales of global autonomous vehicle software, sensors, and other hardware revenue. This market estimate implies unit sales of approximately 726,500 Level 3-5 light vehicle platforms in 2025, rising to 6.7 million units sold in 2030.

Additionally, it implies that semi-autonomous features driving significant commercial growth among sensor suppliers as the market for Level 2/2+ is expected to increase from 8.9 million units sold in 2020 to 33.9 million units sold in 2025.

 

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Smart Mobility

There are several transportation solutions seeking to increase the efficiency and to lower the costs of movement of people and goods. These solutions seek to address many challenges in the ecosystem, such as inaccessibility of transportation, traffic and congestion, and pollution. It was estimated that the U.S. economy lost $350 billion in 2017 as Americans spent 34 hours per year in vehicle traffic in 2017. This economic loss combined with the current dismal safety of roads has prompted different ways of thinking about moving people and goods.

Air taxis

With respect to air taxis as acquisition targets, recent investments have been concentrated in late-stage leaders in the space. In the first quarter of 2021, investors invested an aggregate amount of $3.8 billion into eVTOL air taxi startups    Electric air taxis also have several potential cost advantages that could accelerate adoption. The cost of flying by helicopter is high—approximately $9 per mile—limiting the addressable market to high-income commuters or business executives. This cost could be significantly lower for air taxis. Most air taxis in development have multiple motors and redundancies, which can improve safety and reduce maintenance requirements as well as maintenance-induced incidents. Additionally, battery or hybrid powertrains of air taxis should lead to significant fuel cost savings. Finally, we anticipate autonomous technology will reduce the need for certified pilots, which would significantly decrease the cost of operation and increase profitability which will appeal to public market investors.

Autonomous last mile delivery

Last mile delivery continues to be a challenge for retail players which were exacerbated during the pandemic. Many have turned to ground delivery bots to replace larger vehicles. According to Allied Market Research, the global autonomous last mile delivery market is estimated to reach $85 billion by 2030, with North America considered to be the highest revenue contributor. Several innovations are driving growth in this segment, such as consolidating fulfillment and orchestration into one platform. There are different types of autonomous last mile delivery vehicles, including aerial delivery drones, ground delivery bots and self-driving trucks and vans, as well as various software solutions that enable fulfillment, delivery and the overall customer experience, thus presenting ample investment opportunities.

Micro mobility

In our view, leading micro mobility providers are making progress on evolving their business models toward more profitable unit economics, largely accomplished through operational improvements and longer-lasting, more durable vehicles. Despite this, Henley Park has found that VC funding toward the sector remains tepid relative to other mobility subsectors, a phenomenon at odds with the large market opportunity of providing micro mobility in emerging markets. In 2020, micro mobility startups raised $1.8 billion.

It is forecasted that the global micro mobility industry will represent a $105.5 billion total addressable market by 2030. A primary driver of this industry will be the expanding global middle-income population as more people move to the world’s cities and urban locations. 23% of people in 2018 lived in a city with more than 1 million inhabitants; that number is projected to increase to 28% by 2030. Home Khari’s of the Brookings Institute forecasts the global middle class to grow to 5.2 billion people in 2028 from 3.2 billion in 2016. 88% of those new entrants will be habitants of Asia, in countries such as India, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Existing transportation options such as mass transit, taxis, and ride hailing may be relatively expensive, uncomfortable, inconvenient, or otherwise inadequate. That growth, internationally is exactly why Henley Park is focused on this market.

Further Growing Opportunity

A more detailed, quarterly view of investments between 2014 and 2020 reveals that, with the exception of one quarter in 2017, VC/PE firms have consistently outspent their peers when it comes to investing in mobility companies, which will enable Henley Park Acquisition Corp. several avenues to acquire portfolio companies. Such investment peaked at about $4.6 billion in the second quarter of 2017 and has remained rather constant level of $2 billion to $3 billion per quarter. Meanwhile, investment by hardware-tech companies was at nearly $1 billion in 2020. Finally, investment by auto brands reached over $400 million in 2015, to a steady state of $100 to $200 million per quarter.

 

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Companies that have received the largest sums of investments over the past decade reside in the e-hailing cluster, with the $83 billion invested representing over 80 percent of all smart-mobility investments. The next most popular clusters included semiconductors ($51 billion) and ADAS components ($36 billion). Together, e-hailing, semiconductors, and ADAS components account for over half of all ACES investments (See below Exhibit 1).

 

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Effects of Covid-19 on our Process

For our tech-enabled mobility focus, the COVID-19 crisis has added a new layer of complexity providing Henley Park an opportunity during the dislocation. It will allow us to acquire a company in ACES and the underlying technologies, along with identify emerging opportunities. Such changes could have a lasting impact on transportation preferences and patterns, even after the pandemic abates. That said, the COVID-19 pandemic may have increased consumer awareness about the negative effects of travel, including congested roads and heavy emissions. Annual global passenger plug-in electric vehicle (EV) sales hit three million in 2020—a more than 40 percent year-on-year increase—with 46 percent of fiscal-year sales coming from Europe, 39 percent from China, and 12 percent from North America.

Business Strategy

Our acquisition and value creation strategy is to identify, acquire and, after our initial business combination, build a company, in an industry or sector that complements the experience of our management team and can benefit from our operational expertise. We will have a generalist approach to industry sectors, but with particular emphasis on industries where we have core competencies and experiences, or industries in which we can leverage the resources and synergistic collaboration with the Henley Park Capital ecosystem of businesses and relationships, such as technology enabled transportation and logistics, telecommunications, and ACES.

 

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We will target specific niches (i) that have attractive growth characteristics, as well as strong cash flow profiles, (ii) where we can consistently produce proprietary deal flow, and (iii) that can provide the acquired company’s operating management team with access to primary sources of market intelligence. We will seek to generate a diverse flow of investment opportunities from the management team and board’s collective networks, and will employ rigorous underwriting standards, transaction analysis and execution.

Business Combination Criteria

Consistent with our strategy, we have identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses and, when evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review that will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews and inspection of facilities, as applicable, as well as a review of financial and other information that will be made available to us. We intend to use the following and other criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet any or all of these criteria or guidelines.

Our criteria will focus on the following strategic themes:

Companies located in the United States

We intend to search for an initial business combination in the continental United States. We believe the trend for tech-enabled mobility, transportation and logistics have seen a rise in investment through the capital markets, possess strong economic growth and as a result, create better potential acquisition opportunities. We believe that in recent years there has been a great migration to the technology aspect of mobility across the United States, and believe the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated this trend — especially for new modes of transportation. One of our strongest differentiators is our proven experience and ability to source transactions in the mobility space. While we will not limit our transaction sourcing to mobility, we believe there will be many strong investment opportunities in this area, and our management team’s background and experience make us well positioned to source transactions and build businesses in this growth region.

Companies that embrace today’s digital transformation and experience

We will seek tech-enabled companies and other companies in the U.S. that are embracing today’s digital transformation and experience as a competitive advantage. We believe that an embrace of today’s digital transformation and experience enables both organic and inorganic growth, creating new strategic, operational and business opportunities fueled by the emerging cloud, analytics, big data and cognitive technologies. Being conscientious corporate citizens, we will focus on sustainable technology companies that can shape a better society and healthier environment.

Knowledgeable management teams with relevant industry experience and capabilities to lead a public company

We aim to target businesses with expert management teams that have specialized knowledge of their sectors and are active leaders in developing solutions to meet the challenges within the sector they operate. The target’s management team should possess a forward-looking and visionary mindset that focuses on growth. We plan to assist the management team in navigating the processes of operating a public company, which includes implementing strong corporate governance, financial and accounting controls and reporting. We will prioritize entities with well-established, proven and talented management teams that wish to continue to drive their companies to growth and are eager to succeed with support from an interactive and hands-on board of directors. To the extent we believe it will enhance stockholder value, we would seek to selectively supplement the existing leadership of the business with proven leaders from our network, whether at the senior management level or at the board level.

Companies exposed to attractive end-market trends

We will target companies that are positioned in end-markets with size, stability, competition, profitability and attractive macroeconomic growth drivers. We believe selecting attractive end-markets is crucial, especially in the current economic environment. The management team’s broad investment and operational experience include sectors such as transportation and logistics, telecommunications, financial services and professional services, many of which have niches benefiting from strong underlying market growth. We will seek a target that has an established business with differentiated products and services and a strong market position. While we will focus on tech-enabled services businesses, we will not seek a target that is pre-revenue or in early stages of development with unproven technologies.

 

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Companies that have a track record of resilient revenue and earnings

We will seek to acquire businesses that generate consistent and resilient free cash flow. We expect gross margins and contribution margins to be above, or at least in line with, relevant competitors. We view businesses with high gross margins and contribution margins favorably, as these businesses typically have a defensible market position that will lead to resilient earnings. Furthermore, we will seek to acquire businesses that have either experienced strong historical growth or have the potential for robust future growth, which would allow for additional operating leverage. We will seek companies that will be best positioned to leverage our industry expertise, insights and relationships to create opportunities for value creation, whether acquisitions, capital investments in organic growth opportunities, generating greater operating efficiencies or significantly improving financial performance. We believe our strategy leverages our management team’s distinctive background and vast network of industry leaders in the tech-enabled services industry. We will seek to identify such opportunities for value creation in evaluating potential business combinations.

Companies that are SMB

We believe targeting companies in the SMB market will provide the greatest number of opportunities for investment and will maximize the benefits of the collective network of our management team and its affiliates.

Benefit from status as a public company

We intend to acquire a company that will benefit from being publicly traded and can effectively utilize the broader access to capital and public profile resulting from being a publicly traded company. We will also help craft the most efficient capital structure in order to maximize the benefits of being a public company. We would expect to use this efficient cost of capital and greater access to equity capital, coupled with our network of sourcing relationships to help the target company look actively at mergers and acquisition opportunities. Our management team’s direct public company experience from the C-Suite will be a source of value-add to the operators of the acquired 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 IPO through a merger or other business combination. In this situation, the owners of the target business would exchange their shares of stock in the target business for shares of stock or other securities or for a combination of shares of stock, other securities and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. We believe target businesses might find this method a more certain and cost effective method to becoming a public company than the typical IPO. In a typical IPO, there are additional expenses incurred in marketing, roadshow and public reporting efforts that will likely not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us. Furthermore, once the business combination is consummated, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an IPO is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could prevent the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital and an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with stockholder’s interests than it would have as a privately held company. It can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees. However there is currently no market for our securities and a market for our securities may not develop. As a result, this purported benefit may not be realized.

Although we believe that our status as a public company will make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view the inherent limitations in our status as a blank check company as a deterrent and may prefer to affect a business combination with a more established entity or with a private company. These inherent limitations include limitations on our available financial resources, which may be inferior to those of other entities pursuing the acquisition of similar target businesses; the potential requirement that we seek stockholder approval of a business combination or conduct a tender offer in relation thereto, which may delay the consummation of a transaction; and the existence of our outstanding warrants, which may represent a source of future dilution.

 

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These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our stockholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the SEC.

Sourcing of Business Combination

We intend to utilize the networks and industry experience of our management team and our independent directors in seeking an initial business combination. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships that we believe will serve as a useful source of acquisition opportunities. This network has been developed through our management team’s combined history of over 50 years of business experience, including in operational and management leadership roles, private equity and government service. The asymmetric intelligence and grassroots footprint of the Henley Park sourcing network and ecosystem of businesses and relationships across the U.S., and in particular the mobility and transportation space, allows for proprietary deal origination. This network has provided our management team with a robust and consistent flow of acquisition and investment opportunities over the years. In addition, we anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment market participants, private equity groups, investment banking firms, family offices, lenders, attorneys, consultants, accounting firms, large business enterprises and other trusted advisors across various sectors. Upon completion of this offering, members of our management team will communicate with their networks of relationships to articulate the parameters of our search for a target company, outline the strategic value-add that the management team could bring to a potential business combination and begin the process of pursuing and reviewing compelling investment opportunities. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in conjunction with our initial business combination.

We will source potential targets from at least 17 technology clusters tied to investment and patent-filing activities in tech-enabled mobility. About half of the companies developed such technologies, with total funding exceeding $100 billion. This amount is nearly a third of the total $330 billion invested in ACES trends.

 

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Competitive Strengths

The sourcing, valuation, diligence and execution capabilities of our management team will provide us with a significant pipeline of opportunities from which to evaluate and select a business that will benefit from our expertise. We also have the benefit of a robust network of contacts, industry experts and business affiliations that can be tapped for deal sourcing and due diligence. If we have learned anything from financial history in recent years, it is that transparency and rigorous due diligence are more important than ever before. The confluence of various factors across finance, regulatory affairs and many other areas have led to a new normal, and success today requires diverse management teams that are experienced in a broad range of disciplines. The strength of our management team lies in our diverse experience, and in our track record over many years of leading and delivering results. Our management team is committed to strong corporate governance and investor transparency, and we will bring a culture of rigorous due diligence and relentless execution to this process.

The mobility sector is undergoing a profound transformation and opening new opportunities for a company such as Henley Park Acquisition Corp. that are willing to invest in the time and resources to find great companies in the vehicle electrification, autonomous driving, and other revolutionary products and services.

Our competitive strengths include the following:

Leadership experience in the public and private sector to navigate complex challenges

Our team has broad experience in both the public and private sectors over the last combined 50 years, providing deep expertise in managing a variety of challenges affecting institutions, including strategy, operations, financial, sales and marketing, legal, and regulatory. We believe that the confluence of publicly traded Fortune 500 experience and private sector experience has never been more important for a business than today and is a differentiator for our team, not only to our stockholders, but also to the operators of the acquired company.

Established relationships across the mobility and transportation sector providing a deep sourcing network

The Henley Park principals have been operating, investing and advising businesses across the technology-enabled and mobility sectors for a large portion of their careers, including transportation, logistics, telecommunications, finance, mobility assets, strategic advice and Fortune 500 automotive OEMs. This experience provides the team with a broad set of proprietary opportunities outside of auction processes.

 

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Mr. Payan, through his experience as a C-level executive at Ford, led the acquisition of multiple mobility businesses and is intimately familiar with the mobility ecosystem.

Team of experienced executives with complementary skills working together

Our team has decades of experience advising and investing businesses across a broad range of sectors including transportation and logistics, telecommunications, financial services and professional services. The team has experience in roles such as board roles, managing partner and general partner. Multiple members of the team worked since 2015 at various investment affiliated operations.

Extensive investing and operating experience and strong track record of creating stockholder value

Our team has extensive experience sourcing and investing in middle market companies through roles at Fortune 500 automotive OEMs and through private investment vehicles. Our focus on flexible hold periods and ownership structures helps enhance the ability for companies to focus on operations, and better aligns financial incentives with progressive growth initiatives. One of our board members served on a publicly-traded SPAC.

Strong Financial Position

With funds available for a business combination initially in the amount of $177,625,000 (or $204,268,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised), excluding deferred underwriting commissions of $6,125,000 (or $7,043,750 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) assuming no redemptions, we can offer a target business a variety of options to facilitate a business combination and fund future expansion and growth of its business. Because we are able to consummate a business combination using the cash proceeds in our trust account, debt or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use an efficient structure allowing us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to address the needs of the parties. However, if a business combination requires us to use substantially all of our cash to pay for the purchase price, we may need to arrange third-party financing to help fund our business combination. Since we have no specific business combination under consideration, we have not taken any steps to secure third-party financing. Accordingly, our flexibility in structuring a business combination may be subject to constraints resulting from a need to finance such business combination.

Initial Business Combination

The rules of the NYSE and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation 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 (excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount held in 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 (including with the assistance of financial advisors), we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or a valuation or appraisal firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it likely that our board of directors will be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects.

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. However, we may structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or 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 a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our 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, shares or other equity securities of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target.

 

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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 issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% of net assets test described above. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.

Our Business Combination Process

In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review that will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management, document reviews and inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial and other information that will be made available to us. We will also utilize our operational and capital planning experience.

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 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.

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or independent directors, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or independent directors. In the event that we seek to complete an initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or independent directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or a valuation or appraisal firm that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

Members of our management team and our independent directors will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private placement warrants following this offering and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have, additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to another entity pursuant to which such officer or director is or may be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Delaware law. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provide 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 the company and it is an opportunity that we are able to complete on a reasonable basis. However, we do not believe that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.

In addition, our sponsor and our officers and directors may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination. We do not believe that any such potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.

 

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Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.

Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of a Business Combination

Subject to our executive officers’ and directors’ pre-existing fiduciary duties and the limitations that a target business have a fair market value of at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and any taxes payable on the interest earned) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination, as described below in more detail, and that we must acquire a controlling interest in the target business, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective target business. Except for the general criteria and guidelines set forth above under the caption “Business Strategy,” we have not established any specific attributes or criteria (financial or otherwise) for prospective target businesses. In evaluating a prospective target business, our management may consider a variety of factors, including one or more of the following:

 

 

financial condition and results of operation;

 

 

growth potential;

 

 

brand recognition and potential;

 

 

experience and skill of management and availability of additional personnel;

 

 

capital requirements;

 

 

competitive position;

 

 

barriers to entry;

 

 

stage of development of the products, processes or services;

 

 

existing distribution and potential for expansion;

 

 

degree of current or potential market acceptance of the products, processes or services;

 

 

proprietary aspects of products and the extent of intellectual property or other protection for products or formulas;

 

 

impact of regulation on the business;

 

 

regulatory environment of the industry;

 

 

costs associated with effecting the business combination;

 

 

industry leadership, sustainability of market share and attractiveness of market industries in which a target business participates;

 

 

macro competitive dynamics in the industry within which the company competes; and

 

 

fit, cooperation and coachability of management team.

 

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Fair Market Value of Target Business

The target business or businesses that we acquire must collectively have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance of the funds in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and any taxes payable on the interest earned) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination, although we may acquire a target business whose fair market value significantly exceeds 80% of the trust account balance.

We currently anticipate structuring a business combination involving 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination where we merge directly with the target business or involving less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order 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 a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we could 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% fair market value test. In order to consummate such an acquisition, we may issue a significant amount of our debt or equity securities to the sellers of such businesses and/or seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities. Since we have no specific business combination under consideration, we have not entered into any such fund-raising arrangement and have no current intention of doing so. The fair market value of the target will be determined by our Board of Directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community (such as actual and potential sales, earnings, cash flow and/or book value). The proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents used by us in connection with any proposed transaction will provide public stockholders with our analysis of the fair market value of the target business, as well as the basis for our determinations. If our Board of Directors is not able to independently determine that the target business has a sufficient fair market value, then we will obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated, independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of target business we are seeking to acquire, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We will not be required to obtain an opinion from an investment banking firm as to the fair market value if our Board of Directors independently determines that the target business complies with the 80% threshold.

Lack of Business Diversification

For an indefinite period of time after the consummation 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 consummating 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.

 

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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 a target business’ management may not prove to be correct. Moreover, members of our management team may not have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business. The future role of members of our management team, if any, in a post-transaction company cannot presently be stated with any certainty. Consequently, members of our management team may not become a part of the post-transaction company’s management team or serve it in advisory positions, and the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Further, it is also not certain whether one or more of our directors will remain associated with the post-transaction company in some capacity following our initial business combination. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the post-transaction company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.

Following our initial business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. However, we may not have the ability to recruit additional managers, or to locate additional managers who will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.

Stockholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve an Initial Business Combination

In connection with any proposed business combination, we will either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which stockholders may seek to convert their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), or (2) provide our stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described herein. We will seek stockholder approval if it is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement, provided, that we may also decide to seek stockholder approval for business or other reasons.

Under the rules of the NYSE, stockholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:

 

 

we issue (other than in a public offering for cash) a number of shares of Common Stock that would either (a) be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding or (b) have voting power equal to or in excess of 20% of the voting power then outstanding;

 

 

any of our directors, officers or substantial security holders (as defined by the rules of the NYSE) has a 5% or greater interest, directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired and if the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued, or if the number of shares of Common Stock into which the securities may be convertible or exercisable, exceeds either (a) 1% of the number of shares of Common Stock or 1% of the voting power outstanding before the issuance in the case of any of our directors and officers or (b) 5% of the number of shares of Common Stock or 5% of the voting power outstanding before the issuance in the case of any substantial security holders; or

 

 

the issuance or potential issuance of shares of our Common Stock will result in our undergoing a change of control.

If we determine to engage in a tender offer, then such tender offer will be structured so that each stockholder may tender any or all of his, her or its shares rather than some pro rata portion of his, her or its shares. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow stockholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer 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 proposed 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 us at a disadvantage in the transaction or result in other additional burdens on us;

 

 

the expected cost of holding a stockholder vote;

 

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the risk that our stockholders would fail to approve the initial business combination;

 

 

other time and budget constraints; and

 

 

potential additional legal complexities of an initial business combination that would be time-consuming and burdensome to present to stockholders.

Unlike other blank check companies which require stockholder votes and conduct proxy solicitations in conjunction with their initial business combinations and related conversions of public shares for cash upon consummation of such initial business combination even when a vote is not required by law, we will have the flexibility to avoid such stockholder vote and allow our stockholders to sell their shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers. In that case, we will file tender offer documents with the SEC, which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. We will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and, if we seek stockholder approval, a majority of the shares of Common Stock voted at a stockholder meeting are voted in favor of the business combination.

We chose our net tangible asset threshold of $5,000,001 to ensure that we would avoid being subject to Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. However, if we seek to consummate an initial business combination with a target business that imposes any type of working capital closing condition or requires us to have a minimum amount of funds available from the trust account upon consummation of such initial business combination, we may need to have more than $5,000,001 in net tangible assets upon consummation and this may force us to seek third party financing which may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all. As a result, we may not be able to consummate such initial business combination and we may not be able to locate another suitable target within the applicable time period, if at all. Public stockholders may therefore have to wait up to 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, in order to be able to receive a pro rata share of the trust account.

Our initial stockholders and the underwriters have agreed (1) to vote any shares of Common Stock owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination, including the founder shares, the insider shares, the shares of Common Stock underlying the private units, (2) not to convert any shares of Common Stock in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination and (3) not sell any shares of Common Stock in any tender in connection with a proposed initial business combination. As a result, we would need only approximately 6,562,501 public shares, or approximately 37.5% of the 17,500,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a transaction in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming (i) the over-allotment option is not exercised and all shares were present and voted at the meeting, (ii) 656,250 founder shares have been forfeited and (iii) there are 4,375,000 founder shares outstanding) or 1,093,751, or 6.25%, of the 17,500,000 public shares (assuming (i) the over-allotment option is not exercised and the minimum number of shares were present and voted at the meeting, (ii) 656,250 founder shares have been forfeited and (iii) there are 4,375,000 founder shares outstanding).

None of our Founder, executive officers, directors, or their affiliates has indicated any intention to purchase units or shares of Common Stock in this offering or from persons in the open market or in private transactions. However, if we hold a meeting to approve a proposed business combination and a significant number of stockholders vote, or indicate an intention to vote, against such proposed business combination, our Founder, executive officers, directors, or their affiliates could make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions in order to influence the vote. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our Founder, executive officers, directors, and their affiliates will not make purchases of shares of Common Stock if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act, which are rules designed to stop potential manipulation of a company’s stock.

Redemption Rights

At any meeting called to approve an initial business combination, public stockholders (but not our initial stockholders or the underwriters) may seek to redeem their shares of Common Stock, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, by converting such shares into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, less any taxes then due but not yet paid (which taxes may be paid only from the interest earned on the funds in the trust account, net of taxes). Alternatively, we may provide our public stockholders (but not our initial stockholders or the underwriters) with the opportunity to sell their shares of Common Stock to us through a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, less any taxes then due but not yet paid.

 

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We may also require public stockholders seeking redemption, whether they are a record holder or hold their shares in “street name,” to either (i) tender their certificates to our transfer agent or (ii) deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, in each case prior to a date set forth in the proxy materials sent in connection with the proposal to approve the business combination.

There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced delivery process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker $45.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the holder. This fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to do so prior to the time that we know that the proposed business combination will be consummated. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated. Thus, in the event we require stockholders seeking to exercise redemption rights to deliver their shares prior to the consummation of the proposed business combination and the proposed business combination is not consummated, this may result in an increased cost to stockholders.

Any proxy solicitation materials we furnish to stockholders in connection with a vote for any proposed business combination will indicate whether we are requiring stockholders to satisfy such certification and delivery requirements. Accordingly, a stockholder would have from the time the stockholder received our proxy statement up until the time designated in the proxy statement to deliver his, her or its shares if he, she or it wishes to seek to exercise his, her or its redemption rights. This time period varies depending on the specific facts of each transaction. However, as the delivery process can be accomplished by the stockholder, whether or not he, she or it is a record holder or his, her or its shares are held in “street name,” in a matter of hours by simply contacting the transfer agent or his, her or its broker and requesting delivery of his her or its shares through the DWAC System, we believe this time period is sufficient for an average investor. However, we cannot assure you of this fact. Please see the risk factor titled “We will require public stockholders who wish to redeem their shares of Common Stock in connection with a proposed business combination to comply with specific requirements for redemption that may make it more difficult for them to exercise their redemption rights prior to the deadline for exercising their rights” for further information on the risks of failing to comply with these requirements.

The foregoing is different from the procedures historically used by some blank check companies. Traditionally, in order to perfect redemption rights in connection with a blank check company’s business combination, the company would distribute proxy materials for the stockholder’s 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, her or its redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such stockholder to arrange for him, her or it to deliver his, her or its certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the stockholder then had an “option window” after the consummation of the business combination during which he, she or it could monitor the price of the company’s stock in the market. If the price rose above the conversion price, he could sell his, her or its shares in the open market before actually delivering his, her or its shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which stockholders were aware they needed to commit before the stockholder meeting, would become a “continuing” right surviving past the consummation of the business combination until the holder delivered his, her or its certificate or shares. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a holder’s election to convert his, her or its shares is irrevocable once the business combination is approved.

Any request to redeem such shares once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the vote on the proposed business combination. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered his, her or its certificate in connection with an election of such shares’ redemption and subsequently decides prior to the vote on the proposed business combination not to elect to exercise such rights, he, she or it may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate or shares (physically or electronically).

 

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If the 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 (net of taxes payable) as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates or shares delivered by public holders. Furthermore, if the initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public stockholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights will not be entitled to convert their shares into a full pro rata portion of the trust account (net of taxes payable and less $100,000 for dissolution expenses), as applicable. We will thereafter promptly return any shares delivered by public stockholders. In such case, public stockholders may only share in the assets of the trust account upon our liquidation. This may result in public stockholders receiving less than they would have received if the business combination was completed and they had exercised redemption rights in connection therewith due to potential claims of creditors. If we would be left with less than $5,000,001 of net tangible assets as a result of the holders of public shares properly demanding redemption of their shares, we will likely be unable to consummate a business combination.

Liquidation if No Initial Business Combination

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we will have only 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period to consummate a business combination. If we have not completed an initial business combination by such date, 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 100% of the outstanding public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, (less up to $100,000 of such net interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholder’s 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, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

Our initial stockholders and the underwriters have agreed (pursuant to written letter agreements with us filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part) that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that would stop our public stockholders from converting or selling their shares of Common Stock to us in connection with a business combination or affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete a business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Common Stock upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, net of franchise and income taxes payable, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. This redemption right shall apply in the event of the approval of any such amendment, whether proposed by our Founder, any executive officer, director or director nominee, or any other person.

Under the Delaware General Corporate Law (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 100% of our outstanding public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period may be considered a liquidation 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 (net of taxes payable, and less $100,000 for dissolution expenses) distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of 100% of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period is not considered a liquidation distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful, 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 liquidation distribution. However, if we are unable

 

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to complete a business combination within the prescribed time frame, we will proceed as provided for in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation as described above. Accordingly, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the 24-month anniversary of the closing of this offering, and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the procedures required by Section 280 of the DGCL, which would limit the amount and duration of our stockholder’s liability with respect to liquidating distributions as described above. 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 of the DGCL, 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.

We are required to use our reasonable best efforts to have all third parties (including any vendors or other entities we engage after this offering) and any prospective target businesses enter into agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in or to any monies held in the trust account. As a result, the claims that could be made against us will be limited, thereby lessening the likelihood that any claim would result in any liability extending to the trust. We therefore believe that any necessary provision for creditors will be reduced and should not have a significant impact on our ability to distribute the funds in the trust account (net of taxes and less $100,000 for dissolution expenses) to our public stockholders. Nevertheless, we cannot assure you of this fact as there is no guarantee that vendors, service providers and prospective target businesses will execute such agreements. 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. Our underwriters and auditor are the only third parties we are currently aware of that may not execute a waiver. Nor is there any guarantee that, even if they execute such agreements with us, they will not seek recourse against the trust account.

We anticipate notifying the trustee of the trust account to begin liquidating such assets promptly after such date and anticipate it will take no more than ten business days to effectuate such distribution. Our initial stockholders and the underwriters have waived their rights to participate in any liquidation distribution with respect to the founder shares and the private units. There will be no distribution from the trust account with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless. We will pay the costs of any subsequent liquidation from our remaining assets outside of the trust account and the interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that we are permitted to withdraw to pay such expenses.

If we are unable to complete an initial business combination and expend all of the net proceeds of this offering, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the initial per-share redemption price would be $10.15. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to claims of our creditors that are in preference to the claims of public stockholders.

Our public stockholders shall be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only in the event of our failure to complete a business combination within the required time period or if the stockholders seek to have us redeem or purchase their respective shares upon a business combination which is actually completed by us or upon certain amendments to our charter documents as described elsewhere herein. In no other circumstances, shall a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.

Our initial stockholders and the underwriters will not participate in any redemption distribution from our trust account with respect to their founder shares, insider shares and private units. Additionally, any loans made by our officers, directors, sponsors or their affiliates for working capital needs will be forgiven and not repaid if we are unable to complete an initial business combination.

 

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If we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy 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 make any assurance of the amount we will be able to return to our public stockholders.

If we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which is not dismissed, any distributions received by stockholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover all amounts received by our stockholders. Furthermore, because we intend to distribute the proceeds held in the trust account to our public stockholders promptly after 15 months or any applicable Extension Period from the date of this prospectus, this may be viewed or interpreted as giving preference to our public stockholders over any potential creditors with respect to access to or distributions from our assets. Furthermore, our Board of Directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties 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.

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the consummation of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of a majority of our stockholders. If we seek to amend any provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that would stop our public stockholders from converting or selling their shares to us in connection with a business combination or affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete a business combination within 15 months or any applicable Extension Period from the closing of this offering, we will provide dissenting public stockholders with the opportunity to convert their public shares in connection with any such vote. This redemption right shall apply in the event of the approval of any such amendment, whether proposed by our Founder, any executive officer, director or director nominee, or any other person. Our initial stockholders and the underwriters have agreed to waive any redemption rights with respect to any Common Stock held by them, including any public shares they may hold in connection with any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Specifically, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides, among other things, that:

 

 

we shall either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial 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 the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), or (2) provide our stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described herein;

 

 

we will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and, if we seek stockholder approval, a majority of the shares of Common Stock voted at a stockholder meeting are voted in favor of the business combination;

 

 

if our initial business combination is not consummated within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, then we will redeem all of the outstanding public shares and thereafter liquidate and dissolve the Company;

 

 

upon the consummation of this offering, $177,625,000, or approximately $204,268,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, shall be placed into the trust account; and

 

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prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional stock that participates in any manner in the proceeds of the trust account, or that votes as a class with the Common Stock sold in this offering on any matter.

Competition

In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources than us and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. Although we believe there may be numerous potential target businesses that we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering, our ability to compete in acquiring certain sizable target businesses may be limited by our available financial resources.

The following also may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses:

 

   

our obligation to seek stockholder approval of a business combination or engage in a tender offer may delay the completion of a transaction;

 

   

our obligation to convert or repurchase shares of Common Stock held by our public stockholders may reduce the resources available to us for a business combination; and

 

   

our outstanding warrants and unit purchase options, and the potential future dilution they represent.

Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. Our management believes, however, that our status as a public entity and potential access to the United States public equity markets may give us a competitive advantage over privately held entities having a similar business objective as ours in acquiring a target business with significant growth potential on favorable terms.

If we succeed in effecting a business combination, there will be, in all likelihood, intense competition from competitors of the target business. We cannot assure you that, subsequent to a business combination, we will have the resources or ability to compete effectively.

Facilities

We currently maintain our principal executive offices at 1900 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036. The cost for this space is included in the $8,750 per-month aggregate fee our Sponsor will charge us for general and administrative services commencing on the date of this prospectus pursuant to a letter agreement between us and Henley Park Capital, LLC. We believe, based on rents and fees for similar services in the Washington, DC Area, that the fee charged by our Sponsor is at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an unaffiliated person. We consider our current office space, combined with the other office space otherwise available to our executive officers, adequate for our current operations.

Employees

We have three executive officers. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for the business combination and the stage of the business combination process the Company is in. Accordingly, once a suitable target business to acquire has been located, management will spend more time investigating such target business and negotiating and processing the business combination (and consequently spend more time on our affairs) than had been spent prior to locating a suitable target business. We presently expect our executive officers to devote such amount of time as they reasonably believe is necessary to our business. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the consummation of a business combination.

 

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Periodic Reporting and Audited Financial Statements

We have registered our units, 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, our annual report will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accountants.

We will provide stockholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of any proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents sent to stockholders to assist them in assessing the target business. These financial statements will need to be prepared in accordance with or reconciled to GAAP or IFRS. We cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential acquisition candidate will have the necessary financial statements. To the extent that this requirement cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business.

We may be required to have our internal control procedures audited for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. A target company 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.

Legal Proceedings

There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team.

MANAGEMENT

Officers, Directors and Director Nominees

Our officers, directors and director nominees are as follows:

 

Name   

Age

  

Position

Miguel Payan

   51   

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Robert Haywood

   60   

President and Chief Financial Officer

Leighton Carroll

   51   

Director Nominee

Michael Pietropola

   59   

Director Nominee

Garnet S. Heraman

   56   

Director Nominee

Mr. Miguel Payan is our Chief Executive Officer and Director. Mr. Payan has more than 25 years of mobility, strategy, technology and executive experience. Mr. Payan previously was a Ford (NYSE: F) Smart Mobility Senior Executive. Ford Smart Mobility is a Palo Alto, California-based company that was formed to design, build, grow and invest in emerging mobility services. At Ford Smart Mobility, Mr. Payan acquired commercial solutions, micro-transit, micro-mobility, and cloud-based software businesses, and created new ones, such as the non-emergency medical transportation business. This organic and inorganic business development grew the mobility portfolio exponentially. Specifically, he was responsible for the acquisition of Spin, a provider of dock-less mobility systems intended to offer station-less electric scooter sharing option. Mr. Payan was also integral in the Ford Mobility investment that enabled ClimaCell (now Tomorro.io) secure $45M in its series B funding. Tomorrow.io is a developer of a hyper-local weather forecasting platform. While at Ford, he also led the acquisition of Autonomic, an open mobility cloud-based platform designed to provide the platform with the necessary building blocks for smart mobility applications and services. The company’s Transportation Mobility Cloud connects the diverse components of today’s urban mobility systems including connected vehicles, mass transit, pedestrians, city infrastructure and service providers with the goal of orchestrating a safer, more efficient and sustainable transportation network by routing self-driving cars, managing large-scale fleets and helping residents plan transit journeys. Mr. Payan also led the Transloc acquisition. Transloc develops transit technologies designed to deliver flexible and micro transit traveling experiences. He also has broad Board of Director experience. He has served on the Board of Advisors for EdgeConneX, a provider of highly proximate, high-powered, purpose-built data centers, prior to the their $3B acquisition by the global private equity firm, EQT. Along with serving as a board member, he

 

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has also engaged full time with EdgeConneX to develop its strategy for the far-edge micro-data center play to support autonomous vehicle deployment, as well as to develop its EV charging infrastructure market entry strategy. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for SHIFT5, a cybersecurity and data analytics company that focuses on preventing and resolving bad-actor intrusions in military and commercial vehicles. He also advised on several other companies that were acquired by large conglomerates. He advised on SmartThings, which was acquired by Samsung; Intelligrated which was acquired by Honeywell and Resideo which Honeywell divested from. While at Samsung, he created the ARTIK IoT platform business, which delivers device-to-cloud security for companies to build, develop and manage secure, interoperable, and intelligent IoT products and services for everything from smart homes to high-tech factories. Mr. Payan is a highly insightful strategic and analytical senior executive with international, multi-industry experience, specializing in strategy and strategic planning, digital transformation, program and project management, user engagement, idea commercialization, RPA & continuous improvement, trends analysis, and risk assessment. Beyond the vast experience as detailed above, Mr. Payan’s work experience also includes time at Capital One (NYSE: COF), Honeywell International (NASD: HON), Samsung and McKinsey & Company. He has a proven track record of creating new mission-oriented businesses and successfully taking them to market. Along with serving as a senior-level adviser, providing clients the insights needed to capture opportunities. Finally, he is a dedicated and driven leader who fosters bottom-line impact through innovation and digital customer engagement. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from The University Illinois and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

Robert Haywood is our President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Haywood has more than 35 years of executive, strategy, and consumer experience. Mr. Haywood is well-regarded in the C-suite space having successfully scaled several businesses and led 5 private equity exits via maximizing brand value, consumer centricity, performance management, and data science utilizing advanced analytics to drive profitable growth through innovations in consumer and customer engagement. He has been a strategic team leader with an outstanding record for building strong teams, organizational development, and stakeholder alliances with P&L responsibility ranging from $25M to $3.5B and organizations as large as 800 professionals.

Formerly, he led a team as Chief Revenue Officer that acquired CoverGirl and Max Factor for $3.2B. He also led an acquisition team that executed 7 acquisition initiatives including the acquisition of Camay, Zest, Walgreens.com, and Avon with economic values ranging from $14M to $2.5B. He also advised on the launching of a SPAC Legacy Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: LGC) and its $300M IPO. He also led operations of a Private Equity portfolio company as President growing revenue from $30M to +$100M and 40% EBITDA. There he led investment and acquisition of three follow-on acquisitions for ZT Wealth / ZT Corporate which successfully exited to a strategic buyer. While President, he developed dual-go-to-market strategy accelerating customer acquisition +40%. He achieved that through utilizing Advanced Data Analytics to identify and target high need customers and increasing average returns from 1.5x to 4.5x. He also increased the average client contribution from 7 fold. He also recruited a national sales and marketing organization utilizing a strategic combination of internal contract sales organization, and broker organizations.

Prior to serving as a President, he was a Vice President of Global Consumer Engagement, Sales and Marketing, Global Marketing at Mattel (NASD: MAT). There, he led global consumer engagement for Mattel Brands, Fisher Price, HIT Entertainment, and American Girl across all consumer spending totaling $1B. He directed development of all consumer activity and touch points in retail and online promotions, TV, digital marketing, social media, content creation and entertainment, live events, and eCommerce. While an executive at Mattel, he rose from VP of International Marketing where he led the development of regional commercial programming, eCommerce and online strategy, digital marketing, insights, TV media, and marketing assets. Then he became VP of Global Marketing where he managed global marketing infrastructure, assets, eCommerce merchandising strategy, SEO merchandising strategy, and social media content localization.

Mr. Haywood was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EBD Soft, Inc., North America. As CEO, he led the global expansion of the European based web application company. He also launched its US operations by developing a strategic direction to ensure successful global expansion. Specifically, he repositioned the product platform and established consultancy resulting in significant customer acquisitions and +40% of total US revenue. He was also EVP, Global Sales and Business Development for NTR Global. There, he led enterprise sales, global partnerships and strategic alliances for a provider of Cloud based remote support solutions with operations in 61 countries (B2C, B2B, Enterprise). It was acquired by ASG Software. He also expanded global operations, establishing new global accounts and strategic partnerships resulting in an 18% increase in revenue.

He was also EVP, Sales-Business Development for Amphire Solutions/ iTradeNetwork, Inc. As EVP, he led marketing, sales, and business development activities for a supply chain solution provider. It was acquired by Accel-KKR. As EVP, he increased monthly transactions 20% to $1B and increased customer acquisition 35% via implementation of new go-to-market strategy and introduction of valued added services. He also developed the Industry’s 1st Foodservice database and negotiated sale to NPD. Mr. Haywood was the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Big Foot Giant Tire Company. As CEO he led operations of retail sales and repairs of giant tires for large equipment servicing the construction and mining industries. He also negotiated an exit to a strategic buyer achieving targeted investor return. He also led acquisition of new customers including Fortune 500 industry leaders including Kiewit Corporation and Michelin Tires increasing revenue +260%. Mr. Haywood was also the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) ClearPath Technology. At ClearPath, he led development of the business model, product functionality, and marketing plan of the SaaS provider of Cloud Based Big Data Analytics and Business Intelligence for the FMCG/CPG industry. The system provided advanced analytics for marketing mix optimization, ROI contribution, insights, and resource allocation and planning. He also negotiated exit to a strategic partner.

He was a Vice President and Managing Director at AC NIELSEN (NYSE: NLSN) where he led all sales, marketing, and consulting services efforts in ACNielsen’s Western Area. There he spearheaded product development / customization and the identification of strategies to market ACNielsen syndicated products and software applications to retailers and manufacturers in marketing, sales, trade marketing, and marketing research functions to address client business issues. He also was a Vice President for Marketing & Sales at Upper Deck. There he was responsible for all marketing, sales, and merchandising efforts, while also repositioning the brand and category while increasing sales and profits by over 150% and distribution into 700 new outlets. Mr. Haywood has broad management experience from his time as a Brand Manager at Quaker Oats and Kraft Foods, where he led all customer, consumer, trade marketing efforts. Mr. Haywood also played in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and USFL for the Philadelphia Stars. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for Corsa System, a Silicon Valley, CA based leading provider of SSL/TLS encrypted data inspection services for high capacity networks delivered as a private cloud service. Mr. Haywood received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Princeton University and Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chicago, Booth Graduate School of Business.

 

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Leighton Carroll will be one of our directors upon the effective date of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Carroll has more than 25 years of technology experience including leading the development of wireless networks, engineering, and software companies. Mr. Carroll is the President of QuadGen Wireless Solutions, Inc., a national telecommunications services engineering firm. Under Mr. Carroll’s leadership, since joining in 2016, the business has seen significant growth through customer and service diversification, most recently obtaining back-to-back growth rates in excess of 30% annually. Prior to QuadGen Wireless, Mr. Carroll was the Chief Executive Officer of Squan Holdings where he transformed a NY metro wireless construction firm into a wireless and transport engineering and delivery company with 11 offices in 10 states. Mr. Carroll is also the former CEO of WMS where he grew the private equity backed business from $3 million in revenue to $100 million in 3 years through both organic and inorganic growth including international expansion. Before serving as the CEO of WMS, Mr. Carroll was a Merger and Integration executive for AT&T (NYSE: T). While there, he was part of the team that most recently completed the Cricket and Alltel acquisitions which included the launch of the New Cricket brand nationally. Other notable AT&T accomplishments included seeing AT&T win the JD Powers award as an executive leader during the customer service transformation, leading the country in attainment as a VP-GM and representing the company worldwide while running international operations for wireless technology. Mr. Carroll graduated from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). He also has an executive education from Harvard Business School, the Wharton Business School and the MIT Sloan School of Business. Mr. Carroll is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors given his extensive management history of leading wireless networks, engineering, and software companies.

Michael Pietropola will be one of our directors upon the effective date of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Pietropola has more than 37 years of experience in the technology and telecommunications industry. Mr. Pietropola is the President of Pietropola Consulting LLC. Most recently, he stepped down as a four-year Board of Directors member of InSite Wireless Group following its $3.5 billion acquisition by American Tower (NYSE: AMT) in December 2020. Prior to joining the board of InSite, Mr. Pietropola was an executive at AT&T (NYSE:T). There, Mr. Pietropola was the Vice President of Construction and Engineering for the Southeast region. As a regional Vice President, he was responsible for an annual budget in excess of $3 billion dollars. That budget focused on the deployment of the wireless and wireline outside infrastructure. Mr. Pietropola held the title of Vice President of Network Service until Cingular became AT&T after Southwestern Bell acquired Bellsouth in 2007. He held senior positions overseeing the core network design and implementation in preparation for the first iPhone launch and subsequent exponential growth of the new generation smart phones. Mr. Pietropola played an integral role in the creation of Cingular Wireless—a joint venture between BellSouth and Southwestern Bell wireless companies. He helped build a world-class wireless network operations organization and oversaw the development of standards and policies to ensure consistent practices throughout the nationwide network. He was one of two board members representing Cingular in a joint venture between Cingular and T-Mobile, which combined network operations in California and New York City from 2001 until the deal was absolved in 2004. He also served as a special advisor for Pensare Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that completed the business combination of American Virtual Cloud Technologies (NASDAQ: AVCT). Mr. Pietropola graduated from Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. He sits on the visiting executive committee for the Swanson School at the University of Pittsburgh.    In 2016, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh honored him with its distinguished alumni award. Mr. Pietropola is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of his significant professional experience in varied roles within the technology and telecommunications industry.

Garnet S. Heraman will be one of our directors upon the effective date of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Heraman has over 25 years of experience as a multistage investor at the intersection of innovation, diversity and technology. Currently, Mr. Heraman is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Aperture VC, a $100M fintech and diversity fund backed by Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) Truist (NYSE: TFC), PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) and FIS (NYSE: FIS). He is also Chairman of FUEL OZ.Capital, an opportunity zone sponsor building an e-sports innovation center in Atlanta, GA. Previously, he was a Co-Founder of Aegis Investment Partners, a private equity group specializing in growth capital for Corporate Venture Capital deals. He is an investor or board member of numerous ventures including: Iryss Financial, Gather Voices, Gizer.io, Empyreal Logistics, GivKwik, Candy Lab AR, Dynepic, playPORTAL, Makomi and Biba. He also is Chairman of the mission-driven ecommerce company, Karina Dresses. Mr. Heraman’s non-profit work includes the Brookings Institute (business roundtable advisor); the Columbia Venture Community; TiE New York, where he was a founding board member (1999-2001); The CORO Foundation, which named him to their prestigious Leadership New York Program (2000-1) and; Rhizome.org, the world’s first digital art space on the web (1996). He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Columbia University, Masters of Science in Econometrics from the London School of Economics and a Masters in Business Administration from the NYU Stern School of Business. Mr. Heraman is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors given his extensive management history of investing and growing both large and small technology-enabled companies.

 

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Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors

Our board of directors will consist of 3 members and is divided into 3 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 NYSE 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 the NYSE. The term of office of the first class of director, consisting of Leighton Carroll, will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the second class of director, consisting of Garnet S. Herman, will expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the third class of director, consisting of Michael Pietropola, will expire at the third annual meeting of stockholders.

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.

Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint officers as it deems appropriate pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.

 

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Director Independence

The rules of the NYSE require that a majority of our board of directors be independent within one year of our initial public offering. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person who, in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, has no material relationship with the listed company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the company). Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect to have 3 “independent directors” as defined in the NYSE rules and applicable SEC rules prior to completion of this offering. Our board of directors has determined that Leighton Carroll, Garnet S. Heraman and Michael Pietropola are independent directors as defined in the NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.

Executive Officer and Director Compensation

None of our executive officers or directors have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Commencing on the date that our securities are first listed on the NYSE through the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation, we will pay our sponsor and its affiliates $10,000 per month for office space and secretarial and administrative services provided to members of our management team. In addition, our sponsor, 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. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or our or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made from funds held outside the trust account. Other than quarterly audit committee review of such reimbursements, we do not expect to have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors and executive officers for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with our activities on our behalf in connection with identifying and consummating an initial business combination. Other than these payments and reimbursements, no compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid by us to our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers or directors, or any affiliate of our sponsor or executive officers prior to, or any affiliate of our sponsor or executive officers, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination.

After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to 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 directors or 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 will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.

We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our 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 consummation 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

Upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our board of directors will have three standing committees: an audit committee; a compensation committee; and a nominating and corporate governance committee. Both our audit committee and our compensation committee will be composed solely of independent directors. Subject to phase-in rules, the rules of NYSE and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act

 

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require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors, and the rules of NYSE require that the compensation committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Each committee will operate under a charter that will be approved by our board of directors and will have the composition and responsibilities described below. The charter of each committee will be available on our website following the closing of this offering.

Audit Committee

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish an audit committee of the board of directors. Michael Pietropola, Garnet S. Heraman and Leighton Carroll will serve as members of our audit committee, and Leighton Carroll will chair the audit committee. Under the NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least three members of the audit committee, all of whom must be independent. Each of Michael Pietropola, Garnet S. Heraman and Leighton Carroll meet the independent director standard under the NYSE listing standards and under Rule 10A-3(b)(1) under the Exchange Act.

Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that Michael Pietropola qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules and has accounting or related financial management expertise.

We will adopt an audit committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the audit committee, including:

 

   

assisting board oversight of (1) the integrity of our financial statements, (2) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (3) our independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, and (4) the performance of our internal audit function and independent registered public accounting firm; the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent auditors and any other independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us;

 

   

pre-approving all audit and non-audit services to be provided by the independent auditors or any other registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing pre-approval policies and procedures; reviewing and discussing with the independent registered public accounting firm all relationships the auditors have with us in order to evaluate their continued independence;

 

   

setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent registered public accounting firm describing (1) the independent registered public accounting firm’s internal quality-control procedures and (2) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the audit firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues;

 

   

meeting to review and discuss our annual audited financial statements and quarterly financial statements with management and the independent auditor, including reviewing our specific disclosures under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”; reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; and

 

   

reviewing with management, the independent registered public accounting firm, and our legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC or other regulatory authorities.

 

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Compensation Committee

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a compensation committee of the board of directors. Garnet S. Heraman and Leighton Carroll will serve as members of our compensation committee. Garnet S. Heraman will chair the compensation committee. Under the NYSE 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. Garnet S. Heraman and Leighton Carroll are independent.

We will adopt a compensation committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:

 

   

reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer based on such evaluation;

 

   

reviewing and making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to the compensation, and any incentive compensation and equity based plans that are subject to board approval of all of our other officers;

 

   

reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans;

 

   

implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;

 

   

assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;

 

   

approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our officers and employees;

 

   

producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and

 

   

reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, as indicated above, other than the payment to our sponsor and its affiliates of $10,000 per month, for up to 15 months or any applicable Extension Period, for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support provided to members of our management team and reimbursement of expenses, no compensation of any kind, including finder’s fees or consulting fees, will be paid to any of our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers or directors, or any affiliate of our sponsor or executive officers, prior to, or for any services they render determining executive officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our executive officers in order to effectuate, the completion of our 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.

The charter will also provide that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, independent legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by the NYSE and the SEC.

 

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Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a nominating and corporate governance committee of the board of directors. The members of our nominating and corporate governance committee will be Garnet S. Heraman and Michael Pietropola. Michael Pietropola will serve as chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee. Under the NYSE listing standards, all the directors on the nominating and corporate governance committee must be independent.

We will adopt a nominating and corporate governance committee charter, which will detail the purpose and responsibilities of the nominating and corporate governance committee, including:

 

   

identifying, screening and reviewing individuals qualified to serve as directors, consistent with criteria approved by the board of directors, and recommending to the board of directors candidates for nomination for appointment at the annual general meeting or to fill vacancies on the board of directors;

 

   

developing and recommending to the board of directors and overseeing implementation of our corporate governance guidelines;

 

   

coordinating and overseeing the annual self-evaluation of the board of directors, its committees, individual directors and management in the governance of the company; and

 

   

reviewing on a regular basis our overall corporate governance and recommending improvements as and when necessary.

The charter will also provide that the nominating and corporate governance committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of, and terminate, any search firm to be used to identify director candidates, and will be directly responsible for approving the search firm’s fees and other retention terms.

We have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, the board of directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our stockholders. Prior to our initial business combination, holders of our public shares will not have the right to recommend director candidates for nomination to our board of directors.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of our executive officers currently serves, 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.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. We will file a copy of our form of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and our audit committee and compensation committee charters as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. You will be able to review this document by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and the charters of the committees will be provided without charge upon request from us. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find Additional Information.” If we make any amendments to our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics other than technical, administrative or other non-substantive amendments, or grant any waiver, including any implicit waiver, from a provision of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing similar functions requiring disclosure under applicable SEC or NYSE rules, we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on our website. The information included on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus or in any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to our website are intended to be inactive textual references only.

 

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Conflicts of Interest

In general, officers and directors of a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware are required to present business opportunities to a corporation if:

 

   

the corporation could financially undertake the opportunity;

 

   

the opportunity is within the corporation’s line of business; and

 

   

it would not be fair to our company and its stockholders for the opportunity not to be brought to the attention of the corporation.

Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to another entity pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then- current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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 the 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. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.

Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our executive officers and directors currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations:

 

Individual

  

Entity

  

Entity’s Business

  

Affiliation

Miguel Payan

  

Henley Park Capital

  

Holding Company

  

Affiliate

Robert Haywood

  

Henley Park Capital

  

Holding Company

  

Affiliate

Leighton Carroll

  

Baylin Technologies, Inc.

  

Technology Company

  

None

Michael Pietropola

  

Pietropola Consulting, LLC

  

Consulting Firm

  

None

Garnet S. Heraman

  

AVC 2021 Fund, LP

  

Venture Capital Fund

  

None

Garnet S. Heraman

  

Karina Designs Inc.

  

E-Commerce Company

  

None

Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:

 

   

Our executive officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for a business combination and their other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Each of our executive officers is engaged in several other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation, and our executive officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs.

 

   

Our initial stockholders purchased founder shares prior to the date of this prospectus and will purchase private placement warrants in a transaction that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers and directors have entered into agreements with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares they hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Additionally, our initial stockholders, sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame or any Extension Period. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, the private placement warrants will expire worthless. Furthermore, our initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earlier to occur of: (i) one year after the completion of our initial business

 

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combination and (ii) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their common stock for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, the founder shares will be released from the lockup. Subject to certain limited exceptions, the private placement warrants will not be transferable until 30 days following the completion of our initial business combination.

 

   

Our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or a valuation or appraisal firm, that such initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context. Furthermore, in no event will our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers or directors, or any affiliate of our sponsor or executive officers prior to, be paid by us any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination. Further, commencing on the date our securities are first listed on the NYSE, we will also pay our sponsor and its affiliates $10,000 per month for office space and secretarial and administrative services provided to members of our management team.

We cannot assure you that any of the above-mentioned conflicts will be resolved in our favor.

In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, our initial stockholders have agreed to vote their founder shares, and they and the other members of our management team have agreed to vote any founder shares they hold and any shares purchased during or after the offering in favor of our initial business combination.

Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that our officers and directors will be indemnified by us to the fullest extent authorized by Delaware law, as it now exists or may in the future be amended. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that each of our directors will not be personally liable for monetary damages to us or our stockholders for breaches of his or her fiduciary duty as a director, unless he or she violated his or her duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders, acted in bad faith, knowingly or intentionally violated the law, authorized unlawful payments of dividends, unlawful stock purchases or unlawful redemptions, or derived an improper personal benefit from his or her actions as a director.

We will enter into agreements with our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Our bylaws also will permit us to secure insurance on behalf of any officer, director or employee for any liability arising out of his or her actions, regardless of whether Delaware law would permit such indemnification. We will purchase a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors. Except with respect to any public shares they may acquire in this offering or thereafter (in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination), our officers and directors have agreed to waive (and any other persons who may become an officer or director prior to the initial business combination will also be required to waive) any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account, and not to seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever, including with respect to such indemnification.

 

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These provisions may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. Furthermore, a stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.

We believe that these provisions, the directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers and directors.

 

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PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of the date of this prospectus, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our Class A common stock included in the units offered by this prospectus, and assuming no purchase of units in this offering, by:

 

   

each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock;

 

   

each of our executive officers, directors and director nominees; 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. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants, as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.

On June 10, 2021, our sponsor paid $25,000 to purchase 5,031,250 founder shares, or approximately $0.005 per share. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by the sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 20,125,000 units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full and, therefore, that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering (excluding shares underlying the private placement warrants). Up to 656,250 of the founder shares may be forfeited depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment is exercised. The post-offering percentages in the following table assume that the underwriter does not exercise the over-allotment option, that our initial stockholders have forfeited 656,250 founder shares, and that there are 21,875,000 shares of common stock issued and outstanding after this offering.

 

     BEFORE OFFERING     AFTER OFFERING  

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)

   Number of Shares
Beneficially
Owned(2)(3)
     Approximate
Percentage of
Outstanding
Common Stock
    Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned(2)(4)
     Approximate
Percentage of
Outstanding
Common Stock
 

Henley Park Sponsor Group I LLC (our sponsor)(5)

     5,031,250        100.0     4,375,000        20.0

Henley Park Capital LLC(5)

     5,031,250        100.0     4,375,000        20.0

Miguel Payan(6)

     —          —         —          —    

Robert Haywood(6)

     —          —         —          —    

Leighton Carroll(6)

     —          —         —          —    

Michael Pietropola(6)

     —          —         —          —    

Garnet S. Heraman(6)

     —          —         —          —    

All officers, directors and director nominees as a group (5 individuals)

     —          —         —          —    

 

(1)

Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following is c/o Henley Park Acquisition Corp., 1900 M St., NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036.

(2)

Interests shown consist solely of founder shares, classified as Class B common stock. Such shares will automatically convert into Class A common stock in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment, as described in the section entitled “Description of Securities.”

(3)

Includes up to an aggregate of 656,250 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over- allotment option is exercised.

(4)

Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the forfeiture by our sponsor of an aggregate of 656,250 founder shares.

(5)

Henley Park Sponsor Group I LLC, our sponsor, is the record holder of shares of Class B common stock reported herein. Our sponsor is controlled by Henley Park Capital LLC, and has voting and investment discretion with respect to the securities held by our sponsor. Henley Park Capital LLC is managed by Messrs. Curtis Ofori and Otis Ofori. Each of Messrs. Ofori and Ofori may be deemed to share dispositive power over the securities held by directly by our sponsor, and thus, may be deemed to be the beneficial owners of these securities. Each of Henley Park Capital LLC, Mr. Curtis Ofori and Mr. Otis Ofori disclaim beneficial ownership of any securities held by our sponsor except to the extent of person’s pecuniary interest therein.

(6)

Does not include any shares indirectly owned by this individual as a result of his direct or indirect membership interest in our sponsor.

Immediately after this offering, our initial stockholders will beneficially own 20% of the then issued and outstanding common stock (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering and not including the shares of Class A common stock underlying the private placement warrants). 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 amended and restated certificate of incorporation and approval of significant corporate transactions including our initial business combination.

 

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Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 7,300,000 private placement warrants or 8,087,500 warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full, at a price of $1.00 per warrant, or $7,300,000 in the aggregate (or $8,087,500 in the aggregate if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), and Maxim Group LLC, the representative of the underwriters, who we sometimes refer to as the representative, has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 875,000 private placement warrants (or 1,006,250 private placement warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, at a price of $1.00 per warrant, or $875,000 in the aggregate (or $1,006,250 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full). Each private placement warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share. A portion of the purchase price of the private placement warrants will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account such that at the time of closing of this offering $177,625,000 (or $204,268,750 if the underwriter exercises its over-allotment option in full) will be held in the trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, the private placement warrants will expire worthless. The private placement warrants will be subject to the transfer restrictions described below. The private placement warrants will not be redeemable by us so long as they are held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees (except as described under “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Stockholder’s Warrants — Redemption of warrants for Class A common stock”). The initial purchasers, or their permitted transferees, have the option to exercise the private placement warrants on a cashless basis. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than initial purchasers or their permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering. Otherwise, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the units in this offering.

Our sponsor and our executive officers and directors are deemed to be our “promoters” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws.

Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants

The founder shares, private placement warrants and any shares of Class A common stock issued upon exercise thereof are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in the agreements entered into by our initial stockholders, officers and directors. Those lock-up provisions provide that such securities are not transferable or salable: (i) in the case of the founder shares, until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to our initial business combination, the closing price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination and (B) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property; and (ii) in the case of the private placement warrants and the shares of Class A common stock underlying such warrants, until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination except for, in case of both the founder’s shares and private placement warrants, any transfer or assignment (or deemed transfer or assignment): (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliate or family member of any of our officers or directors, any affiliate of our sponsor or to any member or partner of the sponsor or any of their affiliates; (b) in the case of an individual, as a gift to such person’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of such person’s immediate family, an affiliate of such person or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of such person; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) by private sales or transfers made in connection with any forward purchase agreement or similar arrangement or in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the shares or warrants were originally purchased; (f) by virtue of applicable law or our sponsor’s organizational documents upon liquidation or dissolution of our sponsor; (g) in the event of our liquidation prior to our consummation of our initial business combination; or (h) in the event that, subsequent to our consummation of an initial business combination, we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (f), each permitted transferee must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and the other restrictions contained in the letter agreement.

Registration Rights

The holders of the (i) founder shares, which were issued in a private placement prior to the closing of this offering, (ii) private placement warrants, which will be issued in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering, and the shares of Class A common stock underlying such private placement warrants and (iii) private placement warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans, and the shares of Class A common stock underlying such private placement warrants, will have registration rights to

 

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require us to register a sale of any of our securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. Pursuant to the registration rights agreement and assuming the underwriter exercises its over-allotment option in full and $1,500,000 of working capital loans are converted into private placement warrants, we will be obligated to register up to 15,625,000 shares of Class A common stock and 10,593,750 warrants. The number of shares of Class A common stock includes (i) 5,031,250 shares of Class A common stock to be issued upon conversion of the founder shares, (ii) 9,093,750 shares of Class A common stock underlying the private placement warrants and (iii) 1,500,000 shares of Class A common stock underlying the private placement warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans. The number of warrants includes 9,093,750 private placement warrants and 1,500,000 private placement warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans. The holders of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

 

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

On June 10, 2021, our sponsor paid $25,000 to purchase 5,031,250 founder shares, or approximately $0.005 per share. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 20,125,000 units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full and, therefore, that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering (excluding shares underlying the private placement warrants). Up to 656,250 of the founder shares may be forfeited depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over- allotment is exercised. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of our issued and outstanding common stock upon the consummation of this offering.

Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 7,300,000 private placement warrants (or 8,087,500 warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a purchase price of $1.00 per warrant, in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share. Our initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private placement warrants, including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants (except to certain permitted transferees) until after the completion of our initial business combination. Furthermore, our initial stockholders have agreed (A) to vote the founder shares in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to convert any founder shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination or sell any private shares to us in a tender offer in connection with a proposed initial business combination, and (C) that the founder shares shall not participate in any liquidating distribution from our trust account upon winding up if a business combination is not consummated.

We currently utilize office space at 1900 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036 from our sponsor. Subsequent to the closing of this offering, we will pay our sponsor and its affiliates $10,000 per month for office space, utilities, and secretarial and administrative services provided to members of our management team. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

No compensation of any kind, including finder’s fees and consulting fees, will be paid by the company to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any affiliate of our sponsor or officers, for services rendered prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination. However, these individuals 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 potential business combination targets. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates.

Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor may loan or advance us funds of up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans and advances will be non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of December 31, 2021 or the closing of this offering.

In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required on a non-interest bearing basis. If we complete an initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be converted into warrants of the post-business-combination entity at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. Except as set forth above, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

 

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Any of the foregoing payments to our sponsor, repayments of loans from our sponsor, or others, or repayments of working capital loans prior to our initial business combination will be made using funds held outside the trust account.

After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our stockholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, furnished to our stockholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a stockholder meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.

We have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the founder shares and private placement warrants, which is described under the heading “Principal Stockholders — Registration Rights.”

Policy for Approval of Related Party Transactions

The audit committee of our board of directors will adopt a policy setting forth the policies and procedures for its review and approval or ratification of “related party transactions.” A “related party transaction” is any consummated or proposed transaction or series of transactions: (i) in which the company was or is to be a participant; (ii) the amount of which exceeds (or is reasonably expected to exceed) the lesser of $120,000 or 1% of the average of the company’s total assets at year-end for the prior two completed fiscal years in the aggregate over the duration of the transaction (without regard to profit or loss); and (iii) in which a “related party” had, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest. “Related parties” under this policy will include: (a) our directors, nominees for director or executive officers; (b) any record or beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities; (c) any immediate family member of any of the foregoing if the foregoing person is a natural person; and (d) any other person who maybe a “related person” pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act. Pursuant to the policy, the audit committee will consider (1) the relevant facts and circumstances of each related party transaction, including if the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in arm’s-length dealings with an unrelated third party, (2) the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction, (3) whether the transaction contravenes our code of ethics or other policies, (4) whether the audit committee believes the relationship underlying the transaction to be in the best interests of the company and its stockholders and (5) the effect that the transaction may have on a director’s status as an independent member of the board and on his or her eligibility to serve on the board’s committees. Management will present to the audit committee each proposed related party transaction, including all relevant facts and circumstances relating thereto. Under the policy, we may consummate related party transactions only if our audit committee approves or ratifies the transaction in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the policy. The policy will not permit any director or executive officer to participate in the discussion of, or decision concerning, a related person transaction in which he or she is the related party.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

We are a Delaware corporation and our affairs will be governed by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the DGCL. Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation which will be adopted prior to the consummation of this offering, we will be authorized to issue 400,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value each, including 380,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and 20,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, as well as 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.0001 par value each. The following description summarizes certain terms of our capital stock as set out more particularly in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.

Units

Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of Class A common stock and three-fourths of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of the shares of Company’s Class A common stock. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrant holder. For example, if a warrant holder holds three-fourths of one warrant to purchase a share of Class A common stock, such warrant will not be exercisable. Only whole warrants are exercisable. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. The Class A common stock and warrants comprising the units are expected to begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Maxim Group LLC informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the shares of Class A common stock and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into Class A common stock and warrants. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least three units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.

In no event will the Class A common stock and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at closing of this offering. We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes this audited balance sheet promptly after the completion of this offering, which closing is anticipated to take place three business days after the date of this prospectus. If the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option.

Common Stock

Prior to the date of this prospectus, there were 5,031,250 shares of Class B common stock outstanding, all of which were held of record by our initial stockholders, so that our initial stockholders will own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (assuming our initial stockholders do not purchase any units in this offering). Up to 656,250 of the founder shares may be forfeited by our initial stockholders depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment is exercised. Upon the closing of this offering, 21,875,000 of our shares of common stock will be outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 656,250 founder shares by our initial stockholders) including:

 

   

17,500,000 shares of Class A common stock underlying units issued as part of this offering; and

 

   

4,375,000 shares of Class B common stock held by our initial stockholders.

If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at 20% of our issued and outstanding common stock upon the consummation of this offering.

 

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Stockholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by stockholders. Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. 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. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended by approval of a majority of at least 90% of our Class B common stock voting in an annual meeting. Holders of Class A common stock and holders of Class B common stock will vote together as a single class on all other matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders except as required by law. Unless specified in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, or as required by applicable provisions of the DGCL or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of our shares of common stock that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our stockholders. Our board of directors is divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voted for the election of directors can elect all of the directors. Our stockholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.

Because our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 380,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, if we were to enter into a business combination, we may (depending on the terms of such a business combination) be required to increase the number of shares of Class A common stock which we are authorized to issue at the same time as our stockholders vote on the business combination to the extent we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual meeting of stockholders) serving a three-year term.

In accordance with NYSE corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on the NYSE. Under Section 211(b) of the DGCL, we are, however, required to hold an annual meeting of stockholders for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with our bylaws, unless such election is made by written consent in lieu of such a meeting. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, and thus we may not be in compliance with Section 211(b) of the DGCL, which requires an annual meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 211(c) of the DGCL. 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.

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 at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $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 underwriter. Our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares they hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Unlike many special purpose acquisition companies that hold stockholder votes and conduct proxy solicitations in conjunction with their initial business combinations and provide for related redemptions of public shares for cash upon completion of such initial business combinations even when a vote is not required by law, if a stockholder vote is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require these tender offer documents to contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination

 

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and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If, however, a stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will, like many special purpose acquisition companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of our initial business combination. However, the participation of our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates in privately-negotiated transactions (as described in this prospectus), if any, could result in the approval of our initial business combination even if a majority of our public stockholders vote, or indicate their intention to vote, against such initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding shares of common stock, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained.

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 amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides 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 redeeming its shares with respect to Excess Shares, without our prior consent. However, we would not be restricting our stockholder’s ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Our stockholder’s inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination, and such stockholders could suffer a material loss in their investment if they sell such Excess Shares on the open market. Additionally, such stockholders will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And, as a result, such stockholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose such shares would be required to sell their shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.

If we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares they hold and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholder’s founder shares, we would need 6,562,501, or 37.5%, of the 17,500,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised) or 1,093,751, or 6.25%, of the 17,500,000 public shares (assuming the minimum number of shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised). Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no 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 (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholder’s 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, 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 initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers and directors have entered into agreements with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or during any Extension Period. However, if our initial stockholders or management team acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time period.

In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the company after a business combination, our stockholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of shares, if any, having preference over the common stock. Our stockholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the

 

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common stock, except that we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash at a per share price equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.

Founder Shares

The founder shares are designated as Class B common stock and, except as described below, are identical to the shares of Class A common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, and holders of founder shares have the same stockholder rights as public stockholders, except that (i) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below, (ii) our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed (A) to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares they hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (B) to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares they hold in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (C) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or during any Extension Period, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within such time period, and (iii) the founder shares are automatically convertible into Class A common stock concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described herein and in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. If we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, our initial stockholders have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. Permitted transferees of the founder shares held by our sponsor, initial stockholders, officers and directors would be subject to the same restrictions.

The founder shares will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the total number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding after such conversion (after giving effect to any redemptions of shares of Class A common stock by public stockholders), including the total number of shares of Class A common stock issued, or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial business combination, excluding any shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities or rights exercisable for or convertible into shares of Class A common stock issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement warrants issued to our sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans, provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.

With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or salable (except to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to our initial business combination, the closing price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, and (B) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property. Up to 656,250 founder shares may be forfeited by our initial stockholders depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised.

 

 

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Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. 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. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended by approval of a majority of at least 90% of our Class B common stock voting in an annual meeting. With respect to any other matter submitted to a vote of our stockholders, including any vote in connection with our initial business combination, except as required by law, holders of our founder shares and holders of our public shares will vote together as a single class, with each share entitling the holder to one vote.

Preferred Stock

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will authorize 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock and provides that shares of preferred stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors will be authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. Our board of directors will be able to, without stockholder approval, issue shares of preferred stock with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of the common stock and could have anti-takeover effects. The ability of our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock without stockholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing management. We have no preferred shares outstanding at the date hereof. Although we do not currently intend to issue any shares of preferred stock, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future. No shares of preferred stock are being issued or registered in this offering.

Warrants

Public Stockholder’s Warrants

Each whole warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of 15 months from the closing of this offering and 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, provided in each case that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement) and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of shares of Class A common stock. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at a given time by a warrant holder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least three units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.

We will not be obligated to deliver any Class A 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 with respect to the Class A common stock underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue a share of Class A common stock upon exercise of a warrant unless the share of Class A common stock issuable upon such warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the warrants.

In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the share of Class A common stock underlying such unit.

 

 

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We have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than fifteen (15) business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. We will use our best efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the 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 sixtieth (60th) business day after the closing of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. Notwithstanding the above, if our 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, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.

Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00

Once the warrants become exercisable, we may call the warrants for redemption for cash:

 

   

in whole and not in part;

 

   

at a price of $0.01 per warrant;

 

   

upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder; and

 

   

if, and only if, the closing price of the common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “— Warrants — Public Stockholder’s Warrants — Anti-dilution adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending three trading days before we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders

We will not redeem the warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock is available throughout the 30-day redemption period. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

We have established the last of the redemption criterion discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrant holder will be entitled to exercise his, her or its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the Class A common stock may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “— Warrants — Public Stockholder’s Warrants — Anti-dilution Adjustments”) as well as the $11.50 (for whole shares) warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.

If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise its warrant to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, all holders of warrants would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average volume weighted average last reported sale price of the Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of shares of Class A common stock to be received upon exercise of the warrants, including the “fair market value” in such case. Requiring a cashless exercise in this manner will reduce the number of shares to be issued and thereby lessen the dilutive effect of a warrant redemption. We believe this feature is an attractive option to us if we do not need the cash from the exercise of the warrants after our initial business combination.

 

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Pursuant to the warrant agreement, references above to Class A common stock shall include a security other than Class A common stock into which the Class A common stock has been converted or exchanged for in the event we are not the surviving company in our initial business combination.

Redemption procedures

A holder of a warrant may notify us in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates), to the warrant agent’s actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 4.9% or 9.8% (as specified by the holder) of the Class A common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.

Anti-dilution adjustments

If the number of outstanding shares of Class A common stock is increased by a share capitalization or share dividend payable in Class A common stock, or by a split-up of common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share capitalization or share dividend, split-up or similar event, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding common stock. A rights offering made to all or substantially all holders of common stock entitling holders to purchase Class A common stock at a price less than the “historical fair market value” (as defined below) will be deemed a share dividend of a number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the product of (i) the number of shares of Class A common stock actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Class A common stock) and (ii) one minus the quotient of (x) the price per share of Class A common stock paid in such rights offering and (y) the historical fair market value. For these purposes, (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for shares of Class A common stock, in determining the price payable for Class A common stock, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) “historical fair market value” means the volume-weighted average price of shares of Class A common stock as reported during the 10 trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the Class A common stock trades on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.

In addition, if we, at any time while the warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to all or substantially all of the holders of the Class A common stock on account of such Class A common stock (or other securities into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) any cash dividends or cash distributions which, when combined on a per share basis with all other cash dividends and cash distributions paid on the Class A common stock during the 365-day period ending on the date of declaration of such dividend or distribution, does not exceed $0.50 (as adjusted to appropriately reflect any other adjustments and excluding cash dividends or cash distributions that resulted in an adjustment to the exercise price or to the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable on exercise of each warrant) but only with respect to the amount of the aggregate cash dividends or cash distributions equal to or less than $0.50 per share, (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A common stock in connection with a proposed initial business combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A common stock in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A common stock the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A common stock, or (e) in connection with the redemption of our public shares upon our failure to complete our initial business combination, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each share of Class A common stock in respect of such event.

 

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If the number of outstanding shares of Class A common stock is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share split or reclassification of Class A common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse share split, reclassification or similar event, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding share of Class A common stock.

Whenever the number of shares of Class A common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants is adjusted, as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of shares of Class A common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of shares of Class A common stock so purchasable immediately thereafter.

In addition, if (x) we issue additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume-weighted average trading price of our Class A common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described above under “— Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.

In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Class A common stock (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such Class A common stock), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our outstanding Class A common stock), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which we are dissolved, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of the Class A common stock immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares of Class A common stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their warrants immediately prior to such event.

The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, and that all other modifications or amendments will require the vote or written consent of the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants, and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants, a majority of the then outstanding private placement warrants. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for a complete description of the terms and conditions applicable to the warrants.

 

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The warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of common stock and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive Class A common stock. After the issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by stockholders.

No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of shares of Class A common stock to be issued to the warrant holder.

Private Placement Warrants

The private placement warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except, among other limited exceptions as described under “Principal Stockholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants,” to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with the initial purchasers of the private placement warrants) and they will not be redeemable by us so long as they are held by the initial stockholders or their permitted transferees (except for a number of shares of Class A common stock as described under “— Public Stockholder’s Warrants — Redemption of warrants for Class A common stock”). The initial purchasers, or their permitted transferees, have the option to exercise the private placement warrants on a cashless basis. Except as described in this section, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the units in this offering. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us in all redemption scenarios and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering.

If holders of the private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering his, her or its warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” (as defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” will mean the average closing price of the Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with us following a business combination. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell our securities, an insider cannot trade in our securities if he or she is in possession of material non-public information. Accordingly, unlike public stockholders who could exercise their warrants and sell the shares of Class A common stock received upon such exercise freely in the open market in order to recoup the cost of such exercise, the insiders could be significantly restricted from selling such securities. As a result, we believe that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate.

In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants.

Our initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private placement warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of any of these warrants) until the date that is 30 days after the date we complete our initial business combination, except that, among other limited exceptions as described under “Principal Stockholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants,” transfers can be made to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with the sponsor.

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 a 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 a business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, then we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our founder shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of our issued and outstanding common stock upon the consummation of this offering. Further, if we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.

 

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Our Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent

The transfer agent for our common stock and warrant agent for our warrants is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. We have agreed to indemnify Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company in its roles as transfer agent and warrant agent, its agents and each of its stockholders, directors, officers and employees against all claims and losses that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence or intentional misconduct of the indemnified person or entity. Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company has agreed that it has no right of set-off or any right, title, interest or claim of any kind to, or to any monies in, the trust account, and has irrevocably waived any right, title, interest or claim of any kind to, or to any monies in, the trust account that it may have now or in the future. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied, or a claim will only be able to be pursued, solely against us and our assets outside the trust account and not against the any monies in the trust account or interest earned thereon.

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the completion of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of the holders of 65% of our common stock. Our initial stockholders, who will collectively beneficially own 20% of our common stock upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), may participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Specifically, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide, among other things, that:

 

   

If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, subject to the sponsor depositing additional funds into the trust account, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no 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 (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholder’s 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, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the requirements of other applicable law;

 

   

Prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue 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 our initial business combination or (b) to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination beyond 15 months from the closing of this offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions;

 

   

Although we do not intend to enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or our executive officers, we are not prohibited from doing so. In the event we enter into such a transaction, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or a valuation or appraisal firm that such a business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view;

 

   

If a stockholder vote on our initial business combination is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will offer to redeem our public shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E under the Exchange Act, and will file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act. Whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on the NYSE, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above;

 

   

Our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the amount of deferred underwriting discounts held in trust and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination;

 

   

Our sponsor may extend the period of time to consummate a business combination up to 21 months. Our stockholders will not be entitled to vote or redeem their shares in connection with any such extension.

 

   

If our stockholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering, or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-initial business combination activity, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A common stock upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein; and

 

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We will not effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.

In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that under no circumstances will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001.

Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law and our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

We will be subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL regulating corporate takeovers upon completion of this offering. This statute prevents certain Delaware corporations, under certain circumstances, from engaging in a “business combination” with:

 

   

a stockholder who owns 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock (otherwise known as an “interested stockholder”);

 

   

an affiliate of an interested stockholder; or

 

   

an associate of an interested stockholder, for three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder.

A “business combination” includes a merger or sale of more than 10% of our assets. However, the above provisions of Section 203 do not apply if:

 

   

our board of directors approves the transaction that made the stockholder an “interested stockholder;”

 

   

prior to the date of the transaction;

 

   

after the completion of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, that stockholder owned at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, other than statutorily excluded shares of common stock; or

 

   

on or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the initial business combination is approved by our board of directors and authorized at a meeting of our stockholders, and not by written consent, by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock not owned by the interested stockholder.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that our board of directors will be classified into three classes of directors. As a result, in most circumstances, a person can gain control of our board only by successfully engaging in a proxy contest at two or more annual meetings.

Our authorized but unissued common stock and preferred stock are available for future issuances without stockholder approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.

Exclusive forum for certain lawsuits

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, that (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us, our directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the

 

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DGCL or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us, our directors, officers or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware, except any claim (A) as to which the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction, or (D) any action arising under the Securities Act, as to which the Court of Chancery and the federal district court for the District of Delaware shall have concurrent jurisdiction. If an action is brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, a court may determine that this provision is unenforceable, and to the extent it is enforceable, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers, although our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.

Special meeting of stockholders

Our bylaws provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by a majority vote of our board of directors, by our Chief Executive Officer or by our Chairman.

Advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and director nominations

Our bylaws provide that stockholders seeking to bring business before our annual meeting of stockholders, or to nominate candidates for election as directors at our annual meeting of stockholders, must provide timely notice of their intent in writing. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice will need to be received by the company secretary at our principal executive offices not later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the opening of business on the 120th day prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, proposals seeking inclusion in our annual proxy statement must comply with the notice periods contained therein. Our bylaws also specify certain requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s meeting. These provisions may preclude our stockholders from bringing matters before our annual meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at our annual meeting of stockholders.

Action by written consent

Subsequent to the consummation of the offering, any action required or permitted to be taken by our common stockholders must be effected by a duly called annual or special meeting of such stockholders and may not be effected by written consent of the stockholders other than with respect to our Class B common stock.

Classified Board of Directors

Our board of directors will initially be divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, with members of each class serving staggered three-year terms. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors. Subject to the terms of any preferred stock, any or all of the directors may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the voting power of all then outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class. Any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by vote of a majority of our directors then in office. However, prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the election of directors. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the election of directors during such time. 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.

 

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Class B Common Stock Consent Right

For so long as any shares of Class B common stock remain outstanding, we may not, without the prior vote or written consent of the holders of a majority of the shares of Class B common stock then outstanding, voting separately as a single class, amend, alter or repeal any provision of our certificate of incorporation, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, if such amendment, alteration or repeal would alter or change the powers, preferences or relative, participating, optional or other or special rights of the Class B common stock. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the holders of Class B common stock may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of the outstanding Class B common stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of Class B common stock were present and voted.

Securities Eligible for Future Sale

Immediately after this offering we will have 21,875,000 shares of common stock outstanding. Of these shares, the shares of Class A common stock sold in this offering (17,500,000 Class A common stock if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised and 20,125,000 shares if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any Class A common stock purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the outstanding founder shares (4,375,000 founder shares if the underwriter’s over- allotment option is not exercised and 5,031,250 founder shares if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) and all of the outstanding private placement warrants (8,175,000 warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised and 9,093,750 warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering.

Rule 144

Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares or warrants for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the 12 months (or such shorter period as we were required to file reports) preceding the sale.

Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares or warrants for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:

 

   

1% of the total number of shares of common stock then outstanding, which will equal 218,750 shares immediately after this offering (or 251,563 if the underwriter exercises in full its over-allotment option); or

 

   

the average weekly reported trading volume of the Class A common stock during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.

Sales by our affiliates under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.

 

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Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies

Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:

 

   

the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;

 

   

the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;

 

   

the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Form 8-K reports; and

 

   

at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.

As a result, our initial stockholders will be able to sell their founder shares and private placement warrants, as applicable, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination.

Registration Rights

The holders of the (i) founder shares, which were issued in a private placement prior to the closing of this offering, (ii) private placement warrants, which will be issued in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering, and the shares of Class A common stock underlying such private placement warrants and (iii) private placement warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans, and the shares of Class A common stock underlying such private placement warrants will have registration rights to require us to register a sale of any of our securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. Pursuant to the registration rights agreement and assuming the underwriter exercises its over-allotment option in full and $1,500,000 of working capital loans are converted into private placement warrants, we will be obligated to register up to 15,625,000 shares of Class A common stock and 10,593,750 warrants. The number of shares of Class A common stock includes (i) 5,031,250 shares of Class A common stock to be issued upon conversion of the founder shares, (ii) 9,093,750 shares of Class A common stock underlying the private placement warrants and (iii) 1,500,000 shares of Class A common stock underlying the private placement warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans. The number of warrants includes 9,093,750 private placement warrants and 1,500,000 private placement warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans. The holders of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

Listing of Securities

We intend to apply to have our units listed on the NYSE under the symbol “HPACU” commencing on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on the NYSE. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A common stock and warrants will be listed on the NYSE under the symbols “HPAC” and “HPACWS,” respectively.

 

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U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The following is a discussion of certain material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our units, shares of Class A common stock and warrants, which we refer to collectively as our securities. Because the components of a unit are separable at the option of the holder, the holder of a unit generally should be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as the owner of the underlying Class A common stock and three-fourths of one redeemable warrant components of the unit, as the case may be. As a result, the discussion below with respect to actual holders of Class A common stock and warrants should also apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying Class A common stock and warrants that comprise the units). This discussion applies only to securities that are held as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes and is applicable only to holders who purchased units in this offering. This discussion assumes that the Class A common stock and warrants will trade separately and that any distributions made (or deemed made) by us on our Class A common stock and any consideration received (or deemed received) by a holder in consideration for the sale or other disposition of our securities will be in U.S. dollars.

This discussion is a summary only and does not describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to you in light of your particular circumstances, including but not limited to the alternative minimum tax, the Medicare tax on certain investment income and the different consequences that may apply if you are subject to special rules that apply to certain types of investors, including but not limited to:

 

   

our sponsors, officers, directors or other holders of our Class B common stock or private placement warrants;

 

   

financial institutions or financial services entities;

 

   

broker-dealers;

 

   

governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof;

 

   

regulated investment companies;

 

   

real estate investment trusts;

 

   

expatriates or former long-term residents of the U.S.;

 

   

persons that actually or constructively own five percent or more (by vote or value) of our shares;

 

   

persons that acquired our securities pursuant to an exercise of employee share options, in connection with employee share incentive plans or otherwise as compensation;

 

   

insurance companies;

 

   

dealers or traders subject to a mark-to-market method of accounting with respect to the securities;

 

   

persons holding the securities as part of a “straddle,” hedge, integrated transaction or similar transaction;

 

   

persons that purchase or sell securities as part of a wash sale for tax purposes;

 

   

U.S. holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;

 

   

partnerships or other pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes and any beneficial owners of such entities;

 

   

tax-exempt entities;

 

   

controlled foreign corporations; and

 

   

passive foreign investment companies.

 

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This discussion does not consider the tax treatment of partnerships or other pass-through entities (including branches) or persons who hold our securities through such entities. If a partnership (or other entity or arrangement classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is the beneficial owner of our securities, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partner and the partnership. If you are a partner or a partnership holding our securities, we urge you to consult your own tax advisor.

This discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and final, temporary and proposed Treasury regulations as of the date hereof, which are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis, and changes to any of which subsequent to the date of this prospectus may affect the tax consequences described herein. This discussion does not address any aspect of state, local or non-U.S. taxation, or any U.S. federal taxes other than income taxes (such as gift and estate taxes).

We have not sought, and will not seek, a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) as to any U.S. federal income tax consequence described herein. The IRS may disagree with the discussion herein, and its determination may be upheld by a court. Moreover, there can be no assurance that future legislation, regulations, administrative rulings or court decisions will not adversely affect the accuracy of the statements in this discussion. You are urged to consult your tax advisor with respect to the application of U.S. federal tax laws to your particular situation, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. jurisdiction.

Personal Holding Company Status

We could be subject to a second level of U.S. federal income tax on a portion of our income if we are determined to be a personal holding company, or PHC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A U.S. corporation generally will be classified as a PHC for U.S. federal income tax purposes in a given taxable year if (i) at any time during the last half of such taxable year, five or fewer individuals (without regard to their citizenship or residency and including as individuals for this purpose certain entities such as certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds and charitable trusts) own or are deemed to own (pursuant to certain constructive ownership rules) more than 50% of the stock of the corporation by value and (ii) at least 60% of the corporation’s adjusted ordinary gross income, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes, for such taxable year consists of PHC income (which includes, among other things, dividends, interest, certain royalties, annuities and, under certain circumstances, rents).

Depending on the date and size of our initial business combination, it is possible that at least 60% of our adjusted ordinary gross income may consist of PHC income. In addition, depending on the concentration of our stock in the hands of individuals, including the members of our sponsor and certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds and charitable trusts, more than 50% of our stock may be owned or deemed owned (pursuant to the constructive ownership rules) by such persons during the last half of a taxable year. Thus, no assurance can be given that we will not be a PHC following this offering or in the future. If we are or were to become a PHC in a given taxable year, we would be subject to an additional PHC tax, currently imposed at a rate of 20%, on our undistributed PHC income, which generally includes our taxable income, subject to certain adjustments.

Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit

No statutory, administrative or judicial authority directly addresses the treatment of a unit or instruments similar to a unit for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, that treatment is not entirely clear. The acquisition of a unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as the acquisition of one share of our Class A common stock and three-fourths of one warrant to acquire one share of our Class A common stock. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each holder of a unit must allocate the purchase price paid by such holder for such unit between the one share of Class A common stock and the three-fourths of one warrant based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. Under U.S. federal income tax law, each investor must make his or her own determination of such value based on all the relevant facts and circumstances. Therefore, we strongly urge each investor to consult his or her tax advisor regarding the determination of value for these purposes. The price allocated to each share of Class A common stock and the three-fourths of one warrant should be the stockholder’s tax basis in such share or warrant, as the case may be. Any disposition of a unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a disposition of the share of Class A common stock and three-fourths of one warrant comprising the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the share of Class A common stock and the three-fourths of one warrant based on their respective relative fair market values (as determined by each such unit holder based on all the relevant facts and circumstances) at the time of disposition. The separation of shares of Class A common stock and warrants comprising units and the combination of two halves of warrants into a single warrant should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

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The foregoing treatment of the units, shares of Class A common stock and warrants and a holder’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts. Because there are no authorities that directly address instruments that are similar to the units, no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below. Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult its own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of an investment in a unit (including alternative characterizations of a unit). The balance of this discussion assumes that the characterization of the units described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

U.S. Holders

This section applies to you if you are a “U.S. holder.” A U.S. holder is a beneficial owner of our units, shares of Class A common stock or warrants who or that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

   

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

   

a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation) organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; or

 

   

an estate the income of which is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or

 

   

a trust, if (i) a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more United States persons (as defined in the Code) have authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (ii) it has a valid election in effect under Treasury Regulations to be treated as a United States person.

Taxation of Distributions. If we pay distributions in cash or other property (other than certain distributions of our stock or rights to acquire our stock) to U.S. holders of shares of our Class A common stock, such distributions generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits will constitute a return of capital that will be applied against and reduce (but not below zero) the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in our Class A common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as gain realized on the sale or other disposition of the Class A common stock and will be treated as described under “U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants” below.

Dividends we pay to a U.S. holder that is a taxable corporation generally will qualify for the dividends received deduction if the requisite holding period is satisfied. With certain exceptions (including, but not limited to, dividends treated as investment income for purposes of investment interest deduction limitations), and provided certain holding period requirements are met, dividends we pay to a non-corporate U.S. holder may constitute “qualified dividend income” that will be subject to tax at the maximum tax rate accorded to long-term capital gains. It is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to the Class A common stock described in this prospectus may prevent a U.S. holder from satisfying the applicable holding period requirements with respect to the dividends received deduction or the preferential tax rate on qualified dividend income, as the case may be. If the holding period requirements are not satisfied, then a corporation may not be able to qualify for the dividends received deduction and would have taxable income equal to the entire dividend amount, and non-corporate U.S. holders may be subject to tax on such dividend at regular ordinary income tax rates instead of the preferential rate that applies to qualified dividend income.

Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants.

Upon a sale or other taxable disposition of our Class A common stock or warrants (which, in general, would include a redemption of Class A common stock or warrants that is treated as a sale of such securities as described below, and including as a result of a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate an initial business

 

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combination within the required time period), a U.S. holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Class A common stock or warrants. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. holder’s holding period for the Class A common stock or warrants so disposed of exceeds one year. It is unclear, however, whether the redemption rights with respect to the Class A common stock described in this prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose. If the running of the holding period for the Class A common stock is suspended, then non-corporate U.S. holders may not be able to satisfy the one-year holding period requirement for long-term capital gain treatment, in which case any gain on a sale or taxable disposition of the shares would be subject to short-term capital gain treatment and would be taxed at regular ordinary income tax rates. Long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate U.S. holders may be eligible to be taxed at reduced rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

Generally, the amount of gain or loss recognized by a U.S. holder is an amount equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in such disposition (or, if the Class A common stock or warrants are held as part of units at the time of the disposition, the portion of the amount realized on such disposition that is allocated to the Class A common stock or the warrants based upon the then relative fair market values of the Class A common stock and the warrants included in the units) and (ii) the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A common stock or warrants so disposed of. A U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A common stock or warrants generally will equal the U.S. holder’s acquisition cost (that is, as discussed above, the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to a share of Class A common stock or three-fourths of one warrant or, as discussed below, the U.S. holder’s initial basis for Class A common stock received upon exercise of warrants) less, in the case of a share of Class A common stock, any prior distributions treated as a return of capital.

Redemption of Class A Common Stock. In the event that a U.S. holder’s Class A common stock is redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Common Stock” or if we purchase a U.S. holder’s Class A common stock in an open market transaction, the treatment of the transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on whether the redemption or purchase by us qualifies as a sale of the Class A common stock under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption or purchase by us qualifies as a sale of the Class A common stock, the U.S. holder will be treated as described under “U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants” above. If the redemption or purchase by us does not qualify as a sale of the Class A common stock, the U.S. holder will be treated as receiving a corporate distribution with the tax consequences described above under “U.S. Holders — Taxation of Distributions”. Whether a redemption or purchase by us qualifies for sale treatment will depend largely on the total number of shares of our stock treated as held by the U.S. holder (including any stock constructively owned by the U.S. holder as a result of owning warrants) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after the redemption or purchase by us. The redemption or purchase by us of Class A common stock generally will be treated as a sale of the Class A common stock (rather than as a corporate distribution) if the redemption or purchase by us (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the U.S. holder, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of the U.S. holder’s interest in us or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the U.S. holder. These tests are explained more fully below.

In determining whether any of the foregoing tests are satisfied, a U.S. holder takes into account not only stock actually owned by the U.S. holder, but also shares of our stock that are constructively owned by it. A U.S. holder may constructively own, in addition to stock owned directly, stock owned by certain related individuals and entities in which the U.S. holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. holder, as well as any stock the U.S. holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include Class A common stock which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants. In order to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of our outstanding voting stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. holder immediately following the redemption of Class A common stock must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our outstanding voting stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. holder immediately before the redemption. Prior to our initial business combination, the Class A common stock may not be treated as voting shares for this purpose and, consequently, this substantially disproportionate test may not be applicable. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. holder’s interest if either (i) all of the shares of our stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. holder are redeemed or (ii) all of the shares of our stock actually owned by the U.S. holder are redeemed and the U.S. holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives in accordance with specific

 

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rules, the attribution of stock owned by certain family members and the U.S. holder does not constructively own any other shares of our stock (including any stock constructively owned by the U.S. holder as a result of owning warrants). The redemption of the Class A common stock will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if a U.S. holder’s conversion results in a “meaningful reduction” of the U.S. holder’s proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. holder’s proportionate interest in us will depend on the particular facts and circumstances. However, the IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority stockholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.” A U.S. holder should consult with its own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a redemption.

If none of the foregoing tests are satisfied, then the redemption of any Class A common stock will be treated as a corporate distribution and the tax effects will be as described under “U.S. Holders — Taxation of Distributions,” above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the U.S. holder in the redeemed Class A common stock will be added to the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its remaining stock, or, if it has none, to the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its warrants or possibly in other stock constructively owned by it.

Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant. Except as discussed below with respect to the cashless exercise of a warrant, a U.S. holder generally will not recognize taxable gain or loss on the acquisition of our Class A common stock upon exercise of a warrant for cash. The U.S. holder’s tax basis in the share of our Class A common stock received upon exercise of the warrant generally will be an amount equal to the sum of the U.S. holder’s initial investment in the warrant (i.e., the portion of the U.S. holder’s purchase price for a unit that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) and the exercise price. It is unclear whether the U.S. holder’s holding period for the Class A common stock received upon exercise of the warrants will begin on the date following the date of exercise or on the date of exercise of the warrants; in either case, the holding period will not include the period during which the U.S. holder held the warrants. If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, a U.S. holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holder’s tax basis in the warrant.

The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of a warrant are not clear under current tax law. A cashless exercise may be tax-free, either because the exercise is not a realization event or because the exercise is treated as a recapitalization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In either tax-free situation, a U.S. holder’s basis in the Class A common stock received would equal the holder’s basis in the warrants exercised therefor. If the cashless exercise were treated as not being a realization event, it is unclear whether a U.S. holder’s holding period in the Class A common stock would be treated as commencing on the date following the date of exercise or on the date of exercise of the warrant; in either case, the holding period would not include the period during which the U.S. holder held the warrants. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the Class A common stock would include the holding period of the warrants exercised therefor.

It is also possible that a cashless exercise could be treated in part as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. In such event, a U.S. holder could be deemed to have surrendered a number of warrants equal to the number of shares of Class A common stock having a value equal to the exercise price for the total number of warrants to be exercised. The U.S. holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the Class A common stock received in respect of the warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. holder’s tax basis in the warrants deemed surrendered. In this case, a U.S. holder’s aggregate tax basis in the Class A common stock received would equal the sum of the U.S. holder’s initial investment in the warrants deemed exercised (i.e., the portion of the U.S. holder’s purchase price for the units that is allocated to the warrants, as described above under “Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) and the exercise price of such warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. holder’s holding period for the Class A common stock would commence on the date following the date of exercise or on the date of exercise of the warrant; in either case, the holding period would not include the period during which the U.S. holder held the warrant.

Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, including when a U.S. holder’s holding period would commence with respect to the Class A common stock received, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.

 

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If we redeem warrants for cash pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Stockholder’s Warrants” or if we purchase warrants in an open market transaction, such redemption or purchase generally will be treated as a taxable disposition to the U.S. holder, taxed as described above under “U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants.”

Possible Constructive Distributions. The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares of Class A common stock for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Stockholder’s Warrants.” An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. The U.S. holders of the warrants would, however, be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment to the number of such shares or to such exercise price increases the warrant holders’ proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of shares of Class A common stock that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease in the exercise price of the warrant) as a result of a distribution of cash or other property, such as other securities, to the holders of shares of our Class A common stock, or as a result of the issuance of a stock dividend to holders of shares of our Class A common stock, in each case which is taxable to the holders of such shares as a distribution. Such constructive distribution would be subject to tax as described under that section in the same manner as if the U.S. holders of the warrants received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased interest.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding. In general, information reporting requirements may apply to dividends paid to a U.S. holder and to the proceeds of the sale or other disposition of our units, shares of Class A common stock and warrants, unless the U.S. holder is an exempt recipient. Backup withholding may apply to such payments if the U.S. holder fails to provide a taxpayer identification number, a certification of exempt status or has been notified by the IRS that it is subject to backup withholding (and such notification has not been withdrawn).

Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a credit against a U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

Non-U.S. Holders

This section applies to you if you are a “Non-U.S. holder.” As used herein, the term “Non-U.S. holder” means a beneficial owner of our units, Class A common stock or warrants who or that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

   

a non-resident alien individual (other than certain former citizens and residents of the U.S. subject to U.S. tax as expatriates);

 

   

a foreign corporation; or

 

   

an estate or trust that is not a U.S. holder;

but generally does not include an individual who is present in the U.S. for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition. If you are such an individual, you should consult your tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership or sale or other disposition of our securities.

Taxation of Distributions. In general, any distributions (including constructive distributions) we make to a Non-U.S. holder of shares of our Class A common stock, to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles), will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, provided such dividends are not effectively connected with the Non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States, we will be required to withhold tax from the gross amount of the dividend at a rate of 30%, unless such Non-U.S. holder is eligible for a reduced rate of withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty and provides proper certification of its eligibility for such reduced rate (usually on an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E). In the case of any constructive dividend, it is possible that this tax would be withheld from any amount owed to a Non-U.S. holder by us or the applicable withholding agent, including cash distributions on other property or sale proceeds from warrants or other property subsequently paid or credited to such holder. Any distribution not constituting a dividend will be treated first as reducing (but not below zero) the Non-U.S.

 

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holder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares of our Class A common stock and, to the extent such distribution exceeds the Non-U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis, as gain realized from the sale or other disposition of the Class A common stock, which will be treated as described under “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants” below. In addition, if we determine that we are likely to be classified as a “United States real property holding corporation” (see “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants” below), we will withhold 15% of any distribution that exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits.

The withholding tax generally does not apply to dividends paid to a Non-U.S. holder who provides an IRS Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. federal income tax as if the Non-U.S. holder were a U.S. resident, subject to an applicable income tax treaty providing otherwise. A corporate Non-U.S. holder receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or a lower treaty rate).

Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant. The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a Non-U.S. holder’s exercise of a warrant, or the lapse of a warrant held by a Non-U.S. holder, generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the exercise or lapse of a warrant by a U.S. holder, as described under “U.S. Holders — Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant” above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described below in “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants.” The U.S. federal income tax treatment for a Non-U.S. holder of a redemption of warrants generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment for a U.S. holder of a redemption of warrants as described above in “U.S. Holders — Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant.” The consequences to a Non-U.S. holder of a redemption of warrants for cash described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Stockholder’s Warrants” (or if we purchase warrants in an open market transaction) would be similar to that described below in “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants.”

Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants. A Non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax in respect of gain recognized on a sale, taxable exchange or other taxable disposition of our Class A common stock, which would include a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not complete an initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering or any applicable Extension Period, or warrants (including an expiration or redemption of our warrants), in each case without regard to whether those securities were held as part of a unit, unless:

 

   

the gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the Non-U.S. holder within the United States (and, under certain income tax treaties, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. holder); or

 

   

we are or have been a “United States real property holding corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of disposition or the period that the Non-U.S. holder held our Class A common stock, and, in the case where shares of our Class A common stock are regularly traded on an established securities market, the Non-U.S. holder has owned, directly or constructively, more than 5% of our Class A common stock at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding the disposition or such Non-U.S. holder’s holding period for the shares of our Class A common stock. There can be no assurance that our Class A common stock will be treated as regularly traded on an established securities market for this purpose.

Unless an applicable treaty provides otherwise, gain described in the first bullet point above will be subject to tax at generally applicable U.S. federal income tax rates as if the Non-U.S. holder were a U.S. resident. Any gains described in the first bullet point above of a Non-U.S. holder that is a foreign corporation may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a 30% rate (or lower treaty rate).

If the second bullet point above applies to a Non-U.S. holder, gain recognized by such holder on the sale, exchange or other disposition of our Class A common stock or warrants will be subject to tax at generally applicable U.S. federal income tax rates. In addition, a buyer of our Class A common stock or warrants from such holder may be

 

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required to withhold U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 15% of the amount realized upon such disposition. We cannot determine whether we will be a “United States real property holding corporation” in the future until we complete an initial business combination. We will be classified as a United States real property holding corporation if the fair market value of our “United States real property interests” equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of our worldwide real property interests plus our other assets used or held for use in a trade or business, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Redemption of Class A Common Stock. The characterization for U.S. federal income tax purposes of the redemption of a Non-U.S. holder’s Class A common stock pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Common Stock” generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of such a redemption of a U.S. holder’s Class A common stock, as described under “U.S. Holders — Redemption of Class A Common Stock” above, and the consequences of the redemption to the Non-U.S. holder will be as described above under “Non-U.S. Holders — Taxation of Distributions” and “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants,” as applicable. Because it may not be certain at the time a Non-U.S. holder is redeemed whether such Non-U.S. holder’s redemption will be treated as a sale of shares or a distribution constituting a dividend, and because such determination will depend in part on a Non-U.S. holder’s particular circumstances, we or the applicable withholding agent may not be able to determine whether (or to what extent) a Non-U.S. holder is treated as receiving a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Therefore, we or the applicable withholding agent may withhold tax at a rate of 30% on the gross amount of any consideration paid to a Non-U.S. holder in redemption of such Non-U.S. holder’s Class A common stock unless special procedures are available to Non-U.S. holders to certify that they are entitled to exemptions from, or reductions in, such withholding tax. However, there can be no assurance that such special certification procedures will be available. A Non-U.S. holder generally may obtain a refund of any such excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of the foregoing rules in light of their particular facts and circumstances.

Possible Constructive Distributions. The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares of Class A common stock for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Stockholder’s Warrants.” An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution is generally not a taxable event. Nevertheless, a Non-U.S. holder of warrants would be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the holder’s proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of shares of Class A common stock that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease in the exercise price of the warrants) as a result of a distribution of cash or other property, such as other securities, to the holders of shares of our Class A common stock, or as a result of the issuance of a stock dividend to holders of shares of our Class A common stock, in each case, which is taxable to such holders as a distribution. Any constructive distribution received by a Non-U.S. holder would be subject to U.S. federal income tax (including any applicable withholding) in the same manner as if such Non-U.S. holder received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased interest without any corresponding receipt of cash. It is possible that any withholding tax on such a constructive distribution might be satisfied by us or the applicable withholding agent through a sale of a portion of the Non-U.S. holder’s shares of Class A common stock, warrants or other property held or controlled by us or the applicable withholding agent on behalf of the Non-U.S. holder or might be withheld from distributions or proceeds subsequently paid or credited to the Non-U.S. holder.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding. Information returns will be filed with the IRS in connection with payments of dividends and the proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our units, shares of Class A common stock and warrants. A Non-U.S. holder may have to comply with certification procedures to establish that it is not a United States person in order to avoid information reporting and backup withholding requirements. The certification procedures required to claim a reduced rate of withholding under a treaty generally will satisfy the certification requirements necessary to avoid the backup withholding as well. The amount of any backup withholding from a payment to a Non-U.S. holder will be allowed as a credit against such holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such holder to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

 

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FATCA Withholding Taxes. Provisions commonly referred to as “FATCA” generally impose withholding at a rate of 30% on payments of dividends (including constructive dividends) on our Class A common stock to “foreign financial institutions” (which is broadly defined for this purpose and in general includes investment vehicles) and certain other non-U.S. entities unless various U.S. information reporting and due diligence requirements (generally relating to ownership by U.S. persons of interests in or accounts with those entities) have been satisfied by, or an exemption applies to, the payee (typically certified as to by the delivery of a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN-E). Foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules. Accordingly, the entity through which our Class A common stock is held will affect the determination of whether such withholding is required. Similarly, dividends in respect of our Class A common stock held by an investor that is a non-financial non-U.S. entity that does not qualify under certain exceptions will generally be subject to withholding at a rate of 30% unless such entity either (1) certifies to us or the applicable withholding agent that such entity does not have any “substantial United States owners” or (2) provides certain information regarding the entity’s “substantial United States owners” which will in turn be provided to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Under certain circumstances, a Non-U.S. holder might be eligible for refunds or credits of such withholding taxes, and a Non-U.S. holder might be required to file a U.S. federal income tax return to claim such refunds or credits. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the effects of FATCA on their investment in our securities. Thirty percent withholding under FATCA was scheduled to apply to payments of gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of property that produces U.S.-source interest or dividends beginning on January 1, 2019, but on December 13, 2018, the IRS released proposed regulation (which taxpayers may rely on) that, if finalized in their proposed form, would eliminate the obligation to withhold on gross proceeds. Such proposed regulations also delayed withholding on certain other payments received from other foreign financial institutions that are allocable, as provided for under final Treasury Regulations, to payments of U.S.-source dividends, and other fixed or determinable annual or periodical income. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the effects of FATCA on their investment in our securities.

 

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UNDERWRITING

Maxim Group LLC is acting as sole book running manager of this offering. Subject to the terms and conditions stated in the underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus, Maxim Group LLC has agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to the underwriter, the number of units set forth opposite its name.

 

Underwriter

   Number of
Units
 

Maxim Group LLC

  
  

 

 

 

Total

     17,500,000  
  

 

 

 

The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriter to purchase the units included in this offering are subject to approval of legal matters by counsel and to other conditions, including that there is no material change in our business or the financial markets and delivery of customary closing documents to the underwriter. The underwriter is obligated to purchase all of the units (other than those covered by the underwriter’s over-allotment option to purchase additional units described below) if they purchase any of the units.

If the underwriter sells more units than the total number set forth in the table above, we have granted to the underwriter an option, exercisable for 45 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to 2,625,000 additional units at the public offering price less the underwriting discount. The underwriter may exercise this option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, in connection with this offering. To the extent the option is exercised, the underwriter must purchase a number of additional units approximately proportionate to the underwriter’s initial purchase commitment as indicated in the above table. Any units issued or sold under the option will be issued and sold on the same terms and conditions as the other units that are the subject of this offering.

We, our sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed that, for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus, we and they will not, without the prior written consent of Maxim Group LLC, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any units, warrants, shares of common stock or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, shares of common stock, subject to certain exceptions. Maxim Group LLC in its sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice. Our sponsor, officers and directors are also subject to separate transfer restrictions on their founder shares and private placement warrants pursuant to the insider letters as described herein.

Our initial stockholders, sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any founder shares held by them until the earlier to occur of: (1) one year after the completion of our initial business combination; or (2) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction after our initial business combination that results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under “Principal Stockholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”). Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our sponsor with respect to any founder shares. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of our common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up. The private placement warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or saleable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except with respect to permitted transferees as described herein under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”).

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our securities. Consequently, the initial public offering price for the units was determined by negotiations between us and Maxim Group LLC Among the factors considered in determining the initial public offering price were the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies, prior offerings of those companies, our management, our capital structure, and currently prevailing general conditions in the equity securities markets, including current market valuations of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company. We cannot assure you, however, that the price at which the units, Class A common stock or warrants will sell in the public market after this offering will not be lower than the initial public offering price or that an active trading market in our units, Class A common stock or warrants will develop and continue after this offering.

 

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We intend to apply to list our units on the NYSE under the symbol “HPACU.” We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on the NYSE. We expect that our Class A common stock and warrants will be listed under the symbols “HPAC” and “HPACWS,” respectively, once the Class A common stock and warrants begin separate trading.

The following table shows the underwriting discounts and commissions that we are to pay to the underwriter in connection with this offering. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option.

 

     Payable by
Henley Park Acquisition Corp.
 
     No Exercise      Full Exercise  

Discounts and Commissions Per Unit

   $ 0.55      $ 0.55  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 9,625,000      $ 11,068,750  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)

Includes $0.35 per unit, or $6,125,000 (or $7,043,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate, payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein. The deferred commissions will be released to Maxim Group LLC for its own account only on completion of an initial business combination, in an amount equal to $0.35 multiplied by the number of shares of Class A common stock sold as part of the units in this offering, as described in this prospectus.

Units sold by the underwriter to the public will initially be offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. If all of the units are not sold at the initial offering price, the underwriter may change the offering price and the other selling terms after completion of the initial public offering. The offering of units by the underwriters is subject to receipt and acceptance and subject to the underwriter’s right to reject any order in whole or in part. The underwriter has advised us that it does not intend to make sales to discretionary accounts. Sales of any units outside the United States may be made by affiliates of the underwriter.

We estimate that our portion of the total expenses of this offering payable by us will be $477,644, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions. We have also agreed to reimburse the underwriter for certain expenses, including its legal fees related to the review by FINRA, investigations and background checks, up to a maximum aggregate reimbursement of $25,000.

If we do not complete our initial business combination and subsequently liquidate, the trustee and the underwriter have agreed (i) that the underwriter will forfeit any rights or claims to their deferred underwriting discounts and commissions, including any accrued interest thereon, then in the trust account upon liquidation, and (ii) that the underwriter’s deferred discounts and commissions will be distributed on a pro rata basis, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes to the public stockholders.

The underwriters pursuant to Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, may engage in short sale transactions, stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions or the imposition of penalty bids in connection with this offering. These activities may have the effect of stabilizing or maintaining the market price of the units at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Establishing short sales positions may involve either “covered” short sales or “naked” short sales.

“Covered” short sales are sales made in an amount not greater than the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units in this offering. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising the overallotment option or purchasing our securities in the open market or from market participants. In determining the source of units to close out the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of units available for purchase in the market as compared to the price at which they may purchase units through the overallotment option.

“Naked” short sales are sales in excess of the option to purchase additional units. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing units in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the units in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.

 

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A stabilizing bid is a bid for the purchase of securities on behalf of the underwriters for the purpose of fixing or maintaining the price of the securities. A syndicate covering transaction is the bid for or the purchase of securities on behalf of the underwriters to reduce a short position incurred by the underwriters in connection with the offering. Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriters’ purchases to cover the syndicate short sales may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our securities or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our securities. As a result, the price of our securities may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. A penalty bid is an arrangement permitting the underwriters to reclaim the selling concession otherwise accruing to a syndicate member in connection with the offering if the securities originally sold by such syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction and therefore have not been effectively placed by such syndicate member.

Neither we, nor any of the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our securities. The underwriters are not obligated to engage in these activities and, if commenced, may end any of these activities at any time. These transactions may be effected on the NYSE in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.

The underwriters have advised us that, following the completion of this offering, they currently intend to make a market in the units as permitted by applicable laws and regulations. However, the underwriters are not obligated to do so, and the underwriters may discontinue any market-making activities at any time without notice in their sole discretion. Accordingly, no assurance can be given as to the liquidity of the trading market for the units, that you will be able to sell any of the units held by you at a particular time or that the prices that you receive when you sell will be favorable.

We have agreed to indemnify the underwriter against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the underwriter may be required to make because of any of those liabilities.

If the underwriter provides services to us after this offering, we may pay such underwriter fair and reasonable fees that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with the underwriter and no fees for such services will be paid to the underwriter prior to the date that is 60 days from the date of this prospectus, unless such payment would not be deemed underwriter’s compensation in connection with this offering. We may pay the underwriter of this offering or any entity with which it is affiliated a finder’s fee or other compensation for services rendered to us in connection with the completion of a business combination.

The underwriter and some of its affiliates have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates. They have received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and commissions for these transactions.

In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, the underwriter and its affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. The underwriter and its affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.

Private Placement Warrants

Our sponsor, and Maxim (the representative of underwriters), have agreed to purchase an aggregate of 8,175,000 private placement warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant, for an aggregate purchase price of $8,175,000, of which 7,300,000 private placement warrants will be purchased by our sponsor and 875,000 private placement warrants will be purchased by Maxim. Our sponsor and Maxim have also agreed that if the over-allotment is exercised by the underwriters, they will purchase at a price of $1.00 per warrant an additional number of private placement warrants (up to a maximum of 918,750 additional private placement warrants), of which our sponsor will purchase up to 787,500 additional private placement warrants and Maxim Group and/or its designees, will purchase up to 131,250 additional private placement warrants, in the aggregate amount of $918,750. These additional private placement warrants will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The private placement warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until after the completion of our initial business combination (except, among other limited exceptions as described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants,” to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor or the underwriters).

Maxim will enter into a registration rights agreement with us with respect to the private placement warrants and underlying shares. We will bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering such securities, other than underwriting commissions which will be paid for by the holders themselves. We will have no obligation to net cash settle the exercise of the private placement warrants. In compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8), the Maxim registration rights are limited to demand and “piggy back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and such demand rights may be exercised on only one occasion. In addition, so long as the private placement warrants purchased by Maxim are held by Maxim or its designees, they will only be exercisable for a period of five years from the date of this prospectus in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8)(A).

The private placement warrants (and the underlying shares) have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the date of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part pursuant to Rule 5110(e)(1) of FINRA’s NASD Conduct Rules. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), these securities will not be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, nor may they be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the offering and their bona fide officers or partners.

Canada

This prospectus supplement constitutes an “exempt offering document” as defined in and for the purposes of applicable Canadian securities laws. No prospectus has been filed with any securities commission or similar regulatory authority in Canada in connection with the offer and sale of the securities. No securities commission or similar regulatory authority in Canada has reviewed or in any way passed upon this prospectus supplement or on the merits of the securities and any representation to the contrary is an offence.

Canadian investors are advised that this prospectus supplement has been prepared in reliance on section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (“NI 33-105”). Pursuant to section 3A.3 of NI 33-105, this prospectus supplement is exempt from the requirement that the issuer and the underwriter(s) provide investors with certain conflicts of interest disclosure pertaining to “connected issuer” and/or “related issuer” relationships that may exist between the issuer and the underwriter(s) as would otherwise be required pursuant to subsection 2.1(1) of NI 33-105.

 

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Resale Restrictions

The offer and sale of the securities in Canada is being made on a private placement basis only and is exempt from the requirement that the issuer prepares and files a prospectus under applicable Canadian securities laws. Any resale of the securities acquired by a Canadian investor in this offering must be made in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, which may vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made in accordance with Canadian prospectus requirements, pursuant to a statutory exemption from the prospectus requirements, in a transaction exempt from the prospectus requirements or otherwise under a discretionary exemption from the prospectus requirements granted by the applicable local Canadian securities regulatory authority. These resale restrictions may under certain circumstances apply to resales of the securities outside of Canada.

Representations of Purchasers

Each Canadian investor who purchases the securities will be deemed to have represented to the issuer and the underwriter(s) that the investor (i) is purchasing the securities as principal, or is deemed to be purchasing as principal in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, for investment only and not with a view to resale or redistribution; (ii) is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in section 1.1 of National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions (“NI 45-106”) or, in Ontario, as such term is defined in section 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario); and (iii) is a “permitted client” as such term is defined in section 1.1 of National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations.

Taxation and Eligibility for Investment

Any discussion of taxation and related matters contained in this prospectus supplement does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all of the tax considerations that may be relevant to a Canadian investor when deciding to purchase the securities and, in particular, does not address any Canadian tax considerations. No representation or warranty is hereby made as to the tax consequences to a resident, or deemed resident, of Canada of an investment in the securities or with respect to the eligibility of the securities for investment by such investor under relevant Canadian federal and provincial legislation and regulations.

Rights of Action for Damages or Rescission

Securities legislation in certain of the Canadian jurisdictions provides certain purchasers of securities pursuant to an offering memorandum (such as this prospectus supplement), including where the distribution involves an “eligible foreign security” as such term is defined in Ontario Securities Commission Rule 45-501 Ontario Prospectus and Registration Exemptions and in Multilateral Instrument 45-107 Listing Representation and Statutory Rights of Action Disclosure Exemptions, as applicable, with a remedy for damages or rescission, or both, in addition to any other rights they may have at law, where the offering memorandum, or other offering document that constitutes an offering memorandum, and any amendment thereto, contains a “misrepresentation” as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. These remedies, or notice with respect to these remedies, must be exercised or delivered, as the case may be, by the purchaser within the time limits prescribed under, and are subject to limitations and defenses under, applicable Canadian securities legislation. In addition, these remedies are in addition to and without derogation from any other right or remedy available at law to the investor.

Language of Documents

Upon receipt of this document, each Canadian investor hereby confirms that it has expressly requested that all documents evidencing or relating in any way to the sale of the securities described herein (including for greater certainty any purchase confirmation or any notice) be drawn up in the English language only. Par la réception de ce document, chaque investisseur Canadien confirme par les présentes qu’il a expressément exigé que tous les documents faisant foi ou se rapportant de quelque manière que ce soit à la vente des valeurs mobilières décrites aux présentes (incluant, pour plus de certitude, toute confirmation d’achat ou tout avis) soient rédigés en anglais seulement.

Australia

This document does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Australia’s Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the “Corporations Act”) of Australia. This document has not been lodged with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission and is only directed to the categories of exempt persons set out below. Accordingly, if you receive this document in Australia:

You confirm and warrant that you are either:

 

   

a “sophisticated investor” under section 708(8)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act;

 

   

a “sophisticated investor” under section 708(8)(c) or (d) of the Corporations Act and that you have provided an accountant’s certificate to the company which complies with the requirements of section 708(8)(c)(i) or (ii) of the Corporations Act and related regulations before the offer has been made; or

 

   

a “professional investor” within the meaning of section 708(11)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act.

 

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To the extent that you are unable to confirm or warrant that you are an exempt sophisticated investor or professional investor under the Corporations Act any offer made to you under this document is void and incapable of acceptance.

You warrant and agree that you will not offer any of the shares issued to you pursuant to this document for resale in Australia within 12 months of those securities being issued unless any such resale offer is exempt from the requirement to issue a disclosure document under section 708 of the Corporations Act.

European Economic Area

In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area (each a “Member State”), no securities have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offer described herein in that Member State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, except that the securities may be offered to the public in that Member State at any time:

 

  (i)

to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation;

 

  (ii)

to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriters for any such offer; or

 

  (iii)

in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation,

provided that no such offer of securities shall require the issuer or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.

Each person in a Member State who acquires any securities in the offer or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the issuer and the underwriters that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation.

In the case of any securities being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the Prospectus Regulation, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the issuer and the underwriters that the securities acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer to the public other than their offer or resale in a Member State to qualified investors, in circumstances in which the prior consent of the underwriters has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale. Neither the issuer nor the underwriters have authorised, nor do they authorise, the making of any offer of securities through any financial intermediary, other than offers made by the underwriters which constitute the final placement of securities contemplated in this document.

The issuer and the underwriters and their affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations, acknowledgements and agreements.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any securities in any Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase, or subscribe for, any securities and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.

In Member States, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, persons who are “qualified investors” within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation (“Qualified Investors”). This document must not be acted on or relied on in any Member State by persons who are not Qualified Investors. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available in any Member State only to Qualified Investors and will be engaged in only with such persons.

 

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Hong Kong

No securities have been, may be or will be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than to persons whose ordinary business is to buy or sell shares or debentures, whether as principal or agent; or to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong (the “SFO”) and any rules made thereunder; or in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies (Winding UP and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong (the “C(WUMP)O”), or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the C(WUMP)O. No document, invitation or advertisement relating to the securities has been issued or may be issued or will be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the SFO and any rules made thereunder.

This document has not been and will not be registered with the Registrar of Companies in Hong Kong. Accordingly, this document may not be issued, circulated or distributed in Hong Kong, and the securities may not be offered for subscription to members of the public in Hong Kong. Each person acquiring the securities will be required, and is deemed by the acquisition of the securities, to confirm that he is aware of the restriction on offers of the securities described in this document and the relevant offering documents and that he is not acquiring, and has not been offered any securities in circumstances that contravene any such restrictions.

Japan

The offering has not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan (Act No. 25 of 1948 of Japan, as amended) (the “FIEA”), and the Initial Purchaser will not offer or sell any securities, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means, unless otherwise provided herein, any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the FIEA and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.

Singapore

This document has not been and will not be lodged or registered with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this document and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or the invitation for subscription or purchase of the securities may not be issued, circulated or distributed, nor may the securities be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to any person in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”), (ii) to a relevant person as defined under Section 275(2) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA and where (where applicable) Regulation 3 of the Securities and Futures (Classes of Investors) Regulations 2018, or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of any other applicable provision of the SFA. In the event that you are not an investor falling within any of the categories set out above, please return this document immediately. You may not forward or circulate this document to any other person in Singapore.

No offer is made to you with a view to the securities being subsequently offered for sale to any other party. There are on-sale restrictions that may be applicable to investors who acquire securities. As such, investors are advised to acquaint themselves with the provisions of the SFA relating to resale restrictions and comply accordingly.

 

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Where the securities are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:

 

   

a corporation (which is not an accredited investor as defined under Section 4A of the SFA) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or

 

   

a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary is an accredited investor, securities or securities-based derivatives contracts (each term as defined in Section 2(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferable within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the securities under Section 275 of the SFA except:

 

   

to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person pursuant to an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) or Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;

 

   

where no consideration is given for the transfer;

 

   

where the transfer is by operation of law;

 

   

as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or

 

   

as specified in Regulation 37A of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Securities and Securities-based Derivatives Contracts) Regulations 2018 of Singapore.

Switzerland

The securities may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, or SIX, or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the securities or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the issuer or the securities have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, or FINMA, and the offer of securities has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes, or CISA. The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of securities.

Israel

This document does not constitute a prospectus under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728-1968, or the Securities Law, and has not been filed with or approved by the Israel Securities Authority. In the State of Israel, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer of the shares is directed only at, investors listed in the first addendum, or the Addendum, to the Israeli Securities Law, consisting primarily of joint investment in trust funds, provident funds, insurance companies, banks, portfolio managers, investment advisors, members of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, underwriters, venture capital funds, entities with equity in excess of NIS 50 million and “qualified individuals”, each as defined in the Addendum (as it may be amended from time to time), collectively referred to as qualified investors (in each case purchasing for their own account or, where permitted under the Addendum, for the accounts of their clients who are investors listed in the Addendum). Qualified investors will be required to submit written confirmation that they fall within the scope of the Addendum, are aware of the meaning of same and agree to it.

 

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United Kingdom

In relation to the United Kingdom, no securities have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offer described herein to the public in the United Kingdom prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, except that the securities may be offered to the public in the United Kingdom at any time:

(i) to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation;

(ii) to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriters for any such offer; or

(iii) in any other circumstances falling within Section 86 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended) (the “FSMA”),

provided that no such offer of the securities shall require the issuer or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Section 85 of the FSMA or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the UK Prospectus Regulation.

Each person in the United Kingdom who acquires any securities in the offer or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the issuer and the underwriters that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the UK Prospectus Regulation.

In the case of any securities being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the UK Prospectus Regulation, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the issuer and the underwriters that the securities acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer to the public other than their offer or resale in the United Kingdom to qualified investors, in circumstances in which the prior consent of the underwriters has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale. Neither the issuer nor the underwriters have authorised, nor do they authorise, the making of any offer of securities through any financial intermediary, other than offers made by the underwriters which constitute the final placement of securities contemplated in this document.

The issuer and the underwriters and their affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations, acknowledgements and agreements.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to the securities in the United Kingdom means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any securities and the expression “UK Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of United Kingdom law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.

In the United Kingdom, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, persons who are “qualified investors” within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the UK Prospectus Regulation who are also: (i) persons who fall within the definition of “investment professionals” in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Order”); (ii) persons falling within Article 49(2) of the Order; or (iii) persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). This document must not be acted on or relied on in the United Kingdom by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available in the United Kingdom only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with such persons.

Any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA) may only be communicated or caused to be communicated in connection with the issue or sale of the securities in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply. All applicable provisions of the FSMA and the Order must be complied with in respect of anything done by any person in relation to the securities in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Shearman & Sterling LLP, Washington, DC and New York, New York, is acting as counsel in connection with the registration of our securities under the Securities Act, and as such, will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus. Loeb & Loeb LLP, New York, New York, advised the underwriter in connection with the offering of the securities.

EXPERTS

The financial statements of Henley Park Acquisition Corp. as of June 10, 2021 and for the period from December 4, 2020 (inception) through June 10, 2021 appearing in this prospectus have been audited by Marcum LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to substantial doubt about the ability of Henley Park Acquisition Corp. to continue as a going concern as described in Note 1 to the financial statements), appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, and are included in reliance upon the report of such firm, given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are materially complete but may not include a description of all aspects of such contracts, agreements or other documents, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.

Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

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HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 

     Page  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     F-2  

Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2021 (unaudited) and June 10, 2021

     F-3  

Statements of Operations for the period from January 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021 (unaudited) and for the period from December 4, 2020 (inception) through June 10, 2021

     F-4  

Statements of Changes in Stockholder’s Equity for the period from January 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021 (unaudited) and for the period from December 4, 2020 (inception) through June 10, 2021

     F-5  

Statements of Cash Flows for the period from January 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021 (unaudited) and for the period from December 4, 2020 (inception) through June 10, 2021

     F-6  

Notes to Financial Statements

     F-7  

 

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholder and Board of Directors of

Henley Park Acquisition Corp.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Henley Park Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) as of June 10, 2021, the related statements of operations, changes in stockholder’s equity and cash flows for the period from December 4, 2020 (inception) through June 10, 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 June 10, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from December 4, 2020 (inception) through June 10, 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’s ability to execute its business plan is dependent upon its completion of the proposed initial public offering described in Note 3 to the financial statements. The Company has a working capital deficiency and lacks the financial resources it needs to sustain its operations 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 with regard to these matters are also described in Notes 1 and 3. 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

Marcum LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.

New York, NY

September 23, 2021

 

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HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

BALANCE SHEETS

 

     SEPTEMBER 30,
2021

(Unaudited)
    JUNE 10,
2021
 

ASSETS

    

Current asset – Cash

   $ 159     $ 25,000  

Deferred offering costs

     416,973       35,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL ASSETS

   $ 417,132     $ 60,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY

    

Current liabilities

    

Accrued expenses

   $ 1,000     $ 1,000  

Accrued offering costs

     389,782       35,000  

Promissory note – related party

     2,400       —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Current Liabilities

     393,182       36,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Commitments and Contingencies (Note 6)

    

Stockholder’s Equity

    

Preferred Stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding

     —         —    

Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value; 380,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding

     —         —    

Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; 5,031,250 shares issued and outstanding(1)

     503       503  

Additional paid-in capital

     24,497       24,497  

Accumulated deficit

     (1,050     (1,000
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Stockholder’s Equity

     23,950       24,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY

   $ 417,132     $ 60,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1)

Includes up to 656,250 shares of Class B common stock subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriter (see Note 7).

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

    

FOR THE

PERIOD FROM

JANUARY 1, 2021

THROUGH

SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

(Unaudited)

   

FOR THE

PERIOD FROM

DECEMBER 4, 2020
(INCEPTION)

THROUGH

JUNE 10, 2021

 

Formation costs

   $ 1,050     $ 1,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
    

 

 

 

Net loss

   $ (1,050   $ (1,000
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted(1)

     4,375,000       4,375,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Basic and diluted net loss per common share

   $ (0.00   $ (0.00
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1)

Excludes up to 656,250 shares of Class B common stock subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriter (see Note 7).

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY

FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 1, 2021 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 (UNAUDITED)

AND FOR THE PERIOD FROM DECEMBER 4, 2020 (INCEPTION)

THROUGH JUNE 10, 2021

 

     Class B
Common Stock(1)
     Additional
Paid-In
Capital
     Accumulated
Deficit
    Total
Stockholder’s

Equity
 
     Shares      Amount  

Balance – December 4, 2020 (Inception)

     —        $ —        $ —        $ —       $ —    

Class B common stock issued to Sponsor(1)

     5,031,250        503        24,497        —         25,000  

Net loss

     —          —          —          (1,000     (1,000
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance – June 10, 2021

     5,031,250        503        24,497        (1,000     24,000  

Net loss

     —          —          —          (50     (50
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance – September 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

     5,031,250      $ 503      $ 24,497      $ (1,050   $ 23,950  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1)

Includes up to 656,250 shares of Class B common stock subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriter (see Note 7).

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 

     FOR THE PERIOD FROM
JANUARY 1, 2021
THROUGH
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
(Unaudited)
    FOR THE PERIOD FROM
DECEMBER 4, 2020
(INCEPTION)

THROUGH JUNE 10, 2021
 

Cash flows from operating activities:

    

Net loss

   $ (1,050   $ (1,000

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:

    

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

    

Accrued expenses

     1,000       1,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash used in operating activities

     (50     —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash flows from financing activities:

    

Proceeds from issuance of Class B common stock to the Sponsor

     25,000       25,000  

Proceeds from promissory note – related party

     2,400       —    

Payment of offering costs

     (27,191     —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by financing activities

     209       25,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Changes in Cash

     159       25,000  

Cash – beginning of the period

     —         —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash – end of the period

   $ 159     $ 25,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:

    

Deferred offering costs included in accrued offering costs

   $ 389,782     $ 35,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1 — Organization, Business Operations and Going Concern

Henley Park Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) is a newly organized, blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation on December 4, 2020 for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”). The Company has not selected any specific Business Combination target and the Company has not, nor has anyone on its behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any Business Combination target with respect to an initial Business Combination with the Company.

All activity through September 30, 2021 relates to the Company’s formation and the Proposed Public Offering (as defined below). The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Public Offering (as defined below). The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.

The Company’s sponsor is Henley Park Sponsor Group I LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”). The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed public offering of 17,500,000 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 (or 20,125,000 Units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), which is discussed in Note 3 (the “Proposed Public Offering”) and the sale of 8,175,000 warrants (or 9,093,750 warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised on full) (the “Private Placement Warrants”) at a price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant in a private placement to the Sponsor and Maxim Group LLC, the representative of the underwriters, that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering. The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering and sale of the Private Placement Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. The representative of the underwriters of the Proposed Public Offering is Maxim Group LLC (“Maxim”).

The Company’s Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net balance in the Trust Account (as defined below) (excluding the amount of deferred underwriting discounts held and taxes payable on the income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the signing an agreement to enter into a Business Combination. However, the Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-Business Combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination.

Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed that $10.15 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including the proceeds of the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, will be held in a Trust Account (“Trust Account”) and will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act that invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. The Company estimates the interest earned on the Trust Account will be approximately $0.14 million per year, assuming an interest rate of 0.08% per year; however, the Company can provide no assurances regarding this amount. The Company will not be permitted to withdraw any of the principal or interest held in the Trust Account, except for the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes and up to $100,000 to pay dissolution expenses, as applicable, if any, until the earliest of (1) the completion of the initial Business Combination, (2) the redemption of the public shares if the Company is unable to complete its initial Business Combination within 15 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering or up to 21 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering if the Sponsor exercises its option to extend the period of time to consummate a Business Combination up to two times, each by an additional 3 months (the “Extension Period”) or with respect to any other provisions relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity. The proceeds deposited in the Trust Account could become subject to the claims of the Company’s creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of the public stockholders.

 

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HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, although substantially all of the net proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering are intended to be generally applied toward consummating a Business Combination with (or acquisition of) a Target Business. As used herein, “Target Business” must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the Trust Account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with the Company’s initial business combination. Furthermore, there is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination.

The Company will provide its public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon the completion of the initial Business Combination either (1) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (2) without a stockholder vote by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek stockholder approval of a proposed Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require the Company to seek stockholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement or whether the Company had deemed to be a foreign private issuer (which would require a tender offer rather than seeking stockholder approval under SEC rules). The public stockholders will be entitled to redeem all or portion of their public shares upon the completion of the initial Business Combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. The amount in the Trust Account is initially anticipated to be $10.15 per public share.

The shares of common stock subject to redemption will be recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering, in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” In such case, the Company will proceed with a Business Combination if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation of a Business Combination and, if the Company seeks stockholder approval, a majority of the issued and outstanding shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination.

The Company will have only 15 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering or up to 21 months to complete the initial Business Combination. If the Company is unable to complete the initial Business Combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering, or up to 21 months from the closing of this offering if extended by our board at the request of our sponsor, the Company will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (2) 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholder’s rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any) and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining stockholders and its board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject to the Company’s obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the other requirements of applicable law.

The Company will have up to 15 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering to consummate an initial Business Combination. However, if the Company anticipates that it may not be able to consummate the initial Business Combination within 15 months, they may, by resolution of the board if requested by the Sponsor, extend the period of time to consummate a Business Combination up to 21 months. The stockholders will not be entitled to vote or redeem their shares in connection with any such extension.

The Sponsor, officers and directors will enter into a letter agreement with the Company, pursuant to which they will agree to: (1) waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of the initial Business Combination; (2) waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares and public shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to the amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with the initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of public shares if the Company has not consummated an initial Business Combination within 15 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering or any applicable Extension Period or (ii) with respect to any other provisions relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-initial Business

 

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HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Combination activity; (3) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to their founder shares if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within 15 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering or any applicable Extension Period, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any public shares they hold if the Company fails to complete its initial Business Combination within the prescribed time frame; and (4) vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after the Proposed Public Offering (including in open-market and privately negotiated transactions) in favor of the initial Business Combination.

The Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or similar agreement or Business Combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below: (1) $10.15 per public share and (2) 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 share due to reductions in the value of the Trust Assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the Trust Account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriter of the Proposed Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, the Company has not asked the Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor has the Company independently verified whether the Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and the Company believes that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities of the Company. Therefore, the Company cannot assure you that the Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the Trust Account, the funds available for the initial Business Combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.15 per public share. In such event, the Company may not be able to complete its initial Business Combination, and the third parties would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of public shares. None of the Company’s officers or directors will indemnify the Company for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.

Going Concern Consideration

As of September 30, 2021, the Company had $159 in cash and a working capital deficit of $393,023 (excluding deferred offering costs). The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed Public Offering as discussed in Note 3. There is no assurance that the Company’s plans to raise capital or to consummate a Business Combination will be successful within 15 months from the closing of this offering, or up to 21 months from the closing of this offering if extended by our board at the request of our sponsor. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying financial statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of a normal recurring nature, which are necessary for a fair presentation of the financial positions, operating results, and cash flows for the period presented. The interim results for the period from January 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the period ending December 31, 2021 or for any future interim periods.

The Company had no activity for the period from December 4, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020. Accordingly, the balance sheet, statement of operations and statement of cash flows for the period from December 4, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 are not presented.

Emerging Growth Company Status

The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, 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.

 

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HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

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.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Making estimates require 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 conforming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company had $159 and $25,000 in cash and did not have any cash equivalents as of September 30, 2021 and June 10, 2021, respectively.

Deferred Offering Costs

The Company complies with the requirements of the ASC 340-10-S99-1 and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) Topic 5A – “Expenses of Offering”. Offering costs consist principally of professional and registration fees incurred through the balance sheet date that are related to the Proposed Public Offering. Offering costs are charged to stockholder’s equity or the statement of operations based on the relative value of the Public and Private Warrants (if accounted for as liabilities) to the proceeds received from the Units sold upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering. Deferred offering costs will be charged to stockholder’s equity as warrants after management’s evaluation will be accounted for under equity treatment. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to operations.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under the FASB ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet, primarily due to its short-term nature.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company evaluates its financial statements to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging”. Derivative instruments are initially recorded at fair value on the grant date and re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statement of operations. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative assets and liabilities are classified in the balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or not net-cash settlement or conversion of the instruments could be required within 12 months of the balance sheet date.

Warrant Instruments

The Company will account for the 21,300,000 warrants or (24,187,500 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) issued in connection with the Proposed Public Offering and the private placement in accordance with the guidance contained in FASB ASC Topic 815 “Derivatives and Hedging” whereby under that provision the warrants that do not meet the criteria for equity treatment must be recorded as liability. Accordingly, the Company evaluated and will classify the warrant instrument under equity treatment at its assigned value. There are no warrants currently outstanding as of September 30, 2021 and June 10, 2021.

Net Loss Per Common Share

The Company complies with the accounting and disclosure requirements of FASB ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” Net loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, excluding common stock subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 656,250 shares of common stock that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriter (see Note 7). At September 30, 2021 and June 10, 2021, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into common stock and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per common share is the same as basic loss per common share for the periods presented.

 

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HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under FASB ASC 740, “Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”). ASC 740 requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for both the expected impact of differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for the expected future tax benefit to be derived from tax loss and tax credit carry forwards. ASC 740 additionally requires a valuation allowance to be established when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized.

ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position 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. ASC 740 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim period, disclosure and transition.

The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of September 30, 2021 and June 10, 2021. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.

The Company has identified the United States as its only “major” tax jurisdiction.

The Company is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception. These examinations may include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions and compliance with federal and state tax laws. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.

The provision for income taxes was deemed to be immaterial for the period from January 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021 and for the period from December 4, 2020 (inception) through June 10, 2021.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

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 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 and 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 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021 and should be applied on a full or modified retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of adopting ASU 2020-06.

Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.

Note 3 — Proposed Public Offering

Public Units

Pursuant to the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will offer for sale 17,500,000 Units (or 20,125,000 Units if the underwriter’s overallotment option is exercised in full) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one share of Class A common stock and three-fourths of one warrant (“Public Warrant”). Each whole public warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share, subject to adjustment (see Note 7).

Public Warrants

No warrants are outstanding as of September 30, 2021 and June 10, 2021. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of the Company’s Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time on the warrant expiration date, which is five years after the completion of the initial Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. On the exercise of any warrant, the warrant exercise price will be paid directly to the Company and not placed in the Trust Account.

 

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HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities for capital-raising purposes in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of Class A common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Company’s board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to initial stockholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by initial stockholders or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such consummate the initial Business Combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, then the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price.

The Company is not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants at this time. However, the Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of the initial Business Combination, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the Shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and, following the effective date of the registration statement, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts 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 initial Business Combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company will has 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 from registration. 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, the Company may, at its option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event the Company so elect, the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event the Company has not so elect, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.

Redemption of warrants

Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may call the warrants for redemption (except as described herein with respect to the private placement warrants):

 

   

in whole and not in part;

 

   

at a price of $0.01 per warrant;

 

   

upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder, which the Company refers to as the “30-day redemption period”; and

 

   

if, and only if, the last reported sale price (the “closing price”) of the Company’s Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.

Note 4 — Private Placement

The Sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 7,300,000 (or 8,087,500 if the underwriter’s option to purchase additional Units is exercised in full) Private Placement Warrants for a purchase price of approximately $7,300,000 (or approximately $8,087,500 if the underwriter’s option to purchase additional Units is exercised in full) or $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant and Maxim, the representative of underwriters has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 875,000 (or 1,006,250 if the underwriter’s option to purchase additional Units is exercised in full) Private Placement Warrants for a purchase price of approximately $875,000 (or $1,006,250 if the underwriter’s option to purchase additional Units is exercised in full) or $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant, in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. Each Private Placement Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of the Company’s Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment, and will expire worthless if the Company does not complete the initial Business Combination.

 

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HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Private Placement Warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of such warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or saleable until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination (except, among other limited exceptions to the Company’s officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with its Sponsor) and they will not be redeemable by the Company so long as they are held by its Sponsor or their permitted transferees. The Sponsor or its permitted transferees, have the option to exercise the Private Placement Warrants on a cashless basis. If the Private Placement Warrants are held by holders other than the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company in all redemption scenarios and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in the Proposed Offering.

Note 5 — Related Party Transactions

Founder Shares

On June 10, 2021, the Sponsor paid $25,000 in consideration for 5,031,250 Class B shares (the “Founder Shares”) or approximately $0.005 per share. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of the Proposed Public Offering would be a maximum of 5,031,250 Units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such Founder Shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering (assuming that the Sponsor does not purchase any public shares in the Proposed Public Offering). Up to 656,250 of the Founder Shares will be forfeited depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment is exercised.

The Company’s initial stockholders has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Founder Shares and any shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion thereof until the earlier to occur of (1) one year after the completion of the initial Business Combination or (2) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction after the initial Business Combination that results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property; except to certain permitted transferees and under certain circumstances. Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of the Company’s initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares. The Company refers to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) the closing price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the initial Business Combination or (2) the Company consummates a transaction after the initial Business Combination that results in stockholders having the right to exchange their shares for cash, securities or other property, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up.

Promissory Note — Related Party

The Sponsor has agreed to loan the Company up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of the Proposed Public Offering. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and due at the earlier of December 31, 2021 or the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. These loans will be repaid upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering out of the $477,644 of offering proceeds that has been allocated to the payment of offering expenses. As of September 30, 2021 and June 10, 2021, the Company had borrowed $2,400 and $0 under the promissory note, respectively.

Related Party Loans

In order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial Business Combination, the Sponsor, an affiliate of the Sponsor or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but is not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (the “Working Capital Loans”). If the Company completes an initial Business Combination, the Company would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. Otherwise, such loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account. In the event

 

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HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

that the initial Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of the working capital held outside the Trust Account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from the Trust Account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into Private Placement Warrants of the post Business Combination entity, at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants issued to the Sponsor. At September 30, 2021 and June 10, 2021, no such Working Capital Loans were outstanding.

As discussed in Note 1, the Company’s board at the request of the Sponsor may extend the period of time to consummate a Business Combination up to two times, each by an additional three months (for a total of 21 months to complete a Business Combination). In order to extend the time available for the Company to consummate a Business Combination, the Sponsor or its affiliates or designees must deposit into the Trust Account $1,750,000, or $2,012,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per Public Share in either case, or an aggregate of $3,500,000 (or $4,025,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full)), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, for each three month extension. Any such payments would be made in the form of a non-interest bearing, unsecured promissory note. Such notes would be paid upon consummation of a Business Combination. The Sponsor and its affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the Trust Account to extend the time for the Company to complete a Business Combination.

Note 6 — Commitments and Contingencies

Registration Rights

The holders of the (1) founder shares, which were issued in a private placement prior to the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, (2) Private Placement Warrants, which will be issued in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering and the shares of Class A common stock underlying such Private Placement Warrants, and (3) Private Placement Warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans will have registration rights to require the Company to register a sale of any of its securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the Company’s completion of its initial Business Combination. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

Underwriting Agreement

The Company will grant the underwriter a 45-day option to purchase up to 2,625,000 additional Units to cover any over-allotments, if any, at the Proposed Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

The underwriter will be entitled to a cash underwriting discount of 2.0% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, or $3,500,000 (or up to $4,025,000 if the underwriter’s over-allotment is exercised in full). Additionally, the underwriter will be entitled to a deferred underwriting discount of 3.5% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, or $6,125,000 (or up $7,043,750 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) held in the Trust Account upon the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.

Note 7 — Stockholder’s Equity

Preferred Stock

The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. At September 30, 2021 and June 10, 2021, there were no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding.

Class A Common Stock

The Company is authorized to issue 380,000,000 shares of Class A common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of Class A common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. At September 30, 2021 and June 10, 2021, there were no shares of Class A common stock issued or outstanding.

Class B Common Stock

The Company is authorized to issue 20,000,000 shares of Class B common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the Class B common stock are entitled to one vote for each common stock. At September 30, 2021 and June 10, 2021, there were 5,031,250 shares of Class B common stock issued and outstanding, of which 656,250 shares are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised in full so that the Founder Shares will represent, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering (assuming the Sponsor does not purchase any public shares in the Proposed Public Offering).

 

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HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Founder Shares will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of the consummation of the initial Business Combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with the initial Business Combination, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the total number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding after such conversion (after giving effect to any redemptions of shares of Class A common stock by public stockholders), including the total number of shares of Class A common stock issued, or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, excluding any shares of Class A common stock or equity- linked securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of Class A common stock issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial Business Combination and any Private Placement Warrants issued to the Sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of Working Capital Loans; provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.

Note 8 — Subsequent Events

The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after June 10, 2021, through September 23, 2021, the date that the financial statements were issued. The Company also evaluated the subsequent events and transactions that occurred after September 30, 2021, through December 20, 2021, the date that the interim unaudited financial statements were available to be issued. The Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.

 

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17,500,000 Units

Henley Park Acquisition Corp.

 

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

 

 

Maxim Group LLC

Until        , 2022 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade our common stock, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriter and with respect to its unsold allotments or subscriptions.

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriter has not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not, and the underwriter is not, making an offer to sell securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus.

No dealer, salesperson or any other person is authorized to give any information or make any representations in connection with this offering other than those contained in this prospectus and, if given or made, the information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by us. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security other than the securities offered by this prospectus, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities by anyone in any jurisdiction in which the offer or solicitation is not authorized or is unlawful.

 

 

                , 2021

 

 

 


Table of Contents

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discount and commissions) will be as follows:

 

SEC and FINRA expenses

   $ 49,344  

Accounting fees and expenses

     40,000  

Printing and engraving expenses

     35,000  

Travel and road show expenses

      

Legal fees and expenses

     275,000  

NYSE listing and filing fees

     75,000  

Miscellaneous

     3,300  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 477,644  
  

 

 

 

 

(1)

This amount represents the approximate total amount of director and officer liability insurance premiums the registrant anticipates paying following the completion of its initial public offering and until it completes an initial business combination.

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that all of our directors, officers, employees and agents shall be entitled to be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”). Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law concerning indemnification of officers, directors, employees and agents is set forth below.

Section 145. Indemnification of officers, directors, employees and agents; insurance.

 

  (a)

A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that the person’s conduct was unlawful.

 

  (b)

A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

 

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  (c)

To the extent that a present or former director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.

 

  (d)

Any indemnification under subsections (a) and (b) of this section (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the present or former director, officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances because the person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in subsections (a) and (b) of this section. Such determination shall be made, with respect to a person who is a director or officer at the time of such determination, (1) by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum, or (2) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, or (3) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (4) by the stockholders.

 

  (e)

Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation as authorized in this section. Such expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by former officers and directors or other employees and agents may be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the corporation deems appropriate.

 

  (f)

The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, the other subsections of this section shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office. A right to indemnification or to advancement of expenses arising under a provision of the certificate of incorporation or a bylaw shall not be eliminated or impaired by an amendment to such provision after the occurrence of the act or omission that is the subject of the civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding for which indemnification or advancement of expenses is sought, unless the provision in effect at the time of such act or omission explicitly authorizes such elimination or impairment after such action or omission has occurred.

 

  (g)

A corporation shall have power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under this section.

 

  (h)

For purposes of this section, references to “the corporation” shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under this section with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as such person would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

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  (i)

For purposes of this section, references to “other enterprises” shall include employee benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to any employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the corporation” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the corporation” as referred to in this section.

 

  (j)

The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this section shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

 

  (k)

The Court of Chancery is hereby vested with exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine all actions for advancement of expenses or indemnification brought under this section or under any by law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise. The Court of Chancery may summarily determine a corporation’s obligation to advance expenses (including attorneys’ fees).

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers, and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person in a successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, we will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to the court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

In accordance with Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, will provide that no director shall be personally liable to us or any of our stockholders for monetary damages resulting from breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, except to the extent such limitation on or exemption from liability is not permitted under the DGCL. The effect of this provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation is to eliminate our rights and those of our stockholders (through stockholder’s derivative suits on our behalf) to recover monetary damages against a director for breach of the fiduciary duty of care as a director, including breaches resulting from negligent or grossly negligent behavior, except, as restricted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL. However, this provision does not limit or eliminate our rights or the rights of any stockholder to seek non-monetary relief, such as an injunction or rescission, in the event of a breach of a director’s duty of care.

If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the liability of directors, then, in accordance with our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the liability of our directors to us or our stockholders will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL, as so amended. Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation limiting or eliminating the liability of directors, whether by our stockholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to further limit or eliminate the liability of directors on a retroactive basis.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will also provide that we will, to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by applicable law, indemnify our current and former officers and directors, as well as those persons who, while directors or officers of our corporation, are or were serving as directors, officers, employees or agents of another entity, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan, in connection with any threatened, pending or completed proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, against all expense, liability and loss (including, without limitation, attorney’s fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by any such person in connection with any such proceeding.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person eligible for indemnification pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will be indemnified by us in connection with a proceeding initiated by such person only if such proceeding was authorized by our board of directors, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification.

The right to indemnification which will be conferred by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation is a contract right that includes the right to be paid by us the expenses incurred in defending or otherwise participating in any proceeding referenced above in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that if the DGCL requires, an advancement of expenses incurred by our officer or director (solely in the capacity as an officer or director of our corporation) will be made only upon delivery to us of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such officer or director, to repay all amounts so advanced if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or otherwise.

The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses will not be deemed exclusive of any other rights which any person covered by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may have or hereafter acquire under law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our bylaws, an agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.

Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation affecting indemnification rights, whether by our stockholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will also permit us, to the extent and in the manner authorized or permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other that those specifically covered by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.

Our bylaws include the provisions relating to advancement of expenses and indemnification rights consistent with those which will be set forth in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. In addition, our bylaws provide for a right of indemnity to bring a suit in the event a claim for indemnification or advancement of expenses is not paid in full by us within a specified period of time. Our bylaws also permit us to purchase and maintain insurance, at our expense, to protect us and/or any director, officer, employee or agent of our corporation or another entity, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL.

Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our bylaws affecting indemnification rights, whether by our board of directors, stockholders or by changes in applicable law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing thereunder with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision.

We will enter into indemnification agreements with each of our officers and directors a form of which is to be filed as an exhibit to this Registration Statement. These agreements will require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law against liabilities that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified.

Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement to be filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Registration Statement, we have agreed to indemnify the underwriter and the underwriter has agreed to indemnify us against certain civil liabilities that may be incurred in connection with this offering, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act.

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

On June 10, 2021, Henley Park Sponsor Group I LLC, our sponsor, purchased an aggregate of 5,031,250 shares of our Class B common stock, in exchange for a capital contribution of $25,000 at an average purchase price of approximately $0.005 per share. Such securities were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 20,125,000 units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full and therefore that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering. Up to 656,250 of these founder shares may be forfeited depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment is exercised.

 

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Our sponsor is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D. Each of the equity holders in our sponsor is an accredited investor under Rule 501 of Regulation D. The sole business of our sponsor is to act as the company’s sponsor in connection with this offering. The limited liability company agreement of our sponsor provides that its membership interests may only be transferred to our officers or directors or other persons affiliated with our sponsor, or in connection with estate planning transfers.

No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.

 

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Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

 

  (a)

Exhibits. The following exhibits are being filed herewith:

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description

  1.1    Form of Underwriting Agreement.
  3.1    Certificate of Incorporation.
  3.2    Form of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.
  3.3    Bylaws.
  4.1    Specimen Unit Certificate.
  4.2    Specimen Class A Common Stock Certificate.
  4.3    Specimen Warrant Certificate.
  4.4    Form of Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.
  5.1    Opinion of Shearman & Sterling LLP.
10.1    Form of Letter Agreement among the Registrant, Henley Park Sponsor Group I LLC and each of the executive officers and directors of the Registrant.
10.2    Form of Investment Management Trust Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.
10.3    Form of Registration Rights Agreement among the Registrant, Henley Park Sponsor Group I LLC and the Holders signatory thereto.
10.4    Form of Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement between the Registrant and Henley Park Sponsor Group I LLC.
10.5    Form of Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement between the Registrant and Maxim Group LLC
10.6    Form of Indemnity Agreement.
10.7    Securities Subscription Agreement between the Registrant and Henley Park Sponsor Group I LLC.
10.8    Form of Administrative Services Agreement between the Registrant and Henley Park Sponsor Group I LLC.
10.9    Promissory Note dated June 10, 2021
   14    Form of Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.
23.1    Consent of Marcum LLP.
23.2    Consent of Shearman & Sterling LLP (included on Exhibit 5.1).
   24    Power of Attorney (included on signature page hereto).
99.1    Form of Audit Committee Charter.
99.2    Form of Compensation Committee Charter.
99.3    Form of Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter.

 

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  (b)

Financial Statements. See page F-1 for an index to the financial statements and schedules included in the registration statement.

Item 17. Undertakings.

 

  (a)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

 

  (b)

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

  (c)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

 

  (1)

For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

  (2)

For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York, on the 20th day of December, 2021.

 

HENLEY PARK ACQUISITION CORP.
By:   /s/ Miguel Payan
 

Name: Miguel Payan

Title: Chief Executive Officer and Director

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Miguel Payan as his true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities to sign any and all amendments including post-effective amendments to this registration statement and any and all registration statements filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact or his substitute, each acting alone, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Name    Position   Date

/s/ Miguel Payan

Miguel Payan

  

Chief Executive Officer and Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

  December 20, 2021

/s/ Robert Haywood

Robert Haywood

  

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer)

  December 20, 2021

 

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