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As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on December 8, 2021.
Registration No. 333-       ​
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
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VISCOGLIOSI BROTHERS ACQUISITION CORP.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)​
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Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)​
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6770
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)​
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85-404420
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
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505 Park Avenue, 14th Floor
New York, NY 10022
(212) 583-9700
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal
executive offices)​
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John J. Viscogliosi, Chief Executive Officer
505 Park Avenue, 14th Floor
New York, NY 10022
(212) 583-9700
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
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Copies to:
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Mitchell S. Nussbaum
Giovanni Caruso
Loeb & Loeb LLP
345 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10154
(212) 407-4000
(212) 407-4990 — Facsimile
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Douglas S. Ellenoff, Esq.
Stuart Neuhauser, Esq.
Richard Baumann, Esq.
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10105
(212) 370-1300
(212) 370-7889 — Facsimile
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Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this offering.
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. ☐
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non- accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting 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:
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Large accelerated filer
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Accelerated filer
☐
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Non-accelerated filer
☒
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Smaller reporting company
☒
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Emerging growth company
☒
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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
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Title of Each Class of Security being
registered
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Amount
Being
Registered
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Proposed
Maximum
Offering Price
per Security(1)
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Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate
Offering Price(1)(2)
​ ​
Amount of
Registration
Fee
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Units, each consisting of one share of common stock, $0.0001 par value, and one-half of one redeemable warrant(2)
​ ​ ​ ​ 8,625,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 10.00 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 86,250,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 7,995.38 ​ ​
Shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value, included as part of the units
​ ​ ​ ​ 8,625,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ —(3) ​ ​
Redeemable warrants included as part of the units
​ ​ ​ ​ 4,312,500 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ —(3) ​ ​
Total(4) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 7,995.38 ​ ​
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(1)
Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
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(2)
Includes (A) the aggregate of 7,500,000 units to be issued to public stockholders in the public offering and 1,125,000 units which may be issued upon exercise of a 45-day option granted to the underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any; and (B) shares of common stock and warrants underlying such units.
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(3)
No fee pursuant to Rule 457(g).
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(4)
Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act, 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.
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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 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 prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUSSUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED DECEMBER 8, 2021
$75,000,000
VISCOGLIOSI BROTHERS ACQUISITION CORP.
7,500,000 Units
Viscogliosi Brothers Acquisition Corp., which we refer to as “we,” “us,” “Company” or “our company,” is a newly organized blank check company incorporated in Delaware whose business purpose is to effect a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to in this prospectus 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. Although we are not limited to a particular industry or geographic region for purposes of consummating an initial business combination, we intend to focus on businesses that have their primary operations located in North America and Europe in the neuro-musculoskeletal industry.
This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of common stock, par value $0.0001, and one-half of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our common stock at a price of $11.50 per whole 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. The underwriters have a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to an additional 1,125,000 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 our common stock, or “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 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 public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, 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. In such event, the warrants will expire and be worthless.
VBOC Holdings, LLC, our sponsor, has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 5,062,500 warrants (or 5,484,375 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per private placement warrant for a total purchase price of $5,062,500 (or $5,484,375 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 187,500 private placement warrant warrants (or 215,625 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per for a total purchase price of $187,500 (or $215,625 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share. These purchases, totaling $5,250,000 (or $5,700,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the closing of this offering.
Our initial stockholders own 2,156,250 shares of our common stock, acquired for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. Such shares are referred to herein as “founder shares,” and include an aggregate of up to 281,250 shares that are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised.
Currently, there is no public market for our units, common stock or warrants. We intend to apply to have our units listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, or “Nasdaq,” under the symbol “VBOC.U” on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, as described herein, we expect the shares of common stock and warrants will be traded on Nasdaq under the symbols “VBOC,” and “VBOC.WS,” respectively. We cannot assure you that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq and, if approved, will continue to be listed on Nasdaq after this offering.
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 34 of this prospectus 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 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.
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Per unit
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Total
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Public offering price
​ ​ ​ ​ 10.00 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 75,000,000 ​ ​
Underwriting discounts and commissions (1)
​ ​ ​ $ 0.55 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 4,125,000 ​ ​
Proceeds, before expenses, to Viscogliosi Brothers Acquisition Corp.
​ ​ ​ ​ 9.45 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 70,875,000 ​ ​
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(1)
$0.20 per unit, or $1,500,000 in the aggregate (or $1,725,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), is payable upon the closing of this offering. $0.35 per unit, or $2,625,000 in the aggregate (or $3,018,750 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), of deferred underwriting commissions will be placed in a trust account located in the United States, as described herein, and released to the underwriters only on completion of an initial business combination, as described herein. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Underwriting” for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriters.
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Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described herein, $76,500,000, or $87,975,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.20 per unit in either case), will be deposited into a trust account in the United States at Raymond James & Associates, Inc., with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and $5.25 million, or $5.75 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, will be available to pay fees and expenses in connection with the closing of this offering, including the underwriting discounts and commissions payable upon the closing of this offering, and for working capital following the closing of this offering.
The underwriters are offering the units on a firm commitment basis. Raymond James, as the representative of the underwriters, expects to deliver the units to purchasers on or about                  , 2021.
Sole Book-Running Manager
Raymond James
                 , 2021
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You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We and the underwriter take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may provide you. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer or sale of these securities in any jurisdiction where such 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.
 
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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 the section of this prospectus entitled “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:
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“directors” are to our directors, including any director nominees who will become directors in connection with the consummation of this offering;
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“founder shares” are to shares of our common stock held by our initial stockholders prior to this offering;
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“initial stockholders” are to our sponsor and any other holders of our founder shares prior to this offering (or their permitted transferees);
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“management” or our “management team” are to our officers and directors;
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“private placement warrants” are to the warrants issued to our sponsor and Raymond James in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering;
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“public shares” are to shares of our common stock sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market);
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“public stockholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our initial stockholders and members of our management team to the extent our initial stockholders or members of our management team purchase public shares; provided that each initial stockholder’s and management team member’s status as a “public stockholder” shall only exist with respect to such public shares;
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“Raymond James” are to Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
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“public warrants” are to our redeemable warrants sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market), to the private placement warrants if held by third parties other than our sponsor or Raymond James (or their permitted transferees), and to any private placement warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans that are sold to third parties that are not initial purchasers of our private placement warrants or members of our management team (or their permitted transferees);
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“sponsor” are to VBOC Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company; an affiliate of John J. Viscogliosi, our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman;
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“trust account” are to the trust account in the United States at Raymond James & Associates, Inc., with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, into which we will deposit certain proceeds from this offering and from the sale of the private placement warrants;
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“warrants” are to our redeemable warrants, which includes the public warrants as well as the private placement; and
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“we,” “us,” “Company” or “our company” are to Viscogliosi Brothers Acquisition Corp.
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Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option.
Certain financial information contained in this prospectus has been rounded and, as a result, certain totals shown in this prospectus may not equal the arithmetic sum of the figures that would otherwise aggregate to those totals.
Overview
We are a blank check company whose business purpose is to effect a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization, or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to in this prospectus as our initial business combination. We
 
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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. Although we are not limited to a particular industry or geographic region for purposes of consummating an initial business combination, we intend to focus our search on businesses that have their primary operations located in North America and Europe in the neuro-musculoskeletal industry.
Our Sponsor and CEO
Our sponsor is an affiliate of Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC (“VB”), a single-family office founded by Anthony, John, and Marc Viscogliosi, with extensive experience in the neuro-musculoskeletal (“NMS”) industry. VB has invested in more than 30 companies in the healthcare sector over the past two decades with a majority of its investment in the NMS industry. VB has a long history of growing venture-stage companies to global, commercialized businesses through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. Today, these businesses have cumulative revenues exceeding $750 million.
John J. Viscogliosi, our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, has more than 20 years of operating and investing experience in the NMS industry. From 2004 to 2020 he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Centinel Spine, which he led to become the largest privately held spinal health company focused on anterior column reconstruction. In 2017, Mr. Viscogliosi led the acquisition for Centinel Spine of Prodisc from Johnson & Johnson. He subsequently repositioned the business and achieved annual double-digit revenue growth, and today the Prodisc portfolio represents over half of Centinel Spine’s total sales. In addition, Mr. Viscogliosi successfully doubled Centinel Spine’s surgeon and distributor bases and expanded the company’s global reach to 21 geographic markets. He also helped expand the patient population receiving lumbar total disc replacements and improved the company’s private insurer reimbursement coverage by adding nearly 30 million covered lives. In addition, Mr. Viscogliosi led the creation of the Patient Education Program, which leveraged key athletic ambassadors to increase patients’ spine knowledge and their awareness of resources available to relieve spine-related pain. He also organized a regulatory strategy to submit three FDA PMA (Premarket Approval) supplements for cervical Prodisc, expanding the company’s product portfolio to establish the market-leading cervical and lumbar total disc replacement platform. Mr. Viscogliosi further oversaw the development and execution of the 2-level Prodisc SK and VIVO clinical trial, to further expand the clinical data relating to the Prodisc product portfolio.
Mr. Viscogliosi is a founding member, and since 1999 has been a principal, of Viscogliosi Bros, LLC. In addition, since July 2020, he has been the Executive Chairman of VB EnviroCare. He previously co-founded multiple NMS businesses, including Paradigm Spine, LLC, Small Bone Innovations, Inc., Knee Creations, LLC, Musculoskeletal Clinical Regulatory Advisers, LLC and Spine Solutions, Inc. Mr. Viscogliosi served on the Board of Directors of Small Bone Innovations, Inc. and Woven Orthopedic Technologies, LLC. Additionally, Mr. Viscogliosi was formerly on the boards of Spine Solutions, Inc. and Knee Creations, LLC, and played an integral part in the sales of those companies to Johnson & Johnson Depuy-Synthes and Zimmer Holdings, respectively.
Our Board of Directors
John J. Viscogliosi will serve as our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors. In addition to Mr. Viscogliosi, we have eight additional board members: Suhail Al Ansari, F. Samuel Eberts III, Dan Drawbaugh, John N. Kastanis, Dr. Jean-Christophe Renondin, Marc R. Viscogliosi, [     ] and Dr. Jack E. Zigler, five of whom will be independent directors.
Suhail Al Ansari is Managing Partner of Biolinka Investments LLC, which he founded in 2017, since 2020 has been Deputy Vice Chairman & Co-Founder of Gawah Holdings Inc., since 2020 has been a Board Advisor to UK Cloud Ltd., and since 2007 has been Partner & Director of Asab Investments LLC. Mr. Al Ansari was previously Executive Director of the healthcare business at Mubadala Investment Company. As the executive-in-charge of healthcare investments at Mubadala, his primary responsibilities were to oversee the development, operations and management of the healthcare assets and initiatives within the company’s portfolio, with full P&L accountability. During his tenure at Mubadala, from 2006 until 2017, Mr. Al Ansari established and oversaw the operations of eight healthcare businesses with globally renowned partners such as the Cleveland Clinic, Labcorp, Imperial College London and Johns Hopkins
 
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Medicine, managing a portfolio worth over US $4 billion in assets, with 6,000 employees and annual revenue exceeding US $1 billion. Mr. Al Ansari supported the Government of Abu Dhabi through the Executive Affairs Authority prior to his roles at Mubadala. Mr. Al Ansari served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, Healthpoint Hospital, National Reference Laboratory, Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre, Capital Health Screening Centre, Abu Dhabi Telemedicine Centre, and Medical Holding Company. Mr. Al Ansari was also Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi, and member of the board of directors of Viceroy Hotels Group and Agility Abu Dhabi. Mr. Al Ansari received his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Chemical Engineering from the University of Surrey and his Master of Science in Finance from the Carrol Graduate School of Management, Boston College.
F. Samuel Eberts III is an international legal executive with over 30 years of diverse experience in healthcare, biotechnology, and specialty consumer products industries. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Darter Group LLC, a healthcare consultancy which he founded in 2013 and a Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke University School of Law. From 2002 to 2019, Mr. Eberts was the Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary and Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, a leading global life sciences company. Prior to his roles at LabCorp, Mr. Eberts was Vice President, Secretary, and General Counsel of Stepan Company. Before joining Stepan Company, he was Assistant General Counsel for Cardinal Health, Inc., and Associate General Counsel for Allegiance Healthcare Corporation. Prior to that time, he was Chief Counsel at Baxter International’s North American Biotech division, and Corporate Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel at Baxter International Inc. Mr. Eberts is the past Chairman and a current Board member of Easter Seals UCP of North Carolina and Virginia and a member of the Board of Trustees for Endicott College and the Wilson Council of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Mr. Eberts has previously served as Director and Member of the Investment Committee of MedCap Growth Equity Funds and as Board Member of the Alamance Community College Foundation. Mr. Eberts received his Bachelor of Science in Political Science at Loyola University of Chicago and later obtained his J.D. from Boston University School of Law.
Dan Drawbaugh is the Chief Executive Officer of The Steadman Clinic (TSC) and Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI) in Vail, Colorado. As CEO since 2015, Mr. Drawbaugh leads a team of talented physicians, researchers, scientists, and administrators who make TSC and SPRI one of the most sought-after orthopaedic sports medicine destination centers in the world. Mr. Drawbaugh strategically expanded the organization’s partnerships with Varsity Healthcare Partners, Vail Health, Aspen Valley Hospital, and a variety of technology companies, to continue advancing the organization’s global prominence in sports and orthopaedic medicine through investments in research capabilities and new scientific laboratories. Mr. Drawbaugh is a proven leader and innovator in healthcare information technology with over 30 years of experience in the areas of information and biomedical technologies. Mr. Drawbaugh joined TSC and SPRI in 2015 from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he held the position of Chief Information Officer and other positions for 31 years. Mr. Drawbaugh currently serves as a board member at MJP Innovations and has previously served on the Boards of Directors/Advisors of Oracle, IBM, Verizon Wireless, GENCO (now FedEx), Vestar Capital Partners, dbMotion and Omnyx. Mr. Drawbaugh earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical and electrical engineering technology from Temple University and his MBA from Duquesne University.
John N. Kastanis, MBA, FACHE, is an accomplished health systems executive with significant experience leading and teaching in high acute, tertiary-care, quaternary-care and specialty hospitals. His core expertise is in strategic planning, governance, fund development and academic medicine, while also managing large Medicaid and Medicare patient populations. Mr. Kastanis has a proven record of success with financial turnarounds, mergers, corporate restructurings, integrated delivery network development, labor-management negotiations, and performance improvement. As President and CEO of University Hospital, Newark, NJ from 2016 to 2018, Mr. Kastanis led the state’s primary teaching hospital and clinical research site for Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, the state’s only Northern New Jersey Level 1 Trauma Center, and the EMS 911 service for the City of Newark. Kastanis has also served from 2011 to 2016 as President and CEO at Temple University Hospital and led the Hospital for Joint Diseases Orthopedic Hospital, among several others. Since 2018 he has been the Principal & Consultant of JNK Consulting, an independent healthcare consulting practice where he has served as an Advisory Board Member for multiple companies. He has served on numerous boards and commissions including more recently with the Board of Managers of
 
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the Vizient University Health System Consortium, the New Jersey Hospital Association, the Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition, the Greater New York Hospital Association and America’s Essential Hospitals. Mr. Kastanis holds an MBA in healthcare management from Baruch College-Mount Sinai School of Medicine, a B.A. in Political Science from Queens College and is Board Certified as a Life Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (LFACHE). He has also provided recent lectures to medical societies, medical ground rounds, and universities (Harvard and Arcadia) on health care reform and financial & operational turnarounds.
Dr. Jean-Christophe Renondin, MD, MBA is an accomplished and seasoned healthcare investor with more than 20 years of experience in financing and investing in healthcare asset globally. Dr. Renondin has been, since 2015, the Senior Healthcare Manager at the Sovereign Fund of Oman, the Oman Investment Authority (OIA), in charge of the Healthcare Investment Practice. His primary responsibilities are to implement the investment strategy and to originate and execute investment opportunities in North America, Europe and Asia. Recent investments were in Symetis and Cognate Bioservices. Prior to joining the OIA, Dr. Renondin was Managing Director at Bryan Garnier & Co., a pan-European investment bank, in charge of the healthcare practice leading ECM and Private Placement transactions for European healthcare clients. Prior to this role, Dr. Renondin was General Partner at CDC Innovation, investing in various European healthcare assets. From 1999 to 2005 Dr. Renondin was Vice President at Sofinov, a subsidiary of the Caisse de Depot et Placement of Quebec (CDPQ), leading the Healthcare investment fund, and Managing Director at MDS Capital, one of the leading healthcare investment firms in Canada. Prior to 1999, Dr. Renondin was the General Manager of various international subsidiaries for Servier Laboratories, in Ireland and in South Africa, where he successfully restructured several departments. Prior to working at Servier, Dr. Renondin was at JP Morgan in the Healthcare equity research and Corporate Finance department at the NY office. Dr. Renondin currently serves as a board member at Juvenescence, a longevity biotech company and he has previously served on the Board of Directors of Cognate Bioservices and was board and an Investment Committee member of the VC Fund Innovation Development Oman. Dr. Renondin earned his Medical Doctorate degree from Paris V Descartes University and his MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Administration and Finance at Dartmouth University in 1991.
Marc R. Viscogliosi is one of the founders of our sponsor, Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC and is an experienced CEO, Venture & Private Equity Investor and Company/Industry Creator with a proven track record of success over the last two decades in the medical device industry. Having completed over $800 million in equity and debt capital raises at all levels of a company’s lifecycle, Mr. Viscogliosi is particularly sensitive to matching the capital needs of a business to its value inflection points, while generating over $2.1 billion in exit values for investor-partners and stakeholders. Over the last 20 years at VB, Mr. Viscogliosi has been principally responsible for driving innovation identification, regulatory and clinical strategies of the portfolio companies and capitalization structuring optimization of the portfolio companies. As Founder and CEO of Paradigm Spine, Mr. Viscogliosi was responsible for raising approximately $80 million in institutional equity investment and approximately $125 million of net debt in execution of its value creation strategy. As Executive Chairman of Knee Creations, Mr. Viscogliosi was responsible for guiding the business from product concept to early commercialization and ultimately its acquisition by Zimmer Biomet for nearly 10x revenues. As Founder and CEO of MCRA, LLC, Mr. Viscogliosi has been responsible for building MCRA into a leading medical device regulatory CRO, with nearly 100 professionals working with more than 150 clients monthly to achieve its strategic regulatory and clinical objectives. Mr. Viscogliosi graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University with a double-major in Economics and Political Science.
Dr. Jack E. Zigler, MD, FACS, FAAOS, is an orthopedic spine surgeon and from 2008 to 2018 was Medical Director at the Texas Back Institute (TBI). He was Co-Director of the Spine Surgery Fellowship Program at TBI and served as Principal Investigator or Sub-Investigator on approximately twelve FDA studies. Dr. Zigler previously served from 1991 to 1996 as a Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the USC School of Medicine and from 1994 to 1996 at the UCI School of Medicine. At that time, Dr. Zigler was also the Chief of the Spinal Injury Service and the Director of Fellowship & Residency Training at the Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center. Since 2018 he has been a member of the Medical Advisory Board of Veritas Health, International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (“ISASS”), a member of the Board of Trustees of AO Spine, and an Associate Editor at the SAS Journal. Dr. Zigler is a Past President of the American Spinal Injury Association and Immediate Past President of the International Society for the
 
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Advancement of Spine Surgery. He has additionally served as chairman of multiple boards, including the AO Lumbar Degenerative Expert Group, the Exhibits and Membership Committees of the Cervical Spine Research Society, the CSRS Committee on Patient Education, the Program Committee of the American Spinal Injury Association, and the Task Force on Aging of the North American Spine Society. In addition, Dr. Zigler was a board member of Capital Bank, a publicly traded bank based in San Juan Capistrano, where he served as chairman of the compensation committee. Dr. Zigler has published over 80 studies in the peer-reviewed scientific literature and has authored three textbooks on spine surgery. He received multiple postgraduate training certificates as an Arnold Fellow in Spine Surgery at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, a Resident and Chief Resident in Orthopedic Surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Resident in Surgery at the Long Island Jewish — Hillside Medical Center. Dr. Zigler received his Bachelor of Science (Distinction) from Cornell University and later obtained his M.D. (cum laude) from the SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, NY.
Acquisition Strategy
Our acquisition strategy will leverage our management team’s experience in operations, product development, technology management, regulatory strategy, clinical trial development, product positioning, marketing and capital raising to identify unique opportunities in the NMS sector. Moreover, our Board of Directors will leverage their experience and broad industry relationships to further support our acquisition and evaluation process. Given our dedicated approach to the NMS industry and our significant network of relationships, we believe we are well positioned to identify leading potential acquisition targets.
Our goal is to acquire a platform company in the NMS industry that has a:
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Well-established, differentiated product portfolio with significant growth potential;
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•
Product pipeline with a consistent cadence of new product rollouts;
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•
Strong management team with a shared vision to create a dominant player within the NMS industry and the ability to rapidly grow the business;
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•
Wide distributor network with potential for expansion;
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•
Diverse and loyal user base;
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•
Strong margins with visible revenue growth potential;
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•
and would benefit from being publicly traded and having access to incremental growth capital.
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We believe that, upon completing our initial business combination, our management team will use their expertise in growing the business organically to help expand the company’s operations and its sales and distribution channels following the business combination. There will also be a strong emphasis on looking to grow the company through further acquisitions, and developing the company as a consolidator within its industry. We believe that there may also be opportunities to make other, peripheral acquisitions at the same time as we complete our initial business combination.
We believe an acquisition by our Company can provide an efficient liquidity and capital-raising mechanism while materially reducing the risks and expenses associated with a traditional initial public offering. Furthermore, we believe VB’s management team is well known to, and respected by, the founders, management, and stockholders of private medical technology companies, and that our leadership’s reputations will be a competitive advantage in attracting high quality targets for our business combination. The VB management team and Board of Directors have extensive operating and transaction experience in the medical technology sector as managers, investors, acquirors and sellers. We intend to leverage this experience and our networks to identify a target company and to deliver operational and economic benefit from a business combination.
Competitive Differentiation
Our focus is to create attractive risk adjusted returns for our stockholders, focusing on limiting technology risk by pursuing clinically proven, innovative technologies executing a differentiated operational, clinical, and regulatory strategy. We believe that our team members have proven their ability to commercialize
 
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transformational technologies into market disrupting business leaders. We intend to capitalize on our ability to use the following differentiation factors to our advantage:
VB’s extensive ecosystem network of relationships provides us with early access to top quality deals. VB’s ecosystem network includes sponsors, our investor network, key opinion leaders, global surgeon societies, innovation programs access, strategic and corporate relationships, medical institutions and the universe of NMS co-investors. Given these connections, we believe that we provide a competitive sourcing advantage and will be a preferred partner for potential targets.
The niche focus on NMS provides us with an advantage over generalist healthcare investors. The deep domain expertise of our management team, detailed knowledge of market dynamics, understanding of the specific needs of the medical community and experience with the intricacies of market adoption for NMS products and technology provide us with an exceptional ability to select the leading companies in the industry. We believe that generalist healthcare investors lack the ability to understand the risks associated with this niche NMS market and to identify leading target companies.
Over VB’s history, VB has used its investment criteria to identify best-in-class companies, products, and technologies. VB has helped companies build strong technology platforms, fulfill clinically unmet needs, achieve successful clinical track records, mitigate regulatory risk, own significant intellectual property and regulatory portfolios, and provide market development opportunities. VB is led by an all-in entrepreneur and has an effective business model. We believe VB’s experience investing in and exiting portfolio companies will help provide the Company with the ability to generate positive and favorable returns.
Members of our management team have also participated as financiers in several complex NMS transactions, including licensing agreements, corporate carveouts, IP acquisitions, product divestitures, asset purchase agreements, initial public offerings, company formations, debt recapitalizations, equity recapitalizations, secondary offerings, mergers, acquisitions, joint venture partnerships, debt restructurings, debt placements and private equity placements. We believe these experiences provide a distinct advantage through all stages of the investment process, from deal sourcing to portfolio company exit.
We seek to leverage our team’s experience arranging hundreds of partnerships with suppliers and distributors, initiating manufacturing, building and growing several sales forces, accelerating revenue growth, growing total surgeon users, building hospital distribution networks and creating market leaders within niche markets. We have a great deal of experience working with direct reps, agencies and independent distributors. Additionally, we have often worked alongside and with large and small medical device companies.
Industry Opportunity
The NMS industry comprises disorders and diseases that affect human body movement involving nerves, muscle, soft tissue, and bones that lead to pain and loss of mobility. According to Orthoworld, the neuro-musculoskeletal market, also known as orthopedics, was valued at $53 billion in 2019, and saw sales growth of approximately 3.8% from 2018 to 2019. Orthopedics is the branch of medicine that deals with NMS diseases. Throughout this section, the terms orthopaedics and NMS will be used interchangeably.
We believe that 100% of the population living an average life expectancy will suffer from an NMS trauma or disease. We believe that NMS diseases and disorders are the number-one cause of long-term pain, physical disability, doctor visits, worker compensation claims and employee absenteeism.
We believe that there are five key sectors within the NMS industry that are of interest to our Company:
1.
Implantable Devices:   The implantable devices segment consists of technologies that replace, repair, or support a damaged bone. These devices can be segmented into further categories based on the area of the body or type of treatment they target and offer:
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a.
Spine:   The spine market consists of implants, instruments, and surgical assistance systems to treat degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, scoliosis, vertebral fractures with pedicle screws, artificial discs, motion-preserving and kyphoplasty devices. According to Orthoworld, in 2019, global sales in the spine market amounted to $9.6 billion with almost 63% of global
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sales accounted for by the top four companies in the segment. Also according to Orthoworld, the spine market is growing at a rate of 3.5% per year and is projected to reach $10.0 billion in sales in 2022.
b.
Sports Medicine:   The sports medicine market consists of equipment and implantables, including arthroscopes, visualization systems and other similar technologies for the removal of bone and soft tissue. According to Orthoworld, between 2017 and 2019, the sports medicine market grew approximately 5.5% per year and in 2019 accounted for roughly $5.9 billion in global sales.
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c.
Trauma:   The trauma market consists of implants and instruments for internal and external use, such as plates, screws, nails, pin, and external fixators, to treat traumatic injuries affecting the neuromusculoskeletal anatomy. The trauma market is the third largest segment in the orthopedic industry, and according to Orthoworld generated roughly $7.4 billion in global sales in 2019.
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d.
Total Joint Replacement:   The total joint replacement market consists of implants, instruments and surgical assistance systems used to replace or repair failed joints in the knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist, ankle, and digits. According to Orthoworld, the total joint replacement market accounted for $19.5 billion, or over 37%, of global orthopedic sales in 2019.
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e.
Neuromodulation:   The neuromodulation market consists of technologies that use electrical or pharmaceutical agents to alter or modulate nerve activity in a target area. Neuromodulation technology was first introduced in the early 1960s, with the use of deep brain stimulation to resolve chronic and intractable pain and was later extended to indications relating to the spine. According to Neurotech Reports, the market for implanted spinal stimulators was valued at $12 billion in 2020 and was expected to continue to grow at double-digit annual growth rates.
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2.
Service Companies:   Service companies offer comprehensive solutions to other medical device companies facing with clinical, regulatory, reimbursement and product issues. Services vary from one company to another, with some service companies offering a wide range of services and others offering more niche and focused specialties, for example in relation to the product development process of medical devices. Service companies cater to a wide range of medical device companies in the healthcare space.
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3.
Regenerative Medicine:
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a.
Biologics:   The biologics and biochemical product market for NMS indications accounted for roughly $5.3 billion in 2019, according to Orthoworld. Products in this space include technologies such as allograft and xenograft tissue, synthetic bone graft substitutes, autologous platelet/plasma systems and other similar therapies. We believe that greater demand for regenerative/biologic-type therapies among patients and athletes will drive growth in this market.
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b.
Therapeutics:   The therapeutics market consists of products that are used to treat orthopedic diseases through a biochemical action, and mainly include opioid and non-opioid therapeutic agents. This market also includes the fast-growing digital therapeutics segment. The demand for global digital therapeutics is on the rise, owing to increases in the adoption of smartphones and tablets coupled with healthcare apps, the need to control healthcare costs and rises in incidences of chronic diseases.
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4.
Contract Manufacturers:   The contract manufacturer segment consists of orthopedic and medical device original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that are responsible for the production, manufacturing, and assembly of medical devices in all areas of healthcare. These companies are key players in the healthcare and orthopedic supply chain and often work as outsourcing hubs for many of the top medical device developers around the globe.
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Overall, the healthcare industry and healthcare spending continues to grow as a percentage of GDP topping 9.8% in 2018, according to the World Bank. The largest contributors, or foundational drivers, of growth trends in the healthcare industry are the rapidly aging population, expanding global life expectancy, increasing rates of obesity and diabetes and the rising cost and volume of medical care. All the foundational drivers directly affect the NMS industry. NMS disorders and disease are not only conditions of older age but also effect the entire lifecycle of the patient population. The patient and provider demand for new, innovative, and cost-effective solutions to manage these chronic debilitating diseases remains urgent.
•
Growing Elderly Population:   There are more than 668 million people, or 11.6% of the total global population, over the age of 60, and it is estimated that by 2050 this number will increase to 1.5 billion, according to the World Health Organization. We believe that people over the age of 60 are at high risk of joint replacements, degenerative disc disease, arthritis, and osteoporosis, with approximately 17%, 14%, and 3% of the elderly in the U.S. having been diagnosed with arthritis, osteopenia, and osteoporosis, respectively (Burden of Musculoskeletal Diseases).
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•
Expanding Life Expectancy:   Life expectancy is expected to increase from 73.5 years in 2018 to 74.4 in 2022 and will continue to increase for females in low-mortality countries such as Japan and Sweden (Global Healthcare Report, Deloitte). Medical care spending more than doubles between the ages of 70-90 (Journalist Resource), and with the increase in life expectancy, we believe there should be a sharp increase in healthcare spending as well.
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•
Increasing Obesity and Diabetes Rates:   Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975, and today 13% of adults globally are classified as obese, putting them at major risk for NMS disorders as they continue to age (World Health Organization).
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•
Rising Cost and Volume of Medical Care:   Global healthcare spending was approximately US$8.7 trillion in 2020, with a strong focus on improving healthcare in developing countries (Global Healthcare Report, Deloitte). NMS conditions are the leading cause of disability in the United States and are estimated to cost approximately $980 billion (5.8% of GDP) annually (United States Bone and Joint Initiative).
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Initial Business Combination
Nasdaq listing rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting fees and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. We refer to this as the 80% of net assets test. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of the 80% of net assets test. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or 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 our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the initial business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However,
 
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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 taken into account for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If our initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.
To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management team will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.
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 will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or 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.
Other Considerations
We currently do not have any specific business combination under consideration. Our officers and directors have neither individually identified nor considered a specific target business nor have they had any substantive discussions with possible target businesses. We have not (nor have any of our agents or affiliates) substantively engaged with any candidates (or a representative of any candidate) with respect to a possible acquisition transaction with our company. Additionally, we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any substantive action, directly or indirectly, with any suitable acquisition candidate for us, nor have we engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any such acquisition candidate.
Members of our management team, including our directors and officers, will directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target company is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Each of our directors and officers may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any directors or officers was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to such business combination.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination or subsequent transaction with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers, or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination or, subject to certain exceptions, subsequent material transactions with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor or any of our officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, to the extent required by applicable law or our board of directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent accounting firm that such initial business combination or transaction is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Each of our directors and officers presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity. if any of our directors or officers becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us.
 
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Each of our sponsor, directors and officers may sponsor, form or participate in other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Any such companies may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target, particularly in the event there is overlap among investment mandates.
Our directors and officers are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs, and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence.
Corporate Information
We were incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on November 24, 2020. Our executive offices are located at 505 Park Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10022 and our telephone number is (212) 583-9700. Our website is www.VB-OC.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or 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, or 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 (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to SEC rules from time to time), or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the aggregate worldwide market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700,000,000 as of the prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to emerging growth company will 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 equals or exceeds $250,000,000 as of the prior June 30th or (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100,000,000 during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700,000,000 as of the prior June 30th.
 
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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” beginning on page 27 of this prospectus.
Securities offered
7,500,000 units or 8,625,000 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of:
•
one share of common stock; and
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•
one-half of one redeemable warrant.
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Listing of our securities and proposed symbols
We anticipate the units, and the shares of common stock and the warrants, once they begin separate trading, will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “VBOC.U,” “VBOC,” and “VBOC.WS,” respectively.
Trading commencement and separation of common stock and warrants
The units are expected to begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We expect the shares of common stock and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Raymond James, as the representative of the underwriters, 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 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 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.
In no event will the common stock and warrants be traded separately until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC containing 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, which closing is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters’ 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 underwriters’ over-allotment option.
 
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Units:
Number issued and outstanding before this offering
0 units
Number to be issued and outstanding after this offering
7,500,000 units1
Shares of common stock:
Number issued and outstanding before this offering
2,156,250 shares2
Number to be issued and outstanding after this offering
9,375,000 shares3
Redeemable warrants:
Number issued and outstanding before this offering
0 warrants
Number to be issued and outstanding after this offering and sale of private placement warrants
9,000,000 (includes 3,750,000 public warrants and 5,250,000 private placement warrants)4
Exercisability
Each whole warrant is exercisable to purchase one share of 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 one-half of one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share of common stock, as compared to units issued by some other similar blank check companies that contain one whole warrant exercisable for one share, in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of our initial business combination as compared to units that each contain one warrant exercisable for one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive business combination partner for target businesses.
Exercise price
$11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein. In addition, if (x) we issue additional shares of 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 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 sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our sponsor or its
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1
Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised.
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2
This number includes up to an aggregate of 281,250 shares of common stock held by our sponsor that are subject to forfeiture if the over- allotment option is not fully exercised by the underwriters.
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3
Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 281,250 shares of common stock held by our sponsor have been forfeited. If the over-allotment option is exercised in full, there will be a total of 10,781,250 shares of common stock issued and outstanding.
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4
Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised. If the over-allotment option is exercised in full, there will be a total of 10,012,500 warrants issued and outstanding.
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affiliates, 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 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, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described below under “Redemption of warrants” 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
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•
12 months after the closing of this offering;
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provided, in each case, that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of 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.
We are not registering the shares of 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 our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, to cause such registration statement to become effective and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the shares of 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.
 
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Notwithstanding the above, if our common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies 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.
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 and not placed in the trust account.
Redemption
Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the private placement warrants):
•
in whole and not in part;
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•
at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
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•
upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, which we refer to as the 30-day redemption period; and
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•
if, and only if, the reported closing price of our common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations, and the like) 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 unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of 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 not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in this offering.
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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 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 common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing the product of the number of shares of common stock underlying the warrants multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” ​(defined below) over the exercise price of the warrant by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported closing price of the 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 — Redeemable Warrants — Public Warrants” for additional information.
Offering proceeds to be held in trust
$76,500,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the private placement (or $87,975,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be placed in a trust account at Raymond James & Associates, Inc., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee pursuant to an agreement to be signed on the date of this prospectus.
These proceeds include $2,625,000 (or $3,018,750 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), of deferred underwriting commissions.
Except as set forth below, the proceeds in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of:
(1) the completion of an initial business combination within the required time period and (2) our redemption of 100% of the outstanding public shares if we have not completed a business combination in the required time period. Therefore, unless and until our initial business combination is consummated, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be available for our use for any expenses related to this offering or expenses which we may incur related to the investigation and selection of a target business and the negotiation of an agreement to acquire a target business.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, there can be released to us, from time to time, any interest earned on the funds in the trust account that we may need to pay our tax obligations. With this exception, expenses incurred by us may be paid prior to a business combination only from the net proceeds of this offering not held in the trust account of approximately $1,750,000; provided, however, that in order
 
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to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering if the funds not held in the trust account are insufficient, our initial stockholders, officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest.
Founder shares
In February 2021, our sponsor purchased 2,156,250 shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, which shares are referred to herein as “founder shares,” and include an aggregate of up to 281,250 shares that are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that our initial stockholders will collectively own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering. Subsequently, in March and April 2021, an aggregate of 150,000 founder shares were transferred to directors of the Company. These 150,000 shares will not be subject to forfeiture in the event the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. None of our initial stockholders has indicated any intention to purchase public units in this offering.
The founder shares are identical to the shares of common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, except that:
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the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below;
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the founder shares are entitled to registration rights;
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our sponsor, 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 their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) 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 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre- initial business combination activity, (iii) 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 18 months from the closing of this offering, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to
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complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame and (iv) vote any founder shares held by them 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. If we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, 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. As a result of the agreement of our sponsor, officers and directors to vote their shares in favor of our initial business combination, we would need 468,750, or 6.25%, of the 7,500,000 public shares sold in this offering, to be voted in favor of our initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming that only a quorum was present at the meeting, that the over-allotment option is not exercised and that the initial stockholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market).
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: (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the reported 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, or (y) the date 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 shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Restrictions on 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.
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. 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.
 
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Private placement warrants
VBOC Holdings, LLC, our sponsor, has committed to purchase from us an aggregate of 5,062,500 warrants or “private placement warrants,” ​(or 5,484,375 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per private placement warrant for a total purchase price of $5,062,500 (or $5,484,375 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share. Raymond James has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 187,500 warrants (or 215,625 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per private placement warrant for a total purchase price of $187,500 (or $215,625 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. To the extent that the underwriters exercise their overallotment option, our sponsor and Raymond James will purchase that additional number of private placement warrants as is necessary to maintain in the trust fund an amount equal to $10.20 per share sold to the public in this offering.
A portion of the proceeds from the private placement of the private placement warrants will be added to the proceeds of this offering and placed in a trust account in the United States maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months, such portion of the proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants will be included in the liquidating distribution to the holders of our public shares.
The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the public units in this offering.
The private placement warrants (including the shares of 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.”
Limited payments to insiders
There will be no finder’s fees, reimbursement, consulting fee, non-cash payments, monies in respect of any payment of a loan or other compensation paid by us to our sponsor, officers or directors, or any affiliate of our sponsor or officers, prior to, or in connection with any services rendered to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, the following payments may be made to our sponsor, officers, or directors, or our or their affiliates, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:
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Payment of $10,000 per month to an affiliate of VBOC Holdings, LLC for office space and related services, subject to deferral as described herein;
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Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating and completing an initial business combination; and
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Repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants, at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability, and exercise period. The terms of such working capital loans by our sponsor or its affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans.
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Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, or directors, or our or their affiliates.
Conditions to completing our initial business combination
Permitted purchases of public shares and public warrants by our affiliates
In accordance with the rules of Nasdaq, 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 value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the amount of deferred underwriting discounts held in trust and net of taxes payable) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. However, we may structure our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target
 
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business to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders, or for other reasons. However, we will only complete an initial 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 initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the initial business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our stockholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be considered for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% of fair market value test. If the initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of fair market value test will be based on the aggregate value of all the transactions and we will treat the target businesses together as our initial business combination for purposes of seeking stockholder approval or conducting a tender offer, as applicable.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors, or their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares or warrants our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors, or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and Nasdaq rules. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non- public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Subsequent to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt an insider trading policy which will
 
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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 prior to completion of our initial business combination. See “Proposed Business — Permitted Purchases of Our Securities” for a description of how our sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates will select which stockholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction. Our sponsor, directors, officers,
Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our initial business combination
The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our shares of 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.
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the
 
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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 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 $10.20 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares held by them and any public shares they may acquire during or after this offering in connection with the completion of our initial business combination or otherwise.
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 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 Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with Nasdaq’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 Nasdaq. Such provisions may be amended if approved by holders of a majority of our common stock entitled to vote thereon.
 
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If we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with a stockholder meeting, we will:
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conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules, and
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file proxy materials with the SEC.
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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 sponsor, 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 stockholders’ founder shares, we would need 468,750, or 6.25%, of the 7,500,000 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 that only a quorum was present at the meeting, that the over-allotment option is not exercised and that the initial stockholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market). 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. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial stockholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate 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.
 
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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:
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conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and
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file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination, which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.
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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 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) 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 to purchase shares of our 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 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
 
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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 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) 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 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 common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.
Limitation on redemption rights of stockholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold 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 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
 
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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 an initial business combination if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ 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 an initial business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including 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.
Redemption rights in connection with proposed amendments to our certificate of incorporation
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 a majority 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 a majority 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 Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) or applicable stock exchange rules. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to receive funds from the trust account or vote on any initial business combination or on matters related to our pre- initial business combination activity. Our initial stockholders, who will collectively beneficially own 20% of our outstanding shares of common stock upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and
 
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restated certificate of incorporation and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Our 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 (A) 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 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
Release of funds in trust account on closing of our initial business combination
On 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.” We will use the remaining funds to pay the underwriters their 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 in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemption of our public shares, we may use the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account following the closing for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of 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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Release of funds in trust account on closing of our initial business combination
On 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.” We will use the remaining funds to pay the underwriters their 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 in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemption of our public shares, we may use the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account following the closing for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of 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.
Liquidation if no business combination
If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, 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 (including any public units sold in this offering or any public units or shares that our initial stockholders or their affiliates purchased in this offering or later acquired in the open market or in private transactions), 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 (including any public units sold in this offering or any public units or shares that our initial stockholders or their affiliates purchased in this offering or later acquired in the open market or in private transactions), which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining holders of common stock and our board of directors, proceed to commence a voluntary liquidation and thereby a formal dissolution of the Company, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of applicable law.
 
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Holders of warrants will receive no proceeds in connection with the liquidation with respect to such warrants, which will expire worthless.
We may not have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims. Although we will seek to have all third parties (including any vendors or other entities we engage after this offering) and any prospective target businesses enter into valid and enforceable agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements. There is also no guarantee that the third parties would not challenge the enforceability of these waivers and bring claims against the trust account for monies owed them.
The holders of the founder shares will not participate in any redemption distribution with respect to their founder shares, but may have any public shares redeemed upon liquidation.
If we are unable to complete our initial business combination and we expend all of the net proceeds of this offering not deposited in the trust account, without taking into account any interest earned on the trust account, we expect that the initial per-share redemption price will be approximately $10.20. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to claims of our creditors that are in preference to the claims of our stockholders. Furthermore, our underwriters may seek recourse against the proceeds in the trust account relating to any future claims they may have against us. In addition, if we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case 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. Therefore, the actual per-share redemption price may be less than approximately $10.20. We will pay the costs of any subsequent liquidation from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, our sponsor has agreed to pay the funds necessary to complete such liquidation and has agreed not to seek repayment for such expenses. We currently do not anticipate that such funds will be insufficient.
Indemnity
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 similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.20 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 $10.20 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable; provided that
 
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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 underwriters 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 believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties, including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
 
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Summary of Risk Factors
We are a newly formed company that has conducted no operations and has generated no revenues. Until we complete our initial business combination, we will have no operations and will generate no operating revenues. In making your decision on whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the background of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company, as well as the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act, and, therefore, you will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. For additional information concerning how Rule 419 blank check offerings differ from this offering, please see “Proposed Business — Comparison to offerings of blank check companies subject to Rule 419.” You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 27 of this prospectus.
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 recently incorporated company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
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•
Past performance by our management team or their respective affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.
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Our 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 stockholders do not support such a combination.
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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.
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If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.
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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.
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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.
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The requirement that we consummate an initial business combination within 18 months (or such later date as approved by our stockholders) after the closing of this offering 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.
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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 the status of debt and equity markets.
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If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders, directors, executive officers, advisors, and their affiliates may elect to purchase public shares or warrants, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our common stock or public warrants.
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•
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.
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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.
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Nasdaq may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
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You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
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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 consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.20 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
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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 the 18 months following the closing of this offering, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and our ability to complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from our sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.
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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 are presented.
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September 30, 2021
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February 17,
2021
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​ ​ ​
(Actual)
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(As adjusted)
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(Actual)
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Working capital (deficiency)(1)
​ ​ ​ $ (47,310) ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 1,774,700 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (5,000) ​ ​
Total assets(2)
​ ​ ​ ​ 97,010 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 78,274,700 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 54,700 ​ ​
Total liabilities(3)
​ ​ ​ ​ 72,310 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 2,625,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 30,000 ​ ​
Value of common stock subject to possible redemption/tender
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 76,500,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Stockholder’s equity
​ ​ ​ ​ 24,700 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (850,300) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 24,700 ​ ​
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(1)
The “as adjusted” amount equals $1,750,000 of cash held outside the trust account (including $300,000 to be used to pay for director and officer liability insurance premiums), plus $24,700 of actual shareholders’ equity on September 30, 2021.
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(2)
The “as adjusted” amount equals $76,500,000 of cash held in trust from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, plus $1,750,000 in cash held outside the trust account (including $300,000 to be used to pay for director and officer liability insurance premiums), plus $24,700 of actual shareholders’ equity on September 30, 2021
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(3)
The “as adjusted” amount consists of $2,625,000 of deferred underwriting commissions, assuming the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised.
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If no business combination is completed within 18 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds 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 $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares. Our sponsor, directors and officers 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 such time period.
 
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RISK FACTORS
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider 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 Related to Our Business and Structure
We are a newly formed blank check company in the early stage 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 recently formed blank check company with no operating results, and we will not commence operations until obtaining funding through this offering and consummating our initial business combination. 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 with one or more target businesses. We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning our initial 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.
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, we had $25,000 in cash and working capital deficit of $47,310. Further, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of our 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.” Our plans to raise capital and to consummate our initial business combination may not 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.
The requirement that 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 any taxes payable) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination may limit the type and number of companies with which we may complete such a business combination.
Pursuant to Nasdaq listing rules, 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 any taxes payable) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination. This restriction may limit the type and number of companies that we may complete a business combination with. If we are unable to locate a target business or businesses that satisfy this fair market value test, we may be forced to liquidate and you will be entitled to receive only your pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account, which may be less than $10.20 per share.
Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination, which means we may consummate 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 unless the initial business combination would require stockholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements. In such case, the decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed initial 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
 
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on such approval. Accordingly, we may complete our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our outstanding public shares do not approve of the initial business combination we complete.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.
Pursuant to a letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, as well as any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions), in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, we would need only 468,750, or 6.25%, of the 7,500,000 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 that only a quorum was present at the meeting, that the over-allotment option is not exercised and that the initial stockholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market). Our initial stockholders will own shares representing 20% of our outstanding shares of common stock immediately following the completion of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). Accordingly, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreement by our initial stockholders 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.
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 one or more target businesses. Because our board of directors may consummate our initial business combination without seeking stockholder approval, public stockholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the business combination. Accordingly, your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential 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 business combination.
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 our initial business combination with a target.
We may enter into a 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 may 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 such greater amount necessary to satisfy a closing 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 would be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into our initial business combination transaction with us.
The requirement that we maintain a minimum net worth or retain a certain amount of cash could increase the probability that we cannot consummate our business combination and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your shares.
If, pursuant to the terms of our proposed business combination, we are required to maintain a minimum net worth or retain a certain amount of cash in trust in order to consummate the business combination and regardless of whether we proceed with redemptions under the tender offer or proxy rules, the probability that we cannot consummate our business combination is increased. If we do not consummate our business combination, you would not receive your pro rata portion of the trust account until we liquidate. 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 in our trust account. In
 
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either situation, you may suffer a material loss on your investment or lose the benefit of funds expected in connection with our redemption until we liquidate or you are able to sell your shares in the open market.
The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating our initial business combination.
Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning our initial business combination will be aware that we must consummate our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering. Consequently, such target businesses may obtain leverage over us in negotiating our initial 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.
We may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within the required time 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.
Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed that we must complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering. We may not be able to find a suitable target business and consummate our initial business combination within such time period. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the required time period, we will, as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than five business days thereafter (subject to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and Delaware law), distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), pro rata to our public stockholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs, as further described herein. This redemption of public shares from the trust account shall be effected as required by function of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and prior to any voluntary winding up.
If we seek stockholder approval of our business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares from stockholders, in which case they may influence a vote in favor of a proposed business combination that you do not support.
If we seek stockholder approval of our business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions either prior to or following the consummation of our initial business combination. Such purchases will not be made if our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates are in possession of any material non-public information that has not been disclosed to the selling stockholder. Such a purchase would include a contractual acknowledgement 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 sponsor, directors, officers, 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. It is intended that, if Rule 10b-18 would apply to purchases by our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors, or their affiliates, then such purchases will comply with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, to the extent it applies, which provides a safe harbor for purchases made under certain conditions, including with respect to timing, pricing and volume of purchases.
The purpose of such purchases would be to (1) increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the business combination or (2) 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 the business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. This may result in the consummation of an initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.
 
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Purchases of shares of common stock in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions by our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors, or their affiliates may make it difficult for us to maintain the listing of our shares on a national securities exchange following the consummation of an initial business combination.
If our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors, or their affiliates purchase shares of common stock in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, the public “float” of our shares of common stock and the number of beneficial holders of our securities would both be reduced, possibly making it difficult to maintain the listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange following consummation of the business combination.
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.
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.
You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. To liquidate your investment, therefore, you may be forced to sell your public shares, potentially at a loss.
Our public stockholders shall be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only in the event of a redemption to public stockholders prior to any winding up in the event we do not consummate our initial business combination or our liquidation in the event we seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to affect the substance or timing of our redemption obligation to redeem all public shares if we cannot complete an initial business combination within 18 months of the closing of this offering. In no other circumstances will a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to the funds in the trust account. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares, potentially at a loss.
Nasdaq may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
We have applied to have our units listed on Nasdaq. We expect that our units will be listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. Following the date the shares of our common stock and warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the shares of our common stock and warrants will be separately listed on Nasdaq. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. Although after giving effect to this offering we expect to meet, on a pro forma basis, the minimum initial listing standards set forth in Nasdaq listing standards, we cannot assure you that our securities will be, or will continue to be, listed on Nasdaq in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on Nasdaq prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and stock price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum amount in
 
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stockholders’ equity ($2,500,000) and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 300 public holders). Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with Nasdaq’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on Nasdaq. For instance, our stock price would generally be required to be at least $4 per share, our stockholders’ equity would generally be required to be at least $5,000,000 and we would be required to have 300 round lot holders (with at least 50% of such holders holding securities with a market value of at least $2,500). We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time. If Nasdaq delists our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect our securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
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a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;
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reduced liquidity for our securities;
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a determination that our common stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities;
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a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and
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a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
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The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because we expect that our units and eventually our common stock and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq, our units, common stock and warrants will be covered securities. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. While we are not aware of a state having used these powers to prohibit or restrict the sale of securities issued by blank check companies, other than the State of Idaho, certain state securities regulators view blank check companies unfavorably and might use these powers, or threaten to use these powers, to hinder the sale of securities of blank check companies in their states. Further, if we were no longer listed on Nasdaq, our securities would not be covered securities and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities, including in connection with our initial business combination.
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
Because the net proceeds of this offering are intended to be used to complete our initial business combination with a target business that has not been identified, 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 $5,000,001 upon the successful consummation of this offering and will expect to 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, offerings subject to Rule 419 would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us. For a more detailed comparison of our offering to offerings that comply with Rule 419, please see “Proposed Business —  Comparison to Offerings of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.”
If we seek stockholder approval of our 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 shares of common stock, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our shares of common stock.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated
 
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certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, individually or 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. Your inability to redeem more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering will reduce your influence over our ability to consummate our initial business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell such excess shares in open market transactions. As a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, you would be required to sell your shares in open market transaction, potentially at a loss.
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 approximately $10.20 per share on our redemption of our public shares, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We expect to encounter 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, 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, because we are obligated to pay cash for the shares of common stock which our public stockholders redeem in connection with our initial business combination, target companies will be aware that this may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination. Any of these obligations may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.20 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.20 per share upon our liquidation.
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 next 18 months, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination.
The funds available to us outside of the trust account may not be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 18 months, assuming that our initial business combination is not consummated during that time. 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 designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies 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 are unable to fund such down payments or “no shop” provisions, our ability to close a contemplated transaction could be impaired. Furthermore, if we entered into a letter of intent 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. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive a pro rata portion of the amount then in the trust account (which may be less than $10.20 per share) (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) on our redemption, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We may issue our shares to investors in connection with our initial business combination at a price that 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 $10.00 per share. The purpose of such
 
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issuances will 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.
Subsequent to our consummation of our initial business combination, we may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges.
Even if we conduct thorough due diligence on a target business with which we combine, this diligence may not surface all material issues that may be present inside 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 post-combination debt financing.
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 $10.20 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, 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 enter into 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 our management believes that such third party’s engagement would be in our best interests under the circumstances. WithumSmith+Brown, PC, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of the offering, 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 $10.20 per 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 Exhibit 10.1 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 similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.20 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 $10.20 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable; provided that
 
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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 underwriters 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 believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. 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 $10.20 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. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties, including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
Our directors may decide not to enforce indemnification obligations against VBOC Holdings, LLC, 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 $10.20 per share (whether or not the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full) and VBOC Holdings, LLC, 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 on our behalf whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations on our behalf, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders may be reduced below $10.20 per share.
We may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and executive officers.
We have agreed to indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by law. However, 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. 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.
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 we and our board may be exposed 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 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, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors.
 
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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.
The securities in which we invest the funds held in the trust account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders may be less than $10.20 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. government 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 that we are unable to complete our initial business combination or make certain amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, our public shareholders are entitled to receive their pro-rata share of the proceeds held in the trust account, plus any interest income, net of taxes paid or payable (less, in the case we are unable to complete our initial business combination, $100,000 of interest). Negative interest rates could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders may be less than $10.20 per share.
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, adoption of a specific form of corporate structure and reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations.
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 in securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. Our business will be to identify and complete an initial 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.
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 U.S. “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
 
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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: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted 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 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 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) absent an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, 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 an initial business combination or may result in our liquidation. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.20 per share, or less in certain circumstances described herein, on the liquidation of our trust account 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, investments, and results of operations.
We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional, and local governments, and in particular, the Securities Exchange and Commission, or the “SEC”. 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 also may 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 and results of operations.
In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check 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 an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds, changed industry focus 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 a majority of the holders of our common stock, and amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least a majority of the public warrants and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants or any provision of our warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, a majority of the number of the then outstanding private placement 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 (A) 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 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity. To the extent any such amendments would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of any securities offered through this registration statement, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the
 
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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.
Our letter agreement with our sponsor, directors and officers may be amended without stockholder approval.
Our letter agreement with our sponsor, directors and officers contains provisions relating to transfer restrictions of our founder shares and sponsor warrants, indemnification of the trust account, waiver of redemption rights and participation in liquidation distributions from the trust account. This letter agreement may be amended without stockholder approval (although releasing the parties from the restriction not to transfer our founder shares for 180 days following the date of this prospectus will require the prior written consent of the underwriters). While we do not expect our board to approve any amendment to this agreement prior to our initial business combination, it may be possible that our board, in exercising its business judgment and subject to its fiduciary duties, chooses to approve one or more amendments to this agreement. Any such amendments to the letter agreement would not require approval from our stockholders and may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities.
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 receive only approximately $10.20 per share plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes on the liquidation of our trust account 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 sponsor, officers, directors, or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive approximately $10.20 per share on the liquidation of our trust account, and our warrants will expire worthless. Furthermore, as described in the risk factor entitled “— 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 $10.20 per share,” under certain circumstances our public stockholders may receive less than $10.20 per share upon the liquidation of the trust account.
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 18 months from the closing of this offering 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,
 
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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 24th month from the closing of this offering in the event we do not complete our initial business combination and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the foregoing procedures.
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 18 months from the closing of this offering 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 Nasdaq rules, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after the first fiscal year ending following our initial listing. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after we consummate a business combination (unless required by Nasdaq), 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.
We are not registering the shares of 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. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of warrants is not registered, 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.
We are not registering the shares of 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 for the registration under the Securities Act of the shares of 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
 
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following our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the 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 issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. However, no warrant will 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 is available. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective within a specified period following the consummation of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act; provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities 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 applicable state securities laws and there is no exemption 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 common stock included in the units. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were initially offered by us in this offering. However, there may be instances in which holders of our public warrants may be unable to exercise such public warrants but holders of our private warrants may be able to exercise such private warrants.
If you exercise your public warrants on a “cashless basis,” you will receive fewer shares of common stock from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.
Under the following circumstances, the exercise of the public warrants may be required or permitted to be made on a cashless basis: (i) If a registration statement covering the shares of 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 shall 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; (ii) if our common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies 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; and (iii) if we call the public warrants for redemption, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a cashless basis. In the event of an exercise on a cashless basis, a holder would pay the warrant exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of common stock underlying the warrants multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” ​(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 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 common stock from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.
 
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The grant of registration rights to our initial stockholders 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 common stock.
Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into on the date of this prospectus, our initial stockholders, our sponsor (and/or our sponsor’s designees) and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the founder shares, the private placement warrants and the underlying securities. 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 shares of 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 stockholder 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 shares of common stock that is expected when the securities owned by our sponsor, holders of our private warrants or their respective permitted transferees are registered.
Risks Related to Completing a Business Combination
The ability of a large number of our stockholders to exercise redemption rights may not allow us to consummate the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.
In connection with the successful consummation of our business combination, we may redeem up to that number of shares of common stock that would permit us to maintain net tangible assets of $5,000,001. If our business combination requires us to use substantially all of our cash to pay the purchase price, the redemption threshold may be further limited. Alternatively, we may need to arrange third party financing to help fund our business combination in case a larger percentage of stockholders exercise their redemption rights than we expect. If the acquisition involves the issuance of our shares as consideration, we may be required to issue a higher percentage of our shares to the target or its stockholders to make up for the failure to satisfy a minimum cash requirement. Raising additional funds to cover any shortfall may involve dilutive equity financing or incurring indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. This may limit our ability to effectuate the most attractive business combination available to us.
Because we have not selected a particular business or specific geographic location or 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’ operations.
Although we have a stated focus on certain target businesses in a specific geographic location as indicated elsewhere in this prospectus, we may pursue acquisition opportunities in any geographic region, but may rely upon our management team’s background. While we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business industry or sector, we intend to initially focus on those industries or sectors that complement our management team’s background. Except for the limitations that a target business has a fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) and that we are not permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations, we will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective acquisition candidate. Because we have not yet identified or approached any specific target business with respect to our initial 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 consummate 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 may not 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. In addition, investors will be relying on the business judgment of our board of directors, which will have significant discretion in choosing the standard used to establish the fair market value of a particular
 
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target business. An investment in our units may not ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in an acquisition target.
Past performance by our management team and their affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in the Company.
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. No member of our management team has been an officer or director of a special purpose acquisition corporation in the past. 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 the Company or the returns the Company will, or is likely to, generate going forward.
Members of our management team may in the future be involved in governmental investigations and civil litigation relating to the business affairs of companies with which they are, were, or may in the future be, affiliated. This may negatively affect our ability to consummate an initial business combination.
Members of our management team may in the future be involved in governmental investigations and civil litigation relating to the business affairs of companies with which they are, were or may in the future be affiliated with. Any such investigations or litigations may divert our management team’s attention and resources away from searching for an initial business combination, may be detrimental to our reputation, and thus may negatively affect our ability to complete an initial business combination.
Because we intend to seek a business combination with a target business in the healthcare industry, we expect our future operations to be subject to risks associated with this industry.
Because we intend to seek a business combination with a target business in the healthcare industry, we expect our future operations to be subject to risks associated with this industry. Healthcare related companies are generally subject to greater governmental regulation than most other industries at the U.S. state and federal levels, and internationally. In recent years, both local and national governmental budgets have come under pressure to reduce spending and control healthcare costs, which could both adversely affect regulatory processes and public funding available for healthcare products, services, and facilities. In March 2010, comprehensive healthcare reform legislation was enacted in the United States. These laws are intended to increase health insurance coverage through individual and employer mandates, subsidies offered to lower income individuals, tax credits available to smaller employers and broadening of Medicaid eligibility.
While one intent of healthcare reform is to expand health insurance coverage to more individuals, it may also involve additional regulatory mandates and other measures designed to constrain medical costs, including coverage and reimbursement for healthcare services. Healthcare reform has had a significant impact on the healthcare sector in the United States and consequently has the ability to affect companies within the healthcare industry. The ultimate effects of federal healthcare reform or any future legislation or regulation, or healthcare initiatives, if any, on the healthcare sector, whether implemented at the federal or state level or internationally, cannot be predicted with certainty and such reform, legislation, regulation or initiatives may adversely affect the performance of a potential business combination.
Changes in governmental policies may have a material effect on the demand for or costs of certain products and services. A healthcare related company must receive government approval before introducing new drugs and medical devices or procedures. This process may delay the introduction of these products and services to the marketplace, resulting in increased development costs, delayed cost recovery and loss of competitive advantage to the extent that rival companies have developed competing products or procedures, adversely affecting the company’s revenues and profitability. Failure to obtain governmental approval of a key drug or device or other regulatory action could have a material adverse effect on the business of a target company. Additionally, expansion of facilities by healthcare related providers is subject to “determinations of need” by the appropriate government authorities. This process not only increases the time and cost involved in these expansions, but also makes expansion plans uncertain, limiting the revenue and profitability growth potential of healthcare related facilities operators.
 
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Certain healthcare related companies depend on the exclusive rights or patents for the products they develop and distribute. Patents have a limited duration and, upon expiration, other companies may market substantially similar “generic” products that are typically sold at a lower price than the patented product, causing the original developer of the product to lose market share and/or reduce the price charged for the product, resulting in lower profits for the original developer. As a result, the expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of these companies. The profitability of healthcare related companies may also be affected, among other factors, by restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising or falling costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, an increased emphasis on outpatient services, a limited product offering, industry innovation, changes in technologies and other market developments. Finally, because the products and services of healthcare related companies affect the health and well-being of many individuals, these companies are especially susceptible to product liability lawsuits.
The healthcare industry spends heavily on research and development. Research findings (e.g., regarding side effects or comparative benefits of one or more particular treatments, services or products) and technological innovation (together with patent expirations) may make any particular treatment, service or product less attractive if previously unknown or underappreciated risks are revealed, or if a more effective, less costly or less risky solution is or becomes available. Any such development could have a material adverse effect on the companies that are target businesses for investment.
We may seek business combination opportunities with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue, cash flow or earnings, which could subject us to volatile revenues, cash flows or earnings or difficulty in retaining key personnel.
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 revenues 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 or with limited historic 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 relevant 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 issue additional shares of common stock or preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. 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 60,000,000 shares of 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 50,625,000 (assuming that the underwriters have not exercised their over-allotment option) authorized but unissued shares of common stock available for issuance, which amount does not take into account the shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants. Immediately after the consummation of this offering, there will be no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding.
We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of common stock or preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination (although our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to receive funds from the trust account or vote on any initial business combination or on matters related to our pre-initial business combination activity. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account, (ii) vote on any initial business combination or (iii) vote on matters related to our pre-initial business combination activity. 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 the approval of our stockholders. However, our executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will
 
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not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) 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 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares.
The issuance of additional shares of common or preferred stock:
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may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering;
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may subordinate the rights of holders of common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock;
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could cause a change of control if a substantial number of shares of our 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; and
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may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, common stock and/or warrants.
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If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination, our public stockholders may be forced to wait up to 18 months or longer before redemption from our trust account.
If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, we will, as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than five business days thereafter (subject to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and applicable law), distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), pro rata to our public stockholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs by way of a voluntary liquidation, as further described herein. Any redemption of public stockholders from the trust account shall be effected as required by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation prior to our commencing any voluntary liquidation. Except as otherwise described herein, we have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to the date of any redemption required as a result of our failure to consummate our initial business combination within the period described above or our liquidation, unless we consummate our initial business combination prior thereto and only then in cases where investors have sought to redeem their shares of common stock. Only upon any such redemption of public shares as we are required to effect or any liquidation will public stockholders be entitled to distributions if we are unable to complete our initial business combination.
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 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the status of debt and equity markets.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a widespread health crisis that has affected, or 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 continue to 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. In addition, our ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by COVID-19 and other events, including
 
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as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all.
We may seek investment opportunities outside our management’s area of expertise and our management may not be able to adequately ascertain or assess all significant risks associated with the target company.
There is no limitation on the industry or business sector we may consider when contemplating our initial business combination. We may therefore be presented with a business combination candidate in an industry unfamiliar to our management team, but determine that such candidate offers an attractive investment opportunity for our company. In the event we elect to pursue an investment outside of our management’s expertise, our management’s experience may not be directly applicable to the target business or their evaluation of its operations.
Although we 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 specific 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 consummate 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 our initial 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 Nasdaq, 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 $10.20 per share or even less (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) on our redemption, and our warrants will expire worthless.
Management’s flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective acquisition candidate, along with our management’s financial interest in consummating our initial business combination, may lead management to enter into an acquisition agreement that is not in the best interest of our stockholders.
Subject to the requirement that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses or assets having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into such initial business combination, we will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective acquisition candidate. Investors will be relying on management’s ability to identify business combinations, evaluate their merits, conduct or monitor diligence and conduct negotiations. Management’s flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective acquisition candidate, along with management’s financial interest in consummating our initial business combination, may lead management to enter into an acquisition agreement that is not in the best interest of our stockholders, which would be the case if the trading price of our shares of common stock after giving effect to such business combination was less than the per-share trust liquidation value that our stockholders would have received if we had dissolved without consummating our initial business combination.
We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, and consequently, an independent source may not confirm that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our stockholders from a financial point of view.
Unless we consummate our initial business combination with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking 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
 
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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 tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
Resources could be wasted in researching acquisitions that are not consummated.
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 consummate 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 $10.20 per share or even less (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) on our redemption, and our warrants will expire worthless.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be largely dependent upon the efforts of our officers, directors and key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination.
Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, our officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our officers and directors, at least until we have consummated our initial business combination. In addition, our officers and directors are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence. We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or officers could have a detrimental effect on us.
The role of such persons in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of such persons 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, our assessment of these individuals may not 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.
We are dependent upon our officers and directors and their departure could adversely affect our ability to operate.
Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, our officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our executive officers and directors, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. In addition, our officers and directors are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various their business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence, negotiations, and other activities. We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or officers could have a detrimental effect on us.
Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. 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 us after the consummation of our initial business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the
 
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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 consummation of the business combination. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business. However, we believe the ability of such individuals to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination. There is no certainty, however, that any of our key personnel will remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination. Our key personnel may not remain in senior management or advisory positions with us. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with us will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may effectuate 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’ management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources, or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications, or abilities we suspected. Should the target’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.
The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon consummation of our initial business combination. The loss of an acquisition 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 consummation 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 some members of the management team of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place.
Our 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 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 an initial business combination and their other businesses. Each of our officers is engaged in other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. Our officers and directors may also serve as officers or board members for other entities, including other special purpose acquisition companies with a class of securities intended to be registered under the Exchange Act. If our 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.
Certain of our officers and directors are affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Certain of our executive officers and directors are affiliated with entities that are engaged in a similar business. Our officers may become aware of business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us and the other entities to which they owe certain fiduciary duties. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in
 
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determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. Any conflict of interest may not be resolved in our favor and potential target businesses may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us.
Our 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, 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 an initial business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or officers. We do not 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 officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and selecting a target business and completing a business combination. Consequently, our directors’ and 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 stockholders’ 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 stockholders’ rights. However, we might not ultimately be successful in any claim we may make against them for such reason.
Certain shares beneficially owned by our officers and directors will not participate in liquidation distributions and, therefore, our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is appropriate for our initial business combination.
Our officers and directors have waived their right to redeem any shares in connection with our initial business combination, or to receive distributions with respect to their founder shares upon our liquidation if we are unable to consummate our initial business combination. Accordingly, the founder shares will be worthless if we do not consummate our initial business combination. Any warrants they hold, like those held by the public, will also be worthless if we do not consummate an initial business combination. The personal and financial interests of our directors and officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and selecting a target business and completing a business combination. Consequently, our directors’ and 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 stockholders’ best interest.
We may engage in our initial business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our executive officers, directors or existing holders, which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, 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 light of the involvement of our sponsor, officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor, officers and directors. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. Our sponsor, officers and directors are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to consummate our initial business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no preliminary discussions concerning a business combination with any 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 our initial business combination as set forth in “Proposed Business — Effecting a business combination — Selection of a target business and structuring of our initial business combination” and such transaction was approved by a majority of our disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the
 
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type of target business we seek to acquire, regarding the fairness to our stockholders from a financial point of view of a business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our 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. Our directors have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of our stockholders, whether or not a conflict of interest may exist.
Because our sponsor and other initial investors will lose their entire initial investment in us if our initial business combination is not consummated and our officers and directors have significant financial interests in us, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular acquisition target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
Our sponsor purchased 2,156,250 shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, which includes an aggregate of up to 281,250 shares that are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part. In March and April 2021, an aggregate of 150,000 founder shares were transferred to directors of the Company. The founder shares will be worthless if we do not consummate an initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor and Raymond James have agreed that they or their respective designees will purchase an aggregate of 5,250,000 private placement warrants (or an aggregate of 5,700,000 private placement warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $1.00 per private placement warrant, for an aggregate purchase price of $5,250,000 (or an aggregate purchase price of $5,700,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) that will also be worthless if we do not consummate our initial business combination.
We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete our initial business combination, which may adversely affect our financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our stockholders’ 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, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our initial business combination. If we incur any indebtedness without a waiver from the lender of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:
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default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after our initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;
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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;
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our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand;
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our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt security is outstanding;
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our inability to pay dividends on our shares of common stock;
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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 shares of 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;
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increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and
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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 only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering, 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 together with the funds we will receive from the sale of the private placement warrants (excluding $1,750,000 of net proceeds that will not be held in the trust account) will provide us with approximately $76,500,000 (or approximately $87,975,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) that we may use to complete our initial business combination.
We may effectuate our initial business combination with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously. 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 consummating 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 or services. This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive, and regulatory developments, 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.
We may attempt to simultaneously consummate business combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to consummate 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 the 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 attempt to consummate our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available.
In pursuing our acquisition strategy, we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately held company. By definition, very little public information 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 our initial business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
We may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination.
We may structure our initial business combination to acquire less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business, but we will only consummate such business combination if we will become the majority stockholder of the target (or control the target through contractual arrangements in limited circumstances for regulatory compliance purposes) or are otherwise not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act or to the extent permitted by law we may acquire interests in a variable interest entity, in which we may have less than a majority of the voting rights in such entity, but in which we are the primary beneficiary. Even though we may own a majority interest in the target, our stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post business
 
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combination 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 the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we 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 such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares 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 stock than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that we will not be able to maintain our control of the target business.
We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete an initial business combination with which a substantial majority of our stockholders do not agree.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except 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 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (such 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. 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 their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of 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, all shares of common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.
Our sponsor controls 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 and our sponsor (and/its designees) collectively will own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). 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 sponsor purchases any units in this offering or if we or our sponsor purchase any additional shares of common stock in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase their control. Neither our sponsor nor, to our knowledge, any of our officers or directors, has any current intention to purchase additional securities. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our shares of common stock.
Our initial stockholders paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.012 per founder share and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our shares of common stock.
The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the shares of common stock included in the unit and none to the warrants included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per share 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, you and the other public stockholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 104.5% or $10.45 per share (the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $(0.45) and the initial offering price of $10.00 per share (assuming no value is attributed to the warrants) immediately upon the closing of this offering), or
 
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approximately 105.8% dilution or $10.58 per share (the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $(0.58) and the initial offering price of $10.00 per share) if the over-allotment is fully exercised.
Because of our structure, other companies may have a competitive advantage and we may not be able to consummate an attractive business combination.
We expect to encounter intense competition from entities other than blank check companies having a business objective similar to ours, including venture capital funds, leveraged buyout funds and operating businesses competing for acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. Therefore, our ability to compete in acquiring certain sizable target businesses may be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, seeking stockholder approval of our initial business combination may delay the consummation of a transaction. Any of the foregoing may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating our initial business combination.
In connection with any meeting held to approve an initial business combination, we will offer each public stockholder the option to vote in favor of the proposed business combination and still seek redemption of his, her or its shares.
In connection with any meeting held to approve an initial business combination, we will offer each public stockholder (but not our initial stockholders, officers or directors) the right to have his, her or its shares of common stock redeemed for cash (subject to the limitations described elsewhere in this prospectus) regardless of whether such stockholder votes for or against such proposed business combination; provided that a stockholder must in fact vote for or against a proposed business combination in order to have his, her or its shares of common stock redeemed for cash. If a stockholder fails to vote for or against a proposed business combination, that stockholder would not be able to have his shares of common stock so redeemed. We will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination. This is different than other similarly structured blank check companies where stockholders are offered the right to redeem their shares only when they vote against a proposed business combination. This threshold and the ability to seek redemption while voting in favor of a proposed business combination may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination.
We will require public stockholders who wish to redeem their shares of common stock in connection with a proposed business combination or amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to effect the substance or timing of their redemption obligation if we fail to timely complete a 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.
We will require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the expiration date set forth in the tender offer documents mailed to such holders, or in the event we distribute proxy materials, up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the business combination or amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to affect the substance or timing of our redemption obligation to redeem all public shares if we cannot complete an initial business combination, or to 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 order to obtain a physical stock certificate, a stockholder’s broker and/or clearing broker, DTC and our transfer agent will need to act to facilitate this request. It is our understanding that stockholders should generally allot at least two weeks to obtain physical certificates from the transfer agent. However, because we do not have any control over this process or over the brokers or DTC, it may take significantly longer than two weeks to obtain a physical stock certificate. While we have been advised that it takes a short time to deliver shares
 
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through the DWAC System, this may not be the case. Under our certificate of incorporation, we are required to provide at least 10 days advance notice of any stockholder meeting, which would be the minimum amount of time a stockholder would have to determine whether to exercise redemption rights. Accordingly, if it takes longer than we anticipate for stockholders to deliver their shares, stockholders who wish to redeem may be unable to meet the deadline for exercising their redemption rights and thus may be unable to redeem their shares.
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. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive $10.20 per share or even less (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) on our redemption, and the warrants will expire worthless.
Although we believe that the net proceeds of this offering will be sufficient to allow us to consummate our initial business combination, because we have not yet identified any prospective target business, we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction or our costs to operate or locate a transaction. If the net proceeds of this offering prove to be insufficient, either because of the size of our initial business combination, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, the obligation to repurchase for cash a significant number of shares from stockholders who elect redemption in connection with our initial business combination or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase shares in connection with our initial business combination, we may be required to seek additional financing or to abandon the proposed business combination. Financing may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. The current economic environment has made it especially difficult for companies to obtain acquisition financing. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to consummate our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular initial business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive $10.20 per share or even less (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) on our redemption, and the warrants will expire worthless. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to consummate 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.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will designate the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company or our company’s directors, officers, or other employees.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for any (1) derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of our company, (2) action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee or agent of our company to our company or our stockholders, or any claim for aiding and abetting any such alleged breach, (3) action asserting a claim against our company or any director or officer of our company arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our bylaws, or (4) action asserting a claim against us or any director or officer of our company governed by the internal affairs doctrine except for, as to each of (1) through (4) above, any claim (a) as to which the Court of Chancery 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) arising under the federal securities laws, including the Securities Act, as to which the Court of Chancery and the federal district court for the District of Delaware shall concurrently be the sole and exclusive forums. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the inclusion of such provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will not be deemed to be a waiver by our stockholders of our obligation to comply with federal securities laws, rules and regulations, and the provisions of this paragraph will not apply to suits brought to enforce any
 
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liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. If any action the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions is filed in a court other than a court located within the State of Delaware (a “foreign action”) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located within the State of Delaware 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 stockholder in any such enforcement action by service upon such stockholder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such stockholder.
This choice-of-forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with our company or its directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation 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.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions that prohibit our engaging in business combinations with interested stockholders in certain circumstances.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we may not engage in certain “business combinations” with any “interested stockholder” for a three-year period following the time that the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless
•
prior to such time, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;
​
•
upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding certain shares; or
​
•
at or subsequent to that time, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and by the affirmative vote of holders of at least 662∕3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.
​
Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale or certain other transactions with the interested stockholder. Subject to certain exceptions, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with that person’s affiliates and associates, owns, or within the previous three years owned, 20% or more of our voting stock.
Under certain circumstances, this provision will make it more difficult for a person who would be an “interested stockholder” to effect various business combinations with a corporation for a three-year period. This provision may encourage companies interested in acquiring our company to negotiate in advance with our board of directors because the stockholder approval requirement would be avoided if our board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction which results in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder. These provisions also may have the effect of preventing changes in our board of directors and may make it more difficult to accomplish transactions which stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interests.
However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our sponsor and its respective affiliates, any of their respective direct or indirect transferees of at least 20% of our outstanding common stock and any group as to which such persons are party to, do not constitute “interested stockholders” for purposes of this provision.
 
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Because we must furnish our stockholders with target business financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial business combination with some prospective target businesses.
The federal proxy rules, which require that a proxy statement with respect to a vote on a business combination meeting certain financial significance tests include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure in periodic reports. 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, or GAAP, or international financial reporting standards, or IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board or the IASB, 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), or PCAOB. We will include the substantially the same financial statement disclosure in connection with any tender offer documents we use, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may consummate our initial business combination with because some targets may be unable to provide such statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.
Risks Related to our Securities
Holders of warrants will not participate in liquidating distributions if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period.
If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we liquidate the funds held in the trust account, the warrants will expire and holders will not receive any of such proceeds with respect to the warrants. The foregoing may provide a financial incentive to public stockholders to vote in favor of any proposed initial business combination as each of their warrants would entitle the holder to purchase additional shares of common stock, resulting in an increase in their overall economic stake in us. If a business combination is not approved, the warrants will expire and will be worthless.
If we do not maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, public holders will only be able to exercise such warrants on a “cashless basis” which would result in a fewer number of shares being issued to the holder had such holder exercised the warrants for cash.
If we do not maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants at the time that holders wish to exercise such warrants, they will only be able to exercise them on a “cashless basis” provided that an exemption from registration is available. As a result, the number of shares of common stock that a holder will receive upon exercise of its public warrants will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised its warrant for cash. Further, if an exemption from registration is not available, holders would not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis and would only be able to exercise their warrants for cash if a current and effective prospectus relating to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is available. Under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed to use our best efforts to meet these conditions and to maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so. If we are unable to do so, the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in us may be reduced or the warrants may expire worthless. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the private placement warrants may be exercisable for unregistered shares of common stock for cash even if the prospectus relating to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not current and effective.
An investor will only be able to exercise a warrant for cash if the issuance of common stock upon such exercise has been registered or qualified or is deemed exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the holder of the warrants.
No public warrants will be exercisable for cash, and we will not be obligated to issue shares of common stock unless the shares of common stock issuable upon such exercise has been registered or qualified or
 
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deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the holder of the warrants. At the time that the warrants become exercisable, we expect to continue to be listed on a national securities exchange, which would provide an exemption from registration in every state. However, we cannot assure you of this fact. If the common shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not qualified or exempt from qualification in the jurisdictions in which the holders of the warrants reside, the warrants may be deprived of any value, the market for the warrants may be limited and they may expire worthless if they cannot be sold.
Our management’s ability to require holders of our warrants to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis will cause holders to receive fewer shares of common stock upon their exercise of the warrants than they would have received had they been able to exercise their warrants for cash.
If we call our warrants for redemption after the redemption criteria described elsewhere in this prospectus have been satisfied, our management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise his warrant (including any warrants held by our sponsor and/or its permitted transferees) to do so on a “cashless basis.” If our management chooses to require holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, the number of shares of common stock received by a holder upon exercise will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised his warrant for cash. This will have the effect of reducing the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in our company.
We may amend the terms of the warrants in a way that may be adverse to holders with the approval by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding warrants.
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. The warrant agreement requires the approval by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding warrants (including the private placement warrants) in order to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders.
A provision of our warrant agreement may make it more difficult for use to consummate an initial business combination.
Unlike some other blank check companies, if
(i)
we issue additional shares of common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per share;
​
(ii)
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
​
(iii)
the Market Value is below $9.20 per share,
​
then the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted 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 will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. This may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination with a target business.
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 outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant; provided that the reported closing price of our common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we give proper notice of such redemption to the warrant holders and provided certain other conditions are met. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants
 
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is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were initially offered by us in this offering. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you (i) to exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) to sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) to accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants.
Our warrants and founder shares may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock and make it more difficult to effectuate our initial business combination.
We will be issuing warrants to purchase 3,750,000 shares of our common stock (or 4,312,500 shares of common stock if the underwriters’ 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 warrants to purchase an aggregate of 5,250,000 (or up to 5,700,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) shares of common stock at $11.50 per share. Our initial stockholders currently own an aggregate of 2,156,250 founder shares, 281,250 of which are subject to forfeiture if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. In addition, if our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors make any working capital loans, up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be converted into warrants, at the price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period.
To the extent we issue shares of common stock to effectuate an initial business combination, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional shares of common stock upon exercise of these warrants could make us a less attractive business combination vehicle to a target business. Any such issuance will increase the number of issued and outstanding shares of our common stock and reduce the value of the shares of common stock issued to complete the initial business combination. Therefore, our warrants and founder shares may make it more difficult to effectuate an initial business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering.
Because each unit contains one-half of one redeemable warrant and only a whole warrant may be exercised, the units may be worth less than units of other blank check companies.
Each unit contains one-half of one redeemable warrant. 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. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include one share of common stock and one warrant to purchase one 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 an initial business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for one third of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a warrant to purchase one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive business combination partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if they included a warrant to purchase one share.
Our warrant agreement will designate 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 will provide 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, the Securities 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 have no obligation to net cash settle the warrants.
In no event will we have any obligation to net cash settle the warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.
Redeeming stockholders may be unable to sell their securities when they wish to in the event that the proposed business combination is not approved.
We will require public stockholders who wish to redeem their shares of common stock in connection with any proposed business combination to comply with the delivery requirements discussed above for redemption. If such proposed business combination is not consummated, we will promptly return such certificates to the tendering public stockholders. Accordingly, investors who attempted to redeem their shares in such a circumstance will be unable to sell their securities after the failed acquisition until we have returned their securities to them. The market price for our shares of common stock may decline during this time and you may not be able to sell your securities when you wish, even while other stockholders that did not seek redemption may be able to sell their securities.
The determination of the offering price of our units and the size of this offering is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities and size of an offering of an operating company in a particular industry.
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 underwriters. In determining the size of this offering, management held customary organizational meetings with representatives of the underwriters, both prior to our inception and thereafter, with respect to the state of capital markets, generally, and the amount the underwriters believed they reasonably could raise on our behalf. Factors considered in determining the size of this offering, prices and terms of the units, including the shares of 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;
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•
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 price 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.
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.
As of the date of this prospectus there is currently no market for our securities. Prospective 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. Once listed on Nasdaq, an active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. Additionally, if our securities become delisted from Nasdaq for any reason, and are quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board, an inter-dealer automated quotation system for equity securities not listed on a national exchange, the liquidity and price of our securities may be more limited than if we were listed on Nasdaq or another national exchange. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established and sustained.
Once initially listed on Nasdaq, our securities may not continue to be listed on Nasdaq in the future, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
We anticipate that our securities will be initially listed on Nasdaq upon consummation of this offering. However, we cannot assure you of this or that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq in the future. Additionally, in connection with our business combination, Nasdaq may require us to file a new initial listing application and meet its initial listing requirements as opposed to its more lenient continued listing requirements. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time. If Nasdaq delists our securities from trading on its exchange, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
•
a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;
​
•
a reduced liquidity with respect to our securities;
​
•
a determination that our shares of common stock are a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our shares of common stock to adhere to more stringent rules, possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our shares of common stock;
​
•
a limited amount of news and analyst coverage for our company; and
​
•
a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
​
General Risk Factors
Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 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 acquisition.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or 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, 2021. 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 all public companies because a target company 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 controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
 
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We are an “emerging growth company” and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our securities less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. We will remain an “emerging growth company” for up to five years. However, if our non-convertible debt issued within a three-year period exceeds $1.0 billion, or revenues exceeds $1.07 billion, or the market value of our shares of common stock that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million on the last day of the second fiscal quarter of any given fiscal year, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of the following fiscal year. As an emerging growth company, we are not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we have reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and we are exempt from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. Additionally, as an emerging growth company, we have elected to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until those standards apply to private companies. As such, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates. We cannot predict if investors will find our shares less attractive because we may rely on these provisions. If some investors find our shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our shares and our share price 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, will not adopt the new or revised standard until the time private companies are required to 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 accountant standards used.
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 end 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 common stock and could entrench management.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains 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 shares, which 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.
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.
 
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Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty and certain other actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware and, if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will, subject to certain exceptions, be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel, which may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty and certain other actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware and, if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel except any action (A) as to which the Court of Chancery in 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. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. 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 stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. Alternatively, 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.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the exclusive forum provision will be applicable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, subject to certain exceptions. 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. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. We note, however, that there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce this provision and that investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for state and federal courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 180 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. government 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 that we are unable to complete our initial business combination or make certain amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our public stockholders are entitled to receive their prorate share of the proceeds held in the trust account, plus any interest income, net of taxes paid or payable (less, in the case we are unable to complete our initial business combination, $100,000 of interest). Negative interest rates could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.20 per share.
 
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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.
An investment in this offering may result in uncertain or adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.
An investment in this offering may result in uncertain U.S. federal income tax consequences. For instance, because there are no authorities that directly address instruments similar to the units we are issuing in this offering, the allocation an investor makes with respect to the purchase price of a unit between the share of common stock and the one-half of one redeemable warrant to purchase one share of our common stock included in each unit could be challenged by the Internal Revenue Service or the courts. Furthermore, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of warrants included in the units we are issuing in this offering is unclear under current law, and the adjustment to the exercise price and/or redemption price of the warrants could give rise to dividend income to investors without a corresponding payment of cash. Finally, it is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to our shares of common stock suspend the running of a U.S. holder’s holding period for purposes of determining whether any gain or loss realized by such holder on the sale or exchange of common stock is long term capital gain or loss and for determining whether any dividend we pay would be considered “qualified dividends” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. See the section titled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” for a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to an investment in our securities. Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors with respect to these and other tax consequences applicable to their specific circumstances when purchasing, holding, or disposing of our securities.
We may be subject to an increased rate of tax on our income if we are treated as a personal holding company.
Depending on the date and size of our initial business combination, it is possible that we could be treated as a “personal holding company” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A U.S. corporation generally will be classified as a personal holding company for U.S. federal income tax purposes in a given taxable year if more than 50% of its ownership (by value) is concentrated, within a certain period of time, in 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), and at least 60% of its income is comprised of certain passive items.
Risks Associated with Acquiring and Operating a Business outside of the United States
We may effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States.
If we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in the target business’ home jurisdiction, including any of the following:
•
rules and regulations or currency redemption or 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;
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•
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;
​
•
crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, 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, our operations might suffer.
​
There are costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations.
Managing a business, operations, personnel, or assets in another country is challenging and costly. Any management that we may have (whether based abroad or in the United States) may be inexperienced in cross-border business practices and unaware of significant differences in accounting rules, legal regimes and labor practices. Even with a seasoned and experienced management team, the costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations, personnel and assets can be significant (and much higher than in a purely domestic business) and may negatively impact our financial and operational performance.
Social unrest, acts of terrorism, regime changes, changes in laws and regulations, political upheaval, or policy changes or enactments may occur in a country in which we may operate after we effect our initial business combination.
Political events in another country may significantly affect our business, assets, or operations. Social unrest, acts of terrorism, regime changes, changes in laws and regulations, political upheaval, and policy changes or enactments could negatively impact our business in a particular country.
Many countries have difficult and unpredictable legal systems and underdeveloped laws and regulations that are unclear and subject to corruption and inexperience.
Our ability to seek and enforce legal protections, including with respect to intellectual property and other property rights, or to defend ourselves with regard to legal actions taken against us in a given country, may be difficult or impossible, which could adversely impact our operations, assets or financial condition.
Rules and regulations in many countries are often ambiguous or open to differing interpretation by responsible individuals and agencies at the municipal, state, regional and federal levels. The attitudes and actions of such individuals and agencies are often difficult to predict and inconsistent.
Delay with respect to the enforcement of rules and regulations, including those relating to customs, tax, environmental and labor, could cause serious disruption to operations abroad and negatively impact our results.
If relations between the United States and foreign governments deteriorate, it could cause potential target businesses or their goods and services to become less attractive.
The relationship between the United States and foreign governments could be subject to sudden fluctuation and periodic tension. For instance, the United States may announce its intention to impose quotas on certain imports. Such import quotas may adversely affect political relations between the two countries and result in retaliatory countermeasures by the foreign government in industries that may affect our ultimate target business. Changes in political conditions in foreign countries and changes in the state of U.S. relations with such countries are difficult to predict and could adversely affect our operations or cause potential target businesses or their goods and services to become less attractive. Because we are not limited to any specific industry, there is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible extent
 
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of any impact on our ultimate operations if relations are strained between the United States and a foreign country in which we acquire a target business or move our principal manufacturing or service operations.
If our management following our initial business combination is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws.
Following our initial business combination, our management may resign from their positions as officers or directors of the company and the management of the target business at the time of the business combination will remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with United States securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with our laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues, which may adversely affect our operations.
Currency policies may cause a target business’ ability to succeed in the international markets to be diminished.
In the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, all revenues and income would likely be received in a foreign currency, the dollar equivalent of our net assets and distributions, if any, could be adversely affected by reductions in the value of the local currency. The value of the currencies in our target regions fluctuate and are affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions. Any change in the relative value of such currency against our reporting currency may affect the attractiveness of any target business or, following consummation of our initial business combination, our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, if a currency appreciates in value against the dollar prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, the cost of a target business as measured in dollars will increase, which may make it less likely that we are able to consummate such transaction.
Because foreign law could govern our material agreements, we may not be able to enforce our rights within such jurisdiction or elsewhere.
Foreign law could govern our material agreements. The target business may not be able to enforce any of its material agreements or that remedies will be available outside of such foreign jurisdiction’s legal system. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws and contracts in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. The judiciaries in certain foreign countries may be relatively inexperienced in enforcing corporate and commercial law, leading to a higher than usual degree of uncertainty as to the outcome of any litigation, any such jurisdictions may not favor outsiders or could be corrupt. As a result, the inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business and business opportunities.
 
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements contained in this prospectus, which reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance, and any other statements of a future or forward-looking nature, constitute “forward-looking statements” for the purpose of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management’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,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “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 complete our initial business combination;
​
•
our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination;
​
•
our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination, as a result of which they would then receive expense reimbursements;
​
•
our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination;
​
•
our pool of prospective target businesses;
​
•
the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential investment opportunities;
​
•
the delisting of our securities from Nasdaq or an inability to have our securities listed on Nasdaq following a business combination;
​
•
our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;
​
•
the lack of a market for our securities; 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. Future developments affecting us may not 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” beginning on page 27. 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 7,500,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit. We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering, together with the funds we receive from the sale of the private placement warrants (all of which will be deposited into the trust account), will be used as set forth in the following table:
​ ​ ​
Without
Over-Allotment
Option
​ ​
Over-Allotment
Option
Exercised
​
Gross proceeds ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
From offering
​ ​ ​ $ 75,000,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 86,250,000 ​ ​
From sale of private placement warrants
​ ​ ​ ​ 5,250,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 5,700,000 ​ ​
Total gross proceeds
​ ​ ​ $ 80,250,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 91,950,000 ​ ​
Offering expenses(1) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Underwriting discount(2)
​ ​ ​ $ 1,500,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 1,725,000 ​ ​
Trustee’s initial fee
​ ​ ​ ​ 6,500 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 6,500 ​ ​
Legal fees and expenses
​ ​ ​ ​ 225,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 225,000 ​ ​
Nasdaq listing and filing fees
​ ​ ​ ​ 79,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 79,000 ​ ​
Printing and engraving expenses
​ ​ ​ ​ 35,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 35,000 ​ ​
Accounting fees and expenses
​ ​ ​ ​ 45,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 45,000 ​ ​
FINRA filing fee
​ ​ ​ ​ 13,438 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 13,438 ​ ​
SEC registration fee
​ ​ ​ ​ 7,995 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 7,995 ​ ​
Miscellaneous expenses
​ ​ ​ ​ 88,067 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 88,067 ​ ​
Total offering expenses (excluding underwriting discount)
​ ​ ​ $ 500,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 500,000 ​ ​
Total offering expenses (including underwriting discount)
​ ​ ​ $ 2,000,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 2,225,000 ​ ​
Net proceeds ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Held in trust(3)
​ ​ ​ $ 76,500,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 87,975,000 ​ ​
Not held in trust
​ ​ ​ ​ 1,750,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1,750,000 ​ ​
Total net proceeds
​ ​ ​ $ 77,950,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 89,425,000 ​ ​
The following table shows the use of the approximately $1,750,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account
​
D&O Insurance
​ ​ ​ $ 300,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 17.1% ​ ​
​
Legal, accounting and other third party expenses attendant to the search for
target businesses and to the due diligence investigation, structuring and
negotiation of a business combination(4)
​ ​ ​ ​ 425,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 24.3% ​ ​
​
Due diligence of prospective target businesses by officers, directors and initial stockholders
​ ​ ​ ​ 250,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 14.3% ​ ​
​
Legal and accounting fees relating to SEC reporting obligations
​ ​ ​ ​ 50,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 2.9% ​ ​
​
Payment of administrative fee to an affiliate of VBOC Holdings, LLC ($10,000 per month for up to 18 months), subject to deferral as described herein
​ ​ ​ ​ 180,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 10.3% ​ ​
​
Working capital to cover miscellaneous expenses, general corporate purposes,
liquidation obligations and reserves
​ ​ ​ ​ 545,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 31.1% ​ ​
​
Total
​ ​ ​ $ 1,750,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 100.0% ​ ​
​
(1)
These are estimates only. A portion of the offering expenses, including the SEC registration fee, the FINRA filing fee, the non-refundable portion of the Nasdaq listing fee and a portion of the legal and
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audit fees, have been paid from the funds we borrowed from our sponsor. These funds will be repaid out of the proceeds of this offering available to us.
(2)
The underwriters have agreed to defer underwriting commissions equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering. Upon completion of our initial business combination, $2,625,000 (or $3,018,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), which constitutes the underwriters’ deferred commissions will be paid to the underwriters from the funds held in the trust account, and the remaining funds, less amounts released by the trustee to pay redeeming stockholders, will be released 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 of the target company, 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 of the target company. The underwriters will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions.
​
(3)
The funds held in the trust account will be used to acquire a target business, to pay holders who wish to redeem their shares for a portion of the funds held in the trust account and to pay the underwriters’ deferred underwriting commissions. Our expenses relating to the acquisition of a target business would either come from the funds held in the trust account or additional funds otherwise available to us outside of the trust account, including cash held by the target business. Any remaining funds will be disbursed to the combined company and be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business.
​
(4)
These 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 that business combination. 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 be deducted from our excess working capital.
​
We may increase or decrease the total number of units sold to the public in this offering. If we decide to proceed with an offering that results in an increase in the total number of units sold to the public, we will have additional proceeds from the offering available to pursue an acquisition. If we proceed with an offering that results in a decrease in the total number of shares sold to the public, we would have reduced proceeds from the offering available to pursue an acquisition. Such an increase or decrease may impact the size of the initial business combination we may pursue. In addition, the proceeds held in trust would correspondingly increase or decrease such that 100% of the gross proceeds from this offering will be held in trust. The underwriter’s option to purchase additional units to cover over-allotments and the amount of private placement warrants that our sponsor will purchase will correspondingly increase or decrease. We would issue additional founder shares in the event we increase the total number of units sold in this offering and our sponsor would forfeit founder shares it holds in the event we decrease the total number of units sold in this offering so that the number of founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the sum of the total number of all shares of common stock outstanding upon completion of this offering the total number of shares of 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 common stock or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of common stock issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement-equivalent warrants issued to our sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans.
The payment to an affiliate of VBOC Holdings, LLC of a monthly fee of $10,000 is for general and administrative services including office space, utilities, and secretarial support. However, pursuant to the terms of such agreement, we may delay payment of such monthly fee upon a determination by our audit committee that we lack sufficient funds held outside the trust to pay actual or anticipated expenses in connection with our initial business combination. Any such unpaid amount will accrue without interest and be due and payable no later than the date of the consummation of our initial business combination. This arrangement is being agreed to by an affiliate of VBOC Holdings, LLC for our benefit. We believe that the fee charged by the affiliate of VBOC Holdings, LLC is at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an unaffiliated person. This arrangement will terminate upon completion of our initial business combination
 
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or the distribution of the trust account to our public stockholders. Other than the $10,000 per month fee, no compensation of any kind (including finder’s fees, consulting fees or other similar compensation) will be paid to our insiders, members of our management team or any of our or their respective affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, such individuals will receive reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them related to identifying, investigating, negotiating, and completing an initial business combination. Since the role of present management after our initial business combination is uncertain, we have no ability to determine what remuneration, if any, will be paid to those persons after our initial business combination. A total of $10.20 per share (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of the net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus will be placed in a trust account in the United States at Raymond James & Associates, Inc., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee and will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills, notes and bonds 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 and which invest solely in U.S. Treasuries. Except for all interest income that may be released to us to pay our tax obligations, as discussed below, none of the funds held in the trust account will be released from the trust account until the earlier of: (i) the consummation of our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering and (ii) a redemption to public stockholders prior to any voluntary winding-up in the event we do not consummate our initial business combination within the applicable period.
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 shares or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the purchase price in connection with our business combination, we may apply the cash released from the trust account that is not applied to the purchase price for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of acquired businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in consummating the 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 will provide 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 18 months from the closing of this offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions, unless (in connection with any such amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation) we offer our public stockholders the opportunity to redeem their public shares.
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 acquisition, only after we have negotiated and signed a letter of intent or other preliminary agreement that addresses the terms of our initial business combination. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating our initial business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, or the amount of interest available to use from the trust account is minimal as a result of the current interest rate environment, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. In this event, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from members of our management team, but such members of our management team are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.
In addition, 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 will repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans would be repaid
 
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only out of funds held outside the trust account. If 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, at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability, and exercise period. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. 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.
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. Furthermore, the redemption threshold may be further limited by the terms and conditions of our initial business combination. In such case, we would not proceed with the redemption of our public shares or the business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.
A public stockholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) our consummation of our initial business combination, and then only in connection with those shares of common stock that such stockholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (ii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months following the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law, or (iii) if we seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem all public shares if we cannot complete an initial business combination within 18 months of the closing of this offering and such amendment is duly approved. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
Our initial stockholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any shares they own in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination, including their founder shares and public shares that they have purchased during or after the offering, if any. In addition, our initial stockholders have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions with respect to its founder shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our initial stockholders acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to receive liquidating distributions with respect to such public shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the required time period.
 
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DIVIDEND POLICY
We have not paid any cash dividends on our shares of 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 and subject to the Delaware law. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any share dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of the offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, in which case we will effect a share dividend immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain our initial stockholders’ ownership at 20% of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock upon the consummation of this offering (assuming no purchase in this offering and not taking into account ownership of 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, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units we are offering by this prospectus, and the pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with sale and exercise of warrants, including the private placement warrants. 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 common stock which may be redeemed for cash), by the number of outstanding shares of common stock.
At September 30, 2021, our net tangible book deficit was $47,310 or approximately $0.02 per share. After giving effect to the sale of 7,500,000 shares of common stock included in the units we are offering by this prospectus and the proceeds received from the sale of the private placement warrants and the deduction of underwriting discounts and estimated expenses of this offering, our pro forma net tangible book deficit at September 30, 2021 would have been $(850,300) or $(0.45) per share (or $(1,244,050),or $(0.58) per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), representing an immediate increase in net tangible book deficit of $(0.43) per share (or $(0.56) per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) to the initial stockholders and an immediate dilution of $10.45 per share (or $10.58 per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) or 104.5% (or 105.8% per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) to new investors not exercising their redemption/​tender rights.
The following table illustrates the dilution to the new investors on a per-share basis, assuming no value is attributed to the redeemable warrants, including the private placement warrants:
​ ​ ​
No Exercise of
Over-Allotment
Option
​ ​
Exercise of
Over-Allotment
Option in Full
​
Public offering price
​ ​ ​ $ 10.00 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 10.00 ​ ​
Net tangible book value before this offering
​ ​ ​ $ (0.02) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (0.02) ​ ​
Increase attributable to public stockholders and private placement
​ ​ ​ $ (0.43) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (0.56) ​ ​
Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering
​ ​ ​ $ (0.45) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (0.58) ​ ​
Dilution to public stockholders
​ ​ ​ $ 10.45 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 10.58 ​ ​
Percentage of dilution to public stockholders
​ ​ ​ ​ 104.5% ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 105.8% ​ ​
For purposes of presentation, we have reduced our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) by $76,500,000 because holders 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 shareholders 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 Class A ordinary shares sold in this offering.
The following table sets forth information with respect to our initial stockholders and the public stockholders:
​ ​ ​
Shares Purchased
​ ​
Total Consideration
​ ​
Average Price
​
​ ​ ​
Number
​ ​
Percentage
​ ​
Amount
​ ​
Percentage
​ ​
Per Share
​
Initial stockholders(1)
​ ​ ​ ​ 1,875,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 20.00% ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 25,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 0.03% ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 0.013 ​ ​
Public Shareholders
​ ​ ​ ​ 7,500,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 80.00% ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 75,000,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 99.97% ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 10.000 ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 9,375,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 100.00% ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 75,025,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 100.00% ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​
(1)
Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 281,250 shares of common stock held by our sponsor have been forfeited as a result thereof.
​
 
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The pro forma net tangible book value after the offering is calculated as follows:
​ ​ ​
Without
Over-Allotment
​ ​
With
Over-Allotment
​
Numerator:
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Net tangible book value before this offering
​ ​ ​ $ (47,310) ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (47,310) ​ ​
Net proceeds from this offering and private placement(1)
​ ​ ​ ​ 78,250,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 89,725,000 ​ ​
Plus: Offering costs paid for in advance
​ ​ ​ ​ 72,010 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 72,010 ​ ​
Less: Deferred underwriting commissions
​ ​ ​ ​ (2,625,000) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (3,018,750) ​ ​
Less: Proceeds held in trust subject to redemption(2)
​ ​ ​ ​ (76,500,000) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (87,975,000) ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​ $ (850,300) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (1,244,050) ​ ​
Denominator:
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Shares of common stock outstanding prior to this offering(1)
​ ​ ​ ​ 1,875,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 2,156,250 ​ ​
Shares of common stock included in the units offered
​ ​ ​ ​ 7,500,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 8,625,000 ​ ​
Less: Shares subject to possible redemption
​ ​ ​ ​ (7,500,000) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (8,625,000) ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1,875,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 2,156,250 ​ ​
​
(1)
Expenses applied against gross proceeds include offering expenses of approximately $500,000 (not including $300,000 for director and officer liability insurance premiums to be paid upon closing of this offering, which amount is not an offering expense to be capitalized) and underwriting commissions of $1,500,000 (or $1,725,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (excluding deferred underwriting commissions). 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 sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, executive officers, 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 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.
​
 
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CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our capitalization at September 30, 2021 and as adjusted to give effect to the sale of our units and the private placement warrants and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities.
​ ​ ​
Actual
​ ​
As Adjusted(1)
​
Deferred underwriting commissions
​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 2,625,000 ​ ​
Common stock, $0.0001 par value, none and 7,500,000 shares are subject to possible redemption/tender, respectively
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 76,500,000 ​ ​
Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized, 2,156,250 and 1,875,000 shares issued and outstanding (excluding none and 7,500,000 shares subject to possible redemption), actual and adjusted
​ ​ ​ ​ 216 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 188 ​ ​
Additional paid-in-capital
​ ​ ​ ​ 24,784 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Accumulated deficit
​ ​ ​ ​ (300) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (850,488) ​ ​
Total stockholders’ equity
​ ​ ​ ​ 24,700 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (850,300) ​ ​
Total capitalization
​ ​ ​ $ 24,700 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 78,274,700 ​ ​
​
(1)
Expenses applied against gross proceeds include offering expenses of approximately $500,000 (not including $300,000 for director and officer liability insurance premiums to be paid upon closing of this offering, which amount is not an offering expense to be capitalized) and underwriting commissions of $1,500,000 (or $1,725,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (excluding deferred underwriting commissions). See “Use of Proceeds.”
​
(2)
Assumes (i) the over-allotment option has not been exercised and (ii) an aggregate of 281,250 shares of common stock held by our sponsor have been forfeited as a result thereof.
​
 
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
We were incorporated on November 24, 2020, as a Delaware corporation to effect a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to in this prospectus 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. Although we are not limited to a particular industry or geographic region for purposes of consummating an initial business combination, we intend to focus our search on businesses that have their primary operations located in North America and Europe in the neuro-musculoskeletal industry.
The issuance of additional shares in our business combination:
•
may significantly reduce the equity interest of our stockholders;
​
•
may subordinate the rights of holders of common stock if we issue preferred shares with rights senior to those afforded to our shares of common stock;
​
•
will likely cause a change in control if a substantial number of our shares of common stock are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and most likely will also result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and
​
•
may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our securities.
​
Similarly, if we issue debt securities or otherwise incur significant debt to bank or other lenders or the owners of a target, it could result in:
•
default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after a business combination are insufficient to pay our debt obligations;
​
•
acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we have made all principal and interest payments when due if the debt security contains covenants that required the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves and we breach any such covenant without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;
​
•
our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand;
​
•
our inability to obtain additional financing, if necessary, if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain additional financing while such security is outstanding;
​
•
our inability to pay dividends on our 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 common stock if declared, our ability to pay expenses, make capital expenditures and acquisitions, and fund 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;
​
•
limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, and 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, as of September 30, 2021, we had $25,000 cash in the bank and $72,010 deferred offering costs. Further, we expect to continue to incur significant costs in
 
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the pursuit of our acquisition plans. Our plans to raise capital or to consummate our initial business combination may not 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
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering if the funds not held in the trust account are insufficient, our initial stockholders, officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest. As of September 30, 2021, we had no such borrowings and $72,310 of advances from a related party. We estimate that the net proceeds from (i) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $500,000 (not including $300,000 for director and officer liability insurance premiums to be paid upon closing of this offering, which amount is not an offering expense to be capitalized), underwriting commissions of  $1,500,000 ($1,725,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (excluding deferred underwriting commissions of $2,625,000 (or $3,018,750 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full)), and (ii) the sale of the private placement warrants for a purchase price of  $5,250,000 (or $5,700,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be $78,250,000 (or $89,725,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full).Of this amount, $76,500,000 (or $87,975,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be held in the trust account, which includes $2,625,000 (or $3,018,750 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting commissions. 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 $1,750,000 will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $500,000, 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 $500,000, 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 (less taxes paid and deferred underwriting commissions) to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest to pay 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 we may pay from funds from this offering held outside of the trust account or from interest earned on the funds held in our 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 interest earned on the amount in the trust account will be sufficient to pay our income taxes. To the extent that our capital stock 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 $1,750,000 (including $300,000 for director and officer liability insurance premiums to be
 
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paid upon closing of this offering) of proceeds held outside the trust account. We will use these funds to, among other expenditures described herein, identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, and structure, negotiate and complete an initial business combination.
In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an 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, at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability, and exercise period. The terms of such loans by our sponsor, officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. 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.
We expect our primary liquidity requirements during that period to include approximately $425,000 for legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses associated with structuring, negotiating and documenting successful business combinations; $50,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting requirements; $250,000 for diligence conducted on target businesses; $180,000 for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support; and approximately $545,000 for working capital that will be used for miscellaneous expenses and reserves.
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 initial 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.
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. 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. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of our initial 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 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
 
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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. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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 18 months from the closing of this offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions, unless (in connection with any such amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation) we offer our public stockholders the opportunity to redeem their public shares
Related Party Transactions
In February 2021, our sponsor purchased 2,156,250 founder shares (up to an aggregate of 281,250 shares of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares upon completion of this offering. The per share purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the $25,000 contributed to the Company by 2,156,250 founder shares. Subsequently, in March and April 2021, an aggregate of 150,000 founder shares were transferred to directors of the Company. These 150,000 shares will not be subject to forfeiture in the event the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised.
Our sponsor, officers and directors, advisor, 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, officers, directors, advisor or our or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.
Commencing on the date of this prospectus, we have agreed to pay an affiliate of VBOC Holdings, LLC, our sponsor, a total of $10,000 per month for general and administrative services including office space, utilities and secretarial support. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we will 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, at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability, and exercise period. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. 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.
Our sponsor, VBOC Holdings, LLC, has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 5,062,500 warrants (or 5,484,375 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per private placement warrant for a total purchase price of $5,062,500 (or $5,484,375 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share. Raymond James has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 187,500 warrants (or 215,625 warrants if the
 
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over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per private placement warrant for a total purchase price of $187,500 (or $215,625 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Our sponsor and Raymond James will be permitted to transfer the private placement warrants held by them to certain permitted transferees, including our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with or related to them, but the transferees receiving such securities will be subject to the same agreements with respect to such securities as our sponsor and Raymond James. Otherwise, these warrants will not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. 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, including as to exercise price, exercisability, and exercise period.
Pursuant to a registration rights agreement we will enter into with our initial stockholders on or prior to the closing of this offering, we may be required to register certain securities for sale under the Securities Act. These holders, and holders of warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any, are entitled under the registration rights agreement to make up to three demands that we register certain of our securities held by them for sale under the Securities Act and to have the securities covered thereby registered for resale pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders have the right to include their securities in other registration statements filed by us. We will bear the costs and expenses of filing any such registration statements.
Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to maintain 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, 2021. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not completed an assessment, nor have our auditors 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. Target businesses we may consider for our initial business combination may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:
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staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties;
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reconciliation of accounts;
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proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate;
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evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions;
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documentation of processes, assumptions and conclusions underlying significant estimates; and
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documentation of accounting policies and procedures.
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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 expense 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 auditors to audit and render an opinion on such report when, or if, required by Section 404. The independent auditors may identify additional issues concerning a target business’s internal controls while performing their audit of internal control over financial reporting.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The net proceeds of this offering, including amounts in the trust account, will be invested in United States government treasury bills, bonds or notes having a maturity of 185 days or less, or in money
 
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market funds meeting the applicable conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and that invest solely in U.S. treasuries. 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 the date of this prospectus, 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 conducted no operations to date.
JOBS Act
On April 5, 2012, the JOBS Act was signed into law. 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 such, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with 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 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act, (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 report of independent registered public accounting firm 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.
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 exceed $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 30.
 
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PROPOSED BUSINESS
Overview
We are a blank check company whose business purpose is to effect a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to in this prospectus 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. Although we are not limited to a particular industry or geographic region for purposes of consummating an initial business combination, we intend to focus our search on businesses that have their primary operations located in North America and Europe in the neuro-musculoskeletal industry.
Our Sponsor and CEO
Our sponsor is an affiliate of Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC (“VB”), a single-family office founded by Anthony, John, and Marc Viscogliosi, with extensive experience in the neuro-musculoskeletal (“NMS”) industry. VB has invested in more than 30 companies in the healthcare sector over the past two decades and has deployed a majority of its investment in the NMS industry. VB has a long history of growing venture-stage companies to global, commercialized businesses through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. Today, these businesses have cumulative revenues exceeding $750 million.
John J. Viscogliosi, our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, has more than 20 years of operating and investing experience in the NMS industry. From 2004 to 2020 he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Centinel of Centinel Spine, which he led to become the largest privately held spinal health company focused on anterior column reconstruction. In 2017, Mr. Viscogliosi led the acquisition for Centinel Spine of Prodisc from Johnson & Johnson. He subsequently repositioned the business and achieved annual double-digit revenue growth, and today the Prodisc portfolio represents over half of Centinel Spine’s total sales. In addition, Mr. Viscogliosi successfully doubled Centinel Spine’s surgeon and distributor bases and expanded the company’s global reach to 21 geographic markets. He also helped expand the patient population receiving lumbar total disc replacements and improved the company’s private insurer reimbursement coverage by adding nearly 30 million covered lives. In addition, Mr. Viscogliosi led the creation of the Patient Education Program, which leveraged key athletic ambassadors to increase patients’ spine knowledge and their awareness of resources available to relieve spine-related pain. He also organized a regulatory strategy to submit three FDA PMA (Premarket Approval) supplements for cervical Prodisc, expanding the company’s product portfolio to establish the market-leading cervical and lumbar total disc replacement platform. Mr. Viscogliosi further oversaw the development and execution of the 2-level Prodisc SK and VIVO clinical trial, to further expand the clinical data relating to the Prodisc product portfolio.
Mr. Viscogliosi is a founding member, and since 1999 has been a principal, of Viscogliosi Bros, LLC. In addition, since July 2020, he has been the Executive Chairman of VB EnviroCare. He previously co-founded multiple NMS businesses, including Paradigm Spine, LLC, Small Bone Innovations, Inc., Knee Creations, LLC, Musculoskeletal Clinical Regulatory Advisers, LLC and Spine Solutions, Inc. Mr. Viscogliosi served on the Board of Directors of Small Bone Innovations, Inc. and Woven Orthopedic Technologies, LLC. Additionally, Mr. Viscogliosi was formerly on the boards of Spine Solutions, Inc. and Knee Creations, LLC, and played an integral part in the sales of those companies to Johnson & Johnson Depuy-Synthes and Zimmer Holdings, respectively.
Our Board of Directors
John J. Viscogliosi will serve as our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors. In addition to Mr. Viscogliosi, we have eight additional board members: Suhail Al Ansari, F. Samuel Eberts III, Dan Drawbaugh, John N. Kastanis, Dr. Jean-Christophe Renondin, Marc R. Viscogliosi [     ], and Dr. Jack E. Zigler, five of whom will be independent directors.
Suhail Al Ansari is Managing Partner of Biolinka Investments LLC, which he founded in 2017, since 2020 has been Deputy Vice Chairman & Co-Founder of Gawah Holdings Inc., since 2020 has been a Board
 
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Advisor to UK Cloud Ltd., and since 2007 has been Partner & Director of Asab Investments LLC. Mr. Al Ansari was previously Executive Director of the healthcare business at Mubadala Investment Company. As the executive-in-charge of healthcare investments at Mubadala, his primary responsibilities were to oversee the development, operations and management of the healthcare assets and initiatives within the company’s portfolio, with full P&L accountability. During his tenure at Mubadala, from 2006 until 2017, Mr. Al Ansari established and oversaw the operations of eight healthcare businesses with globally renowned partners such as the Cleveland Clinic, Labcorp, Imperial College London and Johns Hopkins Medicine, managing a portfolio worth over US $4 billion in assets, with 6,000 employees and annual revenue exceeding US $1 billion. Mr. Al Ansari supported the Government of Abu Dhabi through the Executive Affairs Authority prior to his roles at Mubadala. Mr. Al Ansari served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, Healthpoint Hospital, National Reference Laboratory, Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre, Capital Health Screening Centre, Abu Dhabi Telemedicine Centre, and Medical Holding Company. Mr. Al Ansari was also Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi, and member of the board of directors of Viceroy Hotels Group and Agility Abu Dhabi. Mr. Al Ansari received his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Chemical Engineering from the University of Surrey and his Master of Science in Finance from the Carrol Graduate School of Management, Boston College.
F. Samuel Eberts III is an international legal executive with over 30 years of diverse experience in healthcare, biotechnology, and specialty consumer products industries. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Darter Group LLC, a healthcare consultancy which he founded in 2013, and a Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke University School of Law. From 2002 to 2019, Mr. Eberts was the Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary and Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, a leading global life sciences company. Prior to his roles at LabCorp, Mr. Eberts was Vice President, Secretary, and General Counsel of Stepan Company. Before joining Stepan Company, he was Assistant General Counsel for Cardinal Health, Inc., and Associate General Counsel for Allegiance Healthcare Corporation. Prior to that time, he was Chief Counsel at Baxter International’s North American Biotech division, and Corporate Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel at Baxter International Inc. Mr. Eberts is the past Chairman and a current Board member of Easter Seals UCP of North Carolina and Virginia and a member of the Board of Trustees for Endicott College and the Wilson Council of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Mr. Eberts has previously served as Director and Member of the Investment Committee of MedCap Growth Equity Funds and as Board Member of the Alamance Community College Foundation. Mr. Eberts received his Bachelor of Science in Political Science at Loyola University of Chicago and later obtained his J.D. from Boston University School of Law.
Dan Drawbaugh is the Chief Executive Officer of The Steadman Clinic (TSC) and Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI) in Vail, Colorado. As CEO since 2015, Mr. Drawbaugh leads a team of talented physicians, researchers, scientists, and administrators who make TSC and SPRI one of the most sought-after orthopaedic sports medicine destination centers in the world. Mr. Drawbaugh strategically expanded the organization’s partnerships with Varsity Healthcare Partners, Vail Health, Aspen Valley Hospital and a variety of technology companies, to continue advancing the organization’s global prominence in sports and orthopaedic medicine through investments in research capabilities and new scientific laboratories. Mr. Drawbaugh is a proven leader and innovator in healthcare information technology with over 30 years of experience in the areas of information and biomedical technologies. Mr. Drawbaugh joined TSC and SPRI in 2015 from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he held the position of Chief Information Officer and other positions for 31 years. Mr. Drawbaugh currently serves as a board member at MJP Innovations and has previously served on the Boards of Directors/Advisors of Oracle, IBM, Verizon Wireless, GENCO (now FedEx), Vestar Capital Partners, dbMotion and Omnyx. Mr. Drawbaugh earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical and electrical engineering technology from Temple University and his MBA from Duquesne University.
John N. Kastanis, MBA, FACHE, is an accomplished health systems executive with significant experience leading and teaching in high acute, tertiary-care, quaternary-care and specialty hospitals. His core expertise is in strategic planning, governance, fund development and academic medicine, while also managing large Medicaid and Medicare patient populations. Mr. Kastanis has a proven record of success with financial turnarounds, mergers, corporate restructurings, integrated delivery network development, labor-management negotiations and performance improvement. As President and CEO of University Hospital,
 
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Newark, NJ from 2016 to 2018, Mr. Kastanis led the state’s primary teaching hospital and clinical research site for Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, the state’s only Northern New Jersey Level 1 Trauma Center, and the EMS 911 service for the City of Newark. Kastanis has also served from 2011 to 2016 as President and CEO at Temple University Hospital and led the Hospital for Joint Diseases Orthopedic Hospital, among several others. Since 2018 he has been the Principal & Consultant of JNK Consulting, an independent healthcare consulting practice where he has served as an Advisory Board Member for multiple companies. He has served on numerous boards and commissions including more recently with the Board of Managers of the Vizient University Health System Consortium, the New Jersey Hospital Association, the Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition, the Greater New York Hospital Association and America’s Essential Hospitals. Mr. Kastanis holds an MBA in healthcare management from Baruch College-Mount Sinai School of Medicine, a B.A. in Political Science from Queens College and is Board Certified as a Life Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (LFACHE). He has also provided recent lectures to medical societies, medical ground rounds, and universities (Harvard and Arcadia) on health care reform and financial & operational turnarounds.
Dr. Jean-Christophe Renondin, MD, MBA is an accomplished and seasoned healthcare investor with more than 20 years of experience in financing and investing in healthcare asset globally. Dr. Renondin has been, since 2015, the Senior Healthcare Manager at the Sovereign Fund of Oman, the Oman Investment Authority (OIA), in charge of the Healthcare Investment Practice. His primary responsibilities are to implement the investment strategy and to originate and execute investment opportunities in North America, Europe and Asia. Recent investments were in Symetis and Cognate Bioservices. Prior to joining the OIA, Dr. Renondin was Managing Director at Bryan Garnier & Co., a pan-European investment bank, in charge of the healthcare practice leading ECM and Private Placement transactions for European healthcare clients. Prior to this role, Dr. Renondin was General Partner at CDC Innovation, investing in various European healthcare assets. From 1999 to 2005 Dr. Renondin was Vice President at Sofinov, a subsidiary of the Caisse de Depot et Placement of Quebec (CDPQ), leading the Healthcare investment fund, and Managing Director at MDS Capital, one of the leading healthcare investment firms in Canada. Prior to 1999 Dr. Renondin was the General Manager of various international subsidiaries for Servier Laboratories, in Ireland and in South Africa, where he successfully restructured several departments. Prior to working at Servier, Dr. Renondin was at JP Morgan in the Healthcare equity research and Corporate Finance department at the NY office. Dr. Renondin currently serves as a board member at Juvenescence, a longevity biotech company and he has previously served on the Board of Directors of Cognate Bioservices and was board and an Investment Committee member of the VC Fund Innovation Development Oman. Dr. Renondin earned his Medical Doctorate degree from Paris V Descartes University and his MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Administration and Finance at Dartmouth University in 1991.
Marc R. Viscogliosi is one of the founders of Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC and is an experienced CEO, Venture & Private Equity Investor and Company/Industry Creator with a proven track record of success over the last two decades in the medical device industry. Having completed over $800 million in equity and debt capital raises at all levels of a company’s lifecycle, Mr. Viscogliosi is particularly sensitive to matching the capital needs of a business to its value inflection points, while generating over $2.1 billion in exit values for investor-partners and stakeholders. Over the last 20 years at VB, Mr. Viscogliosi has been principally responsible for driving innovation identification, regulatory and clinical strategies of the portfolio companies and capitalization structuring optimization of the portfolio companies. As Founder and CEO of Paradigm Spine, Mr. Viscogliosi was responsible for raising approximately $80 million in institutional equity investment and approximately $125 million of net debt in execution of its value creation strategy. As Executive Chairman of Knee Creations, Mr. Viscogliosi was responsible for guiding the business from product concept to early commercialization and ultimately its acquisition by Zimmer Biomet for nearly 10x revenues. As Founder and CEO of MCRA, LLC, Mr. Viscogliosi has been responsible for building MCRA into a leading medical device regulatory CRO with nearly 100 professionals working with more than 150 clients on a monthly basis to achieve its strategic regulatory and clinical objectives. Mr. Viscogliosi graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University with a double-major in Economics and Political Science.
Dr. Jack E. Zigler, MD, FACS, FAAOS, is an orthopedic spine surgeon and from 2008 to 2018 was Medical Director at the Texas Back Institute (TBI). He was Co-Director of the Spine Surgery Fellowship Program at TBI and served as Principal Investigator or Sub-Investigator on approximately twelve FDA studies. Dr. Zigler previously served from 1991 to 1996 as a Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the
 
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USC School of Medicine and from 1994 to 1996 at the UCI School of Medicine. At that time, Dr. Zigler was also the Chief of the Spinal Injury Service and the Director of Fellowship & Residency Training at the Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center. Since 2018 he has been a member of the Medical Advisory Board of Veritas Health, International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (“ISASS”), a member of the Board of Trustees of AO Spine, and an Associate Editor at the SAS Journal. Dr. Zigler is a Past President of the American Spinal Injury Association and Immediate Past President of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery. He has additionally served as chairman of multiple boards, including the AO Lumbar Degenerative Expert Group, the Exhibits and Membership Committees of the Cervical Spine Research Society, the CSRS Committee on Patient Education, the Program Committee of the American Spinal Injury Association and the Task Force on Aging of the North American Spine Society. In addition, Dr. Zigler was a board member of Capital Bank, a publicly traded bank based in San Juan Capistrano, where he served as chairman of the compensation committee. Dr. Zigler has published over 80 studies in the peer-reviewed scientific literature and has authored three textbooks on spine surgery. He received multiple postgraduate training certificates as an Arnold Fellow in Spine Surgery at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, a Resident and Chief Resident in Orthopedic Surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Resident in Surgery at the Long Island Jewish — Hillside Medical Center. Dr. Zigler received his Bachelor of Science (Distinction) from Cornell University and later obtained his M.D. (cum laude) from the SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, NY.
Acquisition Strategy
Our acquisition strategy will leverage our management team’s experience in operations, product development, technology management, regulatory strategy, clinical trial development, product positioning, marketing and capital raising to identify unique opportunities in the NMS sector. Moreover, our Board of Directors will leverage their experience and broad industry relationships to further support our acquisition and evaluation process. Given our dedicated approach to the NMS industry and our significant network of relationships, we believe we are well positioned to identify leading potential acquisition targets.
Our goal is to acquire a platform company in the NMS industry that has a:
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Well-established, differentiated product portfolio with significant growth potential;
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Product pipeline with a consistent cadence of new product rollouts;
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Strong management team with a shared vision to create a dominant player within the NMS industry and the ability to rapidly grow the business;
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Wide distributor network with potential for expansion;
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Diverse and loyal user base;
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Strong margins with visible revenue growth potential;
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and would benefit from being publicly traded and having access to incremental growth capital.
We believe that, upon completing our initial business combination, our management team will use their expertise in growing the business organically to help expand the company’s operations and its sales and distribution channels following the business combination. There will also be a strong emphasis on looking to grow the company through further acquisitions and developing the company as a consolidator within its industry. We believe that there may also be opportunities to make other, peripheral acquisitions at the same time as we complete our initial business combination.
We believe an acquisition by our Company can provide an efficient liquidity and capital-raising mechanism while materially reducing the risks and expenses associated with a traditional initial public offering. Furthermore, we believe VB’s management team is well known to, and respected by, the founders, management, and stockholders of private medical technology companies, and that our leadership’s reputations will be a competitive advantage in attracting high quality targets for our business combination. The VB management team and Board of Directors have extensive operating and transaction experience in the medical technology sector as managers, investors, acquirors and sellers. We intend to leverage this experience and our networks to identify a target company and to deliver operational and economic benefit from a business combination.
 
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Competitive Differentiation
Our focus is to create attractive risk adjusted returns for our stockholders, focusing on limiting technology risk by pursuing clinically proven, innovative technologies executing a differentiated operational, clinical and regulatory strategy. We believe that our team members have proven their ability to commercialize transformational technologies into market disrupting business leaders. We intend to capitalize on our ability to use the following differentiation factors to our advantage:
VB’s extensive ecosystem network of relationships provides us with early access to top quality deals. VB’s ecosystem network includes sponsors, our investor network, key opinion leaders, global surgeon societies, innovation programs access, strategic and corporate relationships, medical institutions and the universe of NMS co-investors. Given these connections, we believe that we provide a competitive sourcing advantage and will be a preferred partner for potential targets.
The niche focus of NMS provides us with an advantage over generalist healthcare investors. The deep domain expertise of our management team, detailed knowledge of market dynamics, understanding of the specific needs of the medical community and experience with the intricacies of market adoption for NMS products and technology provide us with an exceptional ability to select the leading companies in the industry. We believe that generalist healthcare investors lack the ability to understand the risks associated with this niche and to identify leading target companies.
Over VB’s history, VB has used its investment criteria to identify best-in-class companies, products, and technologies. VB has helped companies build strong technology platforms, fulfill clinically unmet needs, achieve successful clinical track records, mitigate regulatory risk, own significant intellectual property and regulatory portfolios and provide market development opportunities. VB is led by an all-in entrepreneur and has an effective business model. We believe VB’s experience investing in and exiting portfolio companies will help provide the Company with the ability to generate positive and favorable returns.
Members of our management team have also participated as financiers in several complex NMS transactions, including licensing agreements, corporate carveouts, IP acquisitions, product divestitures, asset purchase agreements, initial public offerings, company formations, debt recapitalizations, equity recapitalizations, secondary offerings, mergers, acquisitions, joint venture partnerships, debt restructurings, debt placements and private equity placements. We believe these experiences provide a distinct advantage through all stages of the investment process, from deal sourcing to portfolio company exit.
We seek to leverage our team’s experience arranging hundreds of partnerships with suppliers and distributors, initiating manufacturing, building and growing several sales forces, accelerating revenue growth, growing total surgeon users, building hospital distribution networks and creating market leaders within niche markets. We have a great deal of experience working with direct reps, agencies, and independent distributors. Additionally, we have often worked alongside and with large and small medical device companies.
Industry Opportunity
The NMS industry comprises disorders and diseases that affect human body movement involving nerves, muscle, soft tissue, and bones that lead to pain and loss of mobility. According to Orthoworld, the neuro-musculoskeletal market, also known as orthopedics, was valued at $53 billion in 2019, and saw sales growth of approximately 3.8% from 2018 to 2019. Orthopedics is the branch of medicine that deals with NMS diseases. Throughout this section, the terms orthopaedics and NMS will be used interchangeably.
We believe that 100% of the population living an average life expectancy will suffer from an NMS trauma or disease. We believe that NMS diseases and disorders are the number-one cause of long-term pain, physical disability, doctor visits, worker compensation claims and employee absenteeism.
We believe that there are five key sectors within the NMS industry that are of interest to our Company:
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Implantable Devices:   The implantable devices segment consists of technologies that replace, repair, or support a damaged bone. These devices can be segmented into further categories based on the area of the body or type of treatment they target and offer:
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a.
Spine: The spine market consists of implants, instruments, and surgical assistance systems to treat degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, scoliosis, vertebral fractures with pedicle screws, artificial discs, motion-preserving and kyphoplasty devices. According to Orthoworld, in 2019, global sales in the spine market amounted to $9.6 billion with almost 63% of global sales accounted for by the top four companies in the segment. Also according to Orthoworld, the spine market is growing at a rate of 3.5% per year and is projected to reach $10.0 billion in sales in 2022.
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Sports Medicine: The sports medicine market consists of equipment and implantables, including arthroscopes, visualization systems and other similar technologies for the removal of bone and soft tissue. According to Orthoworld, between 2017 and 2019, the sports medicine market grew approximately 5.5% per year and in 2019 accounted for roughly $5.9 billion in global sales.
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Trauma: The trauma market consists of implants and instruments for internal and external use, such as plates, screws, nails, pin, and external fixators, to treat traumatic injuries affecting the neuromusculoskeletal anatomy. The trauma market is the third largest segment in the orthopedic industry, and according to Orthoworld generated roughly $7.4 billion in global sales in 2019.
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d.
Total Joint Replacement: The total joint replacement market consists of implants, instruments and surgical assistance systems used to replace or repair failed joints in the knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist, ankle, and digits. According to Orthoworld, the total joint replacement market accounted for $19.5 billion, or over 37%, of global orthopedic sales in 2019.
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e.
Neuromodulation: The neuromodulation market consists of technologies that use electrical or pharmaceutical agents to alter or modulate nerve activity in a target area. Neuromodulation technology was first introduced in the early 1960s, with the use of deep brain stimulation to resolve chronic and intractable pain and was later extended to indications relating to the spine. According to Neurotech Reports, the market for implanted spinal stimulators was valued at $1.8 billion in 2020 and was expected to continue to grow at double-digit annual growth rates.
​
2.
Service Companies:   Service companies offer comprehensive solutions to other medical device companies facing with clinical, regulatory, reimbursement and product issues. Services vary from one company to another, with some service companies offering a wide range of services and others offering more niche and focused specialties, for example in relation to the product development process of medical devices. Service companies cater to a wide range of medical device companies in the healthcare space.
​
3.
Regenerative Medicine:
​
a.
Biologics: The biologics and biochemical product market for NMS indications accounted for roughly $5.3 billion in 2019, according to Orthoworld. Products in this space include technologies such as allograft and xenograft tissue, synthetic bone graft substitutes, autologous platelet/plasma systems and other similar therapies. We believe that greater demand for regenerative/biologic-type therapies among patients and athletes will drive growth in this market.
​
b.
Therapeutics: The therapeutics market consists of products that are used to treat orthopedic diseases through a biochemical action, and mainly include opioid and non-opioid therapeutic agents. This market also includes the fast-growing digital therapeutics segment. The demand for global digital therapeutics is on the rise, owing to increases in the adoption of smartphones and tablets coupled with healthcare apps, the need to control healthcare costs and rises in incidences of chronic diseases.
​
4.
Contract Manufacturers:   The contract manufacturer segment consists of orthopedic and medical device original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that are responsible for the production, manufacturing, and assembly of medical devices in all areas of healthcare. These companies are
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key players in the healthcare and orthopedic supply chain and often work as outsourcing hubs for many of the top medical device developers around the globe.
Overall, healthcare spending continues to grow as a percentage of GDP topping 9.8% in 2018, according to the World Bank. The largest contributors, or foundational drivers, of growth trends in the healthcare industry are: the rapidly aging population, expanding global life expectancy, increasing rates of obesity and diabetes and the rising cost and volume of medical care. All the foundational drivers directly affect the NMS industry. NMS disorders and disease are not only conditions of older age but also effect the entire lifecycle of the patient population. The patient and provider demand for new, innovative, and cost-effective solutions to manage these chronic debilitating diseases remains urgent.
•
Growing Elderly Population:   There are more than 668 million people, or 11.6% of the total global population, over the age of 60, and it is estimated that by 2050 this number will increase to 1.5 billion, according to the World Health Organization. We believe that people over the age of 60 are at high risk of joint replacements, degenerative disc disease, arthritis, and osteoporosis, with approximately 17%, 14%, and 3% of the elderly in the U.S. having been diagnosed with arthritis, osteopenia, and osteoporosis, respectively (Burden of Musculoskeletal Diseases).
​
•
Expanding Life Expectancy:   Life expectancy is expected to increase from 73.5 years in 2018 to 74.4 in 2022 and will continue to increase for females in low-mortality countries such as Japan and Sweden (Global Healthcare Report, Deloitte). Medical care spending more than doubles between the ages of 70-90 (Journalist Resource), and with the increase in life expectancy, we believe there should be a sharp increase in healthcare spending as well.
​
•
Increasing Obesity and Diabetes Rates:   Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975, and today 13% of adults globally are classified as obese, putting them at major risk for NMS disorders as they continue to age (World Health Organization).
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•
Rising Cost and Volume of Medical Care:   Global healthcare spending was approximately US$8.7 trillion in 2020, with a strong focus on improving healthcare in developing countries (Global Healthcare Report, Deloitte). NMS conditions are the leading cause of disability in the United States and are estimated to cost approximately $980 billion (5.8% of GDP) annually (United States Bone and Joint Initiative).
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Initial Business Combination
Nasdaq listing rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting fees and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. We refer to this as the 80% of net assets test. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of the 80% of net assets test. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or 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 our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on
 
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valuations ascribed to the target and us in the initial business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our stockholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be considered for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If our initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.
The net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants released to us from the trust account upon the closing of our initial business combination may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we complete our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemption of our public shares, we may use the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account following the closing for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. In addition, we may be required to obtain additional financing in connection with the closing of our initial business combination to be used following the closing for general corporate purposes as described above. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances, or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, 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. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise. None of our sponsor, officers, directors, or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination. We may also obtain financing prior to the closing of our initial business combination to fund our working capital needs and transaction costs in connection with our search for and completion of our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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 18 months from the closing of this offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions, unless (in connection with any such amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation) we offer our public stockholders the opportunity to redeem their public shares.
To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management team will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.
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 will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or 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.
 
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Other Considerations
We currently do not have any specific business combination under consideration. Our officers and directors have neither individually identified nor considered a specific target business nor have they had any substantive discussions with possible target businesses. We have not (nor have any of our agents or affiliates) substantively engaged with any candidates (or a representative of any candidate) with respect to a possible acquisition transaction with our company. Additionally, we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any substantive action, directly or indirectly, with any suitable acquisition candidate for us, nor have we engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any such acquisition candidate.
Members of our management team, including our directors and officers, will directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target company is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Each of our directors and officers may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any directors or officers was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to such business combination.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination or subsequent transaction with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers, or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination or, subject to certain exceptions, subsequent material transactions with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor or any of our officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, to the extent required by applicable law or our board of directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent accounting firm that such initial business combination or transaction is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
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. 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 then has fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such entity. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our business combination. 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 our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue.
Each of our sponsor, directors and officers may sponsor, form or participate in other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Any such companies may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target, particularly in the event there is overlap among investment mandates.
Our directors and officers are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs, and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence.
Corporate Information
We were incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on November 24, 2020. Our executive offices are located at 505 Park Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10022 and our telephone number is (212) 583-9700. Our website is www.VB-OC.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or 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
 
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Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or 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 (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to SEC rules from time to time), or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the aggregate worldwide market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700,000,000 as of the prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to emerging growth company will 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 equals or exceeds $250,000,000 as of the prior June 30th or (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100,000,000 during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700,000,000 as of the prior June 30th.
Financial Position
With funds available in the trust account for an initial business combination initially in the amount of $73,875,000, after payment of $2,625,000 of deferred underwriting fees (or $83,231,250 after payment of up to $3,018,750 of deferred underwriting fees if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), in each case after fees and expenses associated with our initial business combination, we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt or leverage ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third-party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.
Effecting a Business Combination
General
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering. 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, our shares, new debt, or a combination of these, as the consideration to be paid in our initial business combination. We may seek to consummate our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth (such as a company that has begun operations but is not yet at the stage of commercial manufacturing and sales), which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses, although we will not be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.
 
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If our initial business combination is paid for using shares or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the purchase price in connection with our business combination or used for redemptions of purchases of our common stock, we may apply the cash released to us from the trust account that is not applied to the purchase price for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of acquired businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in consummating our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.
We have not identified any acquisition targets. From the period prior to our formation through the date of this prospectus, there have been no communications, evaluations or discussions between any of our officers, directors or our sponsor and any of their contacts or relationships regarding a potential initial business combination. Additionally, we have not engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate. Subject to the requirement that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses or assets having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into such initial business combination, we have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses. Accordingly, there is no current basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination. Although our management will assess the risks inherent in a particular target business with which we may combine, this assessment may not result in our identifying all risks that a target business may encounter. Furthermore, some of those risks may be outside of our control, meaning that we can do nothing to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.
We may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination, and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust account. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would consummate such financing only simultaneously with the consummation of our business combination. In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by law or Nasdaq, we would seek stockholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise.
Sources of Target Businesses
Our process of identifying acquisition targets will leverage our management team’s unique industry experiences, proven deal sourcing capabilities and broad and deep network of relationships in numerous industries, including executives and management teams, private equity groups and other institutional investors, large business enterprises, lenders, investment bankers and other investment market participants, restructuring advisers, consultants, attorneys and accountants, which we believe should provide us with a number of business combination opportunities. We expect that the collective experience, capability and network of our founders, directors, and officers, combined with their individual and collective reputations in the investment community, will help to create prospective business combination opportunities.
We anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers, venture capital funds, private equity groups, leveraged buyout funds, management buyout funds and other members of the financial community. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us through calls or mailings. These sources also may introduce us to target businesses in which they think we may be interested on an unsolicited basis, since many of these sources will have read this prospectus and know what types of businesses we are targeting. Our officers and directors, as well as their affiliates, also may bring to our attention target business candidates that they become aware of through their business contacts as a result of formal or informal inquiries or discussions they may have, as well as attending trade shows or conventions.
In addition, we expect to receive a number of proprietary deal flow opportunities that would not otherwise necessarily be available to us as a result of the business relationships of our officers and directors.
 
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While we do not presently anticipate engaging the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions on any formal basis, we may engage these firms or other individuals in the future, in which event we may pay a finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction. We will engage a finder only to the extent our management determines that the use of a finder may bring opportunities to us that may not otherwise be available to us or if finders approach us on an unsolicited basis with a potential transaction that our management determines is in our best interest to pursue. Payment of finder’s fees is customarily tied to completion of a transaction, in which case any such fee will be paid out of the funds held in the trust account. Although some of our officers and directors may enter into employment or consulting agreements with the acquired business following our initial business combination, the presence or absence of any such arrangements will not be used as a criterion in our selection process of an acquisition candidate.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with such a company, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of target business we seek to acquire that such an initial business combination is fair to our unaffiliated stockholders from a financial point of view.
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of a Business Combination
Subject to the requirement that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses or assets having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into such initial business combination, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses. In any case, we will only consummate an initial business combination in which we become the majority stockholder of the target (or control the target through contractual arrangements in limited circumstances for regulatory compliance purposes as discussed below) or are otherwise not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act or to the extent permitted by law we may acquire interests in a variable interest entity, in which we may have less than a majority of the voting rights in such entity, but in which we are the primary beneficiary. There is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination. To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth (such as a company that has begun operations but is not yet at the stage of commercial manufacturing and sales), we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.
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 and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial and other information which will be made available to us.
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 a 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 will not pay any finders or consulting fees to members of our management team, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to or in connection with our initial business combination.
Fair Market Value of Target Business or Businesses
The target business or businesses or assets with which we effect our initial business combination must have a collective fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into such initial business combination. If we acquire less than 100% of one or more target businesses in our initial business combination, the aggregate fair market
 
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value of the portion or portions we acquire must equal at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into such initial business combination. However, we will always acquire at least a controlling interest in a target business. The fair market value of a portion of a target business or assets will likely be calculated by multiplying the fair market value of the entire business by the percentage of the target we acquire. We may seek to consummate our initial business combination with an initial target business or businesses with a collective fair market value in excess of the balance in the trust account. In order to consummate such an initial business combination, we may issue a significant amount of debt, equity or other securities to the sellers of such business and/or seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt, equity or other securities. If we issue securities in order to consummate such an initial business combination, our stockholders could end up owning a minority of the combined company’s voting securities as there is no requirement that our stockholders own a certain percentage of our company (or, depending on the structure of the initial business combination, an ultimate parent company that may be formed) after our business combination. Because we have no specific business combination under consideration, we have not entered into any such arrangement to issue our debt or equity securities and have no current intention of doing so.
The fair market value of a target business or businesses or assets will be determined by our board of directors based upon standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as actual and potential gross margins, the values of comparable businesses, earnings and cash flow, book value, enterprise value and, where appropriate, upon the advice of appraisers or other professional consultants. Investors will be relying on the business judgment of our board of directors, which will have significant discretion in choosing the standard used to establish the fair market value of a particular target business. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine that the target business or assets has a sufficient fair market value to meet the threshold criterion, 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 seek to acquire with respect to the satisfaction of such criterion. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless we consummate a business combination with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of target business we seek to acquire, that the price we are paying is fair to our stockholders.
Lack of Business Diversification
For an indefinite period of time after 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
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•
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 the target business’ management may not prove to be correct. The future role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. Consequently, members of our management team may not become a part of the target’s management team, 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 in some capacity with us following our initial business combination. Moreover, members of our management team may not have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business. Our
 
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key personnel may not remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
Following our initial business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We may not have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge, or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
Stockholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve 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 public stockholders may redeem their public 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 public stockholders with the opportunity to sell their public 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our initial stockholders have agreed, pursuant to written letter agreements with us, not to redeem any public shares held by them into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account. If we determine to engage in a tender offer, such tender offer will be structured so that each stockholder may tender any or all of his, her or its public 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 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. If we so choose and we are legally permitted to do so, we have the flexibility to avoid a 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, solely if we seek stockholder approval, a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination.
Presented in the table below is a graphic explanation of the types of initial business combinations we may consider and whether stockholder approval is currently required under Delaware law for each such transaction.
Type of Transaction
​ ​
Whether
Stockholder
Approval is
Required
​
Purchase of assets ​ ​
No
​
Purchase of stock of target not involving a merger with the company ​ ​
No
​
Merger of target into a subsidiary of the company ​ ​
No
​
Merger of the company with a target ​ ​
Yes
​
Under Nasdaq’s listing rules, stockholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
•
we issue shares of common stock that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of shares of our common stock then outstanding;
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•
any of our directors, officers or substantial stockholders (as defined by Nasdaq rules) has a 5% or greater interest (or such persons collectively have a 10% or greater interest), directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired or otherwise and the present or potential issuance of common stock could result in an increase in outstanding common shares or voting power of 5% or more; or
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•
the issuance or potential issuance of common stock will result in our undergoing a change of control.
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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, our net tangible asset threshold may limit our ability to consummate such initial business combination (as we may be required to have a lesser number of shares redeemed or sold to us) and 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 18 months from the closing of this offering in order to be able to receive a pro rata share of the trust account.
Our initial stockholders and our officers and directors have agreed (1) to vote any shares of common stock owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination, (2) not to redeem 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, if we sought stockholder approval of a proposed transaction, we would need only 468,750 of our public shares (or approximately 6.25% of our public shares) to be voted in favor of the transaction in order to have such transaction approved (assuming that only a quorum was present at the meeting, that the over-allotment option is not exercised and that the initial stockholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market).
None of our officers, directors, initial stockholders, 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 officers, directors, initial stockholders 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 officers, directors, initial stockholders, and their affiliates will not make purchases 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.
Permitted Purchases of Our Securities
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants in privately-negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares or warrants our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and Nasdaq rules. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase shares or public warrants in such transactions prior to completion of our initial business combination.
Subsequent to the consummation of 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
 
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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.
The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our shares of common stock or warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or any of their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the stockholders with whom our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated purchases by either the stockholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests tendered by stockholders following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors, or their affiliates enter into a private purchase, they would identify and contact only potential selling stockholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against our initial business combination, whether or not such stockholder has already submitted a proxy with respect to our initial business combination. Such persons would select the stockholders from whom to acquire shares based on the number of shares available, the negotiated price per share and such other factors as any such person may deem relevant at the time of purchase. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates will only purchase shares if such purchases comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
Any purchases by our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates who are affiliated purchasers under Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act will be made only to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Rule 10b-18 has certain technical requirements that must be complied with for the safe harbor to be available to the purchaser. Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates will not make purchases of common stock if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchases are subject to such reporting requirements.
Redemption Rights for Public Stockholders upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of 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 as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account 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 approximately $10.20 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
 
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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 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 Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with Nasdaq’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 Nasdaq. Such provisions may be amended if approved by a majority of the holders 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:
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conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules, and
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file proxy materials with the SEC.
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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 sponsor, 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 stockholders’ founder shares, we would need only 468,750, or 6.25%, of the 7,500,000 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 that only a quorum was present at the meeting, that the over-allotment option is not exercised and that the initial stockholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market). 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. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial stockholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate 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.
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:
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conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and
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file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination, which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.
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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 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) 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 to purchase shares of our 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 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 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) 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 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 common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.
Limitation on Redemption upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination if we Seek Stockholder Approval
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the
 
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tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” ​(as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” Such restriction shall also be applicable to our affiliates. We believe this restriction will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed initial business combination as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. 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 if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering without our prior consent, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with an initial business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.
Delivering Stock Certificates in Connection with the Exercise of Redemption Rights
As described above, 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 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. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have up to two business days prior to the vote on the initial business combination if we distribute proxy materials, or from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, as applicable, to submit or tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. 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. Given the relatively short exercise period, it is advisable for stockholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.
There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC system. The transfer agent will typically charge the broker submitting or tendering shares a fee of approximately $80.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to submit or tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.
Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our initial business combination.
If our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public stockholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for
 
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the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.
If our initial proposed initial business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete an initial business combination with a different target until 18 months from the closing of this offering.
Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if no Initial Business Combination
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we will have only 18 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within such 18-month period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 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 stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, 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 18-month time period.
Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our sponsor, 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 18-month time period.
Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) 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 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of 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. However, we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). If this optional redemption right is exercised with respect to an excessive number of public shares such that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement (described above), we would not proceed with the amendment or the related redemption of our public shares at such time.
We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the approximately $1,750,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. We will depend on sufficient interest being earned on the proceeds held in the trust account to pay any tax obligations we may owe. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay taxes on interest income earned on the trust account balance, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.
 
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If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders upon our dissolution would be approximately $10.20. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public stockholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by stockholders will not be substantially less than $10.20. Under Section 281(b) of the DGCL, our plan of dissolution must provide for all claims against us to be paid in full or make provision for payments to be made in full, as applicable, if there are sufficient assets. These claims must be paid or provided for before we make any distribution of our remaining assets to our stockholders. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.
Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, 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 enter into an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will consider whether competitive alternatives are reasonably available to the Company, and will only enter into an agreement with such third party if our management believes that such third party’s engagement would be in the best interests of the Company under the circumstances. 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. WithumSmith+Brown, PC, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of the offering will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account.
In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. 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 $10.20 per 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 Exhibit 10.1 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 similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.20 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 $10.20 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 our indemnity of the underwriters 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 their indemnity obligations, and 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 $10.20 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
 
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our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties, including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below (i) $10.20 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations and we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be less than $10.20 per public share.
We will seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to approximately $1,750,000 from the proceeds of this offering held outside the trust account with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $100,000). In the event that we liquidate, and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, stockholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $500,000, we may fund such excess with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $500,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
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 18 months from the closing of this offering may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If the corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution.
Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful (potentially due to the imposition of legal proceedings that a party may bring or due to other circumstances that are currently unknown), then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible
 
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but not more than 10 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 stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, 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. Accordingly, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following our 24th month and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with those procedures. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend well beyond the third anniversary of such date.
Because we will not be complying with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the subsequent 10 years. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. As described above, pursuant to the obligation contained in our underwriting agreement, we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account. As a result of this obligation, the claims that could be made against us are significantly limited and the likelihood that any claim that would result in any liability extending to the trust account is remote. Further, our sponsor may be liable only to the extent necessary to ensure that the amounts in the trust account are not reduced below (i) $10.20 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest released to us to pay taxes and will not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims.
If we file a bankruptcy 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, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.20 per share to our public stockholders. Additionally, if 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. Furthermore, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, 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.
Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend any provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) 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 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust
 
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account. In the event we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a stockholder’s voting in connection with the initial business combination alone will not result in a stockholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such stockholder must have also exercised its redemption rights as described above. 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.
Comparison of Redemption or Purchase Prices in Connection with Our Initial Business Combination and if We Fail to Complete Our Initial Business Combination
The following table compares the redemptions and other permitted purchases of public shares that may take place in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering.
 
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​ ​ ​ ​
Redemptions in Connection
with our Initial Business
Combination
​ ​
Other Permitted Purchases
of Public Shares by us or our
Affiliates
​ ​
Redemptions if we fail to
Complete an Initial Business
Combination
​
​
Calculation of redemption price
​ ​ Redemptions at the time of our initial business combination may be made pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a stockholder vote. The same whether we conduct redemptions pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a stockholder vote. In either case, our public stockholders may redeem their public shares for cash equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination (which is initially anticipated to be $10.20 per public share), 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 limitation that no redemptions will take place, if all of the redemptions would cause our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and any limitations (including, but not limited to, cash requirements) agreed to in connection with the negotiation of terms of a proposed initial business combination. ​ ​ If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors, or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately-negotiated transactions or in the open market prior to or following completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit to the prices that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors, or their affiliates may pay in these transactions. Such purchases will be made only to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares in such transactions. ​ ​ If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, 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 (which is initially anticipated to be $10.20 per public share 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. ​
 
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​ ​ ​ ​
Redemptions in Connection
with our Initial Business
Combination
​ ​
Other Permitted Purchases
of Public Shares by us or our
Affiliates
​ ​
Redemptions if we fail to
Complete an Initial Business
Combination
​
​
Impact to remaining stockholders
​ ​ The redemptions in connection with our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for our remaining stockholders, who will bear the burden of the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable. ​ ​ If the permitted purchases described above are made there would be no impact to our remaining stockholders because the purchase price would not be paid by us. ​ ​ The redemption of our public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for the shares held by our initial stockholders, who will be our only remaining stockholders after such redemptions. ​
Liquidation of Trust Account if No Business Combination
If we do not complete a business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than five business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares 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.
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, 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 Delaware General Corporation Law 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 redemptions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a redemption is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution.
Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of 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 Delaware General Corporation Law, 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. It is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the 15th month from the closing of this offering, but not more than five business days thereafter, and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the above procedures. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend well beyond the third anniversary of such date.
Because we will not be complying with Section 280 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, Section 281(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law 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 10 years. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to seeking to complete an initial business combination, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses.
 
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We will seek to have all third parties (including any vendors or other entities we engage after this offering) and any prospective target businesses enter into valid and enforceable 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. The underwriters in this offering will execute such a waiver agreement.
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 to our public stockholders. Nevertheless, there is no guarantee that vendors, service providers and prospective target businesses will execute such agreements. In the event that a potential contracted party was to refuse to execute such a waiver, we will execute an agreement with that entity only if our management first determines that we would be unable to obtain, on a reasonable basis, substantially similar services or opportunities from another entity willing to execute such a waiver. Examples of instances where we may engage a third party that refused to execute a waiver would be the engagement of a third party consultant who cannot sign such an agreement due to regulatory restrictions, such as our auditors who are unable to sign due to independence requirements, or whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or a situation in which management does not believe it would be able to find a provider of required services willing to provide the waiver. There is also no guarantee that, even if they execute such agreements with us, they will not seek recourse against the trust account. Our insiders have agreed that they will be jointly and severally liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below $10.20 per public share, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a valid and enforceable agreement 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 and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Our board of directors has evaluated our insiders’ financial net worth and believes they will be able to satisfy any indemnification obligations that may arise. However, our insiders may not be able to satisfy their indemnification obligations, as we have not required our insiders to retain any assets to provide for their indemnification obligations, nor have we taken any further steps to ensure that they will be able to satisfy any indemnification obligations that arise. Moreover, our insiders will not be liable to our public stockholders and instead will only have liability to us. As a result, if we liquidate, the per-share distribution from the trust account could be less than $10.20 due to claims or potential claims of creditors. We will distribute to all of our public stockholders, in proportion to their respective equity interests, an aggregate sum equal to the amount then held in the trust account, inclusive of any interest not previously released to us, (subject to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors as described below).
If we are unable to consummate an initial business combination and are forced to redeem 100% of our outstanding public shares for a portion of the funds held in 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 5 business days to effectuate the redemption of our public shares. Our insiders have waived their rights to participate in any redemption with respect to their founder shares. We will pay the costs of any subsequent liquidation from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, our insiders have agreed to pay the funds necessary to complete such liquidation (currently anticipated to be no more than approximately $15,000) and have agreed not to seek repayment of such expenses. Each holder of public shares will receive a full pro rata portion of the amount then in the trust account, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us or necessary to pay our taxes. 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 our initial business combination in the required time period or if the stockholders redeem their respective shares of common stock upon a business combination which is actually completed by us. In no other circumstances shall a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
 
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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, the per share redemption or redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.20.
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 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, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. Claims may be brought against us for these reasons.
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the consummation of our initial business combination. If we hold a stockholder vote to amend any provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-business combination activity (including the substance or timing within which we have to complete a business combination), we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of 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 franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, in connection with any such vote. Our insiders have agreed to waive any redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and 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:
•
prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we shall either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which public stockholders may redeem their shares of common stock, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into a portion of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, 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, in each case subject to the limitations described herein;
​
•
we will consummate our initial business combination only if public stockholders do not exercise redemption rights in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 and a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination;
​
•
if our initial business combination is not consummated within 18 months of the closing of this offering, then our existence will terminate and we will distribute all amounts in the trust account to all of our public holders of shares of common stock;
​
•
upon the consummation of this offering, $76,500,000, or $87,975,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, shall be placed into the trust account;
​
•
we may not consummate any other business combination, merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar transaction prior to our initial business combination; and
​
•
prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination.
​
 
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Potential Revisions to Agreements with Insiders
Each of our insiders has entered into letter agreements with us pursuant to which each of them has agreed to do certain things relating to us and our activities prior to a business combination. We could seek to amend these letter agreements without the approval of stockholders, although we have no intention to do so. In particular:
•
Restrictions relating to liquidating the trust account if we failed to consummate a business combination in the time-frames specified above could be amended, but only if we allowed all stockholders to redeem their shares in connection with such amendment;
​
•
Restrictions relating to our insiders being required to vote in favor of a business combination or against any amendments to our organizational documents could be amended to allow our insiders to vote on a transaction as they wished;
​
•
The requirement of members of the management team to remain our officer or director until the closing of a business combination could be amended to allow persons to resign from their positions with us if, for example, the current management team was having difficulty locating a target business and another management team had a potential target business;
​
•
The restrictions on transfer of our securities could be amended to allow transfer to third parties who were not members of our original management team;
​
•
The obligation of our management team to not propose amendments to our organizational documents could be amended to allow them to propose such changes to our stockholders;
​
•
The obligation of insiders to not receive any compensation in connection with a business combination could be modified in order to allow them to receive such compensation;
​
•
The requirement to obtain a valuation for any target business affiliated with our insiders, in the event it was too expensive to do so.
​
Except as specified above, stockholders would not be required to be given the opportunity to redeem their shares in connection with such changes. Such changes could result in:
•
Our having an extended period of time to consummate a business combination (although with less in trust as a certain number of our stockholders would certainly redeem their shares in connection with any such extension);
​
•
Our insiders being able to vote against a business combination or in favor of changes to our organizational documents;
​
•
Our operations being controlled by a new management team that our stockholders did not elect to invest with;
​
•
Our insiders receiving compensation in connection with a business combination; and
​
•
Our insiders closing a transaction with one of their affiliates without receiving an independent valuation of such business.
​
We will not agree to any such changes unless we believed that such changes were in the best interests of our stockholders (for example, if we believed such a modification were necessary to complete a business combination). Each of our officers and directors have fiduciary obligations to us requiring that they act in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, and operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have significant experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than us. Our ability to acquire
 
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larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of a target business. Furthermore, the requirement that we acquire a target business or businesses having a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into the business combination, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights and the number of our outstanding warrants and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating our initial business combination.
Employees
We currently have two executive officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the stage of the business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the consummation of our initial business combination.
Periodic Reporting and Audited Financial Statements
We have registered our units, shares of 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 sent to stockholders to assist them in assessing the target business. In all likelihood, the financial information included in the proxy solicitation materials will need to be prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. The financial statements may also be required to be prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for the Form 8-K announcing the closing of an initial business combination, which would need to be filed within four business days thereafter. We cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential acquisition candidate will have the necessary financial information. To the extent that this requirement cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business.
We will be required to comply with the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act beginning for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. 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.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
 
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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 prior December 31st, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Legal Proceedings
There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any of our officers or directors in their capacity as such, and we and our officers and directors have not been subject to any such proceeding in the 12 months preceding the date of this prospectus.
Comparison to Offerings of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419
The following table compares and contrasts the terms of our offering and the terms of an offering of blank check companies under Rule 419 promulgated by the SEC assuming that the gross proceeds, underwriting discounts and underwriting expenses for the Rule 419 offering are the same as this offering and that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option. None of the terms of a Rule 419 offering will apply to this offering because we will be listed on a national securities exchange, we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,001 upon the successful consummation of this offering and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact.
​
Terms of the Offering
​ ​
Offering
​ ​
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering
​
​
Escrow of offering proceeds
​ ​ $76,500,000 of the net offering proceeds and proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants will be deposited into a trust account in the United States, maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee. ​ ​ $63,787,500 of the offering proceeds would be required to be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker-dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in the account. ​
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Investment of net proceeds
​ ​ The $76,500,000 of the net offering proceeds and proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants held in trust will only be invested in United States government treasury bills, bonds or notes with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting the applicable conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and that invest solely in United States government treasuries. ​ ​ Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 or in securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal or interest by, the United States. ​
​
Receipt of interest on escrowed funds
​ ​ Interest on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to redeeming stockholders is reduced by (i) any income or franchise taxes paid or payable, and (ii) in the event of our ​ ​ Interest on funds in escrow account would be held for the sole benefit of investors, unless and only after the funds held in escrow were released to us in connection with our completion ​
 
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​
Terms of the Offering
​ ​
Offering
​ ​
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering
​
​ ​ ​ ​ liquidation for failure to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time, up to $100,000 of net interest that may be released to us should we have no or insufficient working capital to fund the costs and expenses of our dissolution and liquidation. ​ ​ of a business combination. ​
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Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business
​ ​ In accordance with the rules of Nasdaq, 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 value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the amount of deferred underwriting discounts held in trust and net of taxes payable) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. ​ ​ The fair value or fair market value of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds. ​
​
Trading of securities issued
​ ​ We expect the units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The common stock and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Raymond James & Associates, Inc. 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. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which closing is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. If the over- allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, an additional Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. ​ ​ No trading of the units or the underlying securities would be permitted until the completion of a business combination. During this period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account. ​
 
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Terms of the Offering
​ ​
Offering
​ ​
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering
​
​
Exercise of the warrants
​ ​ The warrants cannot be exercised until the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and 12 months from the closing of this offering. ​ ​ The warrants could be exercised prior to the completion of a business combination, but securities received and cash paid in connection with the exercise would be deposited in the escrow or trust account. ​
​
Election to remain an investor
​ ​ We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to 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 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, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein. We may not be required by law to hold a stockholder vote. We intend to give approximately 30 days’ (but 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 we are not required by law and do not otherwise decide to hold a stockholder vote, 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 which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. 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 ​ ​ A prospectus containing information required by the SEC would be sent to each investor. Each investor would be given the opportunity to notify the company, in writing, within a period of no less than 20 business days and no more than 45 business days from the effective date of the post-effective amendment, to decide whether he or she elects to remain a stockholder of the company or require the return of his or her investment. If the company has not received the notification by the end of the 45th business day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow account would automatically be returned to the stockholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all of the deposited funds in the escrow account must be returned to all investors and none of the securities will be issued. ​
 
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​
Terms of the Offering
​ ​
Offering
​ ​
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering
​
​ ​ ​ ​ 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. If, however, we hold a stockholder vote, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules. 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. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. 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. ​ ​ ​ ​
​
Business combination deadline
​ ​ If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than five business days thereafter, 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, which redemption ​ ​ If an acquisition has not been consummated within 18 months after the effective date of the initial registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account would be returned to investors. ​
 
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​
Terms of the Offering
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Offering
​ ​
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering
​
​ ​ ​ ​ will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, 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. ​ ​ ​ ​
​
Limitation on redemption rights of stockholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a stockholder vote
​ ​ 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 that a public stockholder (including our affiliates), 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 Excess Shares (more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering). Our public stockholders’ inability to redeem Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and they could suffer a material loss on their investment in us if they sell any Excess Shares in open market transactions. ​ ​ Many blank check companies provide no restrictions on the ability of stockholders to redeem shares based on the number of shares held by such stockholders in connection with an initial business combination. ​
​
Tendering stock certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights
​ ​ 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 their ​ ​ In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, holders could vote against a proposed initial business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holders were seeking to exercise their ​
 
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​
Terms of the Offering
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Offering
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Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering
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​ ​ ​ ​ 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. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have up to two business days prior to the vote on the initial business combination if we distribute proxy materials, or from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, as applicable, to submit or tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. ​ ​ redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the Company would contact such stockholders to arrange for them to deliver their certificate to verify ownership. ​
​
Release of funds
​ ​ Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our tax obligations, the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial ​ ​ The proceeds held in the escrow account would not be released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or the failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. ​
 
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​
Terms of the Offering
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Offering
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Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering
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​ ​ ​ ​ business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) 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 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of 100% of our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time frame (subject to the requirements of applicable law). On the completion of our initial business combination, all amounts held in the trust account will be released to us, less amounts released to a separate account controlled by the trustee for disbursal to redeeming stockholders. We will use these funds 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 underwriters their 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. 		​ ​ ​ ​
 
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MANAGEMENT
Directors and Executive Officers
Our current directors and executive officers are as follows:
Name
​ ​
Age
​ ​
Position
​
John J. Viscogliosi ​ ​
53
​ ​
Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman
​
Steve Ward ​ ​
61
​ ​ Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer ​
Suhail Al Ansari ​ ​
43
​ ​ Director ​
F. Samuel Eberts III ​ ​
62
​ ​ Director ​
Dan Drawbaugh ​ ​
62
​ ​ Director ​
John N. Kastanis ​ ​
72
​ ​ Director ​
Jean-Christophe Renondin ​ ​
61
​ ​ Director ​
Marc R. Viscogliosi ​ ​
46
​ ​ Director ​
[     ] ​ ​
[  ]
​ ​ [     ] ​
Jack E. Zigler ​ ​
68
​ ​ Director ​
John J. Viscogliosi, our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, has more than 20 years of operations and turn-around experience in the NMS industry. From 2004 to 2020 he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Centinel Spine, the largest, privately held spine company focused on anterior column reconstruction. During his tenure as Chairman & CEO, Mr. Viscogliosi was the architect to the success at Centinel Spine. In 2017, Mr. Viscogliosi led the acquisition for Centinel Spine of the prodisc total disc portfolio from Johnson & Johnson. Initially, Prodisc was a double-digit declining product line at Johnson & Johnson and after the acquisition by Centinel Spine, it became the company’s leading revenue driver growing double digits year over year. To date, the Prodisc portfolio contributes more than half of the company’s total sales. In addition, Mr. Viscogliosi successfully doubled the company’s surgeon and distributor bases as well as expanded the company’s global geographic reach to 21 markets. Mr. Viscogliosi also improved reimbursement coverage for patients seeking the Prodisc, improved quality systems by transitioning OUS Prodisc manufacturing significantly expanding Centinel Spine’s gross margin. Mr. Viscogliosi also led the creation of the Patient Education Program, which leveraged key athletic ambassadors to increase both the patient’s spine education knowledge and their awareness of resources available to relieve spine-related pain. In addition, Mr. Viscogliosi organized a regulatory strategy to submit 3 PMA supplements for cervical Prodisc variants and 2-level lumbar disc approval expanding the product portfolio to establish the market leading cervical and lumbar total disc replacement platform. Mr. Viscogliosi oversaw the development and execution of the 2-level Prodisc SK and VIVO clinical trial to further expand the clinical data and product portfolio of Prodisc.
Mr. Viscogliosi is a founding member, and since 1999 has been a principal, of Viscogliosi Bros, LLC. In addition, since July 2020, he has been the Executive Chairman of VB EnviroCare. He previously co-founded multiple NMS businesses such as Paradigm Spine, LLC, Small Bone Innovations, Inc., Knee Creations, LLC, Musculoskeletal Clinical Regulatory Advisers, LLC and Spine Solutions, Inc. Mr. Viscogliosi served on the Board of Directors of Small Bone Innovations, Inc. and Woven Orthopedic Technologies, LLC. Additionally, Mr. Viscogliosi was formerly on the Boards of Spine Solutions, Inc. and Knee Creations, LLC. And played an integral part in their sales to Johnson & Johnson Depuy-Synthes and Zimmer Holdings, respectively.
Prior to founding Viscogliosi Brothers, Mr. Viscogliosi served as a Vice President of Investments at Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc., an Associate Director of Investments at Rodman & Renshaw, an Account Executive at First of Michigan Corp. & Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc. and an assistant in the institutional sales and trading department of Martin Simpson & Co., Inc.
Mr. Viscogliosi graduated from Wayne State University with a BS in Criminal Justice.
Steve Ward, our Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer has been an independent Director of Aquarius II Acquisition Corp since May 2021. Since March 2019 and March 2015, Mr. Ward has been the acting chief
 
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financial officer of Spine BioPharma LLC and the chief financial officer and the chief operating officer of Viscogliosi Bros., LLC, respectively. From September 2017 to June 2020, Mr. Ward served as the chief financial officer of Paradigm Spine LLC. From March 2006 to March 2015, Mr. Ward served as the chief financial officer and the chief operating officer of Small Bone Innovations Inc. From December 1999 to January 2006, Mr. Ward served as the vice president of finance and administration of International Technidyne Corporation. From October 1984 to December 1999, Mr. Ward served in many accounting roles, ending as the WW director of accounting operations of Howmedica a business unit of Pfizer. From August 1982 to October 1984, Mr. Ward served as a staff auditor of KMPG LLP. Mr. Ward received his bachelor of science degree in accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University and master’s degree in business administration in finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University in May 1981 and June 1984, respectively.
Our Board of Directors
John J. Viscogliosi will serve as our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors. In addition to Mr. Viscogliosi, we have eight additional board members: Suhail Al Ansari, F. Samuel Eberts III, Dan Drawbaugh, John N. Kastanis, Dr. Jean-Christophe Renondin, Marc R. Viscogliosi, [     ] and Dr. Jack E. Zigler as members to the Board of Directors, five of whom will be independent pursuant to the rules of Nasdaq.
John J. Viscogliosi has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer since November 2020 and will serve as the Chairman of our Board.
Suhail Al Ansari is Managing Partner of Biolinka Investments LLC, which he founded in 2017, since 2020 has been Deputy Vice Chairman & Co-Founder of Gawah Holdings Inc., since 2020 has been a Board Advisor to UK Cloud Ltd., and since 2007 has been Partner & Director of Asab Investments LLC. Mr. Al Ansari was previously Executive Director of the healthcare business at Mubadala Investment Company. As the executive-in-charge of healthcare investments at Mubadala, his primary responsibilities were to oversee the development, operations and management of the healthcare assets and initiatives within the company’s portfolio, with full P&L accountability. During his tenure at Mubadala, from 2006 until 2017, Mr. Al Ansari established and oversaw the operations of eight healthcare businesses with globally renowned partners such as the Cleveland Clinic, Labcorp, Imperial College London and Johns Hopkins Medicine, managing a portfolio worth over US $4 billion in assets, with 6,000 employees and annual revenue exceeding US $1 billion. Mr. Al Ansari supported the Government of Abu Dhabi through the Executive Affairs Authority prior to his roles at Mubadala. Mr. Al Ansari served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, Healthpoint Hospital, National Reference Laboratory, Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre, Capital Health Screening Centre, Abu Dhabi Telemedicine Centre, and Medical Holding Company. Mr. Al Ansari was also Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi, and member of the board of directors of Viceroy Hotels Group and Agility Abu Dhabi. Mr. Al Ansari received his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Chemical Engineering from the University of Surrey and his Master of Science in Finance from the Carrol Graduate School of Management, Boston College.
F. Samuel Eberts III is an international legal executive with over 30 years of diverse experience in healthcare, biotechnology, and specialty consumer products industries. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Darter Group LLC, a healthcare consultancy which he founded in 2013, and a Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke University School of Law. From 2004 to 2019, Mr. Eberts was the Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary and Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, a leading global life sciences company. Prior to his roles at LabCorp, Mr. Eberts was Vice President, Secretary, and General Counsel of Stepan Company. Before joining Stepan Company, he was Assistant General Counsel for Cardinal Health, Inc., and Associate General Counsel for Allegiance Healthcare Corporation. Prior to that time, he was Chief Counsel at Baxter International’s North American Biotech division, and Corporate Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel at Baxter International Inc. Mr. Eberts is the past Chairman and a current Board member of Easter Seals UCP of North Carolina and Virginia and a member of the Board of Trustees for Endicott College and the Wilson Council of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Mr. Eberts has previously served as Director and Member of the Investment Committee of MedCap Growth Equity Funds and as Board Member of the Alamance Community College Foundation. Mr. Eberts received his Bachelor of Science in Political Science at Loyola University of Chicago and later obtained his J.D. from Boston University School of Law.
 
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Dan Drawbaugh is the Chief Executive Officer of The Steadman Clinic (TSC) and Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI) in Vail, Colorado. As CEO since 2015, Mr. Drawbaugh leads a team of talented physicians, researchers, scientists, and administrators who make TSC and SPRI one of the most sought-after orthopaedic sports medicine destination centers in the world. Mr. Drawbaugh strategically expanded the organization’s partnerships with Varsity Healthcare Partners, Vail Health, Aspen Valley Hospital and a variety of technology companies, to continue advancing the organization’s global prominence in sports and orthopaedic medicine through investments in research capabilities and new scientific laboratories. Mr. Drawbaugh is a proven leader and innovator in healthcare information technology with over 30 years of experience in the areas of information and biomedical technologies. Mr. Drawbaugh joined TSC and SPRI in 2015 from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he held the position of Chief Information Officer and other positions for 31 years. Mr. Drawbaugh currently serves as a board member at MJP Innovations and has previously served on the Boards of Directors/Advisors of Oracle, IBM, Verizon Wireless, GENCO (now FedEx), Vestar Capital Partners, dbMotion and Omnyx. Mr. Drawbaugh earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical and electrical engineering technology from Temple University and his MBA from Duquesne University.
John N. Kastanis, MBA, FACHE, is an accomplished health systems executive with significant experience leading and teaching in high acute, tertiary-care, quaternary-care and specialty hospitals. His core expertise is in strategic planning, governance, fund development and academic medicine, while also managing large Medicaid and Medicare patient populations. Mr. Kastanis has a proven record of success with financial turnarounds, mergers, corporate restructurings, integrated delivery network development, labor-management negotiations and performance improvement. As President and CEO of University Hospital, Newark, NJ from 2016 to 2018, Mr. Kastanis led the state’s primary teaching hospital and clinical research site for Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, the state’s only Northern New Jersey Level 1 Trauma Center, and the EMS 911 service for the City of Newark. Kastanis has also served from 2011 to 2016 as President and CEO at Temple University Hospital and led the Hospital for Joint Diseases Orthopedic Hospital, among several others. Since 2018 he has been the Principal & Consultant of JNK Consulting, an independent healthcare consulting practice where he has served as an Advisory Board Member for multiple companies. He has served on numerous boards and commissions including more recently with the Board of Managers of the Vizient University Health System Consortium, the New Jersey Hospital Association, the Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition, the Greater New York Hospital Association and America’s Essential Hospitals. Mr. Kastanis holds an MBA in healthcare management from Baruch College-Mount Sinai School of Medicine, a B.A. in Political Science from Queens College and is Board Certified as a Life Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (LFACHE). He has also provided recent lectures to medical societies, medical ground rounds, and universities (Harvard and Arcadia) on health care reform and financial & operational turnarounds.
Dr. Jean-Christophe Renondin, MD, MBA is an accomplished and seasoned healthcare investor with more than 20 years of experience in financing and investing in healthcare asset globally. Dr. Renondin has been, since 2015, the Senior Healthcare Manager at the Sovereign Fund of Oman, the Oman Investment Authority (OIA), in charge of the Healthcare Investment Practice. His primary responsibilities are to implement the investment strategy and to originate and execute investment opportunities in North America, Europe and Asia. Recent investments were in Symetis and Cognate Bioservices. Prior to joining the OIA, Dr. Renondin was Managing Director at Bryan Garnier & Co., a pan-European investment bank, in charge of the healthcare practice leading ECM and Private Placement transactions for European healthcare clients. Prior to this role, Dr. Renondin was General Partner at CDC Innovation, investing in various European healthcare assets. From 1999 to 2005 Dr. Renondin was Vice President at Sofinov, a subsidiary of the Caisse de Depot et Placement of Quebec (CDPQ), leading the Healthcare investment fund, and Managing Director at MDS Capital, one of the leading healthcare investment firms in Canada. Prior to 1999. Dr. Renondin was the General Manager of various international subsidiaries for Servier Laboratories, in Ireland and in South Africa, where he successfully restructured several departments. Prior to working at Servier, Dr. Renondin was at JP Morgan in the Healthcare equity research and Corporate Finance department at the NY office. Dr. Renondin currently serves as a board member at Juvenescence, a longevity biotech company and he has previously served on the Board of Directors of Cognate Bioservices and was board and an Investment Committee member of the VC Fund Innovation Development Oman. Dr. Renondin earned his Medical Doctorate degree from Paris V Descartes University and his MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Administration and Finance at Dartmouth University in 1991.
 
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Marc R. Viscogliosi is one of the founders of Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC and is an experienced CEO, Venture & Private Equity Investor and Company/Industry Creator with a proven track record of success over the last two decades in the medical device industry. Having completed over $800 million in equity and debt capital raises at all levels of a company’s lifecycle, Mr. Viscogliosi is particularly sensitive to matching the capital needs of a business to its value inflection points, while generating over $2.1 billion in exit values for investor-partners and stakeholders. Over the last 20 years at VB, Mr. Viscogliosi has been principally responsible for driving innovation identification, regulatory and clinical strategies of the portfolio companies and capitalization structuring optimization of the portfolio companies. As Founder and CEO of Paradigm Spine, Mr. Viscogliosi was responsible for raising approximately $80 million in institutional equity investment and approximately $125 million of net debt in execution of its value creation strategy. As Executive Chairman of Knee Creations, Mr. Viscogliosi was responsible for guiding the business from product concept to early commercialization and ultimately its acquisition by Zimmer Biomet for nearly 10x revenues. As Founder and CEO of MCRA, LLC, Mr. Viscogliosi has been responsible for building MCRA into a leading medical device regulatory CRO with 20636131.120636221.1 236208-10001 nearly 100 professionals working with more than 150 clients on a monthly basis to achieve its strategic regulatory and clinical objectives. Mr. Viscogliosi graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University with a double-major in Economics and Political Science.
Dr. Jack E. Zigler, MD, FACS, FAAOS, is an orthopedic spine surgeon and from 2008 to 2018 was Medical Director at the Texas Back Institute (TBI). He was Co-Director of the Spine Surgery Fellowship Program at TBI and served as Principal Investigator or Sub-Investigator on approximately twelve FDA studies. Dr. Zigler previously served from 1991 to 1996 as a Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the USC School of Medicine and from 1994 to 1996 at the UCI School of Medicine. At that time, Dr. Zigler was also the Chief of the Spinal Injury Service and the Director of Fellowship & Residency Training at the Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center. Since 2018 he has been a member of the Medical Advisory Board of Veritas Health, International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (“ISASS”), a member of the Board of Trustees of AO Spine, and an Associate Editor at the SAS Journal. Dr. Zigler is a Past President of the American Spinal Injury Association and Immediate Past President of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery. He has additionally served as chairman of multiple boards, including the AO Lumbar Degenerative Expert Group, the Exhibits and Membership Committees of the Cervical Spine Research Society, the CSRS Committee on Patient Education, the Program Committee of the American Spinal Injury Association and the Task Force on Aging of the North American Spine Society. In addition, Dr. Zigler was a board member of Capital Bank, a publicly traded bank based in San Juan Capistrano, where he served as chairman of the compensation committee. Dr. Zigler has published over 80 studies in the peer-reviewed scientific literature and has authored three textbooks on spine surgery. He received multiple postgraduate training certificates as an Arnold Fellow in Spine Surgery at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, a Resident and Chief Resident in Orthopedic Surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Resident in Surgery at the Long Island Jewish — Hillside Medical Center. Dr. Zigler received his Bachelor of Science (Distinction) from Cornell University and later obtained his M.D. (cum laude) from the SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, NY.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
We will have six directors. Our board of directors will be divided into two 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 two-year term. In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one full year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq.
The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Messrs. [•], [•] and [•], will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Messrs. [•], [•] and [•], will expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders.
Executive Compensation
No executive officer has received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. No compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our existing stockholders,
 
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including our directors, or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of a business combination. Our sponsor, officers and directors, advisor, 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, officers, directors, advisor or our or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.
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 documents furnished to our stockholders in connection with a proposed initial 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 initial business combination because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our officers will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.
We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our initial business combination. 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 usafter 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 officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
Director Independence
Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship which in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Our board of directors has determined that Messrs. Eberts, Kastanis, Drawbaugh, [     ] and Zigler are “independent directors” as defined in Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules.
Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present. Any affiliated transactions will be on terms that our board believes are no less favorable to us than could be obtained from independent parties.
Audit Committee
Prior to the effective as of the date of this prospectus, we will establish an audit committee of the board of directors, which will consist of three members, each of whom will be an independent director under Nasdaq’s listing standards. Messrs. Kastanis, Eberts, and Al Ansari will serve as members of our audit committee, and Mr. Kastanis will chair the audit committee. Each of Messrs. [•, [•] and [•] meet the independent director standard under Nasdaq listing standards and under Rule 10-A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act. Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that Mr. [•] qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.
The audit committee’s duties, which will be specified in our Audit Committee Charter, include, but are not limited to:
•
reviewing and discussing with management and the independent auditor the annual audited financial statements, and recommending to the board whether the audited financial statements should be included in our Form 10-K;
​
 
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•
discussing with management and the independent auditor significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of our financial statements;
​
•
discussing with management major risk assessment and risk management policies;
​
•
monitoring the independence of the independent auditor;
​
•
verifying the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law;
​
•
reviewing and approving all related-party transactions;
​
•
inquiring and discussing with management our compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
​
•
pre-approving all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent auditor, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed;
​
•
appointing or replacing the independent auditor;
​
•
determining the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent auditor (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditor regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work;
​
•
establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies; and
​
•
approving reimbursement of expenses incurred by our management team in identifying potential target businesses.
​
Pursuant to Nasdaq rules, the audit committee will at all times be composed exclusively of “independent directors” who are able to read and understand fundamental financial statements, including a company’s balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement.
In addition, we must certify to Nasdaq that the committee has, and will continue to have, at least one member who has past employment experience in finance or accounting, requisite professional certification in accounting, or other comparable experience or background that results in the individual’s financial sophistication.
Nominating Committee
Prior to the effective as of the date of this prospectus, we will establish a nominating committee of the board of directors, which will consist of three members, each of whom will be an independent director under Nasdaq’s listing standards. Messrs. [•], [•] and [•] will serve as members of the nominating committee, and Mr. [•] will chair the nominating committee. Each of Messrs. [•], [•] and [•] meet the independent director standard under Nasdaq listing standards.
The nominating committee will be responsible for overseeing the selection of persons to be nominated to serve on our board of directors. The nominating committee will consider persons identified by its members, management, stockholders, investment bankers and others. The guidelines for selecting nominees, which will be specified in the Nominating Committee Charter, generally provide that persons to be nominated:
•
should have demonstrated notable or significant achievements in business, education or public service;
​
•
should possess the requisite intelligence, education, and experience to make a significant contribution to the board of directors and bring a range of skills, diverse perspectives and backgrounds to its deliberations; and
​
•
should have the highest ethical standards, a strong sense of professionalism and intense dedication to serving the interests of the stockholders.
​
The nominating committee will consider a number of qualifications relating to management and leadership experience, background and integrity and professionalism in evaluating a person’s candidacy for
 
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membership on the board of directors. The nominating committee may require certain skills or attributes, such as financial or accounting experience, to meet specific board needs that arise from time to time and will also consider the overall experience and makeup of its members to obtain a broad and diverse mix of board members. The nominating committee does not distinguish among nominees recommended by stockholders and other persons.
Compensation Committee
Prior to the effective as of the date of this prospectus, we will establish a compensation committee of the board of directors, which will consist of three members, each of whom will be an independent director under Nasdaq’s listing standards. Messrs. Eberts, Drawbaugh and Zigler will serve as members of the compensation committee, and Mr. Eberts will chair the compensation committee. Each of Messrs. Eberts, Drawbaugh and Zigler meet the applicable independent director standards under Nasdaq listing standards.
The compensation committee’s duties, which will be specified in our Compensation Committee Charter, include, but are not limited to:
•
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’s based on such evaluation;
​
•
reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other executive 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 executive officers and employees;
​
•
if required, producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and
​
•
reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.
​
The charter will also provide that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by Nasdaq and the SEC.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, as indicated above, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our existing stockholders, including our directors, or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of a 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.
Code of Ethics
Upon consummation of this offering, we will adopt a code of ethics that applies to all our executive officers, directors and employees. The code of ethics codifies the business and ethical principles that govern all aspects of our business.
Conflicts of Interest
Potential investors should be aware of the following potential conflicts of interest:
 
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•
None of our officers and directors is required to commit their full time to our affairs and, accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time among various business activities.
​
•
In the course of their other business activities, our officers and directors may become aware of investment and business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to our company as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated. Our management has pre-existing fiduciary duties and contractual obligations and if there is a conflict of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented, any pre-existing fiduciary obligation will be presented the opportunity before we are presented with it.
​
•
Our officers and directors may in the future become affiliated with entities, including other blank check companies, engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by our company.
​
•
Our officers and directors will not receive distributions from the trust account with respect to any of their founder shares if we do not complete a business combination. In addition, our officers and directors may loan funds to us after this offering and may be owed reimbursement for expenses incurred in connection with certain activities on our behalf which would only be repaid if we complete an initial business combination. For the foregoing reasons, the personal and financial interests of our directors and executive officers may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business, completing a business combination in a timely manner and securing the release of their shares.
​
•
Our initial stockholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Additionally, our initial stockholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months after the closing of this offering. If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement warrants will expire worthless. With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable by our sponsor until the earlier of: (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the reported 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, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property. With certain limited exceptions, the private placement warrants and the common stock underlying such warrants, will not be transferable, assignable, or saleable by our sponsor or its permitted transferees until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Since our sponsor and officers and directors may directly or indirectly own common stock and warrants following this offering, our officers and directors 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.
​
•
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.
​
•
Our sponsor, officers or directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a business combination and financing arrangements as we may obtain loans from our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or any of our officers or 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 at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability, and exercise period.
​
The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our or your favor.
 
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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 the corporation and its stockholders for the opportunity not to be brought to the attention of the corporation.
​
Accordingly, as a result of multiple business affiliations, our officers and directors may have similar legal obligations relating to presenting business opportunities meeting the above-listed criteria to multiple entities. Furthermore, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the doctrine of corporate opportunity will not apply with respect to any of our officers or directors in circumstances where the application of the doctrine would conflict with any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations they may have. In order to minimize potential conflicts of interest which may arise from multiple affiliations, our officers and directors (other than our independent directors) have agreed to present to us for our consideration, prior to presentation to any other person or entity, any suitable opportunity to acquire a target business, until the earlier of: (i) our consummation of an initial business combination and (ii) 18 months from the date of this prospectus. This agreement is, however, subject to any pre-existing fiduciary and contractual obligations such officer or director may from time to time have to another entity. Accordingly, if any of them becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has pre-existing 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, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. We do not believe, however, that the pre-existing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers and directors will materially undermine our ability to complete our business combination because in most cases the affiliated companies are closely held entities controlled by the officer or director or the nature of the affiliated company’s business is such that it is unlikely that a conflict will arise.
The following table summarizes the other relevant pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations of our officers and directors:
Individual
​ ​
Entity
​ ​
Entity’s Business
​ ​
Affiliation
​
John J. Viscogliosi ​ ​ Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC ​ ​ Financial Services ​ ​ Principal Co-Founder ​
​ ​ ​ VB Asset Management, LLC ​ ​ Financial Services ​ ​ Principal Co-Founder ​
​ ​ ​ Viscogliosi & Co., Inc. ​ ​ Financial Services ​ ​ Principal Co-Founder ​
​ ​ ​ VB Angel Network LLC ​ ​ Financial Services ​ ​ Co-Founder and Chairman ​
​ ​ ​ VB Enviro Care, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Co-Founder and Board Member ​
​ ​ ​ MCRA, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device and Biologics ​ ​ Co-Founder and Board Member ​
​ ​ ​ Spine BioPharma, LLC ​ ​ CRO Biologics ​ ​ Co-Founder and Board Member ​
​ ​ ​ Woven Orthopedic Technologies, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Co-Founder ​
​ ​ ​ Companion Spine, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Co-Founder ​
​ ​ ​ Centinel Spine, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Consultant and VB Portfolio Company ​
​ ​ ​ Diamond Orthopedic, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Consultant and VB Portfolio Company ​
​ ​ ​ Enhatch, Inc. ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Consultant and VB Portfolio Company ​
 
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Individual
​ ​
Entity
​ ​
Entity’s Business
​ ​
Affiliation
​
​ ​ ​ Ni-Q, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Consultant and VB Portfolio Company ​
​ ​ ​ VB Healthcare Opportunities Fund ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Consultant and VB Portfolio Company ​
​ ​ ​ VB Venture Partners VI ​ ​ Investment Fund ​ ​ Company Senior Partner ​
​ ​ ​ VB Venture Partners VII ​ ​
Special Purpose Vehicle
​ ​ Managing Member ​
​ ​ ​ VB Venture Partners IX ​ ​
Special Purpose Vehicle
​ ​ Managing Member ​
​ ​ ​ VB Venture Partners X ​ ​
Special Purpose Vehicle
​ ​ Managing Member ​
​ ​ ​ VB Venture Partners XI ​ ​
Special Purpose Vehicle
​ ​ Managing Member ​
​ ​ ​ VB Venture Partners XII ​ ​
Special Purpose Vehicle
​ ​ Managing Member ​
Steve Ward ​ ​ Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC ​ ​ CFO and COO ​ ​ Acting CFO ​
​ ​ ​ Spine BioPharma, LLC ​ ​ Biotechnology Acting CFO ​ ​ Acting CRP ​
Suhail Al Ansari ​ ​ Asab Investments, LLC ​ ​ Investment Services ​ ​ Shareholder and Director ​
​ ​ ​ Biolinka Investment and Management, LLC ​ ​ Investment Services ​ ​ Co-Founder and Deputy Vice Chairman ​
​ ​ ​ Gawah Holdings, Inc. ​ ​ Investment Services ​ ​ Partner and Shareholder ​
​ ​ ​ ML Healthcare Partners GmbH UKCloud Ltd. ​ ​ Hospital and Healthcare ​ ​ Board Advisor ​
​ ​ ​ VB Asset Management, LLC ​ ​ Investment Services ​ ​ Board Member ​
F. Samuel
Eberts III 		​ ​ Daerter Group, LLC ​ ​ Healthcare and Information Technology ​ ​ Sole Owner ​
​ ​ ​ Duke University Law School ​ ​ Higher Eduation ​ ​ Senior Lecturing Fellow ​
​ ​ ​ Endicott College ​ ​ Higher Education ​ ​ Trustee ​
​ ​ ​ Easters Seals UCP of Virginia and North Carolina ​ ​ Medical Mental Health and Disability Services ​ ​ Board Member ​
Dan Drawbaugh ​ ​ The Steadman Clinic, LLC ​ ​ Orthopedic Clinic ​ ​ CEO ​
​ ​ ​ Steadman Philippon Research Institute ​ ​ Orthopedic Research ​ ​ COE ​
​ ​ ​ MJP Innovations ​ ​ Orthopedic Research ​ ​ Co-Owner ​
​ ​ ​ Orthopedic Care Partners Duquesne University ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Board MEmber ​
​ ​ ​ Orthopedic Clinic Orthopedic Research ​ ​ Hospital and Healthcare Higher Education ​ ​ Board Member ​
John N. Kastanis ​ ​ JNK Consulting, LLC ​ ​ Healthcare Consulting Telehealth ​ ​ Principal Consultant ​
​ ​ ​ MedSign International Corp. ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Board Member ​
​ ​ ​ McGinley Orthopaedic Innovations, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Board Member ​
​ ​ ​
StoneBridge Healthcare, LLC
​ ​ Hospital Finance and ​ ​ Management Team ​
 
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Individual
​ ​
Entity
​ ​
Entity’s Business
​ ​
Affiliation
​
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Turnaround Acquisition ​ ​ Member ​
Jean-Christophe Renondonin ​ ​ Juvenescence Erythech ​ ​ Biotechnology ​ ​ Board Member ​
​ ​ ​ Pharma DBV Technologies ​ ​ Biotechnology ​ ​ Shareholder ​
​ ​ ​ Oman Investment Authority ​ ​ Biotechnology Financial Services ​ ​ Shareholder Senior Manager ​
Marc R. Viscogliosi ​ ​ Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC ​ ​ Financial Services ​ ​ Principal ​
​ ​ ​ VB Asset Management, LLC ​ ​ Financial Services ​ ​ Co-Founder ​
​ ​ ​ Viscogliosi & Co., Inc. ​ ​ Financial Services ​ ​ Co-Founder ​
​ ​ ​ VB Angel Network, LLC ​ ​ Financial Services ​ ​ Co-Founder ​
​ ​ ​ VB Enviro Care, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Co-Founder and Chairman ​
​ ​ ​ MCRA, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device and Biologics CRO Biologics ​ ​ Board Member ​
​ ​ ​ Spine Biopharma, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Chairman & CEOP ​
​ ​ ​ Woven Orthopedic Technologies, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Co-Founder and Board Member ​
​ ​ ​ Companion Spine, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Co-Founder – Board Member ​
​ ​ ​ Centinel Spine, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​
VB Portfolio Company
​
​ ​ ​ Diamond Orthopedic, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​
VB Portfolio Company
​
​ ​ ​ Enhatch, Inc. Ni-Q, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​
VB Portfolio Company
​
​ ​ ​ VB Venture Partners VI ​ ​ SPV ​ ​ Managing Member ​
​ ​ ​ VB Venture Partners VII ​ ​ SPV ​ ​ Managing Member ​
​ ​ ​ VB Venture Partners IX ​ ​ SPV ​ ​ Managing Member ​
​ ​ ​ VB Venture Partners X ​ ​ SPV ​ ​ Managing Member ​
​ ​ ​ VB Venture Partners XI ​ ​ SPV ​ ​ Managing Member ​
​ ​ ​ VB Venture Partners XII ​ ​ SPV ​ ​ Managing Member ​
​ ​ ​ Paradigm Spine, LLC ​ ​ Medical Device ​ ​ Chairman & CEP ​
Jack E. Zigler ​ ​ Texas Back Institute ​ ​ Spine Surgery and Clinical Research ​ ​ Senior Partner ​
​ ​ ​ Zigler Motors, Inc. ​ ​ Motor Vehicle Sales ​ ​ President and Sole Owner ​
​ ​ ​ International Society for the Advancement of Spinal Surgery (IASS) ​ ​ Education and Advocacy for Spinal Surgeons ​ ​ Member until 5/15/21 ​
In connection with the vote required for any business combination, all of our existing stockholders, including all of our officers and directors, have agreed to vote their respective founder shares in favor of any proposed business combination. In addition, they have agreed to waive their respective rights to participate in any liquidation distribution with respect to those shares of common stock acquired by them prior to this offering. If they purchase shares of common stock in this offering or in the open market, however, they would be entitled to participate in any liquidation distribution in respect of such shares but have agreed not to redeem such shares (or sell their shares in any tender offer) in connection with the consummation of
 
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our initial business combination or an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation relating to pre-business combination activity.
All ongoing and future transactions between us and any of our officers and directors or their respective affiliates will be on terms believed by us to be no less favorable to us than are available from unaffiliated third parties. Such transactions will require prior approval by our audit committee, or the members of our board who do not have an interest in the transaction, in either case who had access, at our expense, to our attorneys or independent legal counsel.
To further minimize conflicts of interest, we have agreed not to consummate our initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our officers, directors or initial stockholders, unless we have obtained (i) an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated stockholders from a financial point of view and (ii) the approval of a majority of our disinterested and independent directors (if we have any at that time). Furthermore, in no event will any of our initial stockholders, officers, directors, special advisors or their respective affiliates be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other similar compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides 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 provides that our directors will not be personally liable for monetary damages to us or our stockholders for breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, unless they violated their 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 their actions as directors.
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.
These provisions may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. 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 shares of common stock as of the date of this prospectus and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our shares of common stock included in the units offered by this prospectus (assuming none of the individuals listed purchase units in this offering), by:
•
each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock;
​
•
each of our officers and directors; and
​
•
all of our 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 shares of common stock beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record of beneficial ownership of any shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, as the warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
​ ​ ​
Prior to Offering
​ ​
After Offering(2)
​
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)
​ ​
Amount and
Nature of
Beneficial
Ownership
​ ​
Approximate
Percentage of
Outstanding
Shares of
common stock
​ ​
Amount and
Nature of
Beneficial
Ownership(4)
​ ​
Approximate
Percentage of
Outstanding
Shares of
common stock
​
VBOC Holdings, LLC(3)
​ ​ ​ ​ 2,006,250 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 93.0% ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1,725,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 18.4% ​ ​
John J. Viscogliosi
​ ​ ​ ​ 2,006,250 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 93.0% ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1,725,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 18.4% ​ ​
Steve Ward
​ ​ ​ ​ 0 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 0 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 0 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 0 ​ ​
Suhail Al Ansari
​ ​ ​ ​ 0 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 0 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 0 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 0 ​ ​
F. Samuel Eberts III
​ ​ ​ ​ 30,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.4% ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 30,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ * ​ ​
Dan Drawbaugh
​ ​ ​ ​ 30,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.4% ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 30,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ * ​ ​
John N. Kastanis
​ ​ ​ ​ 30,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.4% ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 30,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ * ​ ​
Jean-Christophe Renondin
​ ​ ​ ​ 30,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.4% ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 30,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ * ​ ​
Marc R. Viscogliosi
​ ​ ​ ​ 2,006,250 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 93.0% ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1,725,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 18.4% ​ ​
Dr. Jack E. Zigler
​ ​ ​ ​ 30,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.4% ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 30,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ * ​ ​
All directors and executive officers as a group (nine individuals)
​ ​ ​ ​ 2,156,250 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 100% ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1,875,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 20% ​ ​
Holders of 5% or more of our common stock ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
VBOC Holdings, LLC
​ ​ ​ ​ 2,006,250 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 100% ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1,725,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 20% ​ ​
​
*
Less than 1%.
​
(1)
Unless otherwise indicated, the business address of each of the individuals is c/o Viscogliosi Brothers Acquisition Corp., 505 Park Avenue, 14th Floor New York, NY 10022.
​
(2)
Assumes no exercise of the over-allotment option and, therefore, the forfeiture of an aggregate of 281,250 shares of common stock held by our sponsor.
​
(3)
Consists of shares of common stock owned by VBOC Holdings, LLC, for which Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC is the managing member. Anthony, John J. and Marc R. Viscogliosi, as the Principals of Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC share voting and dispositive control over the shares.
​
Immediately after this offering, our initial stockholders will beneficially own 20% of the then issued and outstanding shares of common stock (assuming none of them purchase any units offered by this prospectus). None of our initial stockholders, officers and directors has indicated to us that he intends to purchase securities in this offering. Because of the ownership block held by our initial stockholders, such individuals may be able to effectively exercise control over all matters requiring approval by our stockholders,
 
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including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions other than approval of our initial business combination.
If the underwriters do not exercise all or a portion of the over-allotment option, our initial stockholders will have up to an aggregate 281,250 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture. Only a number of shares necessary to maintain our initial stockholders’ collective 20% ownership interest in our shares of common stock after giving effect to the offering and the exercise, if any, of the underwriters’ over-allotment option will be forfeited.
VBOC Holdings, LLC, our sponsor, has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 5,062,500 warrants (or 5,484,375 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per private placement warrant ($5,062,500 in the aggregate, or $5,484,375 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share. Raymond James has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 187,500 warrants (or 215,625 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per private placement warrant for a total purchase price of $187,500 (or $215,625 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the closing of this offering. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants will be included in the liquidating distribution to the holders of our public shares. The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the public units in this.
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our initial stockholders, officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would be repaid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest.
VBOC Holdings, LLC is our “promoter,” as that term is defined under the Federal securities laws.
Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants
The founder shares, private placement warrants and any shares of common stock issued upon exercise thereof are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in a letter agreement with us to be entered into by our sponsor, 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 (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the reported 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, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) in the case of the private placement warrants and the common stock underlying such warrants, until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, except in each case (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of our officers or directors, any members of our sponsor, or any affiliates of our sponsor, (b) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of one of the members of the individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of one of the individual’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 the individual; (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 an initial business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the shares or warrants were originally purchased; (f) in the event of our liquidation prior to the completion of our initial business combination; or (g) by virtue of the laws of Delaware or the organizational documents of our sponsor upon dissolution of our sponsor; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (e) or (g) these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and the other restrictions contained in the
 
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letter agreement and by the same agreements entered into by our sponsor with respect to such securities (including provisions relating to voting, the trust account and liquidation distributions described elsewhere in this prospectus).
Registration Rights
The holders of (i) the 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 common stock underlying such private placement warrants and (iii) private placement warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and the securities underlying such securities) 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. These holders of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration demands, that we register such securities for sale under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders will have “piggy-back” registration rights to include their securities in other registration statements filed by us, subject to certain limitations. 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
In February 2021, our sponsor purchased 2,156,250 shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, which includes an aggregate of up to 281,250 shares that are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part. Subsequently, in March and April 2021, an aggregate of 150,000 founder shares were transferred to directors of the Company. These 150,000 shares will not be subject to forfeiture in the event the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised.
If the underwriters determine the size of the offering should be increased (including pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act) or decreased, a share capitalizations or a contribution back to capital, as applicable, would be effectuated in order to maintain our initial stockholder’s ownership at 20% of the number of shares issued and outstanding after the closing of this offering.
VBOC Holdings, LLC, our sponsor, has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 5,062,500 warrants (or 5,484,375 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per private placement warrant ($5,062,500 in the aggregate, or $5,484,375 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share. Raymond James has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 187,500 warrants (or 215,625 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per private placement warrant for a total purchase price of $187,500 (or $215,625 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants will be included in the liquidating distribution to the holders of our public shares. The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the public units in this offering.
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our initial stockholders, officers and directors and their respective affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would be repaid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest.
The holders of (i) the 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 common stock underlying such private placement warrants and (iii) private placement warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and the securities underlying such securities) 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. These holders of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration demands, that we register such securities for sale under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders will have “piggy-back” registration rights to include their securities in other registration statements filed by us, subject to certain limitations. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Our sponsor, officers and directors, advisor, 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, officers, directors, advisor or our or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf. No compensation or fees of any kind, including finder’s fees, consulting fees or other similar compensation, will be paid to any of our initial stockholders, officers or directors who owned our shares of common stock prior to this offering, or to any of their respective affiliates, prior to or with respect to the business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, the following payments may be made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:
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Payment of $10,000 per month to an affiliate of VBOC Holdings, LLC for office space and related services, subject to deferral as described herein;
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Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating and completing an initial business combination, as described further, above; and
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Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating and completing an initial business combination; and
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Repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants, at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability, and exercise period. The terms of such working capital loans by our sponsor or its affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans.
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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 materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, furnished to our stockholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.
We will enter into a registration rights agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, the warrants issuable upon conversion of working capital loans (if any) and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the foregoing and upon the end of transfer restrictions on the founder shares.
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) $120,000 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: (i) our directors, nominees for director or executive officers; (ii) any record or beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities; (iii) any immediate family member of any of the foregoing if the foregoing person is a natural person; and (iv) 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 (i) 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, (ii) the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction, (iii) whether the transaction contravenes our code of ethics or other policies, (iv) whether the audit committee believes the relationship underlying the transaction to be in the best interests of the company and its stockholders and (v) 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
General
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of 60,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001. As of the date of this prospectus, 2,156,250 shares of common stock are issued and outstanding, held by our initial stockholders. No preferred shares are issued or outstanding.
Units
Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of common stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade.
We expect the common stock and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Raymond James 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 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 common stock and warrants.
In no event will the common stock and warrants be traded separately until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC, which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes this audited balance sheet upon the completion of this offering, which closing is anticipated to take place three business days after the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters’ 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 underwriters’ over-allotment option.
Common Stock
Our holders of record of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by stockholders. In connection with any vote held to approve our initial business combination, our insiders, officers, and directors, have agreed to vote their respective shares of common stock owned by them immediately prior to this offering, including both the founder shares and any shares acquired in this offering or following this offering in the open market, in favor of the proposed business combination.
We will consummate our initial business combination only if public stockholders do not exercise redemption rights in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 and a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination.
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, if we do not consummate our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than five business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, 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 insiders have agreed to waive their rights to share in any distribution with respect to their founder shares.
Our stockholders have no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights and there is no sinking fund provision applicable to the shares of common stock, except that public stockholders have the right to
 
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sell their shares to us in any tender offer or have their shares of common stock redeemed if they vote for or against the proposed business combination.
If we hold a stockholder vote to amend any provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-business combination activity (including the substance or timing within which we have to complete a business combination), we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of 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 franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, in connection with any such vote. In such event, redeeming stockholders would be paid their pro rata portion of the trust account promptly following the approval of the amendment to the certificate of incorporation.
If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our founder shares immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at 20% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering.
Common stockholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by stockholders. Holders of record of our common stock, including founder shares, will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders, with each share of common stock entitling the holder to one vote except as required by law. Unless specified in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, 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 will be divided into two classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of two 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 60,000,000 shares of common stock, if we were to enter into an initial business combination, we may (depending on the terms of such an initial business combination) be required to increase the number of shares of common stock which we are authorized to issue at the same time as our stockholders vote on the initial business combination to the extent we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination.
In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until no later than one year after our first full fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. 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.
We will provide our 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 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 approximately $10.20 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters.
 
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Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the 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 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. 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. If we conduct redemptions by means of a tender offer, the tender offer documents will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules.
If we seek stockholder approval, the participation of our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of 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 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. We intend to give approximately 30 days’ (but 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. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial stockholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination.
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 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 of common stock sold in this offering, which we refer to as the Excess Shares. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Our stockholders’ 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 the 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 stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
If we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, pursuant to a letter agreement, our sponsor, 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.
As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, we would need only 468,750, or 6.25%, of the 7,500,000 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 that only a quorum was present at the meeting, that the over-allotment option is not exercised and that the initial stockholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market). Additionally, 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 (subject to the limitation described in the preceding paragraph).
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no more than 10 business days thereafter redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount
 
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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 stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our sponsor, 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 18 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our initial stockholders 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 an initial 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 stock, 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 common stock, except that we will provide our stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which will be net of taxes paid by us) upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.
Founder Shares
The founder shares are identical to the shares of 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 sponsor, 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 and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (B) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to 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 18 months from the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ 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 held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, 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 entitled to registration rights. If we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed (and its permitted transferees will agree) pursuant to the letter agreement to vote any founder shares held by them 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.
In the case that additional shares of common stock or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, the number of shares of common stock issuable to holders of founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the sum of the total number of all shares of common stock outstanding upon the completion of this offering, plus the total number of shares of 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 common stock or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of common stock issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement-equivalent warrants issued to our sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans. We cannot determine at this time whether a majority of
 
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the holders of our common stock at the time of any future issuance would agree to waive such adjustment. They may waive such adjustment due to (but not limited to) the following: (i) closing conditions that are part of the agreement for our initial business combination; (ii) negotiation with stockholders on structuring an initial business combination; or (iii) negotiation with parties providing financing that would trigger the anti-dilution provisions of the founder shares. If such adjustment is not waived, the issuance would not reduce the percentage ownership of holders of our founder shares, but would reduce the percentage ownership of holders of our common stock. If such adjustment is waived, the issuance would reduce the percentage ownership of all of our common stock. The term “equity-linked securities” refers to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for shares of common stock issued in a financing transaction in connection with our initial business combination, including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt. Securities could be “deemed issued” for purposes of the adjustment if such shares are issuable upon the conversion or exercise of convertible securities, warrants or similar securities.
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 (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the reported 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 or (y) the date, following the completion of our initial business combination, on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.
Preferred Stock
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that shares of preferred stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors is authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations, and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. Our board of directors is able to, without stockholder approval, issue 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 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 stock 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.
Redeemable Warrants
Public Warrants
Each whole warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one share of our common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of 12 months from the closing of this offering and 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of 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 two units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
We will not be obligated to deliver any shares of 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 shares of common stock underlying the warrants is then effective and a current 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 shares of common stock
 
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upon exercise of a warrant unless 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, if not cash settled, will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the share of common stock underlying such unit.
We are not registering the shares of 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 our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement registering the issuance of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, to cause such registration statement to become effective and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of our initial business combination or within a specified period following the consummation of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act; provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis.
Once the warrants become exercisable, we may call the warrants for redemption:
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in whole and not in part;
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at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
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upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”) to each warrant holder; and
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if, and only if, the reported closing price of the common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations, and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending three business days before we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.
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If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were initially offered by us in this offering.
We have established the last of the redemption criteria 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 its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the common stock may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations, and the like), as well as the $11.50 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 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 common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of common stock underlying the
 
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warrants multiplied by and the excess of the “fair market value” ​(defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported closing price of the 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 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. If we call our warrants for redemption and our management does not take advantage of this option, our sponsor and its permitted transferees would still be entitled to exercise their private placement warrants for cash or on a cashless basis using the same formula described above that other warrant holders would have been required to use had all warrant holders been required to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, as described in more detail below.
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% (or such other amount as a holder may specify) of the shares of common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
If the number of outstanding shares of common stock is increased by a stock dividend payable in shares of common stock, or by a split-up of shares of common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such stock dividend, split-up or similar event, the number of shares of common stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding shares of common stock.
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 the holders of common stock on account of such shares of common stock (or other shares of our capital stock into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) certain ordinary cash dividends, (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of common stock in connection with a proposed initial business combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of common stock 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 18 months from the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, 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 common stock in respect of such event.
If the number of outstanding shares of our common stock is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse stock split or reclassification of shares of common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse stock split, reclassification or similar event, the number of shares of common stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding shares of common stock.
Whenever the number of shares of 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 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 common stock so purchasable immediately thereafter.
In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding shares of common stock (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such shares of common stock), or in the
 
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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 shares of 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 shares of our common stock immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares of 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. If less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of common stock in such a transaction is payable in the form of common stock in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly exercises the warrant within 30 days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the warrant agreement based on the Black-Scholes value (as defined in the warrant agreement) of the warrant. The purpose of such exercise price reduction is to provide additional value to holders of the warrants when an extraordinary transaction occurs during the exercise period of the warrants pursuant to which the holders of the warrants otherwise do not receive the full potential value of the warrants. This formula is to compensate the warrant holder for the loss of the option value portion of the warrant due to the requirement that the warrant holder exercise the warrant within 30 days of the event. The Black-Scholes model is an accepted pricing model for estimating fair market value where no quoted market price for an instrument is available.
The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which has 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. The warrant agreement will provide 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 a majority 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.
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 or any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive shares of common stock. After the issuance of shares of 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 of shares of common stock to be issued to the warrant holder. As a result, warrant holders not purchasing an even number of warrants must sell any odd number of warrants in order to obtain full value from the fractional interests that will not be issued.
In addition, if  (x) we issue additional shares of common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per share of 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 sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance), (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 Market Value is
 
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below $9.20 per share, (i) 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 or the Newly Issued Price, and (ii) the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described above will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
We have agreed that, subject to applicable law, any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction will be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. See “Risk Factors — Our warrant agreement will designate 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.” This provision applies to claims under the Securities Act but does not apply to claims under the Exchange Act or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum.
Private Placement Warrants
The private placement warrants (including the 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 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). 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, including as to exercise price, exercisability, and exercise period.
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. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability, and exercise period. The terms of such working capital loans by our sponsor or their affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans.
Our sponsor has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private placement warrants (including the 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 the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants” made to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor.
Because the private placement warrants will be issued in a private transaction, the holders and their transferees will be allowed to exercise the private placement warrants for cash even if a registration statement covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of such warrants is not effective and receive unregistered shares of common stock.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of an 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 conditions subsequent to completion of an initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to an 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, we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our 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 the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the
 
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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.
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, willful misconduct or bad faith of the indemnified person or entity.
Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains 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 a majority of the holders 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), will 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:
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if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible, but not more than 10 business days thereafter 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, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, 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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prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account, (ii) vote on any initial business combination or (iii) vote on matters related to our pre-initial business combination activity;
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although we do not intend to enter into an initial business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or our 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 or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view;
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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 of the Exchange Act, and will file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination, which contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act; whether or not we maintain our registration under the our Exchange Act or our listing on Nasdaq, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above;
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so long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, Nasdaq rules require that our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an
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aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the amount of deferred underwriting discounts held in trust and net of taxes payable) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination.;
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if our stockholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) 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 18 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of 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, 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; 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.
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In addition, 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 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions.
Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law and our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws
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:
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a stockholder who owns 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock (otherwise known as an “interested stockholder”);
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an affiliate of an interested stockholder; or
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an associate of an interested stockholder, for three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder.
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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:
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our board of directors approves the transaction that made the stockholder an “interested stockholder,” prior to the date of the transaction;
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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
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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.
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Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that our board of directors will be classified into two 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.
 
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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 delivered to 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 scheduled date of the annual meeting of stockholders. Our bylaws also specify certain requirements as to the form and content of a stockholders’ 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.
Exclusive forum for certain lawsuits
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against directors, officers and employees for breach of fiduciary duty and certain other actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware, except any action (A) as to which the Court of Chancery in 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. 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 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.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the exclusive forum provision will be applicable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, subject to certain exceptions. 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. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. We note, however, that there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce this provision and that investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for state and federal courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
 
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SECURITIES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
Immediately after this offering, we will have 9,375,000 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, or 10,781,250 shares of common stock if the over-allotment option is exercised in full. Of these shares, the 7,500,000 shares sold in this offering, or 8,625,000 shares if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All the remaining shares are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering. All of those shares will not be transferable except in limited circumstances described elsewhere in this prospectus.
Rule 144
A person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of common stock 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. Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares of common stock for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or 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 a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of either of the following:
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1% of the number of shares of common stock then issued and outstanding, which will equal 93,750 shares immediately after this offering (or 107,812 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full); and
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The average weekly trading volume of the shares of common stock during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.
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Sales under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
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:
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the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;
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the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;
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the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and materials 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 Current Reports on Form 8-K; and
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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.
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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 our founder shares issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private placement warrants (and underlying securities) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the founder shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time
 
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commencing three months prior to the date on which these shares of common stock are to be released from transfer restrictions. The holders of a majority of the private placement warrants (and underlying securities) can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time after we consummate a business combination. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of a business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
 
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U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion is a summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our units, shares of 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 common stock and one-half 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 common stock and warrants should also apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying common stock and warrants that comprise the units). This discussion applies only to securities that are held as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for U.S. federal income tax purposes and is applicable only to holders who purchased units in this offering.
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:
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financial institutions or financial services entities;
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broker-dealers;
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governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof;
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regulated investment companies;
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real estate investment trusts;
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expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States;
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insurance companies;
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dealers or traders subject to a mark-to-market method of accounting with respect to the securities;
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persons holding the securities as part of a “straddle,” hedge, integrated investment or similar transaction;
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U.S. holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;
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partnerships or other pass-through entities or arrangements for U.S. federal income tax purposes and any beneficial owners of such entities or arrangements; and
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tax-exempt entities.
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If a partnership (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) or other pass through entity holds our units, shares of common stock or warrants, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in the partnership or equity holder in the pass through entity generally will depend upon the status of the partner or equity holder, upon the activities of the partnership or other pass through entity and upon certain determinations made at the partner or equity holder level. Accordingly, we urge partners in partnerships (including entities or arrangements treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) and equity holders in such other pass through entities considering the purchase of our securities to consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax considerations of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our securities by such partnership or pass through entity.
This discussion is based on 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 any rulings from the IRS regarding the matters discussed below. There can be no assurance that the IRS or court will not take a contrary position regarding the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our securities.
 
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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 foreign 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, it is possible that 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 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 common stock and one-half of one warrant to acquire one share of our 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 common stock and the one-half of one warrant based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. The price allocated to each share of common stock and the one-half of one warrant should be the stockholder’s tax basis in such share or one-half of one 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 common stock and one-half of one warrant comprising the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the common stock and the one-half of one warrant based on their respective relative fair market value at the time of disposition. The separation of shares of common stock and warrants comprising units should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The foregoing treatment of the shares of common stock and warrants and a holder’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the Internal Revenue Service (“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 common stock or warrants who or that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
 
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an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;
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a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;
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•
an estate the income of which is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or
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•
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.
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Taxation of Distributions.   If we pay distributions in cash or other property to U.S. holders of shares of our 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 common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as gain realized on the sale or other disposition of the common stock and will be treated as described under “U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of 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 generally will constitute “qualified dividends” 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 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 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 Common Stock and Warrants.   Upon a sale or other taxable disposition of our common stock or warrants which, in general, would include a redemption of 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 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 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 common stock or warrants so disposed of exceeds one year. It is unclear, however, whether the redemption rights with respect to the 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 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 or warrants 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 will 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 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 common stock or the warrants based upon the then fair market value of the common stock and the warrants included in the units) and (ii) the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its common stock or warrants so disposed of. A U.S. holder’s adjusted
 
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tax basis in its 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 common stock or one-half of one warrant or, as discussed below, the U.S. holder’s initial basis for common stock received upon exercise of warrants) less, in the case of a share of common stock, any prior distributions treated as a return of capital.
Redemption of Common Stock.   In the event that a U.S. holder’s 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 common stock in an open market transaction (each of which we refer to as a “redemption”), the treatment of the transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as a sale of the common stock under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption qualifies as a sale of 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 Common Stock and Warrants” above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of 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 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. The redemption of common stock generally will be treated as a sale of the common stock (rather than as a corporate distribution) if the redemption (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 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 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. 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 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. The redemption of the common stock will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if the redemption 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 is satisfied, then the redemption 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 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 or Lapse 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 common stock upon exercise of a warrant for cash. The U.S. holder’s tax basis in the share of our 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
 
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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 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 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 common stock would be treated as commencing on the date following the date of exercise or on the date of exercise of the warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the common stock would include the holding period of the warrants exercised therefor.
It is also possible that a cashless exercise could be treated in whole or in part as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. In such event, a U.S. holder may be deemed to have surrendered a number of warrants with an aggregate fair market 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 common stock represented by 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 tax basis in the common stock received would equal the sum of the U.S. holder’s initial investment in the warrants exercised (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 of such warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. holder’s holding period for the 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 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.
Possible Constructive Distributions.   The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares of 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 — Redeemable Warrants — Public Stockholders’ 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 common stock that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease in the exercise price of the warrant). Such constructive distribution would be subject to tax 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 resulting from the adjustment.
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 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).
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. 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.
 
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All U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of information reporting and backup withholding to them.
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, 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 United States subject to U.S. tax as expatriates);
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•
a foreign corporation; or
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•
an estate or trust that is not a U.S. holder; but generally does not include an individual who is present in the United States 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.
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Taxation of Distributions.   In general, any distributions (including constructive distributions) we make to a Non-U.S. holder of shares of our 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 the applicable withholding agent, including cash distributions on other property or sales 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. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares of our 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 common stock, which will be treated as described under “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Warrants” below. In addition, if we determine that we are classified as a “United States real property holding corporation” ​(see “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Warrants” below), we will withhold 15% of any distribution that exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits.
The withholding tax does not apply to dividends paid to a Non-U.S. holder who provides a 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, such dividends generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax, net of certain deductions, at the same graduated individual or corporate rates applicable to U.S. holder (subject to an exemption or reduction in such tax as may be provided by an applicable income tax treaty). A Non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or a lower applicable treaty rate).
Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of 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 common stock, which would include a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not complete an initial business combination within the required time 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:
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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
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•
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
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period that the Non-U.S. holder held our common stock, and, in the case where shares of our 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 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 common stock. There can be no assurance that our 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 United States 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” 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 common stock or warrants will be subject to tax at generally applicable U.S. federal income tax rates. In addition, a buyer of our common stock or warrants from such holder may be 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 Common Stock.   The characterization for U.S. federal income tax purposes of the redemption of a Non-U.S. holder’s common stock generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of such a redemption of a U.S. holder’s common stock, as described under “U.S. Holders — Redemption of 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 Common Stock and Warrants,” as applicable.
Exercise 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 or Lapse of a Warrant” above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described above in “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Warrants.”
Possible Constructive Distributions.   The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares of 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 — Redeemable Warrants — Public Stockholders’ Warrants.” An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. The Non-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 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 common stock, or as a result of the issuance of a stock dividend to holders of shares of our 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 in the same manner as if the Non-U.S. holders of the warrants received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased interest resulting from the adjustment.
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 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.
 
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Backup withholding is not an additional tax. 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.
All Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of information reporting and backup withholding to them.
FATCA Withholding Taxes.   Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations and administrative guidance promulgated thereunder (commonly referred as the “Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act” or “FATCA”) generally impose withholding at a rate of 30% in certain circumstances on dividends in respect of our securities which are held by or through certain foreign financial institutions (including investment funds), unless any such institution (1) enters into, and complies with, an agreement with the IRS to report, on an annual basis, information with respect to interests in, and accounts maintained by, the institution that are owned by certain U.S. persons and by certain non-U.S. entities that are wholly or partially owned by U.S. persons and to withhold on certain payments, or (2) if required under an intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country, reports such information to its local tax authority, which will exchange such information with the U.S. authorities. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify these requirements. Accordingly, the entity through which our securities are held will affect the determination of whether such withholding is required. Similarly, dividends in respect of our securities 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 Treasury. All prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications 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 regulations 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 periodic income. Although these proposed Treasury Regulations are not final, taxpayers generally may rely on them until final Treasury Regulations are issued.
 
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UNDERWRITING
Raymond James is acting as sole book-running manager of the offering and as the representative of the underwriters named below. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the underwriting agreement between us and Raymond James, we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, and each of the underwriters has agreed, severally and not jointly, to purchase from us, the respective number of units shown opposite its name below:
Underwriters
​ ​
Number of
Units
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Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Total
​ ​ ​ ​ 7,500,000 ​ ​
The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the units included in this offering are subject to all applicable laws and regulations and certain conditions precedent such as the receipt by the underwriters of officers’ certificates and legal opinions and approval of certain legal matters by their counsel. The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters will purchase all of the units if any of them are purchased (other than those covered by the over-allotment option described below). We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and certain of their controlling persons against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.
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.
The underwriters are offering the units subject to their acceptance of the units from us and subject to prior sale. The underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part. In addition, the underwriters have advised us that they do not intend to confirm sales to any account over which they exercise discretionary authority.
Commission and Expenses
The underwriters have advised us that they propose to offer the units to the public at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and to certain dealers, which may include the underwriters, at that price less a concession not in excess of $[  ] per unit. The underwriters may allow, and certain dealers may reallow, a discount from the concession not in excess of $[  ] per unit to certain brokers and dealers. After the offering, the initial public offering price, concession and reallowance to dealers may be reduced by the representative of the underwriters. No such reduction will change the amount of proceeds to be received by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
The following table shows the public offering price, the underwriting discounts and commissions that we are to pay the underwriters and the proceeds, before expenses, to us in connection with this offering. Such amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units.
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Paid by Viscogliosi Brothers Acquisition Corp.
​
​ ​ ​
No Exercise
​ ​
Full Exercise
​
Per Unit(1)
​ ​ ​ $ 0.55 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 0.55 ​ ​
Total(1) ​ ​ ​ $ 4,125,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 4,743,750 ​ ​
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(1)
$0.20 per unit, or $1,500,000 in the aggregate (or $1,725,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), is payable upon the closing of this offering. $0.35 per unit, or $2,625,000 in the aggregate (or $3,018,750 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option
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to purchase additional units is exercised in full) payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions will be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein. The deferred commissions will be released to the underwriters only on and concurrently with completion of an initial business combination. Up to 30% of the total amount of the deferred underwriting commissions may be reallocated among the underwriters or paid to other FINRA members that assist us in identifying or consummating our initial business combination, in our sole discretion.
If we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, the underwriters have agreed that (i) they will forfeit any rights or claims to their deferred underwriting discounts and commissions, including any accrued interest thereon, then in the trust account and (ii) the deferred underwriters’ discounts and commissions will be distributed on a pro rata basis, together with any accrued interest thereon (which interest will be net of taxes payable) to the public stockholders.
We estimate that the expenses payable by us in connection with this offering, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions referred to above, will be approximately $500,000 We have agreed to pay the FINRA-related fees and expenses of the underwriters’ legal counsel, not to exceed $15,000, and to reimburse the underwriters for the cost of their background checks. We will reimburse the underwriters’ expenses up to $100,000. We have granted Raymond James, for the period leading up to our initial business combination, a right of first refusal to act as lead underwriter or placement agent, with Raymond James receiving at least 35% of the economics, for any and all public or private securities offerings other than this offering, whether of equity, debt, derivatives or otherwise, by us or any successor of ours or any subsidiary of either. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110 (g)(6)(A), such right of first refusal shall not have a duration of more than three years from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Raymond James has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 187,500 private placement warrants (or 215,625 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per warrant, for a total purchase price of $187,500 (or $215,625 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), each warrant exercisable to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share.
Determination of Offering Price
Prior to this offering, there has not been a public market for our securities. Consequently, the initial public offering price for our units was determined by negotiations between us and the representatives. Among the factors considered in these negotiations 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 equity securities markets, including current market valuations of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company.
We offer no assurances that the initial public offering price will correspond to the price at which the units will trade in the public market subsequent to the offering or that an active trading market for the units will develop and continue after the offering.
Listing
Our units have been approved for listing on Nasdaq under the trading symbol “VBOCU.” We expect that our common stock and warrants will be listed under the symbols “VBOC” and “VBOCW,” respectively, once the common stock and warrants begin separate trading.
Stamp Taxes
If you purchase units offered in this prospectus, you may be required to pay stamp taxes and other charges under the laws and practices of the country of purchase, in addition to the offering price listed on the cover page of this prospectus.
Option to Purchase Additional Units
We have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 45 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase, from time to time, in whole or in part, up to an aggregate of 1,125,000 units from us at the public
 
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offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, less underwriting discounts and commissions. If the underwriters exercise this option, each underwriter will be obligated, subject to specified conditions, to purchase a number of additional units proportionate to that underwriter’s initial purchase commitment as indicated in the table above. This option may be exercised only if the underwriters sell more units than the total number set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
Underwriter Lock-up
We, our sponsor and our 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 Raymond James, offer, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell (including any short sale), pledge, transfer, establish an open “put equivalent option” within the meaning of Rule 16a-l(h) under the Exchange Act, as amended, 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 currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially, or publicly announce an intention to do any of the foregoing; provided, however, that we may (1) issue and sell the private placement warrants, (2) issue and sell the additional units to cover our underwriters’ over-allotment option (if any), (3) register with the SEC pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, the resale of the private placement warrants and shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and the founder shares and (4) issue securities in connection with an initial business combination. Raymond James in its sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice.
Letter Agreement
Our initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earlier to occur of  (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the reported 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, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Restrictions on 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.
The private placement warrants (including the 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 with respect to permitted transferees as described herein under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”).
Stabilization
The underwriters have advised us that they, pursuant to Regulation M under the Exchange Act, as amended, and certain persons participating in the offering may engage in short sale transactions, purchases to cover short positions, which may include purchases pursuant to the over-allotment option, 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 their option to purchase additional units or purchasing units in the open market. In determining the source of units to close out the covered short position, the underwriters will consider,
 
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among other things, the price of units available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase units through the option to purchase additional units.
“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 our units in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.
A stabilizing bid is a bid for the purchase of units on behalf of the underwriters for the purpose of fixing or maintaining the price of the units. A syndicate covering transaction is the bid for or the purchase of units 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 underwriter’s purchases to cover the syndicate short sales may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our units or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our units. As a result, the price of our units 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 units 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 units. The underwriters are not obligated to engage in these activities and, if commenced, any of the activities may be discontinued at any time.
The underwriters may also engage in passive market making transactions in our units on Nasdaq in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M during a period before the commencement of offers or sales of our units in this offering and extending through the completion of distribution. A passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid of that security. However, if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, then that bid must then be lowered when specified purchase limits are exceeded.
Electronic Distribution
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available by e-mail or on the web sites or through online services maintained by one or more of the underwriters or their affiliates. In those cases, prospective investors may view offering terms online and may be allowed to place orders online. The underwriters may agree with us to allocate a specific number of units for sale to online brokerage account holders. Any such allocation for online distributions will be made by the underwriters on the same basis as other allocations. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on the underwriters’ web sites and any information contained in any other web site maintained by any of the underwriters is not part of this prospectus, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the underwriters and should not be relied upon by investors.
Other Activities and Relationships
We are not under any contractual obligation to engage any of the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering and have no present intent to do so. However, any of the underwriters may introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital in the future. If any of the underwriters provide 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 any of the underwriters and no fees for such services will be paid to any of the underwriters prior to the date that is 90 days from the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriters’ compensation in connection with this offering and we may pay the underwriters of this offering or any entity with which they are affiliated a finder’s fee or other compensation for services rendered to us in connection with the completion of a business combination.
The underwriters and certain of their affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial
 
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advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The underwriters and certain of their affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various commercial and investment banking and financial advisory services for us and our affiliates, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and certain of their 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, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments issued by us and our affiliates. The underwriters and certain of their respective affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
Selling Restrictions
Canada
Resale Restrictions
The distribution of the securities in Canada is being made only in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia on a private placement basis exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in each province where trades of these securities are made. Any resale of the securities in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws, which may vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of the securities.
Representations of Canadian Purchasers
By purchasing the securities in Canada and accepting delivery of a purchase confirmation, a purchaser is representing to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:
•
the purchaser is entitled under applicable provincial securities laws to purchase the securities without the benefit of a prospectus qualified under those securities laws as it is an “accredited investor” as defined under National Instrument 45-106 — Prospectus Exemptions;
​
•
the purchaser is a “permitted client” as defined in National Instrument 31-103 — Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations;
​
•
where required by law, the purchaser is purchasing as principal and not as agent; and
​
•
the purchaser has reviewed the text above under Resale Restrictions.
​
Statutory Rights of Action
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if the prospectus (including any amendment thereto) such as this document contains a misrepresentation; provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser of these securities in Canada should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
Enforcement of Legal Rights
All of our directors and officers, as well as the experts named herein, may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All or a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of those persons
 
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may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.
Taxation and Eligibility for Investment
Canadian purchasers of the securities should consult their own legal and tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in the securities in their particular circumstances and about the eligibility of the securities for investment by the purchaser under relevant Canadian legislation.
Australia
This prospectus is not a disclosure document for the purposes of Australia’s Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) of Australia, or Corporations Act, 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 prospectus 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)I 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)I(i) or (ii) of the Corporations Act and related regulations before the offer has been made;
​
•
a person associated with the Company under Section 708(12) of the Corporations Act; or
​
•
a “professional investor” within the meaning of section 708(11)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act.
​
To the extent that you are unable to confirm or warrant that you are an exempt sophisticated investor, associated person or professional investor under the Corporations Act any offer made to you under this prospectus is void and incapable of acceptance.
You warrant and agree that you will not offer any of the securities issued to you pursuant to this prospectus 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
The units are not intended to be offered or sold to and should not be offered or sold to any retail investor in the European Economic Area (the “EEA”). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU, as amended (“MiFID II”); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive 2002/92/EC, as amended, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in the Directive 2003/71/EC (as amended, the “Prospectus Directive”). No key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014, as amended (the “PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the units or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared. Offering or selling the units or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPS Regulation. This prospectus has been prepared on the basis that any offer of the units in any member state of the EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Directive from a requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of units. This prospectus is not a prospectus for the purpose of the Prospectus Directive.
Hong Kong
No securities have been offered or sold, and no securities may 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 (“SFO”) and any rules made under that ordinance; or in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies
 
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Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong (“CO”) or which do not constitute an offer or invitation to the public for the purpose of the CO or the SFO. No document, invitation or advertisement relating to the securities has been issued or may 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 under that Ordinance.
This prospectus has not been registered with the Registrar of Companies in Hong Kong. Accordingly, this prospectus 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 prospectus 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.
Israel
This document does not constitute a prospectus under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728-1968 (the “Israel Securities Law”), and has not been filed with or approved by the Israel Securities Authority. In Israel, this prospectus is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer of the units is directed only at, (i) a limited number of persons in accordance with the Israeli Securities Law and (ii) investors listed in the first addendum (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 are 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.
Japan
The offering has not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948 of Japan, as amended) (“FIEL”), and the underwriters 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 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, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the FIEL and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.
Singapore
This prospectus has not been and will not be lodged or registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the securities may not be 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 persons 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 pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275, of the SFA, or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA. Solely for the purposes of its obligations pursuant to Sections 309B(1)(a) and 309B(1)(c) of the SFA, the Company has determined, and hereby notifies all relevant persons (as defined in Section 309A of the SFA) that the units are “prescribed capital markets products” ​(as defined in the Securities and Futures (Capital Markets Products) Regulations 2018) and
 
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“Excluded Investment Products” ​(as defined in MAS Notice SFA 04-N12: Notice on the Sale of Investment Products and MAS Notice FAA-N16: Notice on Recommendations on Investment Products).
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 in 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 of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor, securities (as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the securities pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:
​
•
to an institutional investor or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person arising from an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) or Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;
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•
where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer;
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•
where the transfer is by operation of law;
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•
as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or
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•
as specified in Regulation 32 of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Shares and Debentures) Regulations 2005 of Singapore.
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Switzerland
The securities may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (“SIX”) or on any other share exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This prospectus 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 share exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this prospectus 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 prospectus nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the Company or the securities have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this prospectus will not be filed with, and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, and the offer of securities has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (“CISA”). The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of securities.
United Kingdom
This prospectus is only being distributed to, and is only directed at, persons in the United Kingdom that are qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)I of the Prospectus Directive that are also (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Order”) and/or (ii) high net worth entities falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated (each such person being referred to as a “relevant person”).
This prospectus and its contents are confidential and should not be distributed, published or reproduced (in whole or in part) or disclosed by recipients to any other persons in the United Kingdom. Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.
 
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LEGAL MATTERS
Loeb & Loeb LLP, New York, New York, is acting as our 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 offering. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel to the underwriters.
EXPERTS
The financial statements of Viscogliosi Brothers Acquisition Corp. at February 17, 2021 and December 31, 2020, and for the period from January 1, 2021 through February 17, 2021 and November 24, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 included 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 Viscogliosi Brothers 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 on such report given upon such firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
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. You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at its public reference facility at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549.
 
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INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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Page
​
​ ​ ​ ​ F-2 ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​ F-3 ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​ F-4 ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​ F-5 ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​ F-6 ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​ F-7 ​ ​
 
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Stockholder and Board of Directors of
Viscogliosi Brothers Acquisition Corp.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Viscogliosi Brothers Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) as of February 17, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the related statements of operations, changes in stockholder’s equity and cash flows for the period for the period from January 1, 2021 through February 17, 2021 and November 24, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, 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 February 17, 2021 and December 31, 2020 , and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from January 1, 2021 through February 17, 2021 and for the period from November 24, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, 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 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 as of February 17, 2021 and lacks the financial resources it needs to sustain 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 audits. 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 audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits 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 audits 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 audits 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 audits 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 audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Marcum llp
Marcum llp
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021
Melville, NY
April 28, 2021
 
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VISCOGLIOSI BROTHERS ACQUISITION CORP.
BALANCE SHEETS
​ ​ ​
September 30,
2021
(Unaudited)
​ ​
February 17,
2021
​ ​
December 31,
2020
​
Assets ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Cash
​ ​ ​ $ 25,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 25,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​
Deferred offering cost
​ ​ ​ ​ 72,010 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 29,700 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 29,700 ​ ​
Total Assets
​ ​ ​ $ 97,010 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 54,700 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 29,700 ​ ​
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY (DEFICIT) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Current liabilities: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Due to related party
​ ​ ​ $ 72,310 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 30,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 30,000 ​ ​
Total current liabilities
​ ​ ​ ​ 72,310 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 30,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 30,000 ​ ​
Commitment and contingencies (Note 6)
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit): ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 2,156,250(1) and no shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2021, February 17, 2021, and December 31st, 2020 respectively
​ ​ ​ ​ 216 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 216 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Additional paid-in capital
​ ​ ​ ​ 24,784 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 24,784 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Accumulated deficit
​ ​ ​ ​ (300) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (300) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (300) ​ ​
Total Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit)
​ ​ ​ ​ 24,700 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 24,700 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (300) ​ ​
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY (DEFICIT)
​ ​ ​ $ 97,010 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 54,700 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 29,700 ​ ​
​
(1)
Includes up to 281,250 shares of Common stock subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (see Note 7).
​
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
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VISCOGLIOSI BROTHERS ACQUISITION CORP.
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
​ ​ ​
For the
period from
January 1,
2021 through
September 30,
2021
(Unaudited)
​ ​
For the
period from
January 1,
2021 through
February 17,
2021
​ ​
For the
period from
November 24,
2020
through
December 31,
2020
​
Formation costs
​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 300 ​ ​
Net loss
​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 300 ​ ​
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding(1)
​ ​ ​
​
1,875,000
​ ​ ​ ​
​
1,875,000
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Basic and diluted net loss per common stock
​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​
​
(1)
Excludes up to 281,250 shares of Common stock subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (see Note 7).
​
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
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VISCOGLIOSI BROTHERS ACQUISITION CORP.
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDER’S (DEFICIT ) EQUITY
​ ​ ​
Common stock
​ ​
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
​ ​
Accumulated
Deficit
​ ​
Total
Stockholder’s
Equity (Deficit)
​
​ ​ ​
Shares
​ ​
Amount
​
Balance as of November 24, 2020 (inception)
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​
Net loss
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (300) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (300) ​ ​
Balance as of December 31, 2020
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (300) ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (300) ​ ​
Common stock issued to initial stockholder(1)
​ ​ ​ ​ 2,156,250 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 216 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 24,784 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 25,000 ​ ​
Balance as of February 17, 2021
​ ​ ​ ​ 2,156,250 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 216 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 24,784 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (300) ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 24,700 ​ ​
Net loss
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Balance as of September 30, 2021
​ ​ ​ ​ 2,156,250 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 216 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 24,784 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (300) ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 24,700 ​ ​
​
(1)
Includes up to 281,250 shares of Common stock subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (see Note 7).
​
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
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VISCOGLIOSI BROTHERS ACQUISITION CORP.
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
​ ​ ​
For the
period from
January 1,
2021 through
September 30,
2021
(Unaudited)
​ ​
For the
period from
January 1,
2021 through
February 17,
2021
​ ​
For the
period from
November 24,
2020 (inception)
through
December 31,
2020
​
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Net loss
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (300) ​ ​
Adjustments to reconcile net cash used in operating activities:
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Formation costs paid by advances from Sponsor
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 300 ​ ​
Net cash used in operating activities
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Cash Flows from Financing Activities: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Proceeds from initial shareholder
​ ​ ​ ​ 25,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 25,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Net cash provided by financing activities
​ ​ ​ ​ 25,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 25,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Net Change in Cash
​ ​ ​ ​ 25,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 25,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Cash – Beginning of period
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Cash – End of period
​ ​ ​ $ 25,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 25,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Deferred offering costs paid by advances from Sponsor
​ ​ ​ $ 42,310 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 29,700 ​ ​
 
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VISCOGLIOSI BROTHERS ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Organization, Business Operations and Going Concern
Viscogliosi Brothers Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) a newly organized blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (the “Business Combination”). The Company has not selected any potential Business Combination target and the Company has not, nor has anyone on its behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any potential Business Combination target.
As of September 30, 2021, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from November 24, 2020 (inception) through February 17, 2021 and the period from January 1, 2021 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 VBOC Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”) and an affiliate of John J. Viscogliosi, the President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed public offering of 7,500,000 units (the “Units” and, with respect to the Common stock included in the Units being offered, the “public shares”) at $10.00 per Unit (or 8,625,000 Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), which is discussed in Note 3 (the “Proposed Public Offering”) and the sale of 5,250,000 warrants (or 5,700,000 warrants if the underwriters’ 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 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 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 $10.20 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including the proceeds of the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, will not be released from the Trust Account( the “Trust Account”) until the earliest of (i) the completion of the initial Business Combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to provide for the redemption of the public shares in connection with the initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the public shares if the Company does not complete the initial Business Combination within 18 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of 100% of our public shares if the Company is unable to complete the initial Business Combination within the required time frame (subject to the requirements of applicable law). On the completion of the initial Business Combination, all amounts held in the Trust Account will be released to the Company, less amounts released to a separate account controlled by the trustee for disbursal to redeeming stockholders.
 
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The Company will provide its public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of the initial Business Combination either: (i) in connection with a 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 the Company will seek stockholder approval of a proposed initial 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 requirements. The public stockholders will be entitled to redeem all or a 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 as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its 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 $10.20 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 18 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering (the “Combination Period”) to complete the initial Business Combination. If the Company does not complete the initial Business Combination within the Combination Period, the Company will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than five business days thereafter, 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 the Company to pay its 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 stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining stockholders and the board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to the obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
The initial stockholders have entered into a letter agreement with the Company, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of the initial Business Combination, (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to provide for the redemption of the Company’s public shares in connection with a the initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the public shares if the Company does not complete the initial Business Combination within the Combination Period or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity, (iii) 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 the Combination 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 the initial Business Combination within the Combination Period and (iv) 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
 
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Combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.20 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 $10.20 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 underwriters 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 believe 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.
Going Concern
As of September 30, 2021, the Company had $25,000 in cash and a working capital deficiency of $(47,310) (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 the Combination Period. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Risks and Uncertainties
Management is currently evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these financial statements. 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”).
Emerging Growth Company Status
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section102(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
 
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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 period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have any cash equivalents as of September 30, 2021, February 17, 2021 and December 31, 2020.
Deferred Offering Costs
Deferred offering costs consist of accounting and legal expenses incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering and that will be charged to stockholders’ equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering. 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.
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 281,250 shares of common stock that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters (see Note 7). As of September 30, 2021, February 17, 2021 and December 31, 2020, 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 period presented.
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.
FASB 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
 
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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, February 17, 2021 and December 31, 2020. 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 November 24, 2020 (inception) through February 17, 2021, and the period from January 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021 and the period from November 24, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020.
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 accounting for certain financial instruments. ASU 2020-06 eliminates the current models that require separation of beneficial conversion and cash conversion features from convertible instruments and simplifies the derivative scope exception guidance pertaining to equity classification of contracts in an entity’s own equity. The new standard also introduces additional disclosures for convertible debt and freestanding instruments that are indexed to and settled in an entity’s own equity. ASU 2020-06 amends the diluted earnings per share guidance, including the requirement to use the if-converted method for all convertible instruments. ASU 2020-06 is effective January 1, 2024 for the Company and should be applied on a full or modified retrospective basis, with early adoption permitted beginning on January 1, 2021. The Company is currently assessing the impact, if any, that ASU 2020-06 would have on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
Note 3 — Proposed Public Offering
Pursuant to the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will offer for sale 7,500,000 Units (or 8,625,000 Units if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one share of Common stock and one-half of one warrant (“public warrant”). Each whole public warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one share of Common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share, subject to adjustment (see Note 7).
Note 4 — Private Placement
VBOC Holdings, LLC, the Sponsor, has committed to purchase from the Company an aggregate of 5,062,500 Private Placement Warrants (or 5,484,375 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant for a total purchase price of $5,062,500 (or $5,484,375 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share. Raymond James has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 187,500 warrants (or 215,625 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant for a total purchase price of $187,500 (or $215,625 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). Each Private Placement Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of the Company’s
 
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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.
The Private Placement Warrants (including the Common stock issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or saleable until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination. 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 and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in the Proposed Public Offering.
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions
Founder Shares
On February 17, 2021, the Sponsor paid $25,000 to cover certain offering costs in consideration for 2,156,250 Common stocks (the “founder shares”). 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 8,625,000 units if the underwriters’ 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. Subsequently, an aggregate of 150,000 founder shares were transferred to directors of the Company. These 150,000 shares will not be subject to forfeiture in the event the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. Up to 281,250 of the founder shares will be forfeited depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised.
The Company’ initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of the initial Business Combination or (B) subsequent to the initial Business Combination, (x) if the reported closing price of the 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 the initial Business Combination, or (y) the date on which the Company complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”). Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of the initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares. (the “lock-up”).
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 will 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 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. As of September 30, 2021, February 17, 2021, and December 31st, 2021 no such Working Capital Loans were outstanding.
Related Party Advances
The Sponsor has agreed to advance the Company funds to be used for a portion of the expenses of the Proposed Public Offering. These advances are non-interest bearing and unsecured. These advances will be repaid upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering out of the $1,750,000 of offering proceeds that has
 
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been allocated to the payment of offering expenses. As of September 30, 2021, February 17, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company had advanced $72,310, $30,000 and $30,000, respectively.
Note 6 — Commitments and Contingencies
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares, Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans (and any shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of the working capital loans and upon conversion of the founder shares) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering requiring the Company to register such securities for resale (in the case of the founder shares, only after conversion to shares of Common stock). The holders of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration demands, that the Company registers 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 the initial Business Combination and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
The Company will grant the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 1,125,000 additional Units to cover any over-allotments, if any, at the Proposed Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriters will be entitled to a cash underwriting discount of two percent (2%) of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, or $1,500,000 (or up to $1,725,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised in full). Additionally, the underwriters will be entitled to a deferred underwriting discount of 3.5%, or $2,625,000 (or up to $3,018,750) of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering held in the Trust Account upon the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
Administrative support agreement
Commencing on the date of this prospectus, the Company has agreed to pay an affiliate of VBOC Holdings, LLC, our sponsor, a total of $10,000 per month for general and administrative services including office space, utilities, and secretarial support. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Note 7 —  Stockholder’s Equity
Common Stock
The Company is authorized to issue 10,000,000 shares of Common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the common stock are entitled to one vote for each common stock. At September 30, 2021 and February 17, 2021, there were 2,156,250 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, and no shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2020. Of the 2,156,250 shares, 281,250 shares are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ 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). Subsequently, an aggregate of 150,000 founder shares were transferred to directors of the Company. These 150,000 shares will not be subject to forfeiture in the event the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised.
The Company’ initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any founder shares held by them until the earliest of (A) one year after the completion of the initial Business Combination or (B) subsequent to the initial Business Combination, (x) if the reported closing price of the common stock
 
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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 the initial Business Combination, or (y) the date on which the Company complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”). Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of the initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares.
Warrants
As of September 30, 2021, there were no warrants outstanding. 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. In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional shares of 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 common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to the Sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by the Sponsor or its affiliates, 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 the initial Business Combination on the date of the consummation of the initial Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company consummates the 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, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described below under “Redemption of warrants” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
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.
The Company is not registering the shares of 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 its best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, to cause such registration statement to become effective and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement; provided, in each case, that the Company has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or the Company permits 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.
Redemption of warrants
Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants (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 (the “30-day redemption period”); and
​
•
if, and only if, the reported closing price of our common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20
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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.
If the Company calls the warrants for redemption as described above, the 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, the management will consider, among other factors, its cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on the stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the warrants. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of common stock underlying the warrants multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” ​(defined below) over the exercise price of the warrant by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported closing price of the 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.
Note 8 — Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to through April 28, 2021, the date that the 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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​
$75,000,000
Viscogliosi Brothers Acquisition Corp.
7,500,000 Units
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PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
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Sole Book-Running Manager
Raymond James
                 , 2021
Until       , 2022 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to unsold allotments or subscriptions.
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.
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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:
​
Trustee’s initial fee
​ ​ ​ $ 6,500 ​ ​
​
SEC registration fee
​ ​ ​ ​ 7,995 ​ ​
​
FINRA filing fee
​ ​ ​ ​ 13,438 ​ ​
​
Accounting fees and expenses
​ ​ ​ ​ 45,000 ​ ​
​
Printing and engraving expenses
​ ​ ​ ​ 35,000 ​ ​
​
Legal fees and expenses
​ ​ ​ ​ 225,000 ​ ​
​
Stock exchange listing and filing fees
​ ​ ​ ​ 79,000 ​ ​
​
Director and officer liability insurance premiums
​ ​ ​ ​ 300,000 ​ ​
​
Miscellaneous
​ ​ ​ ​ 88,067 ​ ​
​
Total
​ ​ ​ $ 800,000 ​ ​
​
Item 14.
Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
​
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that all directors, officers, employees and agents of the registrant shall be entitled to be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”).
Section 145 of the DGCL 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.
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(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
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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.
(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.
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(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.
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(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 directors and officers or other employees and agents may be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the corporation deems appropriate.
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(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 the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws 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.
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(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.
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(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
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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.
(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.
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(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.
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(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 bylaw, 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, provides 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 stockholders’ 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.
 
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Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation also will 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, attorneys’ 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.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person eligible for indemnification pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation indemnifies 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 permits 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, which we intend to adopt immediately prior to the closing of this offering, 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
 
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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 underwriters and the underwriters have 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.
​
During the past three years, we sold the following shares of common stock without registration under the Securities Act:
Stockholder
​ ​
Number of
Shares
​
VBOC Holdings, LLC
​ ​ ​ ​ 2,156,250 ​ ​
Such shares were issued in February 2021 in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act as the shares were sold to an accredited investor. The shares issued were sold for an aggregate offering price of $25,000 at an average purchase price of approximately $0.012 per share. Subsequently, in March and April 2021, an aggregate of 150,000 founder shares were transferred to directors of the Company.
The Company’s sponsor has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 5,062,500 warrants (or 5,484,375 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per private placement warrant for a total purchase price of $5,062,500 (or $5,484,375 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 187,500 warrants (or 215,625 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.00 per private placement warrant for a total purchase price of $187,500 (or $215,625 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share. These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the closing of this offering pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.
Item 16.
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
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(a)
The following exhibits are filed as part of this Registration Statement:
​
​
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 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 Loeb & Loeb LLP. ​
​ 10.1* ​ ​ Form of Letter Agreement from each of the Registrant’s officers, directors and sponsor. ​
​ 10.2* ​ ​ Form of Investment Management Trust Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant. ​
 
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​
Exhibit
No.
​ ​
Description
​
​ 10.3* ​ ​ Promissory Note. ​
​ 10.4* ​ ​ Form of Registration Rights Agreement. ​
​ 10.5* ​ ​ Form of Subscription agreement for private warrants ​
​ 10.6* ​ ​ Form of Administrative Services Agreement. ​
​ 10.7* ​ ​ Form of Indemnification Agreement. ​
​ 14* ​ ​ Code of Ethics. ​
​ 23.1 ​ ​ ​
​ 23.2* ​ ​ Consent of Loeb & Loeb LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1). ​
​ 24 ​ ​ Power of Attorney (included on signature page of this Registration Statement). ​
​ 99.1* ​ ​ Audit committee charter. ​
​ 99.2* ​ ​ Compensation committee charter. ​
​ 99.3* ​ ​ Nominating committee charter. ​
​
*
To be filed by amendment
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Item 17.
Undertakings.
​
(a)
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
​
(1)
To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
​
i.
To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
​
ii.
To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;
​
iii.
To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.
​
(2)
That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment 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.
​
(3)
To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
​
(4)
That for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933 in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
​
(i)
Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
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(ii)
Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
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(iii)
The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
​
(iv)
Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
​
(b)
The undersigned 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.
​
(c)
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.
(d)
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.
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(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.
​
(3)
For the purpose of determining liability of a registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of an undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
​
(i)
any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
​
(ii)
any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by an undersigned registrant;
​
(iii)
the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
​
(iv)
any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
​
 
II-7
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, 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 8th day of December, 2021.
VISCOGLIOSI BROTHERS ACQUISITION CORP.
By:
/s/ John J. Viscogliosi
​
​
Name:
John J. Viscogliosi
​
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
​
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints each of John J. Viscogliosi and Steve Ward 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 pre- and post-effective amendments to this registration statement, any subsequent registration statement for the same offering which may be filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and pre- or post-effective amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, 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, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
​
Name
​ ​
Position
​ ​
Date
​
​
/s/ John J. Viscogliosi
​
John J. Viscogliosi
​ ​
Chief Executive Officer, President and
Chairman (Principal Executive Officer)
​ ​
December 8, 2021
​
​
/s/ Steve Ward
​
Steve Ward
​ ​
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
​ ​
December 8, 2021
​
​
/s/ Suhail Al Ansari
​
Suhail Al Ansari
​ ​
Director
​ ​
December 8, 2021
​
​
/s/ F. Samuel Eberts III
​
F. Samuel Eberts III
​ ​
Director
​ ​
December 8, 2021
​
​
/s/ Dan Drawbaugh
​
Dan Drawbaugh
​ ​
Director
​ ​
December 8, 2021
​
​
/s/ John N. Kastanis
​
John N. Kastanis
​ ​
Director
​ ​
December 8, 2021
​
​
/s/ Jean-Christophe Renondin
​
Jean-Christophe Renondin
​ ​
Director
​ ​
December 8, 2021
​
​
/s/ Marc R. Viscogliosi
​
Marc R. Viscogliosi
​ ​
Director
​ ​
December 8, 2021
​
​
/s/ Jack E. Zigler
​
Jack E. Zigler
​ ​
Director
​ ​
December 8, 2021
​
 
II-8

 

Exhibit 23.1

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We hereby consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form S-1, of our report dated April 28, 2021, relating to the balance sheets of Viscogliosi Brothers Acquisition Corp. as of February 17, 2021 and December 31, 2020, and the related statements of operations, changes in stockholder’s equity and cash flows for the period for the period from January 1, 2021 through February 17, 2021 and November 24, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, and the related notes, and to the reference to our Firm under the caption “Experts” in the Prospectus.

 

/s/ Marcum LLP

 

Marcum LLP

 
   
Melville, New York  
December 8, 2021