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As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on November 12, 2020.

Registration No. 333-249756

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Amendment No. 1

to

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Cayman Islands   6770   98-1556837

(State or Other Jurisdiction of

Incorporation or Organization)

  (Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

 

 

One World Financial Center

New York, New York 10281

Tel: (212) 993-3113

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

Clive Meanwell

Chief Executive Officer

One World Financial Center

New York, New York 10281

Tel: (212) 993-3113

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

 

 

Copies to:

 

Gregory P. Patti, Jr., Esq.
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
200 Liberty Street
New York, New York 10281
(212) 504-6000
 

Deanna Kirkpatrick

Derek J. Dostal

Roshni Banker Cariello
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
450 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017

(650) 752-2000

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:

As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

 

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), check the following box.  

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

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

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. (Check one):

 

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

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

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of each class of
security being registered

 

Amount
being

registered

  Proposed
maximum
offering price
per security(1)
 

Proposed
maximum

aggregate

offering price(1)

  Amount of
registration fee

Units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share, $0.0001 par value, and one-third of a redeemable Warrant to acquire one Class A ordinary share(2)

  17,250,000 units   $10.00   $172,500,000   $18,819.75

Class A ordinary shares included as part of the Units(3)

  17,250,000 shares       (4)

Redeemable warrants to acquire one Class A ordinary share included as part of the Units(3)

  5,750,000 warrants       (4)

Total

          $172,500,000   $18,819.75(5)

 

 

 

(1)   Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act.

 

(2)   Includes 2,250,000 Units, consisting of 2,250,000 Class A ordinary shares and 750,000 warrants, which may be issued upon exercise of a 45-day option granted to the underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any.

 

(3)   Pursuant to Rule 416(a), there are also being registered an indeterminable number of additional securities as may be issued to prevent dilution resulting from share sub-divisions, share capitalizations or similar transactions.

 

(4)   No fee pursuant to Rule 457(g).
(5)   Previously paid.

 

 

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

 

 

 


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

 

Subject to completion, dated November 12, 2020

$150,000,000

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

15,000,000 units

Population Health Investment Co., Inc. is a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company and incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to as our initial business combination. We have not selected any business combination partner and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination partner.

This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-third of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment, terms and limitations as described herein. The underwriters have a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to 2,250,000 additional units to cover over-allotments, if any.

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations as described herein. If we do not consummate an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will redeem 100% of the public shares for cash, subject to applicable law and certain conditions as described herein.

Our sponsor, Population Health Investment Holding, Inc., has agreed to purchase 3,333,333 warrants (or 3,633,333 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $1.50 per warrant in a private placement to occur concurrently with the closing of this offering for an aggregate purchase price of $5,000,000 (or $5,450,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private warrant is identical to the public warrants sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus.

Our sponsor has indicated a potential interest to purchase our shares in a private placement that would occur concurrently with the consummation of our initial business combination. It is expected that the capital from any such private placement, if made, would be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in our initial business combination, and any excess capital from any such private placement would be used for working capital in the post-transaction company. Sponsor is under no obligation to buy any such shares and we are not under any obligation to sell any such shares. Such investment would be made on terms and conditions determined at the time of the business combination.

Our initial shareholders currently own 4,312,500 Class B ordinary shares (up to 562,500 of which are subject to forfeiture) which will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination as described herein. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors.

Currently, there is no public market for our securities. We have applied to have our units listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “PHICU.” We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. We expect the Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units to begin separate trading on Nasdaq under the symbols “PHIC” and “PHICW,” respectively, on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC informs us of its decision to permit earlier separate trading and we have satisfied certain conditions described herein.

We are an “emerging growth company” and “smaller reporting 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 38 for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.

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

 

     
        Per unit        Total  

Public offering price

     $ 10.00        $ 150,000,000  

Underwriting discounts and commissions(1)

     $ 0.55        $ 8,250,000  

Proceeds, before expenses, to us

     $ 9.45        $ 141,750,000  

 

 

 

(1)   Includes $0.35 per unit, or $5,250,000 in the aggregate (or $6,037,500 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein and released to the underwriters only upon the consummation of an initial business combination. See also “Underwriting” for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriters.

Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, $150.0 million, or $172.5 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit in either case), will be deposited into a trust account located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee.

The underwriters are offering the units for sale on a firm commitment basis. The underwriters expect to deliver the units to the purchasers on or about                     , 2020.

Book-running manager

J.P. Morgan

                    , 2020


Table of Contents

Table of contents

 

Summary

     1  

General

     2  

Our co-founders

     3  

Our sponsor

     6  

Our director nominees

     6  

Our management team

     7  

Business strategy

     9  

Initial business combination criteria

     12  

Initial business combination

     13  

The offering

     19  

Summary financial data

     37  

Risk factors

     38  

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

     78  

Use of proceeds

     79  

Dividend policy

     82  

Dilution

     83  

Capitalization

     85  

Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations

     86  

Proposed business

     91  

Management team

     92  

Business strategy

     98  

Initial business combination criteria

     102  

Management

     126  

Principal shareholders

     137  

Certain relationships and related party transactions

     140  

Description of securities

     142  

Taxation

     169  

Underwriting

     181  

Experts

     188  

Where you can find additional information

     188  


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We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information, and neither we nor the underwriters take any responsibility for any other information others may give to you. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus.

Summary

This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under “Risk Factors” and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before investing.

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

 

 

“amended and restated memorandum and articles of association” are to the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company in place upon consummation of this offering;

 

 

“Companies Law” are to the Companies Law (2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands as the same may be amended from time to time;

 

 

“company,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or “our company” are to Population Health Investment Co., Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company;

 

 

“founders” are to Clive Meanwell, our Chief Executive Officer, and Ian Read, our Executive Chairman;

 

 

“founder shares” are to our Class B ordinary shares initially issued to our sponsor, and any such shares transferred to our directors, in a private placement prior to this offering and the Class A ordinary shares that will be issued upon the automatic conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination (for the avoidance of doubt, such Class A ordinary shares will not be “public shares”);

 

 

“initial shareholders” are to our sponsor and each other holder of founder shares upon the consummation of this offering;

 

 

“ordinary shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares and our Class B ordinary shares;

 

 

“our founding team” are to our executive officers and directors (including our director nominees who will become directors at the consummation of this offering);

 

 

“private placement warrants” are to the warrants issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering and upon conversion of working capital loans, if any;

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

“sponsor” are to Population Health Investment Holding, Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company.

 

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Any forfeiture of shares described in this prospectus will take effect as a surrender of shares for no consideration as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Any conversion of the Class B ordinary shares described in this prospectus will take effect as a compulsory redemption of Class B ordinary shares and an issuance of Class A ordinary shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Any share dividends described in this prospectus will take effect as share capitalizations as a matter of Cayman Islands law.

Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option.

General

We are a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated on September 11, 2020 as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering. We have generated no operating revenues to date and we do not expect that we will generate operating revenues until we consummate 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. While we may pursue an initial business combination in any industry, sector, or geographic region, we will focus on companies in the healthcare industry, and in particular the therapeutics sector, in the United States and other developed countries. We intend to capitalize on the unique mix of experience and highly-complementary capabilities of our co-founders, Clive Meanwell and Ian Read, as well as our management team, in leading, operating and strategically positioning global companies in that sector, as well as investing and managing capital, structuring transactions and building businesses. We believe that our industry knowledge and operating experience, in addition to our co-founders’ reputations and strong track record of creating shareholder value, make us a partner of choice for owners and management teams of highly attractive private companies.

We believe that the vast networks of relationships of our founders, management team and board of directors will provide us with a significant competitive advantage in sourcing a pipeline of potential opportunities that may not be available to others.

 

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Our co-founders

Clive Meanwell

The Company was co-founded by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Clive Meanwell. Over his more than 30 years of leadership in the life sciences industry, Dr. Meanwell has built a successful track record of selecting and efficiently developing high-quality, clinical-stage, pharmaceutical assets and de-risking those assets through U.S. and E.U. regulatory approval, while creating tens of billions of dollars in shareholder value.

As the founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Medicines Company, Dr. Meanwell led evaluations of multiple biopharmaceutical assets and companies, acquired, or licensed fourteen product candidates and products, including six applicable to cardiovascular medicine, three antibiotics, and five for use in surgery and perioperative care. All eight of the product candidates advanced by The Medicines Company into Phase III clinical trials were subsequently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, representing a 100% Phase III success rate. During his leadership, The Medicines Company was ranked first among biopharmaceutical companies and in the top five among all industries in the CNBC RQ index of research and development productivity, for all years of its publication.

In 2013, Dr. Meanwell led the acquisition of inclisiran, a first-in-class, potential cholesterol-lowering therapy in the small-interfering RNA class, from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., before inclisiran entered Phase I clinical testing. The acquisition was completed for an upfront cash payment of $25 million and scaled double-digit royalties. Over the following six years, Dr. Meanwell restructured The Medicines Company to focus on the development of inclisiran into an NDA-ready asset with worldwide revenue projections in excess of $5 billion for a total capital outlay 50-70% below industry benchmarks for similar programs. Inclisiran was the single value driver behind Novartis AG’s acquisition of The Medicines Company for approximately $9.7 billion in January 2020—the third largest single-product, development-stage acquisition in the history of the global pharmaceuticals industry.

In parallel to his leadership of The Medicines Company, Dr. Meanwell has served as a member of the Board of Directors of BB Biotech since 2003. He is currently Vice Chairman of BB Biotech and Chairman of its four offshore operating subsidiaries. Through these entities, BB Biotech invests in fast-growing biotechnology companies that are developing and marketing innovative drugs that address areas of significant unmet medical needs and have above-average sales and profit-growth potential. Further, BB Biotech is one of the world’s largest investors in this sector with a market capitalization of 3.8 billion Swiss Francs (approximately $4.0 billion) and a net asset value of 3.6 billion Swiss Francs (approximately $3.8 billion), as of June 30, 2020. Dr. Meanwell has played an instrumental role in BB Biotech’s governance, strategy, development and growth, as well as reporting of its performance. He has been one of three investment decision-makers at the firm for 17 years and, with its Chief Executive Officer, has co-authored its quarterly reports to shareholders for the last six years.

BB Biotech’s investment portfolio typically consists of between 20 to 35 biotechnology companies spanning the spectrum from small-cap to established large-caps. Most of BB Biotech’s investments are in U.S. companies. Therapeutic areas of investments include oncology, orphan diseases, neurological diseases, cardiometabolic diseases, and infectious diseases, including diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines and contemporary technologies such as RNA platforms and cell and gene therapies. BB Biotech makes public and private equity, debt, and option investments. Dr. Meanwell has participated in multi-stage due diligence processes, working with the analysis team to review a target investment company’s financial statements in detail, and assess its competitive environment, research and development pipeline, and patent portfolio, as well as its customers’

 

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perceptions of its products and services. Close contact with executives of companies that BB Biotech invests in is of high importance in the due diligence process, and during the securities holding period, and Dr. Meanwell has cultivated widespread and productive relationships with biotech company leaders, past and present, worldwide.

Prior to founding The Medicines Company, Dr. Meanwell held executive positions of increasing responsibility at Roche Holding AG, the Swiss-headquartered global pharmaceutical company, ultimately rising to Director and Senior Vice President. At Roche, Dr. Meanwell led the clinical development of Neupogen® in a partnership with Amgen Inc., including authoring clinical sections of the FDA biologics license application and a European marketing authorization for the product, and leading the medical marketing of Neupogen in Roche territories. Neupogen and its long-acting analogue, Neulasta®, became standard treatments in a range of oncology patients and have achieved aggregate global sales of more than $110 billion—among the largest in the history of the industry. In 1990, Roche acquired a majority stake in Genentech Inc. and subsequently, Dr. Meanwell was appointed as one of two Roche executives to coordinate with Genentech leaders the joint management of the portfolio of products discovered and developed by Genentech, including Roche’s election to commercialize them. Also at Roche, Dr. Meanwell led a multi-year initiative to re-engineer global product development, devising ways of working for multidisciplinary global project teams, and a range of systems and tools to enable drug development efficiency, quality and commercial relevance. When Roche acquired Syntex Corporation in 1994, Dr. Meanwell was appointed Senior Vice President of Roche Biosciences in Palo Alto, California and made responsible for the worldwide restructuring and integration of the two companies’ research and development organizations. During that time, he also oversaw the development of drugs which were discovered at Syntex and then became central to Roche’s global portfolio.

Dr. Meanwell co-founded Population Health Partners (“PHP”) in May 2020 as an investment company supported by proprietary drug development and payer engagement platforms, with a goal of harnessing his decades of drug development experience into an entity with the breadth and flexibility to contribute to scientific, regulatory and commercial de-risking for a wide range of innovative medical therapeutics.

Through these roles, over the span of more than three decades, Dr. Meanwell has built a substantial, proprietary network across public- and private-equity backed companies, the investment community, universities, policymakers, and regulators. During that time, Dr. Meanwell has been a member of a variety of industry boards, including the Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). Dr. Meanwell was an ad hoc advisor to President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Dr. Meanwell is a recipient of the Dr. Sol J. Barer Award for Vision, Innovation and Leadership and of an Ernst and Young award for entrepreneurship.

Ian Read

The Company was co-founded by its Executive Chairman, Ian Read. Mr. Read brings a distinguished 42-year track record as one of the foremost leaders, dealmakers, and shareholder value creators in the global biopharmaceutical industry.

Mr. Read was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer from December 2010 until January 2019, and Executive Chairman until December 2019. During that tenure, he oversaw over 30 new drug approvals, $88 billion in acquisition and divestiture deals, and a total shareholder return of 250%—representing over $242 billion in value creation—in the wake of the 2011 patent expiry of Lipitor, then the largest single product in the history of the industry. Upon his retirement, the company possessed one of the strongest pipelines in the industry, with over 15 potential pharmaceutical blockbusters in mid-to-late stage development.

 

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Mr. Read oversaw a period of industry-shaping innovation regarding the structure of Pfizer and its portfolio. He executed a novel spin-out of the company’s animal health business into what became Zoetis in 2013—widely regarded as one of the most successful pharmaceutical spin-outs in recent history. Zoetis’ market value has increased six-fold since its launch, creating precedent for similar spinouts by Eli Lilly and Merck. Mr. Read also oversaw a re-organization of Pfizer into three groups with three fundamentally different risk-return profiles—one focused on innovative pharmaceuticals, another focused on established, post-loss of exclusivity pharmaceuticals, and a third focused on consumer health. This presaged two major deals in 2019 that transformed the company: The spin-merger of the established products business into Mylan Pharmaceuticals, creating a new $20 billion entity by 2020 estimated pro forma revenues (Viatris); and the creation of a consumer healthcare joint venture with GlaxoSmithKline. Within the innovative portfolio, Mr. Read oversaw the creation of dedicated entities to develop the company’s CAR-T portfolio (Allogene) and its Neuroscience portfolio (Cerevel). The go-forward Pfizer is exclusively focused on innovative therapeutics in oncology, rare disease, internal medicine, immunology, and vaccines, and remains one of the top five pharmaceutical companies by revenue globally.

Mr. Read also oversaw the acquisition of 22 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for a total of $54 billion during his tenure, alongside dozens of major licensing agreements. Notable deals included Hospira ($17.1 billion) Anacor ($4.8 billion), Medivation ($14.0 billion), and the acquisition of AstraZeneca’s small molecule antibiotics business ($1.6 billion). Mr. Read also conceived and initiated potentially transformative acquisitions of AstraZeneca ($100 billion) and Allergan ($160 billion), which were highly influential in shaping the strategic directions of both of those companies going forward.

Finally, Mr. Read oversaw notable transformations in the culture and performance of Pfizer. His efforts to create an “ownership culture” at the company laid the pathway for substantial improvements in productivity and employee retention and satisfaction, returning the organization to operational growth and earning an industry-leading 85% colleague engagement score. Through culture-related initiatives and broader strategic initiatives, Mr. Read also led a transformation of the organization’s R&D group from one of the least productive in the industry to a top-tier capability, setting the stage for over 30 approvals and over 15 organically-developed potential blockbuster assets in mid-to-late stage development by the end of his tenure.

Mr. Read joined Pfizer as an operational auditor in 1978 and proceeded into roles of increasing responsibility. As CEO of Brazil from 1992 through 1995, he oversaw a fully integrated business including a complex manufacturing organization, successfully launched four products, and grew sales from $100 million to $330 million. Subsequently as President of Pharmaceuticals for Latin America and Canada from 1996 through 2001, he oversaw local development of Lipitor and Zithromax, and achieved 20% topline and 10% bottom-line growth, exceeding $1 billion in sales. From 2002 to 2005 he was President of Pharmaceuticals for Europe and Canada, delivering high-single-digit revenue and profitability growth with revenue responsibility of more than $7 billion, while overseeing the European integration of Farmacia. He also led a significant reorganization of the company’s European operations, integrating operations at a regional level and simplifying in-country operations.

From 2005 until his appointment as Chairman and CEO in 2010, Mr. Read took global responsibility for the company’s $29 billion pharmaceuticals business and became part of the global leadership team. He played a key role in the $68 billion acquisition of Wyeth and its integration into Pfizer, and architected a restructuring of the pharmaceuticals business into independent, therapeutic area-aligned business units, integrating product development into each global business to ensure continuity of strategy and resource allocation through the innovation cycle.

 

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Mr. Read is lead independent director at Kimberly Clark, having joined that company’s Board of Directors in 2007. He also serves as Chairman of DXC Technology and will become a founding member of the Board of Directors of Viatris upon the completion of that company’s formation. He is also an Operating Executive at the Carlyle Group.

Our sponsor

Our sponsor is an affiliate of PHP, an investment firm founded in May 2020 to invest in private life sciences companies. PHP’s focus is companies with highly innovative, clinical stage therapeutics and related platform technologies that could have a significant population impact. PHP has a comprehensive approach to supporting its portfolio companies with strategic, operational, clinical and financial expertise to efficiently expedite clinical development, regulatory approval and commercialization.

PHP has assembled a network of experts to scale the approaches to highly efficient new product development pioneered by Dr. Meanwell during his tenure at The Medicines Company, with an aim to match or exceed efficiencies achieved in prior programs. PHP is also assembling a global consortium of progressive payers and health systems focused on repeating and building upon a landmark population-scale access agreement for inclisiran with the NHS England in 2019, developed by Dr. Meanwell and subsequently announced by Novartis. We believe these platforms will be an important resource to our efforts to identify and assess potential targets. We also believe these platforms could bring substantial value to a potential target following a transaction, enabling efficiencies in go-forward research and development activities, and unique opportunities to commercially de-risk technologies prior to launch.

Our Sponsor has engaged a board of advisors, including Muzammil Mansuri, Daniel Koller, and Sid Senroy, to support opportunity identification and diligence activities. Mr. Mansuri previously led Strategy and Business Development for Gilead Sciences and then Sanofi S.A., and now serves as a Venture Partner at F-Prime Capital. Mr. Koller is Head of Portfolio Management at BB Biotech, with $4.0 billion under management in a concentrated portfolio focused on innovative biopharma platform technologies. Mr. Senroy is a biopharma regulatory compliance and quality management expert who currently leads RegDev, Inc.

Our director nominees

Farah Champsi, Independent Director Nominee

Farah Champsi has spent over 30 years evaluating, advising and building companies in the life sciences industry as a Managing Director and General Partner at Alta Partners, a leading venture capital firm and as a senior banker at Robertson Stephens, a preeminent emerging growth investment bank. From 1987 to 1999, Ms. Champsi was the lead banker for numerous successful initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions and financings in the biotech industry. In her subsequent role at Alta Partners (2000-present), Ms. Champsi raised over $1 billion in venture funds, served as a board member of 14 public and private companies, and led investments in many companies, including Kite Pharma (acquired by Gilead for $11.9 billion in 2017), Portola Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Alexion Pharmaceuticals for $1.4 billion in 2020), Excaliard Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer in 2011) and Agensys (acquired by Astellas in 2007).

Ms. Champsi has a B.A. from Smith College and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. She currently serves on the board of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals and as a trustee of Smith College.

We believe the Company will benefit from Ms. Champsi’s extensive network and reputation for constructive, active engagement and trusted working relationships with managements of dynamic, fast-growth companies.

 

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Clarke Futch, Independent Director Nominee

Clarke Futch brings over 30 years of experience in biopharmaceutical/healthcare investing and financing, having raised over $5 billion across eight investment vehicles, and executed more than 100 transactions, including royalty, equity, debt and M&A deals. Since 2001, as co-founder, Managing Partner, and Chairman of the Investment Committee at Healthcare Royalty Partners, he has led or co-led more than 50 royalty and related debt financings representing more than $3 billion of invested capital, involving companies ranging from emerging biopharma to some of the largest global pharmaceutical companies. Before co-founding Healthcare Royalty Partners, Mr. Futch served as a partner at Paul Capital Partners where he co-managed the firm’s royalty investments as a member of the royalty management committee.

Mr. Futch previously served as a founding member of the healthcare group at Thomas Weisel Partners (now Stifel), and as a vice president at Raymond James. He holds a B.A., magna cum laude, from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

We believe the company will benefit from Mr. Futch’s expansive network across the biopharmaceutical industry, his decades of experience structuring and executing a broad range of innovative transactions, and his trusted relationships with major institutional investors.

Charles Homcy, Independent Director Nominee

Charles Homcy, M.D. brings over 30 years of experience as a physician, entrepreneur, biotech executive, and investor. Dr. Homcy co-founded Portola Pharmaceuticals in 2003, and served as its President and Chief Executive Officer until 2010. Prior to that, Dr. Homcy served as the president of research and development at Millennium Pharmaceuticals and COR Therapeutics (acquired by Millennium in 2002). He was a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco Medical School, and an attending physician at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Hospital from 1997 to 2011.

Dr. Homcy currently serves on the board of directors of BridgeBio, and as Chairman of Pharmaceuticals. He was previously a partner at Third Rock Ventures, where he launched and built several major, publicly traded biopharmaceutical companies including MyoKardia and Global Blood Therapeutics. He has a B.A. and M.D. from Johns Hopkins University and currently serves on its board of trustees.

We believe the company will benefit from Dr. Homcy’s extensive network among biotechnology entrepreneurs and executives, his drug discovery and development expertise, and his track record as a strategic investor, founder, and operator.

Our management team

Chris Visioli, Chief Financial Officer

Until May 2020, Mr. Visioli served as Chief Financial Officer at The Medicines Company, where he was responsible for leading financial strategy, information technology, and served on the executive leadership team. During his tenure as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Visioli raised over $300 million in outside capital and co-managed the global business development process which resulted in the sale of the company to Novartis AG for $9.7 billion in January of 2020. Prior to becoming Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Visioli led business development for the company, overseeing the acquisition of eight product candidates in cardiovascular medicine, infectious disease, and surgery and perioperative care, as well as the divestiture of seven marketed assets to fund the development of inclisiran.

 

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Prior to his time at The Medicines Company, Mr. Visioli was a Management Consultant at Ernst & Young and Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, focused on assisting start up technology businesses to design, develop and scale back office and technology capabilities, in addition to customized system development work for large financial service and communication institutions.

Mr. Visioli has an M.B.A. with Honors, from Columbia Business School and a B.S. in electrical engineering, cum laude, from Cornell University.

Chris Cox, Senior Vice President

Chris Cox is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Population Health Partners. Mr. Cox has been a corporate attorney for over 25 years, most recently at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, which he joined as a partner in January 2012 and where he served as co-chair of the global corporate group and a member of the firm’s management committee until February 2016. Mr. Cox specializes in structuring, negotiating and executing complex M&A transactions, joint ventures, restructurings, spinoffs, and debt and equity financings across a broad range of industries. He has been recognized as one of the leading M&A attorneys in the United States, having represented clients in over $200 billion of M&A transactions and related financings over the course of his career.

From February 2016 to March 2019, Mr. Cox was Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Development Officer of The Medicines Company.

Mr. Cox has a B.S. and J.D. from the University of Missouri.

Whit Bernard, Senior Vice President

Whit Bernard is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Population Health Partners. Prior to that, Mr. Bernard served as Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Business Development at The Medicines Company, where he had responsibility for corporate strategy and go-to-market planning, and co-managed a global business development process which resulted in the sale of the company to Novartis AG for $9.7 billion in January 2020. Subsequent to the closing of that transaction, Mr. Bernard co-led the integration of The Medicines Company into Novartis.

Prior to his role at The Medicines Company, Mr. Bernard was an Associate Partner in the Life Sciences Practice at McKinsey and Company, where he advised large pharmaceutical firms and clinical-stage biotechnology companies on growth strategy, go-to-market strategy, transactions, and operations. Mr. Bernard was also active in the firm’s private equity practice, advising and leading diligence efforts on a range of over $1 billion pharmaceutical and healthcare services deals. Mr. Bernard co-founded a service line within McKinsey focused on emerging biotechnology firms, and gained experience advising a range of pre- and post-IPO life sciences companies at critical stages of their maturation.

Mr. Bernard has an M.B.A., with Honors, from the Kellogg School of Management and a B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, from Brown University.

***

Our co-founders, director nominees, and management team, supported by Population Health Partners, bring highly complementary capabilities across Fortune 50 corporate and board leadership, M&A, venture capital, public market investing, banking and financial services, and global biopharma product development, manufacturing, and commercialization. Through their respective careers, they have worked with or been founders, CEOs, board members and management team members of companies operating across a broad range of therapeutic medicinal areas, at various stages of their life cycles and with enterprise values ranging from

 

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micro-cap to over $200 billion. Many of them have enjoyed longstanding personal and professional relationships with one another, spanning over 20 years, and all share a common vision for investing in and developing market-leading innovative health technologies and businesses.

The past experience and performance of our founder, management team and board of directors is not a guarantee of either (i) our ability to successfully identify and execute an initial business combination or (ii) that we will provide attractive returns to our shareholders from an initial business combination. You should not rely on the historical record of our officers or directors as indicative of our future performance.

Business strategy

Competitive strengths

We believe that our widely-respected capabilities as senior leaders, drug developers and commercial leaders in the biopharmaceuticals sector, our extensive expertise in evaluating, investing in, and building companies in that sector, and our broad and deep network of relationships across the biopharmaceutical ecosystem will position us to source, analyze and execute a high-quality initial business combination that delivers substantial value for our shareholders. Specifically, we plan to leverage our competitive strengths, including the following:

1. Long track record of biopharmaceutical industry expertise.    Our co-founders and management team, supported by our board of directors, bring a uniquely distinguished track record in a range of operational and strategic leadership capacities that we believe provide us with a strong competitive advantage and will be uniquely valuable for a broad range of potential target companies. These capabilities include:

 

 

Executive leadership and board governance.    Our co-founders bring a combined over 60 years of leadership experience of the biopharmaceutical industry, chairing boards of directors, overseeing corporate strategy devising and implementing restructuring initiatives, alongside major cultural and performance transformations impacting thousands of colleagues.

 

 

Highly efficient, high-quality life sciences product development.    Our founders have extensive experience overseeing R&D portfolio decisions and resourcing. Dr. Meanwell brings over 30 years of hands-on experience in drug development, designing, directing and reporting complex multidisciplinary programs including animal pharmacology, toxicology, manufacturing development, human pharmacology and clinical trials—including large phase III and IV studies. At The Medicines Company alone, more than 20 large-scale trials enrolled an aggregate of more than 90,000 patients, and led to 25 peer-reviewed publications in leading medical journals and eight new drug approvals by the FDA, with a 100% Phase III success rate. The inclisiran program enrolled over 18,000 patients, delivered multiple top-tier peer-reviewed articles, and was conducted at a total capital outlay 50-70% below industry benchmarks for similar programs.

 

 

Advanced manufacturing development and supply chain management.    Dr. Meanwell oversaw pioneering work in large-scale manufacturing development and production of peptides, and of oligonucleotides at The Medicines Company and led regulatory activities which included Roche manufacturing. Mr. Read oversaw one of the largest manufacturing and supply chain operations in the pharmaceutical industry.

 

 

Deep regulatory expertise.    During Dr. Meanwell’s tenure as Global Head of Regulatory affairs at Roche, and subsequently during his leadership of The Medicines Company, he oversaw effective engagement with life sciences regulators in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, China, and other major markets, including numerous new drug approvals. Dr. Meanwell was an ad hoc advisor to President Obama’s PCAST review of FDA organization and operations.

 

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Innovative commercialization and payer relationships.    Mr. Read has overseen commercialization of some of the largest pharmaceutical products in history. His deep experience and relationships with leaders of global payers and health systems will be available to a target as a resource. Dr. Meanwell, Mr. Visioli, Mr. Bernard, and Mr. Cox collaboratively conceived, created, and negotiated a substantial, first-of-its-kind market access agreement with the NHS England to treat at least 300,000 patients per year with inclisiran after its approval and to perform a 40,000 patient cardiovascular outcomes trial (to be conducted at unprecedented levels of efficiency through NHS England), and a landmark manufacturing development agreement. This agreement provided a novel framework for a large health system to pre-commit to commercial supply in advance of approval.

 

 

Corporate development and deal-making.    Mr. Read’s industry-leading experience overseeing and architecting $88 billion in acquisition and divestiture deals will be a uniquely valuable resource to potential target companies which may seek collaborations with large pharmaceutical companies as a means of unlocking shareholder value. Dr. Meanwell led significant buy-and-build activities as a core strategy of The Medicines Company. We believe their experiences and perspectives are synergistic with our management team’s recent experience operationalizing a $9.7 billion exit for shareholders of The Medicines Company.

2. Unique vantage point on target opportunities.    We believe that our management team’s long track record of operational experience also brings a unique aptitude for effective analysis of target opportunities, and identification of value creation opportunities which may not be apparent to others. The linkage of Mr. Read’s and Dr. Meanwell’s networks, executive leadership experience and deep operational knowledge with the broader management team’s analytic investment, commercial strategy, and diligence experience will form a uniquely synergistic capability in this regard.

3. Deal access and deal cultivation expertise.    We believe that the extensive relationships of our founders, management team and board of directors with biopharmaceutical industry executives, biotechnology entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and private equity executives, and academic and public sector leaders will provide ample access to attractive target opportunities, many of which will be proprietary and/or unavailable to other potential acquirers.

4. M&A and financing experience.    Our founders and management team, supported by our board of directors, bring a combined over $400 billion in structuring, negotiating, and executing M&A and related financing or investment transactions. We believe this experience positions us to effectively source, design and consummate a transaction on attractive terms for our shareholders.

Market and industry opportunity

Our focus will be on the therapeutics sector of healthcare in the United States and other developed countries. We believe the therapeutics sector, particularly the biotech sector, represents an enormous, growing market with a large number of potential target opportunities, backed by several major trends:

 

 

Rising healthcare costs.    Total U.S. health expenditures currently exceed $3.6 trillion, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has projected that total healthcare spending will grow at a 5.4% per year until 2028, when they are predicted to reach $6.2 trillion, or approximately 20% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product. We believe that the secular growth in healthcare is driven by underlying factors that will continue to foster market expansion and, therefore, investment opportunities—particularly in technologies that can improve the overall return on healthcare investment for society.

 

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Shift from fee-for-service to outcomes-based payment models.    We believe that the U.S. healthcare market is in the midst of a broad shift from paying for activities and inputs to paying for outcomes, and that this shift will accelerate demand for new kinds of therapeutic solutions that deliver reliable, quantifiable outcomes and improve the cost/quality dynamic at a population level. We believe this shift will also drive increased focus on therapeutic attributes not traditionally considered in clinical development—including adherence, patient satisfaction, and reductions in waste and medical errors. Finally, we believe that expanded focus on the social determinants of health, and on inequalities of healthcare outcomes, will drive demand for differentiated therapeutic solutions that affordably and equitably distribute therapeutic benefit in a real-world setting.

 

 

Expanded role of payers (insurers, employers and consumers) in therapeutic choices.    While medical doctors will continue to manage frontline care, we believe their scope of decision-making is diminishing as expectations of higher quality and greater efficiency of care grow. Consumer awareness of healthcare costs, demands for better performance from employer sponsors, and expanded capitation schemes in Medicare mean that payers need greater coordination with therapeutic innovators before new products come to market, and greater input into shaping and prioritizing development-stage therapeutics.

 

 

Shift toward external innovation in pharmaceutical R&D.    Over recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has increasingly shifted its research and development strategy towards external innovation through in-licensing transactions and strategic acquisitions. In 2019, biotechnology mergers and acquisitions, or M&A, totaled $217.2 billion according to EvaluatePharma. We believe that large pharmaceutical companies will continue to externalize innovation to build capabilities and drive growth.

 

 

Increased pace of global regulatory approvals.    In addition to the considerable innovation capital being deployed, regulators worldwide are coordinating their work and accelerating their processes of product review. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, is taking steps to streamline its approval processes and facilitate new approaches to bring product to market more efficiently. Near-simultaneous regulatory submissions in the U.S., Europe, Japan and China are becoming normal practice, accelerating uptake of innovative therapeutics. Furthermore, private companies are partnering with the FDA and other government agencies to find innovative solutions to address the cost and quality challenges of clinical research. The number of new molecular entities approved by the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Review has increased substantially over the last 10 years from 24 in 2008 to 48 in 2019, after hitting a peak of 59 in 2018.

 

 

Impact of COVID-19 responses on innovation in healthcare ecosystem.    We believe the global COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the critical role of the biopharmaceutical industry in society, and accelerated a number of important, positive trends for value creation in the industry, notably: 1) coordination and acceleration of research and development from discovery to human testing; 2) improved efficiency and quality of manufacturing, particularly for complex molecules; 3) a validation of innovative methods for highly efficient, fast-recruiting, large-scale clinical trials; 4) an ongoing shift in the regulatory environment in favor of streamlined, sometimes provisional, approvals and innovative development strategies; and 5) a shift toward commercial pre-commitments from major government and health systems for drug candidates that create substantial value for public health, in exchange for favorable pricing and guaranteed volume.

More specifically, we have observed a significant dislocation of value in the biopharmaceutical industry, driven by a decades-long bias among large pharmaceutical companies towards oncology and monogenic diseases. This bias has manifested in a striking structural shift. In 2000, the top ten pharmaceutical products generated approximately $36 billion in total global revenue and addressed a total U.S. target population of approximately

 

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112 million people, based on an analysis of data from Truven and Evaluate. In 2020, the top ten pharmaceutical products are projected to generate approximately $93 billion in total global revenue and address a total target population of approximately 18 million people. This represents a sixteen-fold shift towards higher-priced therapeutics targeting narrower addressable populations away from the highly prevalent conditions that continue to drive the largest health burden in major developed markets (i.e., cardiovascular disease, obesity, chronic respiratory conditions, complications of diabetes, and prevalent behavioral health and central nervous system conditions).

We believe this dislocation has been driven by two basic assumptions. First, that large-scale clinical trials are prohibitively expensive to execute, and thus dilutive to overall project value. Second, that the market risk for large-scale clinical indications—those directed at a patient population of more than one million—is greater than for narrower indications where a higher per-patient price can be supported. We believe that our decades of experience in large-scale drug development and payer engagement directly disproves both of these assumptions, positioning us to unlock substantial value in potential targets in prevalent therapeutic categories that may be undervalued on a relative basis.

Additionally, we believe that the increased concentration of leading biopharmaceutical companies in oncology and monogenic diseases leaves in its wake a range of high-quality, potential blockbuster assets within large pharmaceuticals pipelines which are no longer core to company strategies. We plan to actively explore such assets in the context of a potential transaction.

Finally, we believe that there are many benefits for private healthcare companies, particularly private biotech companies, to become publicly traded, including greater access to capital, a broader investor base, and greater market awareness. The complexity of executing an initial public offering at a critical strategic juncture can create substantial risks, however, which we believe makes acquisition by a special-purpose acquisition company led by a trusted, respected management team a preferred method of accessing the public markets due to increased deal certainty, transparency and efficiency. We also believe that the ability of a target company’s management to immediately leverage the deep and demonstrated sector expertise of our founders and management team will be an advantage in sourcing opportunities, and will create compelling opportunities for value creation after the initial business combination.

We believe that there is unprecedented investor demand for IPOs in the biotechnology sector and that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a renewed appreciation of the critical contributions the biotechnology sector makes to society, which in turn will continue to fuel investor demand. Between 2015 and 2019, more than $170 billion has been raised by biotechnology companies in the U.S. public capital markets. This includes approximately $21 billion raised by companies across 183 initial public offerings. Moreover, of the approximately 14,000 biotechnology companies operating globally, only a small fraction are publicly traded.

Initial business combination criteria

We have developed the following high-level, non-exclusive and non-exhaustive criteria to further evaluate target businesses and technologies:

 

 

Potential for substantial impact in population health.    We believe a disproportionate share of the most attractive long-term opportunities in the biopharmaceutical pipeline are in technologies that bring differentiated solutions to the leading preventable causes of morbidity and mortality for major governments and health systems. We believe these opportunities will also align with the objectives of a growing number of investors interested in environmental, social, governance (“ESG”) issues.

 

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Attractive valuation and path to near-term value creation.    We will seek to acquire a business at an attractive valuation, with a clear path for further de-risking of one or more pivotal technologies, to unlock near-to-medium term market value. We will seek to stabilize the capital structure of the acquired business, inclusive of debt, in a manner that is conservative and aligned to the medium-to-long-term objectives of the business.

 

 

Manageable clinical development risk.    We will generally prioritize targets whose technology has already achieved clinical proof of concept and reflects clear-cut anticipated biopharmaceutical effects. We believe our founders’ and management team’s operational experience selecting and developing assets, along with our expert networks in industry and among opinion leaders in medicine and academia, position us to effectively assess scientific and clinical risk for new biopharmaceutical product candidates.

 

 

Ability of our founders, management team, and PHP to unlock value.    We will prioritize businesses where our operating expertise and networks are disproportionately poised to unlock value—for example, businesses that would benefit from operationalizing large-scale late-stage clinical trials or entering into population-scale agreements with major payers or health systems. Our goal is to acquire a business that will be substantially more valuable as a public entity with our founders and management team involved than it would be in a comparable transaction with a purely financial acquirer.

 

 

Value to consumers, global payers and health systems.    We will prioritize therapeutics that can meet or exceed increasing global expectations for value in healthcare by delivering better overall outcomes and improved cost performance. We will leverage PHP’s and our founders’ relationships with payer and health system leaders as an important source of input in validating and conducting diligence on targets in this regard.

 

 

Target management team.    We view target management teams in two broad categories:

 

  1.   Targets with well-qualified, effective management teams open to support from PHP. Our priority will be to acquire businesses with a strong leadership team whose incentives are aligned to those of our equity-holders, and who would also benefit from our expertise and network. We view this as the most likely scenario.

 

  2.   Targets with management teams that require augmentation or a ground-up rebuild. An advantage of the network and operational capabilities of our founders and PHP is our ability to rapidly stand-up an industry-leading operational capability, if relevant and accretive to an attractively-priced transaction. We view this scenario as less likely.

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

Initial business combination

Nasdaq rules and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association require that our initial business combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal

 

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to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount) at the time of signing the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. We refer to this as the 80% net assets test. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the partner business or businesses or we are considering an initial business combination with an affiliated entity, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, or an independent valuation or accounting firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. Our shareholders may not be provided with a copy of such opinion nor will they be able to rely on such opinion.

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 a partner business or businesses, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the partner company’s business, there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the company’s assets or prospects, including if such company is at an early stage of development, operations or growth, or if the anticipated transaction involves a complex financial analysis or other specialized skills and our board of directors determines that outside expertise would be helpful or necessary in conducting such analysis. Since any opinion, if obtained, would merely state that the fair market value of the partner business meets the 80% of net assets test, unless such opinion includes material information regarding the valuation of a partner business or the consideration to be provided, it is not anticipated that copies of such opinion would be distributed to our shareholders; however, if required under applicable law, any proxy statement that we deliver to shareholders and file with the SEC in connection with a proposed transaction will include such opinion.

We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-business combination company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the partner business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-business combination company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the partner business in order to meet certain objectives of the partner management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-business combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the partner business or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the partner 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-business combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the partner business, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the partner business and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a partner business. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the partner business. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to the completion of our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a partner business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-business combination company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If the business combination involves more than one partner business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the partner businesses and we will treat the partner businesses together as the initial business combination for purposes of a tender offer or for seeking shareholder approval, as applicable.

 

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In addition, our sponsor has indicated a potential interest to purchase our shares in a private placement that would occur concurrently with the consummation of our initial business combination. It is expected that the capital from any such private placement, if made, would be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in our initial business combination, and any excess capital from any such private placement would be used for working capital in the post-transaction company. Sponsor is under no obligation to buy any such shares and we are not under any obligation to sell any such shares. Such investment would be made on terms and conditions determined at the time of the business combination. If we sell shares to our sponsor (or any other investor) in connection with our initial business combination, the equity interest of investors in this offering in the combined company may be diluted and the market prices for our securities may be adversely affected. In addition, if the per share trading price of our ordinary shares is greater than the price per share paid in the private placement, the private placement will result in value dilution to you, in addition to the immediate dilution that you will experience in connection with the consummation of this offering. See “Dilution.”

Other considerations

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination or subsequent transaction with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, founders, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor or any of our founders, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent valuation or accounting firm that such initial business combination or transaction is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.

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

We have not selected any business combination partner and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination partner. We have not (nor has anyone on our behalf) contacted any prospective partner business or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to a business combination transaction with our company. Additionally, we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any substantive measure, directly or indirectly, to identify or locate 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.

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

In addition, certain of our founders, officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary and contractual duties to other entities, including without limitation, any future special purpose acquisition companies we expect they may be involved in and investment funds, accounts,

 

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co-investment vehicles and other entities such entities have invested. As a result, if any of our founders, officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he, she or it has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations (including, without limitation, any future special purpose acquisition companies we expect they may be involved in and any other investment vehicles), then he or she may be required to honor such fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, before we can pursue such opportunity. If these funds or investment entities decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing the same.

However, we do not expect these duties to materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. To address the matters set out above our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in any business combination opportunity which may be a corporate opportunity for both us and Population Health Partners or its affiliates and any companies in which Population Health Partners or its affiliates and any companies in which Population Health Partners or such entities have invested about which any of our officers or directors acquires knowledge and we will waive any claim or cause of action we may have in respect thereof. In addition our amended and restated articles of association will contain provisions to exculpate and indemnify, to the maximum extent permitted by law, such persons in respect of any liability, obligation or duty to the Company that may arise as a consequence of such persons becoming aware of any business opportunity or failing to present such business opportunity.

In addition, our founders, 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. In particular, in the future we expect certain of our officers and directors may be officers and/or directors of other future special purpose acquisition companies.

Summary of risk factors

Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those highlighted in the section titled “Risk Factors” immediately following this prospectus summary. These risks include, without limitation, the following:

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

Our shareholders 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 shareholders do not support such a 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.

 

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor and members of our founding team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote.

 

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The ability of our public shareholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination partners, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a business combination with a partner.

 

 

The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.

 

 

The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares could increase the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your shares.

 

 

The requirement that we consummate an initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering may give potential partner 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 partners, 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 shareholders.

 

 

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

 

 

We may not be able to consummate an initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate.

 

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, 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 Class A ordinary shares or public warrants.

 

 

If a shareholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our initial business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.

 

 

You will not 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.

 

 

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.

 

 

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

 

 

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 do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

 

If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for the 24 months following the closing of this offering, it could

 

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limit the amount available to fund our search for a partner business or businesses and complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or founding team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.

Corporate information

Our executive offices are located at One World Financial Center, New York, New York 10281.

We are a Cayman Islands exempted company. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies conducting business mainly outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Law. As an exempted company, we have applied for and received a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Tax Concessions Law (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 30 years from the date of the undertaking, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations will apply to us or our operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax will be payable (i) on or in respect of our shares, debentures or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of dividend or other distribution of income or capital by us to our shareholders or a payment of principal or interest or other sums due under a debenture or other obligation of us.

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 (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 shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” 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 Class A ordinary shares held by

 

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non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30.

The offering

In deciding whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the backgrounds of the members of our founding 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” of this prospectus.

 

Securities offered

15,000,000 units (or 17,250,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of:

 

   

one Class A ordinary share; and

 

   

one-third of one redeemable warrant.

 

Proposed Nasdaq symbols

Units: PHICU

 

  Class A ordinary shares: PHIC

 

  Warrants: PHICW

 

Trading commencement and separation of Class A ordinary shares and warrants

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

 

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

 

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

In no event will the Class A ordinary shares and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering. 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.

 

   
Units:      
Number outstanding before this offering    0
Number outstanding after this offering    15,000,000(1)
Ordinary shares:   
Number outstanding before this offering    3,750,000(2)(3)
Number outstanding after this offering    18,750,000(1)(2)(3)(4)
Warrants:   

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

   3,333,333(1)

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

   8,333,333(1)(5)
Exercisability    Each whole warrant sold in this offering is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share, subject to adjustment as described herein. Only whole warrants are exercisable.
      We structured each unit to contain one-third of one
redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant
exercisable for one Class A ordinary share, as
compared to units issued by some other similar
blank check companies which contain whole
warrants exercisable for one whole share, in order
to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon
completion of a business combination as compared
to units that each contain a whole warrant to
purchase one whole Class A ordinary share, thus
making us, we believe, a more attractive business
combination partner for partner businesses.

 

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(1)   Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.

 

(2)   Founder shares are currently classified as Class B ordinary shares, which shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights” and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.

 

(3)   Does not include up to 562,500 founder shares that are currently outstanding and subject to forfeiture if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised.

 

(4)   Includes 15,000,000 public shares and 3,750,000 founder shares, assuming 562,500 founder shares have been forfeited.

 

(5)   Includes 5,000,000 public warrants included in the units sold in this offering and 3,333,333 private placement warrants to be sold in the private placement.

 

Exercise price

$11.50 per whole share, subject to adjustments as described herein. In addition, if (x) we issue additional Class A ordinary shares 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 Class A ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance), or 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 ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day after the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $10.00 and 18.00 per share redemption trigger prices described below under “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equal or exceed $10.00” and “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 100% and 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, respectively.

 

Exercise period

The warrants will become exercisable on the later of:

 

   

30 days after the completion of our initial business combination; and

 

   

12 months from the closing of this offering; provided in each case that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement). If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

 

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  We are not registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants at this time. However, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, and we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement; provided that if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement. If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th day after the closing of the initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when 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, but 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 of warrants for cash when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00

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;

 

   

at a price of $0.01 per warrant;

 

   

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

 

   

if, and only if, the last reported sales price (the “closing price”) of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the

 

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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 (the “Reference Value”).

 

  We will not redeem the warrants as described above unless an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period. Any such exercise would not be on a “cashless” basis and would require the exercising warrant holder to pay the exercise price for each warrant being exercised.

 

Redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00

After the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants:

 

   

in whole and not in part;

 

   

at $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that holders will be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of shares determined by reference to the table set forth under “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants” based on the redemption date and the “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares (as defined below);

 

   

if, and only if, the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $10.00 per public share (as adjusted per share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) on the trading day before we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders; and

 

   

if the Reference Value is less than $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like), then the private placement warrants must also concurrently be called for redemption on the same terms (except as described herein with respect to a holder’s ability to cashless exercise its warrants) as the outstanding public warrants as described above.

 

  The “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares shall mean the volume-weighted average price of our Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. This redemption feature differs from the typical warrant redemption features used in other blank check offerings. We will provide our warrant holders with the final fair market value no later than one business day after the 10-day trading period described above ends. In no event will the warrants be exercisable in connection with this redemption feature for more than 0.361 Class A ordinary shares per warrant (subject to adjustment).

 

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  No fractional Class A ordinary shares will be issued upon redemption. If, upon redemption, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will round down to the nearest whole number of the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the holder. Please see the section entitled “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants” for additional information.

 

Founder shares

On September 17, 2020, our sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.0058 per share, to cover for certain offering costs in consideration for 4,312,500 founder shares.

 

  Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by the sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per-share price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a share capitalization or a share surrender or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial shareholders (and their permitted transferees), on an as-converted basis, at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. Up to 562,500 founder shares held by our sponsor are subject to forfeiture, depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised.

 

  The founder shares are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, except that:

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

our sponsor and our founding team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares they hold, (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to

 

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any founder shares they hold if we fail to consummate an initial business combination within 24 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 24 months from the closing of this offering). If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive approval pursuant to an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the shares voted at a general meeting of the company. In such case, our sponsor and each member of our founding team have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 5,625,001 or 37.5%, of the 15,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised);

 

   

the founder shares will automatically convert into our Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights” and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; and

 

   

the founder shares are entitled to registration rights.

 

Transfer restrictions on founder shares

Except as described herein, our sponsor and our founding team have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell (i) any of their founder shares until the earliest of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) any of their private placement warrants and Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our sponsor and founding team with respect to any founder shares, private placement warrants and Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof.

 

Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights

The founder shares are designated as Class B ordinary shares and will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination at a ratio such that the

 

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number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of (i) the total number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding upon the consummation of this offering, plus (ii) the sum of the total number of Class A ordinary shares issued or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities (as defined herein) or rights issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial business combination (net of any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by public shareholders), excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, deemed issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement warrants issued to our sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates upon conversion of working capital loans. Any conversion of Class B ordinary shares described herein will take effect as a compulsory redemption of Class B ordinary shares and an issuance of Class A ordinary shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. In no event will the Class B ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares at a rate of less than one-to-one.

 

  The term “equity-linked securities” refers to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for our Class A ordinary shares issued in a financing transaction in connection with our initial business combination, including, but not limited to, a private placement of equity or debt.

 

Appointment of directors; Voting rights

Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by our Class B ordinary shares. With respect to any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders, including any vote in connection with our initial business combination, except as required by law or the applicable rules of Nasdaq then in effect, 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.

 

  Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that our board of directors will be divided into three classes with only one class of directors being appointed in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term.

 

Private placement warrants

Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 3,333,333 warrants (or 3,633,333 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $1.50 per warrant in a

 

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private placement to occur concurrently with the closing of this offering for an aggregate purchase price of $5,000,000 (or $5,450,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The private placement warrants will be non-redeemable by us (except as set forth under “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00”) and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees (see “Description of Securities—Warrants—Private Placement Warrants”). If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us in all redemption scenarios and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering.

 

Cashless exercise of private placement warrants

If holders of private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “historical fair market value” over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the historical fair market value. The “historical fair market value” will mean the average reported closing price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the sponsor or its permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with us following a business combination. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that restrict insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods.

 

Indication of Interest

Our sponsor has indicated a potential interest to purchase our shares in a private placement that would occur concurrently with the consummation of our initial business combination. It is expected that the capital from any such private placement, if made, would be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in our initial business combination, and any excess capital from any such private placement would be used for working capital in the post-transaction company. Sponsor is under no obligation to buy any such shares and we are not under any obligation to sell any such shares. Such investment would be made on terms and conditions determined at the time of the business combination.

 

Proceeds to be held in trust account

$150,000,000 (or $172,500,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) of the net proceeds of this offering and the proceeds we will receive from the sale of the private warrants, or $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering, will be deposited in a segregated trust account located in the United States at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company,

 

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acting as trustee pursuant to an agreement to be signed on the date of this prospectus, and approximately $1,000,000 will be used to pay expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and approximately $1,000,000 will be used for working capital following this offering. These proceeds include $5,250,000 ($6,037,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting commissions which will be paid to the underwriters upon the closing of the business combination. The remainder of the net proceeds of this offering will not be held in the trust account.

 

  Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as discussed below and subject to the requirements of law and regulation, will provide that 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 (1) to us, until the completion of our initial business combination, or (2) to our public shareholders, until the earliest of (a) the completion of our initial business combination, and then only in connection with those Class A ordinary shares that such shareholders properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (b) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a (A) shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, and (c) the redemption of our public shares if we have not consummated our business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. Public shareholders who redeem their Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote described in clause (b) in the preceding sentence shall not be entitled to funds from the trust account upon the subsequent completion of an initial business combination or liquidation if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, with respect to such Class A ordinary shares so redeemed. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public shareholders.

 

Anticipated expenses and funding sources

Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, no proceeds held in the trust account will be available for our use, except the withdrawal of interest income (if any) to pay our income taxes, if any. 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. Assuming an interest rate of

 

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0.5% per year, we estimate the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $500,000 per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, we may pay our expenses only from:

 

   

the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not held in the trust account, which will be approximately $1,000,000 in working capital after the payment of approximately $1,000,000 in expenses relating to this offering; and

 

   

any loans or additional investments from our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors, although they are under no obligation to advance funds or invest in us, and provided any such loans will not have any claim on the proceeds held in the trust account unless such proceeds are released to us upon completion of our initial business combination.

 

Conditions to completing our initial business combination

Nasdaq rules and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association require that our initial business combination must occur with one or more partner businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of our assets held in the trust account (excluding the amount of deferred underwriting discounts held in trust and taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of signing the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the partner business or businesses or we are considering an initial business combination with an affiliated entity, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent valuation or accounting firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. Our shareholders may not be provided with a copy of such opinion nor will they be able to rely on such opinion.

 

 

We will complete our initial business combination only if the post-business combination company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the partner business or is otherwise not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-business combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the partner business, our shareholders prior to the completion of our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the partner and us in the business combination transaction. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a partner business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-business combination company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test, provided that in the event that the business combination involves more than one partner business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate

 

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value of all of the partner businesses and we will treat the partner businesses together as the initial business combination for purposes of a tender offer or for seeking shareholder approval, as applicable.

 

Permitted purchases and
other transactions with
respect to our securities

If we seek shareholder 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, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. Additionally, at any time at or prior to the completion of our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions. If our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates engage in such transactions, they will be restricted from making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material nonpublic information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (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 be required to 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. See “Proposed Business—Permitted Purchases and Other Transactions with Respect to Our Securities” for a description of how our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction.

 

 

The purpose of any such transaction could be to (1) vote in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a partner 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

 

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otherwise not be met. 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 Class A ordinary shares or public warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.

 

Redemption rights for public shareholders upon
completion of our initial business combination

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriter. The redemption right may include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Further, we will not proceed with redeeming our public shares, even if a public shareholder has properly elected to redeem its shares, if a business combination does not close. Our sponsor and each member of our founding team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in connection with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity.

 

Limitations on redemptions

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001. However, a greater net tangible asset or cash requirement may be contained in the agreement relating to our

 

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initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the partner or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the partner for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. Furthermore, although we will not redeem shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to fall below $5,000,001, we do not have a maximum redemption threshold based on the percentage of shares sold in this offering, as many blank check companies do. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.

 

Manner of conducting redemptions

We will provide our public shareholders 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 general meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement. Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval, while direct mergers with our company and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would typically require shareholder approval. We currently intend to conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote unless shareholder approval is not required by applicable law or stock exchange rule or we choose to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC for business or other reasons.

 

  If we hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination, we will:

 

   

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

 

   

file proxy materials with the SEC.

 

 

If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive approval pursuant to an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a simple

 

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majority of the shares voted at a general meeting of the company. In such case, our sponsor and our founding team have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 5,625,001 or 37.5%, of the 15,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised). Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or vote at all. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require that at least five days’ notice will be given of any such general meeting.

 

  If we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:

 

   

conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and

 

   

file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.

 

  Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we and our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our Class A ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act. In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than the number of public shares we are permitted to redeem. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete such initial business combination.

 

Limitation on redemption rights of shareholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a shareholder vote

Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, if we seek shareholder 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 memorandum and articles of association

 

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provides that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, without our prior consent. We believe the restriction described above will discourage shareholders 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 founders to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights against a business combination if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our sponsor or our founding team at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ 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 shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a partner 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 shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including all shares held by those shareholders that hold more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering) for or against our initial business combination.

 

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

On the completion of our initial business combination, the funds held in the trust account will be disbursed directly by the trustee to pay amounts due to any public shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights as described above adjacent to the caption “Redemption rights for public shareholders 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 partner or owners of the partner 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 or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-business combination businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initials business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.

 

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Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering to consummate our initial business combination. If we do not consummate an initial business combination within 24 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, 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 income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), to our obligations under Cayman Islands 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 consummate an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering.

 

  Our sponsor and each member of our founding team have entered into an 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 or private placement warrants they hold if we fail to consummate an initial business combination within 24 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 24 months from the closing of this offering).

 

  The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission held in the trust account in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the trust account that will be available to fund the redemption of our public shares.

 

 

Our sponsor, executive officers, directors and director nominees have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem

 

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100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity; unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described above adjacent to the caption “Limitations on redemptions.” For example, our board of directors may propose such an amendment if it determines that additional time is necessary to complete our initial business combination. In such event, we will conduct a proxy solicitation and distribute proxy materials pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act seeking shareholder approval of such proposal and, in connection therewith, provide our public shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon shareholder approval of such amendment. This redemption right shall apply in the event of the approval of any such amendment, whether proposed by our sponsor, any executive officer, director or director nominee, or any other person.

 

  Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that, if a resolution of the company’s shareholders is passed pursuant to the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands to commence the voluntary liquidation of the company, we will follow the foregoing procedures with respect to the liquidation of the trust account as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to applicable Cayman Islands law.

 

Limited payments to insiders

There will be no finder’s fees, reimbursements or cash payments made by the company to our sponsor, officers or directors, or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, other than the following payments, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination company at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants.

 

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  Except for the foregoing, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans.

 

  Any such payments will be made either (i) prior to the completion of our initial business combination using proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held outside the trust account or from loans made to us by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors or (ii) in connection with or after the consummation of our initial business combination.

 

Audit committee

We will establish and maintain an audit committee, which will be composed entirely of independent directors. Among its responsibilities, the audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors, or their affiliates and monitor compliance with the other terms relating to this offering. If any noncompliance is identified, then the audit committee will be charged with the responsibility to promptly take all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise to cause compliance with the terms of this offering. For more information, see the section entitled “Management—Committees of the Board of Directors—Audit Committee.”

Risks

We are a newly incorporated 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 whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the background of our founding team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company. This offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act.

Accordingly, 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 of This Offering to Those 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” of this prospectus.

Summary financial data

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

 

   
Balance Sheet Data:    September 30,
2020
 

Working capital (deficiency)

   $ (287,981

Total assets

   $ 279,605  

Total liabilities

   $ 287,981  

Shareholder’s equity

   $ (8,376

 

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Risk factors

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

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.

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

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

Information regarding performance by, or businesses associated with, our founding team or their affiliates is presented for informational purposes only. Any past experience of and performance by our founding team or their affiliates, is not a guarantee either: (1) that we will be able to successfully identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination; or (2) of any results with respect to any initial business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of our founding team or any of their affiliates’ as indicative of the future performance of an investment in us or the returns we will, or are likely to, generate going forward.

Our shareholders 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 shareholders do not support such a combination.

We may not hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination unless the business combination would require shareholder approval under applicable Cayman Islands law or stock exchange listing requirements or if we decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons. For instance, Nasdaq rules currently allow us to engage in a tender offer in lieu of a general meeting but would still require us to obtain shareholder approval if we were seeking to issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding shares to a partner business as consideration in any business combination.

Therefore, if we were structuring a business combination that required us to issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, we would seek shareholder approval of such business combination. However, except as required by applicable law or stock exchange rule, the decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow shareholders 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 shareholder approval. Accordingly, we may consummate our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares do not approve of the business combination we consummate. Please see the section entitled “Proposed Business—Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination” for additional information.

 

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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.

At the time of your investment in us, you will not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of any partner businesses. Since our board of directors may complete a business combination without seeking shareholder approval, public shareholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the business combination, unless we seek such shareholder approval. 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 shareholders in which we describe our initial business combination.

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor and members of our founding team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote.

Our sponsor will own, on an as-converted basis, 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares immediately following the completion of this offering. Our sponsor and members of our founding team also may from time to time purchase Class A ordinary shares prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that, if we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive approval pursuant to an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the shares voted at a general meeting of the company. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 5,625,001 or 37.5%, of the 15,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised). Accordingly, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreement by our sponsor and our founding team to vote in favor of our initial business combination will increase the likelihood that we will receive the requisite shareholder approval for such initial business combination.

The ability of our public shareholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination partners, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a business combination with a partner.

We may seek to enter into a business combination transaction agreement with a prospective partner that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public shareholders exercise their redemption rights, we would not be able to meet such closing condition and, as a result, would not be able to proceed with the business combination. Furthermore, in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). 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 partners will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into a business combination transaction with us.

The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.

At the time we enter into an agreement for our initial business combination, we will not know how many shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, and therefore will need to structure the transaction based

 

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on our expectations as to the number of shares that will be submitted for redemption. If a large number of shares are submitted for redemption, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for additional third-party financing. Raising additional third-party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure. The amount of the deferred underwriting commissions payable to the underwriters will not be adjusted for any shares that are redeemed in connection with an initial business combination. The per-share amount we will distribute to shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commission and after such redemptions, the amount held in trust will continue to reflect our obligation to pay the entire deferred underwriting commissions.

The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares could increase the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your shares.

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

The requirement that we consummate an initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering may give potential partner 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 partners, 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 shareholders.

Any potential partner business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware that we must consummate an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering.

Consequently, such partner business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period with that particular partner business, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination with any partner business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the timeframe described above. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our initial business combination on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.

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

In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China, which has and is continuing to spread throughout the world, including the United States. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” On January 31, 2020, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the U.S. healthcare community in responding to COVID-19, and on March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a “pandemic”.

 

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The COVID-19 pandemic has and a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets worldwide, and the business of any potential partner 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 concerns relating to COVID-19 continue to restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors or the partner business’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 partner 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 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 not be able to consummate an initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate.

We may not be able to find a suitable partner business and consummate an initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering. Our ability to complete our initial business combination may be negatively impacted by general market conditions, volatility in the capital and debt markets and the other risks described herein. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grow both in the U.S. and globally and, while the extent of the impact of the pandemic on us will depend on future developments, it could limit our ability to complete our initial business combination, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic may negatively impact businesses we may seek to acquire. If we have not consummated an initial business combination within such applicable time period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that, if a resolution of the company’s shareholders is passed pursuant to the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands to commence the voluntary liquidation of the company, we will follow the foregoing procedures with respect to the liquidation of the trust account as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to applicable Cayman Islands law. In either such case, our public shareholders may receive only $10.00 per public share, or less than $10.00 per public share, on the redemption of their shares, and our warrants will expire worthless. See “—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 shareholders may be less than $10.00 per public share” and other risk factors herein.

 

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If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, 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 Class A ordinary shares or public warrants.

If we seek shareholder 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, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation to do so. However, other than as expressly stated herein, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions.

In the event that our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. The purpose of any such transaction could be to (1) vote in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a partner 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. 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 Class A ordinary shares or public 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. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. See “Proposed Business—Permitted Purchases and Other Transactions with Respect to Our Securities” for a description of how our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction.

If a shareholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our initial business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.

We will comply with the proxy rules or tender offer rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our initial business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a shareholder fails to receive our proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, such shareholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly redeem or tender public shares. In the event that a shareholder fails to comply with these procedures, its shares may not be redeemed. See “Proposed Business—Effecting Our Initial Business Combination—Tendering Share Certificates in Connection with a Tender Offer or Redemption Rights.”

 

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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.

Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those Class A ordinary shares that such shareholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business activity, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. Public shareholders who redeem their Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote described in clause (ii) in the preceding sentence shall not be entitled to funds from the trust account upon the subsequent completion of an initial business combination or liquidation if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, with respect to such Class A ordinary shares so redeemed. In no other circumstances will a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

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 intend to apply to have our units listed on Nasdaq on the date of this prospectus and our Class A ordinary shares and warrants on or promptly after their date of separation. 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’s listing standards, our securities may not be, or may not continue to be, listed on Nasdaq in the future or prior to the completion of our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on Nasdaq prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and share price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum amount in shareholders’ equity (generally $2,500,000) and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 300 public holders). Additionally, our units will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination and, 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, the share price of our securities would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share and our shareholders’ equity would generally be required to be at least $5,000,000 and we would be required to have a minimum of 300 round-lot holders. We may not 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:

 

 

a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; reduced liquidity for our securities;

 

 

reduced liquidity for our securities;

 

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a determination that our Class A ordinary shares are a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our Class A ordinary shares to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities;

 

 

a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and

 

 

a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.

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 Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq, our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants will qualify as covered securities under the statute. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of covered 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 qualify as covered securities under the statute and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities.

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

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

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

If we seek shareholder 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 memorandum and articles of association provides that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder 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,” without our prior consent. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess

 

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Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.

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 do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

We expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous partner 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 partner 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 partner businesses. Furthermore, we are obligated to offer holders of our public shares the right to redeem their shares for cash at the time of our initial business combination in conjunction with a shareholder vote or via a tender offer. Partner 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 a business combination. If we have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. See “—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 shareholders may be less than $10.00 per public share” and other risk factors herein.

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 24 months following the closing of this offering, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a partner business or businesses and complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or founding team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.

Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, only $1,000,000 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. We believe that, upon the closing of this offering, the funds available to us outside of the trust account, together with funds available from loans from our sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 24 months following the closing of this offering; however, our estimate may not be accurate, and our sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates are under no obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Of the funds available to us, we expect to use a portion of the funds available to us to pay fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a partner 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

 

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of intent designed to keep partner businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such partner businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a partner 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 partner business.

In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, unless funded by the proceeds of loans available from our sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates, 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 $1,000,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. The amount held in the trust account will not be impacted as a result of such increase or decrease. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Neither our sponsor, members of our founding team nor any of their affiliates is under any obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Any such advances may be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. Consequently, our public shareholders may only receive an estimated $10.00 per public share, or possibly less, on our redemption of our public shares, and our warrants will expire worthless. See “—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 shareholders may be less than $10.00 per public share” and other risk factors herein.

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

Even if we conduct due diligence on a partner business with which we combine, this diligence may not surface all material issues with a particular partner business. In addition, factors outside of the partner business and outside of our control may 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 partner business or by virtue of our obtaining post-combination debt financing. Accordingly, any holders who choose to retain their securities following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities.

 

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Such holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

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 shareholders may be less than $10.00 per public 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 (excluding our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective partner 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 shareholders, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements, they may not be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account, including, but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our founders will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if our founding team believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative.

Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by our founding team to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where our founding team 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 have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, 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 shareholders could be less than the $10.00 per public share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Pursuant to the letter agreement the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (excluding our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective partner business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest that may be withdrawn to pay our tax obligations, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective partner business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, 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.

 

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However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Our sponsor may not 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 partner businesses.

Since only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors, upon the listing of our shares on Nasdaq, Nasdaq may consider us to be a ‘controlled company’ within the meaning of Nasdaq rules and, as a result, we may qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.

After completion of this offering, prior to our initial business combination only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors. As a result, Nasdaq may consider us to be a ‘controlled company’ within the meaning of Nasdaq corporate governance standards. Under Nasdaq corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a ‘controlled company’ and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirements that:

 

 

we have a board that includes a majority of ‘independent directors,’ as defined under the rules of Nasdaq;

 

 

we have a compensation committee of our board that is comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities; and

 

 

we have a nominating and corporate governance committee of our board that is comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities.

We do not intend to utilize these exemptions and intend to comply with the corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq, subject to applicable phase-in rules. However, if we determine in the future to utilize some or all of these exemptions, you will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of Nasdaq corporate governance requirements.

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

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest that may be withdrawn to pay our tax obligations, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment and subject to their fiduciary duties may choose not to do so in any particular instance. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public shareholders may be reduced below $10.00 per public share.

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 $10.00 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

 

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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 do not 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 $10.00 per share.

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

If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy or insolvency petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders 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 or insolvency court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. 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 shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors.

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

If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy or insolvency petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency 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 shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our shareholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.

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

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

 

 

restrictions on the nature of our investments; and

 

 

restrictions on the issuance of securities, each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.

 

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In addition, we may have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including:

 

 

registration as an investment company with the SEC;

 

 

adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and

 

 

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

In order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading of securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. Our business will be to identify and complete a business combination and thereafter to operate the post-business combination 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 United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. This offering is not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of either: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete a business combination. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, 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, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.

We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we will be required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements. Compliance with, and monitoring of,

 

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applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.

If we do not consummate an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, our public shareholders may be forced to wait beyond such 24 months before redemption from our trust account.

If we do not consummate an initial business combination within 24 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 income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, as further described herein. Any redemption of public shareholders from the trust account will be effected automatically by function of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to any voluntary winding up. If we are required to wind up, liquidate the trust account and distribute such amount therein, pro rata, to our public shareholders, as part of any liquidation process, such winding up, liquidation and distribution must comply with the applicable provisions of the Companies Law. In that case, investors may be forced to wait beyond 24 months from the closing of this offering before the redemption proceeds of our trust account become available to them, and they receive the return of their pro rata portion of the proceeds from our trust account. We have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to the date of our redemption or liquidation unless, prior thereto, we consummate our initial business combination or amend certain provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, and only then in cases where investors have sought to redeem their Class A ordinary shares. Only upon our redemption or any liquidation will public shareholders be entitled to distributions if we do not complete our initial business combination and do not amend certain provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that, if a resolution of the company’s shareholders is passed pursuant to the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands to commence the voluntary liquidation of the company, we will follow the foregoing procedures with respect to the liquidation of the trust account as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to applicable Cayman Islands law.

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

If we are forced to enter into an insolvent liquidation, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed as an unlawful payment if it was proved that immediately following the date on which the distribution was made, we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. As a result, a liquidator could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to us or our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, thereby exposing themselves and our company to claims, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. Claims may be brought against us for these reasons. We and our directors and officers who knowingly and willfully authorized or permitted any distribution to be paid out of our share premium account while we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business would be guilty of an offense and may be liable for a fine of $18,293 and imprisonment for five years in the Cayman Islands.

We may not hold an annual general meeting until after the consummation of our initial business combination.

In accordance with Nasdaq’s corporate governance requirements and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, we are not required to hold an annual general meeting until no later than one year

 

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after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. As an exempted company, there is no requirement under the Companies Law for us to hold annual or extraordinary general meetings to appoint directors. Until we hold an annual general meeting, public shareholders may not be afforded the opportunity to discuss company affairs with our founding team (and until our initial business combination, public shareholders will have no ability to vote on the election of directors). Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being appointed in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term.

Holders of Class A ordinary shares will not be entitled to vote on any appointment of directors we hold prior to the completion of our initial business combination.

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

We are not registering the Class A ordinary shares 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 and causing such warrants to expire worthless.

We are not registering the Class A ordinary shares 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 to use our commercially reasonable efforts to file a registration statement under the Securities Act covering such shares and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement and a current prospectus relating to the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration or redemption of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. We may not 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, complete 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, unless an exemption is available. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will use our reasonable best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. 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 the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws. 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 Class A ordinary shares included in the units. There may be a circumstance where an exemption from

 

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registration exists for holders of our private placement warrants to exercise their warrants while a corresponding exemption does not exist for holders of the warrants included as part of units sold in this offering. In such an instance, our sponsor and its transferees (which may include our founding team) would be able to exercise their warrants and sell the ordinary shares underlying their warrants while holders of our public warrants would not be able to exercise their warrants and sell the underlying ordinary shares. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

Our ability to require holders of our warrants to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis after we call the warrants for redemption or if there is no effective registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of these warrants will cause holders to receive fewer Class A ordinary shares upon their exercise of the warrants than they would have received had they been able to pay the exercise price of their warrants in cash.

If we call the warrants for redemption for cash, we will have the option, in our sole discretion, to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a cashless basis. If we choose to require holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis or if holders elect to do so when there is no effective registration statement, the number of Class A ordinary shares received by a holder upon exercise will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised his or her warrant for cash. For example, if the holder is exercising 875 public warrants at $11.50 per share through a cashless exercise when the Class A ordinary shares have a fair market value of $17.50 per share, then upon the cashless exercise, the holder will receive 300 Class A ordinary shares. The holder would have received 875 Class A ordinary shares if the exercise price was paid in cash. This will have the effect of reducing the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in our company because the warrant holder will hold a smaller number of Class A ordinary shares upon a cashless exercise of the warrants they hold.

The warrants may become exercisable and redeemable for a security other than the Class A ordinary shares, and you will not have any information regarding such other security at this time.

In certain situations, including if we are not the surviving entity in our initial business combination, the warrants may become exercisable for a security other than the Class A ordinary shares. As a result, if the surviving company redeems your warrants for securities pursuant to the warrant agreement, you may receive a security in a company of which you do not have information at this time. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, the surviving company will be required to use commercially reasonable efforts to register the issuance of the security underlying the warrants within twenty business days of the closing of an initial business combination.

The grant of registration rights to our initial shareholders 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 Class A ordinary shares.

Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, our initial shareholders, and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the Class A ordinary shares into which founder shares are convertible, the private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants, and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of such warrants. The registration and availability of such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, the existence of the registration rights may make our initial business combination more costly or difficult to conclude. This is because the shareholders of the partner 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 securities that is expected when the securities owned by our initial shareholders or their permitted transferees are registered for resale.

 

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

We may pursue business combination opportunities in any sector, except that we will not, under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet selected or approached any specific partner business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular partner business’s operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular partner 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 partner 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 a business combination partner. Accordingly, any holders who choose to retain their securities following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

We may seek acquisition opportunities in industries or sectors which may or may not be outside of our founders’ area of expertise.

We will consider a business combination outside of our founders’ area of expertise if a business combination partner is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive acquisition opportunity for our company. Although our founding team will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in any particular business combination partner, we may not adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors in this offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a business combination partner. In the event we elect to pursue an acquisition outside of the areas of our founders’ expertise, our founders’ expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this prospectus regarding the areas of our founders’ expertise would not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire. As a result, our founding team may not be able to adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. Accordingly, any holders who choose to retain their securities following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

 

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

Although we have identified general criteria for evaluating prospective partner businesses, it is possible that a partner business with which we enter into our initial business combination will not have all of these positive attributes. If we complete our initial business combination with a partner that does not meet some or all of these criteria, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does meet all of our general criteria. In addition, if we announce a prospective business combination with a partner that does not meet our general criteria, a greater number of shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a partner business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. In addition, if shareholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange rule, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain shareholder approval of our initial business combination if the partner business does not meet our general criteria. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

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

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

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

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will authorize the issuance of up to 300,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 30,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering, there will be 285,000,000 and 26,250,000 (assuming in each case that the underwriters have not exercised their over-allotment option) authorized but unissued Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, respectively, available for issuance which amount excludes shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants or shares issuable upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares, if any. The Class B ordinary shares are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination as described herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Immediately after this offering, there will be no preference shares issued and outstanding.

 

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We may issue a substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares or preference shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares to redeem the warrants as described in “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00” or upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions as set forth herein. However, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides, among other things, that prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination or on any other proposal presented to shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, like all provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may be amended with a shareholder vote. The issuance of additional ordinary or preference shares:

 

 

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

 

 

may subordinate the rights of holders of Class A ordinary shares if preference shares are issued with rights senior to those afforded our Class A ordinary shares;

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A ordinary shares and/or warrants; and

 

 

may not result in adjustment to the exercise price of our warrants.

Our initial shareholders may receive additional Class A ordinary shares if we issue shares to consummate an initial business combination.

The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination at a ratio such that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of (i) the total number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding upon completion of this offering, plus (ii) the sum of the total number of Class A ordinary shares 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 Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, deemed issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement warrants issued to our sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates upon conversion of working capital loans. In no event will the Class B ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares at a rate of less than one to one.

 

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Resources could be wasted in researching acquisitions that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

We anticipate that the investigation of each specific partner 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 partner business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

We may be a passive foreign investment company, or “PFIC,” which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors.

If we are a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. Holder (as defined in the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations— U.S. Holders”) of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants, the U.S. Holder may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences and may be subject to additional reporting requirements. Our PFIC status for our current and subsequent taxable years may depend on whether we qualify for the PFIC start-up exception (see the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations—U.S. Holders—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules”). Depending on the particular circumstances, the application of the start-up exception may be subject to uncertainty, and there cannot be any assurance that we will qualify for the start-up exception. Accordingly, there can be no assurances with respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year. Moreover, our actual PFIC status for any taxable year will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, upon written request, we will endeavor to provide to a U.S. Holder such information as the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable the U.S. Holder to make and maintain a “qualified electing fund” election, but there can be no assurance that we will timely provide such required information, and such election would in any event be unavailable with respect to our warrants. We urge U.S. investors to consult their tax advisors regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules. For a more detailed discussion of the tax consequences of PFIC classification to U.S. Holders, see the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations—U.S. Holders—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”

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

We may, in connection with our initial business combination and subject to requisite shareholder approval under the Companies Law, reincorporate in the jurisdiction in which the partner company or business is located or in another jurisdiction. The transaction may require a shareholder or warrant holder to recognize taxable income in the jurisdiction in which the shareholder or warrant holder is a tax resident or in which its members are resident if it is a tax transparent entity. We do not intend to make any cash distributions to shareholders or

 

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warrant holders to pay such taxes. Shareholders or warrant holders may be subject to withholding taxes or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after the reincorporation.

After our initial business combination, it is possible that a majority of our directors and officers will live outside the United States and all of our assets will be located outside the United States; therefore investors may not be able to enforce federal securities laws or their other legal rights.

It is possible that after our initial business combination, a majority of our directors and officers will reside outside of the United States and all of our assets will be located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult, or in some cases not possible, for investors in the United States to enforce their legal rights, to effect service of process upon all of our directors or officers or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal penalties on our directors and officers under United States laws.

In particular, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands or any other applicable jurisdictions would recognize and enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States or entertain original actions brought in the Cayman Islands or any other applicable jurisdiction’s courts against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.

For a more detailed discussion, see the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities—Certain Differences in Corporate Law.”

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

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

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

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

 

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

Our key personnel may be able to remain with our company after the completion of our initial business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to us after the completion of the business combination. Such negotiations also could make such key personnel’s retention or resignation a condition to any such agreement. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a partner business. In addition, pursuant to an agreement to be entered into on or prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor, upon and following consummation of an initial business combination, will be entitled to nominate three individuals for election to our board of directors, as long as the sponsor holds any securities covered by the registration and shareholder rights agreement, which is described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities—Registration and Shareholder Rights.”

We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective partner business and, as a result, may affect our initial business combination with a partner 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 partner business, our ability to assess the partner business’s management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the partner business’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the partner business’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any holders who choose to retain their securities following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential partner business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us.

In addition, our founders and our directors and officers expect in the future to become affiliated with other public blank check companies that may have acquisition objectives that are similar to ours. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential partner business may be presented to such other blank check companies, prior to its presentation to us. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any business combination opportunity which may be a corporate opportunity for both us and another relevant entity, including any entities managed by Population Health Partners or its affiliates and any companies in which Population Health Partners or such entities have invested, about which any of our officers or directors acquires knowledge and we will waive any claim or cause of action we may have in respect thereof. In addition our amended and restated articles of association will contain provisions to exculpate and indemnify, to the maximum extent permitted by law, such persons in respect of any liability, obligation or duty to the Company that may arise as a consequence of such persons becoming aware of any business opportunity or failing to present such business opportunity.

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

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

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

 

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The personal and financial interests of our directors and officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and selecting a partner business and completing a business combination. Consequently, our directors’ and officers’ discretion in identifying and selecting a suitable partner 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 best interests. If this were the case, and the directors fail to act in accordance with their fiduciary duties to us as a matter of Cayman Islands law, we may have a claim against such individuals. See the section titled “Description of Securities—Certain Differences in Corporate Law—Shareholders’ Suits” for further information on the ability to bring such claims. However, we might not ultimately be successful in any claim we may make against them for such reason.

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

In light of the involvement of our sponsor, executive officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers, directors or initial shareholders. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under “Management—Conflicts of Interest.” Our sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. Our sponsor, officers and directors are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our initial business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no substantive discussions concerning a business combination with any such entity or entities. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or pursuing, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria for a business combination as set forth in “Proposed Business—Effecting Our Initial Business Combination—Evaluation of a Partner Business and Structuring of Our Initial Business Combination” and such transaction was approved by a majority of our independent and disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent valuation or accounting firm regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of a business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers, directors or initial shareholders, 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 shareholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.

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

On September 17, 2020, our sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.0058 per share, to cover for certain offering costs in consideration for 4,312,500 founder shares. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by the sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per-share price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase 3,333,333 warrants (or 3,633,333 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $1.50 per warrant in a private placement to occur concurrently with the closing of this offering for an aggregate purchase price of $5,000,000 (or $5,450,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. If we do not consummate an initial business within 24 months from the closing of

 

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this offering, the private placement warrants (and the underlying securities) will expire worthless. The personal and financial interests of our executive officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a partner business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination. This risk may become more acute as the 24-month anniversary of the closing of this offering nears, which is the deadline for our consummation of an initial business combination.

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

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

Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

our inability to pay dividends on our Class A ordinary shares;

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

The net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will provide us with up to $152,000,000 (or $174,500,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) that we may use

 

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to complete our initial business combination (after taking into account the $5,250,000, or $6,037,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, of deferred underwriting commissions being held in the trust account and the estimated expenses of this offering).

We may effectuate our initial business combination with a single partner business or multiple partner businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, we may not be able to effectuate our initial business combination with more than one partner 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 partner businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses that are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete our initial business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence (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 complete our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.

In pursuing our acquisition strategy, we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately held company. Very little public information generally exists about private companies, and we could be required to make our decision on whether to pursue a potential initial business combination on the basis of limited information, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.

 

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Our founding team may not be able to maintain control of a partner business after our initial business combination. Upon the loss of control of a partner business, new management may not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.

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

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

We may seek business combination opportunities with large, highly complex companies that we believe would benefit from operational improvements. While we intend to implement such improvements, to the extent that our efforts are delayed or we are unable to achieve the desired improvements, the business combination may not be as successful as we anticipate.

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

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

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5.0 million (so that we do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). As a result, we may be able to complete our initial business combination even though a

 

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substantial majority of our public shareholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.

In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and other governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. We may seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or governing instruments in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination that our shareholders may not support.

In order to effectuate a business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds, extended the time to consummate a 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 memorandum and articles of association will require at least a special resolution of our shareholders as a matter of Cayman Islands law, meaning the approval of holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company, and amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least 65% of the public warrants and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, 50% of the number of the then-outstanding private placement warrants. In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require us to provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash if we propose an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity. To the extent any of such amendments would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of any of the securities offered through this registration statement, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities.

The provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account) may be amended with the approval of a special resolution which requires the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our shareholders may not support.

Some other blank check companies have a provision in their charter which prohibits the amendment of certain of its provisions, including those which relate to a company’s pre-business combination activity, without approval by a certain percentage of the company’s shareholders. In those companies, amendment of these

 

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provisions typically requires approval by between 90% and 100% of the company’s shareholders. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that any of its provisions related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public shareholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by special resolution, meaning holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of at least 65% of our ordinary shares; provided that the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association governing the appointment or removal of directors prior to our initial business combination may only be amended by a special resolution passed by holders representing at least two-thirds of our issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares. Our initial shareholders, and their permitted transferees, if any, who will collectively beneficially own, on an as-converted basis, 20% of our Class A ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering, will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association which govern our pre-business combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to complete a business combination with which you do not agree. Our shareholders may pursue remedies against us for any breach of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.

Our sponsor, executive officers, directors and director nominees have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity; unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares. Our shareholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, this agreement and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our sponsor, executive officers, directors or director nominees for any breach of this agreement. As a result, in the event of a breach, our shareholders would need to pursue a shareholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.

Our letter agreement with our sponsor, officers and directors may be amended without shareholder approval.

Our letter agreement with our sponsor, officers and directors contain provisions relating to transfer restrictions of our founder shares and private placement warrants, indemnification of the trust account, waiver of redemption rights and participation in liquidating distributions from the trust account. The letter agreement may be amended without shareholder approval (although releasing the parties from the restriction not to transfer the 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 the letter 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 the letter agreement. Any such amendments to the letter agreement would not require approval from our shareholders and may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities.

 

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We may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a partner 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 shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

Although we believe that the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will be sufficient to allow us to complete our initial business combination, because we have not yet selected any prospective partner business we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction. If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants 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 partner business, the obligation to redeem for cash a significant number of shares from shareholders 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. Such financing may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. The current economic environment may make difficult for companies to obtain acquisition financing. 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 partner business candidate. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, 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 partner business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the partner business. None of our officers, directors or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination.

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

Upon the closing of this offering, our initial shareholders will own, on an as-converted basis, 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares. Accordingly, they may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. If our initial shareholders purchase any units in this offering or if our initial shareholders purchase any additional Class A ordinary shares 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, have any current intention to purchase additional securities, other than as disclosed in this prospectus. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, our board of directors, whose members were elected by our sponsor, is and will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. We may not hold an annual general meeting to appoint new directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the completion of the business combination. If there is an annual general meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for election and our sponsor, because of its ownership position, will control the outcome, as only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the election of directors and to remove directors prior to our initial business combination. Accordingly, our sponsor will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business

 

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combination. In addition, we have agreed not to enter into a definitive agreement regarding an initial business combination without the prior consent of our sponsor.

Our sponsor contributed $25,000, or approximately $0.0058 per founder share, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our Class A ordinary shares.

The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the Class A ordinary share and none to the warrant included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per Class A ordinary share after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon the closing of this offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units, you and the other public shareholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of 89.3% (or $8.93 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $1.07 and the initial offering price of $10.00 per unit. This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the founder shares result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the founder shares at the time of our initial business combination and would become exacerbated to the extent that public shareholders seek redemptions from the trust for their public shares. In addition, because of the anti-dilution protection in the founder shares, any equity or equity-linked securities issued in connection with our initial business combination would be disproportionately dilutive to our Class A ordinary shares.

We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then-outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the exercise period could be shortened and the number of our Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without your approval.

Our warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision or correct any mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the warrants and the warrant agreement set forth in this prospectus, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then-outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 65% of the then-outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, 50% of the number of the then-outstanding private placement warrants. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 65% of the then-outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant. We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.

A provision of our warrant agreement may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.

Unlike most blank check companies, if (x) we issue additional Class A ordinary shares 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 Class A ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue

 

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price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our initial shareholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our initial shareholders or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance including any transfer or reissuance of such shares), (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, and (z) the volume-weighted average trading price of our Class A ordinary shares during the 10 trading day period starting on the trading day after the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the Market Value, and the $10.00 and $18.00 per share redemption trigger prices of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 100% and 180% of the Market Value, respectively. This may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination with a partner business.

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.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, these provisions of the warrant agreement will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our warrant agreement. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope of 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 founding team and board of directors.

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

We have the ability to redeem the outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, if, among other things, the Reference Value equals or exceeds

 

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$18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like). Please see “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00.” If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. Redemption of the outstanding warrants as described above could force you to (i) exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, we expect would be substantially less than the Market Value of your warrants. None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our sponsors or their permitted transferees.

In addition, we have the ability to redeem the outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.10 per warrant if, among other things, the Reference Value equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like). In such a case, the holders will be able to exercise their warrants prior to redemption for a number of shares of our Class A ordinary shares determined based on the redemption date and the fair market value of our Class A ordinary shares. Please see “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00.” The value received upon exercise of the warrants (1) may be less than the value the holders would have received if they had exercised their warrants at a later time where the underlying share price is higher and (2) may not compensate the holders for the value of the warrants, including because the number of ordinary shares received is capped at 0.361 shares of our Class A ordinary shares per warrant (subject to adjustment) irrespective of the remaining life of the warrants.

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

We will be issuing public warrants to purchase 15,000,000 of our Class A ordinary shares (or up to 17,250,000 Class A ordinary shares 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 3,333,333 warrants (or 3,633,333 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $1.50 per warrant. In addition, if the sponsor makes any working capital loans, it may convert up to $1,500,000 of such loans into up to an additional 1,000,000 private placement warrants, at the price of $1.50 per warrant. Our public warrants are also redeemable by us for Class A ordinary shares as described in “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00.” To the extent we issue ordinary shares to effectuate a business transaction, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of these warrants could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a partner business. Such warrants, when exercised, will increase the number of issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares and reduce the value of the Class A ordinary shares issued to complete the business transaction. Therefore, our warrants may make it more difficult to effectuate a business transaction or increase the cost of acquiring the partner business.

Because each unit contains one-third of one 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-third of one warrant. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, no fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units, and only whole units will trade. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest

 

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whole number the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the warrant holder. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include one ordinary share and one warrant to purchase one whole share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for one-third of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive merger partner for partner businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if it included a warrant to purchase one whole share.

The determination of the offering price of our units 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. You may have less assurance, therefore, that the offering price of our units properly reflects the value of such units than you would have in a typical offering of an operating company.

Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants were negotiated between us and the underwriters. In determining the size of this offering, our founding team held customary organizational meetings with 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 Class A ordinary shares and warrants underlying the units, include:

 

 

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

 

 

our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values; a review of debt-to-equity ratios in leveraged transactions;

 

 

our capital structure;

 

 

an assessment of our founding team 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.

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

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

The federal proxy rules require that a proxy statement with respect to a vote on our proposed business combination include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure. We will include the same

 

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financial statement disclosure in connection with our tender offer documents, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, or international financial reporting standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential partner businesses we may acquire because some partners 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 24 months from the closing of this offering.

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

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

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

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 ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded

 

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$100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30. 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.

Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate a 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 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. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on us as compared to other public companies because a partner business with which we seek to complete our initial business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.

Because we are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, you may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. federal courts may be limited.

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon our directors or executive officers, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against our directors or officers.

Our corporate affairs and the rights of shareholders will be governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Law (as the same may be supplemented or amended from time to time) and the common law of the Cayman Islands. We will also be subject to the federal securities laws of the United States. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English common law, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are different from what they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and certain states, such as Delaware, may have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholders derivative action in a Federal court of the United States. For a more detailed discussion of the principal differences between the provisions of the Companies Law applicable to us and, for example, the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders, see the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities—Certain Differences in Corporate Law.”

Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like the Company have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records or to obtain copies of the register of members of these companies. Our directors have discretion under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult

 

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for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.

We have been advised by Walkers, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands (awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.

As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by our founding team, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a United States company.

Provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our Class A ordinary shares and could entrench our founding team.

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that shareholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions will include a staggered board of directors, the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preference shares, and the fact that prior to the completion of our initial business combination only holders of our Class B ordinary shares, which have been issued to our sponsor, are entitled to vote on the appointment of directors, which may make more difficult the removal of our founding team and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.

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

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

 

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Risks associated with acquiring and operating a business in foreign countries

If we pursue a partner company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we may face additional burdens in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing such initial business combination, and if we effect such initial business combination, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.

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

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

 

 

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

 

rules and regulations regarding currency redemption;

 

complex corporate withholding taxes;

 

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

 

exchange listing and/or delisting requirements;

 

tariffs and trade barriers;

 

regulations related to customs and import/export matters;

 

local or regional economic policies and market conditions;

 

unexpected changes in regulatory requirements;

 

longer payment cycles;

 

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

 

currency fluctuations and exchange controls;

 

rates of inflation;

 

challenges in collecting accounts receivable;

 

cultural and language differences;

 

employment regulations;

 

underdeveloped or unpredictable legal or regulatory systems;

 

corruption;

 

protection of intellectual property;

 

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

 

regime changes and political upheaval;

 

terrorist attacks, natural disasters and wars; and

 

deterioration of political relations with the United States.

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

If our founding team 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, which could lead to various regulatory issues.

Following our initial business combination, our founding team may resign from their positions as officers or directors of the company and the management of the partner business at the time of the business combination

 

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will remain in place. Management of the partner business may not be familiar with United States securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with United States securities 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.

After our initial business combination, substantially all of our assets may be located in a foreign country and substantially all of our revenue may be derived from our operations in such country. Accordingly, our results of operations and prospects will be subject, to a significant extent, to the economic, political and social conditions and government policies, developments and conditions in the country in which we operate.

The economic, political and social conditions, as well as government policies, of the country in which our operations are located could affect our business. Economic growth could be uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy and such growth may not be sustained in the future. If in the future such country’s economy experiences a downturn or grows at a slower rate than expected, there may be less demand for spending in certain industries. A decrease in demand for spending in certain industries could materially and adversely affect our ability to find an attractive partner business with which to consummate our initial business combination and if we effect our initial business combination, the ability of that partner business to become profitable.

Exchange rate fluctuations and currency policies may cause a partner business’ ability to succeed in the international markets to be diminished.

In the event we acquire a non-U.S. partner, all revenues and income would likely be received in a foreign currency, and 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 partner 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 partner business as measured in dollars will increase, which may make it less likely that we are able to consummate such transaction.

We may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination, and the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements and we may not be able to enforce our legal rights.

In connection with our initial business combination, we may relocate the home jurisdiction of our business from the Cayman Islands to another jurisdiction. If we determine to do this, the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital.

We are subject to changing law and regulations regarding regulatory matters, corporate governance and public disclosure that have increased both our costs and the risk of non-compliance.

We are subject to rules and regulations by various governing bodies, including, for example, the SEC, which are charged with the protection of investors and the oversight of companies whose securities are publicly traded, and to new and evolving regulatory measures under applicable law. Our efforts to comply with new and changing laws and regulations have resulted in and are likely to continue to result in, increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from seeking a business combination partner.

 

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Moreover, because these laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance becomes available. This evolution may result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and additional costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to our disclosure and governance practices. If we fail to address and comply with these regulations and any subsequent changes, we may be subject to penalty and our business may be harmed.

 

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Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

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

 

 

our ability to select an appropriate partner business or businesses;

 

 

our ability to complete our initial business combination;

 

 

our expectations around the performance of a prospective partner business or businesses;

 

 

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

 

 

our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination;

 

 

our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination;

 

 

our pool of prospective partner businesses;

 

 

our ability to consummate an initial business combination due to the uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic;

 

 

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

 

 

our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;

 

 

the lack of a market for our securities;

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

our financial performance following this offering.

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

 

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Use of proceeds

We are offering 15,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering, together with the funds we will receive from the sale of the private placement warrants, will be used as set forth in the following table.

 

     
      Without over-
allotment
option
     Over-
allotment option
exercised
 

Gross proceeds

     

Gross proceeds from units offered to public(1)

   $ 150,000,000      $ 172,500,000  

Gross proceeds from sale of the private placement warrants offered in a private placement to the sponsor

   $ 5,000,000      $ 5,450,000  
  

 

 

 

Total gross proceeds

   $ 155,000,000      $ 177,950,000  
  

 

 

 

Estimated Offering expenses(2)

     

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

   $ 3,000,000      $ 3,450,000  

Legal fees and expenses

     300,000        300,000  

Printing and engraving expenses

     40,000        40,000  

Accounting fees and expenses

     60,000        60,000  

SEC/FINRA Expenses

     80,000        80,000  

Travel and road show

     20,000        20,000  

Nasdaq listing and filing fees

     75,000        75,000  

Director & Officer liability insurance premiums

     125,000        125,000  

Miscellaneous

     300,000        300,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total estimated offering expenses (excluding underwriting commissions)

   $ 1,000,000      $ 1,000,000  
  

 

 

 

Proceeds after estimated offering expenses

   $ 151,000,000      $ 173,500,000  
  

 

 

 

Held in trust account(3)

   $ 150,000,000      $ 172,500,000  

% of public offering size

     100%        100%  

Not held in trust account

   $ 1,000,000      $ 1,000,000  

 

 

The following table shows the use of the $1,000,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account.(4)(5)

 

     
      Amount      % of total  

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

   $ 350,000        35%  

Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations

     180,000        18%  

Nasdaq continued listing fees

     55,000        5.5%  

Reserve for Liquidation

     100,000        10.0%  

Other miscellaneous and administrative expenses

     315,000        31.5%  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 1,000,000        100.0%  

 

 

 

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

 

(2)   In addition, a portion of the offering expenses have been paid from the proceeds of loans from our sponsor of up to $300,000 as described in this prospectus. To date, we had fully borrowed $300,000 under the promissory note with our sponsor. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $1,000,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) and not to be held in the trust account. In the event that offering expenses are less than set forth in this table, any such amounts will be used for post-closing working capital expenses. In the event that the offering expenses are more than as set forth in this table, we may fund such excess with funds not held in the trust account.

 

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(3)   The underwriters have agreed to defer underwriting commissions of 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering. Upon and concurrently with the completion of our initial business combination, $5,250,000, which constitutes the underwriters’ deferred commissions (or $6,037,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be paid to the underwriters from the funds held in the trust account. See “Underwriting.” The remaining funds, less amounts released to the trustee to pay redeeming shareholders, will be released to us and can be used to pay all or a portion of the purchase price of the business or businesses with which our initial business combination occurs or for general corporate purposes, including payment of principal or interest on indebtedness incurred in connection with our initial business combination, to fund the purchases of other companies or for working capital. The underwriters will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

(4)   These expenses are estimates only. Our actual expenditures for some or all of these items may differ from the estimates set forth herein. For example, we may incur greater legal and accounting expenses than our current estimates in connection with negotiating and structuring our initial business combination based upon the level of complexity of such business combination. In the event we identify a business combination partner in a specific industry subject to specific regulations, we may incur additional expenses associated with legal due diligence and the engagement of special legal counsel. In addition, our staffing needs may vary and as a result, we may engage a number of consultants to assist with legal and financial due diligence. We do not anticipate any change in our intended use of proceeds, other than fluctuations among the current categories of allocated expenses, which fluctuations, to the extent they exceed current estimates for any specific category of expenses, would not be available for our expenses. The amount in the table above does not include interest available to us from the trust account. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Assuming an interest rate of 0.5% per year, we estimate the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $500,000 per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount.

 

(5)   Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.

 

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

The rules of Nasdaq and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants be deposited in a trust account. Of the $152,000,000 in proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, or $174,500,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, $150,000,000 ($10.00 per unit), or $172,500,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit), will be deposited into a trust account located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and $4,000,000, or up to $4,450,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, will be used to pay expenses in connection with the closing of this offering (including the portion of the underwriting commissions payable upon closing of this offering) and for working capital following this offering. We will not be permitted to withdraw any of the principal or interest held in the trust account, except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity. Based on current interest rates, we expect that interest income earned on the trust account (if any) will be sufficient to pay our income taxes.

The net proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a partner business with which we ultimately complete our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-business combination company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination,

 

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to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination.

We believe that amounts not held in trust, together with funds available to us from loans from our sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates will be sufficient to pay the costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. If we are required to seek additional capital, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates, but such persons are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.

Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. To date, we had fully borrowed $300,000 under the promissory note with our sponsor. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of March 31, 2021 or the closing of this offering. The loans will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of the $1,000,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated to the payment of offering expenses.

In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination company at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. Except as set forth above, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

 

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Dividend policy

We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares 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 we will only pay such dividend out of our profits or share premium (subject to solvency requirements) as permitted under Cayman Islands law. If we increase the size of this offering, we will effect a share capitalization or other appropriate mechanism immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares, on an as-converted basis, at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with a 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 Class A ordinary share, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units we are offering pursuant to this prospectus or the private placement warrants, and the pro forma net tangible book value per Class A ordinary share after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with the sale and exercise of warrants, including the private placement warrants, which would cause the actual dilution to the public shareholders to be higher, particularly where a cashless exercise is utilized. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities (including the value of Class A ordinary shares which may be redeemed for cash), by the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares.

At September 30, 2020, our net tangible book deficit was $(287,981), or approximately $(0.07) per ordinary share. After giving effect to the sale of 15,000,000 Class A ordinary shares included in the units we are offering by this prospectus (or 17,250,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), the sale of the private placement warrants and the deduction of underwriting commissions and estimated expenses of this offering, our pro forma net tangible book value at September 30, 2020 would have been $5,000,004, or $1.07 per share (or $5,000,004, or $0.94 per share, if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value (as decreased by the value of 14,074,162 Class A ordinary shares that may be redeemed for cash, or 16,245,412 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of $1.14 per share (or $1.01 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) to our sponsor as of the date of this prospectus. Total dilution to public shareholders from this offering will be $8.93 per share (or $9.06 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full).

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

 

     
      Without over-
allotment
    With over-
allotment
 

Public offering price

   $ 10.00     $ 10.00  

Net tangible book deficit before this offering

     (0.07     (0.07

Increase attributable to public shareholders

     1.14       1.01  
  

 

 

 

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

     1.07       0.94  

Dilution to public shareholders

   $ 8.93     $ 9.06  
  

 

 

 

Percentage of dilution to public shareholders

     89.3%       90.6%  

 

 

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 $140,741,620 because holders of up to approximately 93.8% 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 income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares).

 

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The following table sets forth information with respect to our initial shareholders, who hold our Class B ordinary shares, and the public shareholders:

 

       
    

 

Shares purchased

     Total consideration      Average
price per
share
 
      Number      Percentage      Amount      Percentage  

Class B Ordinary Shares(1)

     3,750,000        20.0%      $ 25,000        0.02%      $ 0.0067  

Public Shareholders

     15,000,000        80.0%      $ 150,000,000        99.98%      $ 10.00  
  

 

 

 
     18,750,000        100.0%      $ 150,025,000        100.00%     

 

 

 

(1)   Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 562,500 Class B ordinary shares held by our sponsor.

The pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering is calculated as follows:

 

     
      Without over-
allotment
    With over-
allotment
 

Numerator:

    

Net tangible book deficit before this offering

   $ (287,981   $ (287,981

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

     151,000,000       173,500,000  

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

     279,605       279,605  

Less: Deferred underwriting commissions

     (5,250,000     (6,037,500

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

     (140,741,620     (162,454,120
  

 

 

 
   $ 5,000,004     $ 5,000,004  
  

 

 

 

Denominator:

    

Ordinary shares outstanding prior to this offering

     4,312,500       4,312,500  

Ordinary shares forfeited if over-allotment is not exercised

     (562,500      

Ordinary shares included in the units offered

     15,000,000       17,250,000  

Less: Ordinary shares subject to redemption

     (14,074,162     (16,245,412
  

 

 

 
     4,675,838       5,317,088  

 

 

 

(1)   Expenses applied against gross proceeds include offering expenses of $1,000,000 and underwriting commissions of $3,000,000 or $3,450,000 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option (excluding deferred underwriting fees). See “Use of Proceeds.”

 

(2)   If we seek shareholder 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, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or 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 Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption will be reduced by the amount of any such purchases, increasing the pro forma net tangible book value per share. See “Proposed Business—Effecting Our Initial Business Combination—Permitted Purchases and Other Transactions with Respect to Our Securities.”

 

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Capitalization

The following table sets forth our capitalization at September 30, 2020, and as adjusted to give effect to the filing of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the sale of our units in this offering and the private placement warrants and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities:

 

   
     September 30, 2020  
      Actual     As Adjusted(1)  

Note payable to related party(2)

   $     $  

Deferred underwriting commissions(3)

           5,250,000  
  

 

 

 

Class A ordinary shares; -0- and 14,074,162 shares are subject to possible redemption, respectively(4)

           140,741,620  

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

            

Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 300,000,000 shares authorized; -0- and 925,838 shares issued and outstanding (excluding -0- and 14,074,162 shares subject to possible redemption), actual and as adjusted, respectively

           93  

Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 30,000,000 shares authorized, 4,312,500 and 3,750,000 shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted, respectively

     431       375  

Additional paid-in capital

     24,569       5,032,912  

Accumulated deficit

     (33,376     (33,376
  

 

 

 

Total shareholders' equity

   $ (8,376   $ 5,000,004  
  

 

 

 

Total capitalization

   $ (8,376   $ 150,991,624  

 

 

 

(1)   Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 562,500 Class B ordinary shares held by our sponsor.

 

(2)   Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. To date, we had fully borrowed $300,000 under the note.

 

(3)   $0.35 per Unit, or $5,250,000 ($6,037,500 if the over-allotment is exercised in full) in the aggregate, will be payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions. The deferred underwriting commissions will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that the Company completes an Initial Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement. The Company records deferred underwriting commissions upon the closing of the initial public offering as a reduction of additional paid-in capital. Since the actual additional paid-in capital was reduced by the recording of the accrued deferred underwriting commission, total capitalization, as adjusted, includes the amount of the deferred underwriting commission to reflect total capitalization.

 

(4)   Upon the completion of our initial business combination, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash at a per-share price equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein whereby redemptions cannot cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 and any limitations (including, but not limited to, cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed business combination.

 

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Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations

Overview

We are a blank check company incorporated on September 11, 2020 as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We have not selected any business combination partner and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination partner. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our shares, debt or a combination of cash, equity and debt.

The issuance of additional shares in a business combination:

 

 

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

 

 

may subordinate the rights of holders of Class A ordinary shares if preference shares are issued with rights senior to those afforded our Class A ordinary shares;

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A ordinary shares and/or warrants; and

 

 

may not result in adjustment to the exercise price of our warrants.

Similarly, if we issue debt or otherwise incur significant debt, it could result in:

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

our inability to pay dividends on our Class A ordinary shares;

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, as of September 30, 2020, we had no cash and deferred offering costs of approximately $280,000. Further, we expect to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our initial business combination will be successful.

Results of operations and known trends or future events

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

Liquidity and capital resources

Our liquidity needs have been satisfied prior to the completion of this offering through receipt of $25,000, or approximately $0.0058 per share, to cover for certain offering costs in consideration for 4,312,500 founder shares. We estimate that the net proceeds from (i) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of $1,000,000, underwriting commissions of $3,000,000, or $3,450,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full (excluding deferred underwriting commissions of $5,250,000, or $6,037,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), and (ii) the sale of the private placement warrants for a purchase price of $5,000,000 (or $5,450,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be $151,000,000 (or $173,500,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). $150,000,000 (or $172,500,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be held in the trust account, which includes the deferred underwriting commissions described above. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. The remaining $1,000,000 will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, 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 $1,000,000, 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 payable and deferred underwriting commissions), to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest income (if any) to pay income taxes, if any. Our annual income tax obligations will depend on the amount of interest and other income earned on the amounts

 

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held in the trust account. We expect the interest income earned on the amount in the trust account (if any) will be sufficient to pay our income taxes. To the extent that our equity or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the partner 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 $1.0 million of proceeds held outside the trust account, as well as certain funds from loans from our sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates. We will use these funds to primarily identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective partner businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, and structure, negotiate and complete a business combination.

We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business prior to the completion of our initial business combination, other than funds available from loans from our sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a partner 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 the completion of our initial business combination. In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination company at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates 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 $350,000 for legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses in connection with any business combination; $180,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations; $315,000 for miscellaneous and administrative expenses incurred during the search for an initial business combination target; $55,000 for Nasdaq continued listing fees; and $100,000 will be used as a reserve for or liquidation.

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 partner business or as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision designed to keep partner businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such partner businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into an agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a partner 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

 

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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 partner businesses.

Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination, either because the transaction requires more cash than is available from the proceeds held in our trust account, or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of the business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. If we have not consummated our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account.

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. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company would we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on internal control over financial reporting. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.

Prior to the closing of this offering, we have not completed an assessment, nor have our auditors tested our systems, of our internal controls. We expect to assess the internal controls of our partner 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 partner business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. Many small and mid-sized partner businesses we may consider for our initial business combination may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions;

 

 

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

 

 

documentation of accounting policies and procedures.

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

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

 

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Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk

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

Off-balance sheet arrangements; commitments and contractual obligations; quarterly results

As of September 30, 2020, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K and did not have any commitments or contractual obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus as we have not conducted any operations to date.

JOBS Act

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

Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company,” we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an auditor’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 auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis) and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of our initial public offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.

 

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Proposed business

We are a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated on September 11, 2020 as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering. We have generated no operating revenues to date and we do not expect that we will generate operating revenues until we consummate 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. While we may pursue an initial business combination in any industry, sector, or geographic region, we will focus on companies in the healthcare industry, and in particular the therapeutics sector, in the United States and other developed countries. We intend to capitalize on the unique mix of experience and highly-complementary capabilities of our co-founders, Clive Meanwell and Ian Read, as well as our management team, in leading, operating and strategically positioning global companies in that sector, as well as investing and managing capital, structuring transactions and building businesses. We believe that our industry knowledge and operating experience, in addition to our co-founders’ reputations and strong track record of creating shareholder value, make us a partner of choice for owners and management teams of highly attractive private companies.

We believe that the vast networks of relationships of our founders, management team and board of directors will provide us with a significant competitive advantage in sourcing a pipeline of potential opportunities that may not be available to others.

 

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Management team

Clive Meanwell, Co-Founder; Chief Executive Officer; Director

The Company was co-founded by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Clive Meanwell. Over his more than 30 years of leadership in the life sciences industry, Dr. Meanwell has built a successful track record of selecting and efficiently developing high-quality, clinical-stage, pharmaceutical assets and de-risking those assets through U.S. and E.U. regulatory approval, while creating tens of billions of dollars in shareholder value.

As the founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Medicines Company, Dr. Meanwell led evaluations of multiple biopharmaceutical assets and companies, acquired, or licensed fourteen product candidates and products, including six applicable to cardiovascular medicine, three antibiotics, and five for use in surgery and perioperative care. All eight of the product candidates advanced by The Medicines Company into Phase III clinical trials were subsequently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, representing a 100% Phase III success rate. During his leadership, The Medicines Company was ranked first among biopharmaceutical companies and in the top five among all industries in the CNBC RQ index of research and development productivity, for all years of its publication.

In 2013, Dr. Meanwell led the acquisition of inclisiran, a first-in-class, potential cholesterol-lowering therapy in the small-interfering RNA class, from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., before inclisiran entered Phase I clinical testing. The acquisition was completed for an upfront cash payment of $25 million and scaled double-digit royalties. Over the following six years, Dr. Meanwell restructured The Medicines Company to focus on the development of inclisiran into an NDA-ready asset with worldwide revenue projections in excess of $5 billion for a total capital outlay 50-70% below industry benchmarks for similar programs. Inclisiran was the single value driver behind Novartis AG’s acquisition of The Medicines Company for approximately $9.7 billion in January 2020—the third largest single-product, development-stage acquisition in the history of the global pharmaceuticals industry.

In parallel to his leadership of The Medicines Company, Dr. Meanwell has served as a member of the Board of Directors of BB Biotech since 2003. He is currently Vice Chairman of BB Biotech and Chairman of its four offshore operating subsidiaries. Through these entities, BB Biotech invests in fast-growing biotechnology companies that are developing and marketing innovative drugs that address areas of significant unmet medical needs and have above-average sales and profit-growth potential. Further, BB Biotech is one of the world’s largest investors in this sector with a market capitalization of 3.8 billion Swiss Francs (approximately $4.0 billion) and a net asset value of 3.6 billion Swiss Francs (approximately $3.8 billion), as of June 30, 2020. Dr. Meanwell has played an instrumental role in BB Biotech’s governance, strategy, development and growth, as well as reporting of its performance. He has been one of three investment decision-makers at the firm for 17 years and, with its Chief Executive Officer, has co-authored its quarterly reports to shareholders for the last six years.

BB Biotech’s investment portfolio typically consists of between 20 to 35 biotechnology companies spanning the spectrum from small-cap to established large-caps. Most of BB Biotech’s investments are in U.S. companies. Therapeutic areas of investments include oncology, orphan diseases, neurological diseases, cardiometabolic diseases, and infectious diseases, including diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines and contemporary technologies such as RNA platforms and cell and gene therapies. BB Biotech makes public and private equity, debt, and option investments. Dr. Meanwell has participated in multi-stage due diligence processes, working with the analysis team to review a target investment company’s financial statements in detail, and assess its competitive environment, research and development pipeline, and patent portfolio, as well as its customers’ perceptions of its products and services. Close contact with executives of companies that BB Biotech invests in is of high importance in the due diligence process, and during the securities holding period, and Dr. Meanwell

 

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has cultivated widespread and productive relationships with biotech company leaders, past and present, worldwide.

Prior to founding The Medicines Company, Dr. Meanwell held executive positions of increasing responsibility at Roche Holding AG, the Swiss-headquartered global pharmaceutical company, ultimately rising to Director and Senior Vice President. At Roche, Dr. Meanwell led the clinical development of Neupogen® in a partnership with Amgen Inc., including authoring clinical sections of the FDA biologics license application and a European marketing authorization for the product, and leading the medical marketing of Neupogen in Roche territories. Neupogen and its long-acting analogue, Neulasta®, became standard treatments in a range of oncology patients and have achieved aggregate global sales of more than $110 billion—among the largest in the history of the industry. In 1990, Roche acquired a majority stake in Genentech Inc. and subsequently, Dr. Meanwell was appointed as one of two Roche executives to coordinate with Genentech leaders the joint management of the portfolio of products discovered and developed by Genentech, including Roche’s election to commercialize them. Also at Roche, Dr. Meanwell led a multi-year initiative to re-engineer global product development, devising ways of working for multidisciplinary global project teams, and a range of systems and tools to enable drug development efficiency, quality and commercial relevance. When Roche acquired Syntex Corporation in 1994, Dr. Meanwell was appointed Senior Vice President of Roche Biosciences in Palo Alto, California and made responsible for the worldwide restructuring and integration of the two companies’ research and development organizations. During that time, he also oversaw the development of drugs which were discovered at Syntex and then became central to Roche’s global portfolio.

Dr. Meanwell co-founded Population Health Partners (“PHP”) in May 2020 as an investment company supported by proprietary drug development and payer engagement platforms, with a goal of harnessing his decades of drug development experience into an entity with the breadth and flexibility to contribute to scientific, regulatory and commercial de-risking for a wide range of innovative medical therapeutics.

Through these roles, over the span of more than three decades, Dr. Meanwell has built a substantial, proprietary network across public- and private-equity backed companies, the investment community, universities, policymakers, and regulators. During that time, Dr. Meanwell has been a member of a variety of industry boards, including the Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). Dr. Meanwell was an ad hoc advisor to President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Dr. Meanwell is a recipient of the Dr. Sol J. Barer Award for Vision, Innovation and Leadership and of an Ernst and Young award for entrepreneurship.

Ian Read, Co-Founder; Executive Chairman; Director Nominee

The Company was co-founded by its Executive Chairman, Ian Read. Mr. Read brings a distinguished 42-year track record as one of the foremost leaders, dealmakers, and shareholder value creators in the global biopharmaceutical industry.

Mr. Read was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer from December 2010 until January 2019, and Executive Chairman until December 2019. During that tenure, he oversaw over 30 new drug approvals, $88 billion in acquisition and divestiture deals, and a total shareholder return of 250%—representing over $242 billion in value creation—in the wake of the 2011 patent expiry of Lipitor, then the largest single product in the history of the industry. Upon his retirement, the company possessed one of the strongest pipelines in the industry, with over 15 potential pharmaceutical blockbusters in mid-to-late stage development.

Mr. Read oversaw a period of industry-shaping innovation regarding the structure of Pfizer and its portfolio. He executed a novel spin-out of the company’s animal health business into what became Zoetis in 2013—widely regarded as one of the most successful pharmaceutical spin-outs in recent history. Zoetis’ market value has

 

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increased six-fold since its launch, creating precedent for similar spinouts by Eli Lilly and Merck. Mr. Read also oversaw a re-organization of Pfizer into three groups with three fundamentally different risk-return profiles—one focused on innovative pharmaceuticals, another focused on established, post-loss of exclusivity pharmaceuticals, and a third focused on consumer health. This presaged two major deals in 2019 that transformed the company: The spin-merger of the established products business into Mylan Pharmaceuticals, creating a new $20 billion entity by 2020 estimated pro forma revenues (Viatris); and the creation of a consumer healthcare joint venture with GlaxoSmithKline. Within the innovative portfolio, Mr. Read oversaw the creation of dedicated entities to develop the company’s CAR-T portfolio (Allogene) and its Neuroscience portfolio (Cerevel). The go-forward Pfizer is exclusively focused on innovative therapeutics in oncology, rare disease, internal medicine, immunology, and vaccines, and remains one of the top five pharmaceutical companies by revenue globally.

Mr. Read also oversaw the acquisition of 22 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for a total of $54 billion during his tenure, alongside dozens of major licensing agreements. Notable deals included Hospira ($17.1 billion) Anacor ($4.8 billion), Medivation ($14.0 billion), and the acquisition of AstraZeneca’s small molecule antibiotics business ($1.6 billion). Mr. Read also conceived and initiated potentially transformative acquisitions of AstraZeneca ($100 billion) and Allergan ($160 billion), which were highly influential in shaping the strategic directions of both of those companies going forward.

Finally, Mr. Read oversaw notable transformations in the culture and performance of Pfizer. His efforts to create an “ownership culture” at the company laid the pathway for substantial improvements in productivity and employee retention and satisfaction, returning the organization to operational growth and earning an industry-leading 85% colleague engagement score. Through culture-related initiatives and broader strategic initiatives, Mr. Read also led a transformation of the organization’s R&D group from one of the least productive in the industry to a top-tier capability, setting the stage for over 30 approvals and over 15 organically-developed potential blockbuster assets in mid-to-late stage development by the end of his tenure.

Mr. Read joined Pfizer as an operational auditor in 1978 and proceeded into roles of increasing responsibility. As CEO of Brazil from 1992 through 1995, he oversaw a fully integrated business including a complex manufacturing organization, successfully launched four products, and grew sales from $100 million to $330 million. Subsequently as President of Pharmaceuticals for Latin America and Canada from 1996 through 2001, he oversaw local development of Lipitor and Zithromax, and achieved 20% topline and 10% bottom-line growth, exceeding $1 billion in sales. From 2002 to 2005 he was President of Pharmaceuticals for Europe and Canada, delivering high-single-digit revenue and profitability growth with revenue responsibility of more than $7 billion, while overseeing the European integration of Farmacia. He also led a significant reorganization of the company’s European operations, integrating operations at a regional level and simplifying in-country operations.

From 2005 until his appointment as Chairman and CEO in 2010, Mr. Read took global responsibility for the company’s $29 billion pharmaceuticals business and became part of the global leadership team. He played a key role in the $68 billion acquisition of Wyeth and its integration into Pfizer, and architected a restructuring of the pharmaceuticals business into independent, therapeutic area-aligned business units, integrating product development into each global business to ensure continuity of strategy and resource allocation through the innovation cycle.

Mr. Read is lead independent director at Kimberly Clark, having joined that company’s Board of Directors in 2007. He also serves as Chairman of DXC Technology and will become a founding member of the Board of Directors of Viatris upon the completion of that company’s formation. He is also an Operating Executive at the Carlyle Group.

 

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Chris Visioli, Chief Financial Officer

Until May 2020, Mr. Visioli served as Chief Financial Officer at The Medicines Company, where he was responsible for leading financial strategy, information technology, and served on the executive leadership team. During his tenure as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Visioli raised over $300 million in outside capital and co-managed the global business development process which resulted in the sale of the company to Novartis AG for $9.7 billion in January of 2020. Prior to becoming Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Visioli led business development for the company, overseeing the acquisition of eight product candidates in cardiovascular medicine, infectious disease, and surgery and perioperative care, as well as the divestiture of seven marketed assets to fund the development of inclisiran.

Prior to his time at The Medicines Company, Mr. Visioli was a Management Consultant at Ernst & Young and Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, focused on assisting start up technology businesses to design, develop and scale back office and technology capabilities, in addition to customized system development work for large financial service and communication institutions.

Mr. Visioli has an M.B.A. with Honors, from Columbia Business School and a B.S. in electrical engineering, cum laude, from Cornell University.

Chris Cox, Senior Vice President

Chris Cox is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Population Health Partners. Mr. Cox has been a corporate attorney for over 25 years, most recently at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, which he joined as a partner in January 2012 and where he served as co-chair of the global corporate group and a member of the firm’s management committee until February 2016. Mr. Cox specializes in structuring, negotiating and executing complex M&A transactions, joint ventures, restructurings, spinoffs, and debt and equity financings across a broad range of industries. He has been recognized as one of the leading M&A attorneys in the United States, having represented clients in over $200 billion of M&A transactions and related financings over the course of his career.

From February 2016 to March 2019, Mr. Cox was Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Development Officer of The Medicines Company.

Mr. Cox has a B.S. and J.D. from the University of Missouri.

Whit Bernard, Senior Vice President

Whit Bernard is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Population Health Partners. Prior to that, Mr. Bernard served as Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Business Development at The Medicines Company, where he had responsibility for corporate strategy and go-to-market planning, and co-managed a global business development process which resulted in the sale of the company to Novartis AG for $9.7 billion in January 2020. Subsequent to the closing of that transaction, Mr. Bernard co-led the integration of The Medicines Company into Novartis.

Prior to his role at The Medicines Company, Mr. Bernard was an Associate Partner in the Life Sciences Practice at McKinsey and Company, where he advised large pharmaceutical firms and clinical-stage biotechnology companies on growth strategy, go-to-market strategy, transactions, and operations. Mr. Bernard was also active in the firm’s private equity practice, advising and leading diligence efforts on a range of over $1 billion pharmaceutical and healthcare services deals. Mr. Bernard co-founded a service line within McKinsey focused on emerging biotechnology firms, and gained experience advising a range of pre- and post-IPO life sciences companies at critical stages of their maturation.

Mr. Bernard has an M.B.A., with Honors, from the Kellogg School of Management and a B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, from Brown University.

 

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Farah Champsi, Independent Director Nominee

Farah Champsi has spent over 30 years evaluating, advising and building companies in the life sciences industry as a Managing Director and General Partner at Alta Partners, a leading venture capital firm and as a senior banker at Robertson Stephens, a preeminent emerging growth investment bank. From 1987 to 1999, Ms. Champsi was the lead banker for numerous successful initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions and financings in the biotech industry. In her subsequent role at Alta Partners (2000-present), Ms. Champsi raised over $1 billion in venture funds, served as a board member of 14 public and private companies, and led investments in many companies, including Kite Pharma (acquired by Gilead for $11.9 billion in 2017), Portola Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Alexion Pharmaceuticals for $1.4 billion in 2020), Excaliard Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer in 2011) and Agensys (acquired by Astellas in 2007).

Ms. Champsi has a B.A. from Smith College and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. She currently serves on the board of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals and as a trustee of Smith College.

We believe the Company will benefit from Ms. Champsi’s extensive network and reputation for constructive, active engagement and trusted working relationships with managements of dynamic, fast-growth companies.

Clarke Futch, Independent Director Nominee

Clarke Futch brings over 30 years of experience in biopharmaceutical/healthcare investing and financing, having raised over $5 billion across eight investment vehicles, and executed more than 100 transactions, including royalty, equity, debt and M&A deals. Since 2001, as co-founder, Managing Partner, and Chairman of the Investment Committee at Healthcare Royalty Partners, he has led or co-led more than 50 royalty and related debt financings representing more than $3 billion of invested capital, involving companies ranging from emerging biopharma to some of the largest global pharmaceutical companies. Before co-founding Healthcare Royalty Partners, Mr. Futch served as a partner at Paul Capital Partners where he co-managed the firm’s royalty investments as a member of the royalty management committee.

Mr. Futch previously served as a founding member of the healthcare group at Thomas Weisel Partners (now Stifel), and as a vice president at Raymond James. He holds a B.A., magna cum laude, from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

We believe the company will benefit from Mr. Futch’s expansive network across the biopharmaceutical industry, his decades of experience structuring and executing a broad range of innovative transactions, and his trusted relationships with major institutional investors.

Charles Homcy, Independent Director Nominee

Charles Homcy, M.D. brings over 30 years of experience as a physician, entrepreneur, biotech executive, and investor. Dr. Homcy co-founded Portola Pharmaceuticals in 2003, and served as its President and Chief Executive Officer until 2010. Prior to that, Dr. Homcy served as the president of research and development at Millennium Pharmaceuticals and COR Therapeutics (acquired by Millennium in 2002). He was a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco Medical School, and an attending physician at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Hospital from 1997 to 2011.

Dr. Homcy currently serves on the board of directors of BridgeBio, and as Chairman of Pharmaceuticals. He was previously a partner at Third Rock Ventures, where he launched and built several major, publicly traded biopharmaceutical companies including MyoKardia and Global Blood Therapeutics. He has a B.A. and M.D. from Johns Hopkins University and currently serves on its board of trustees.

 

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We believe the company will benefit from Dr. Homcy’s extensive network among biotechnology entrepreneurs and executives, his drug discovery and development expertise, and his track record as a strategic investor, founder, and operator.

We believe our founding team has a competitive advantage as a result of their experience leading healthcare companies, with strengths in corporate strategy and transactions, public company operations and working knowledge of life science industry. We believe our combined experience will enable us to offer public investors and target company stakeholders a differentiated approach to accelerating growth in key global markets, extending the management team, enhancing operating efficiency and operating successfully as a public company.

Notwithstanding our founders’ and founding team’s past experiences, past performance is not a guarantee (i) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or (ii) that we will provide an attractive return to our shareholders from any business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of our founders’ and management’s performance as indicative of our future performance.

 

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Business strategy

Competitive strengths

We believe that our widely-respected capabilities as senior leaders, drug developers and commercial leaders in the biopharmaceuticals sector, our extensive expertise in evaluating, investing in, and building companies in that sector, and our broad and deep network of relationships across the biopharmaceutical ecosystem will position us to source, analyze and execute a high-quality initial business combination that delivers substantial value for our shareholders. Specifically, we plan to leverage our competitive strengths, including the following:

1. Long track record of biopharmaceutical industry expertise.    Our co-founders and management team, supported by our board of directors, bring a uniquely distinguished track record in a range of operational and strategic leadership capacities that we believe provide us with a strong competitive advantage and will be uniquely valuable for a broad range of potential target companies. These capabilities include:

 

 

Executive Leadership and Board Governance.    Our co-founders bring a combined over 60 years of leadership experience of the biopharmaceutical industry, chairing boards of directors, overseeing corporate strategy devising and implementing restructuring initiatives, alongside major cultural and performance transformations impacting thousands of colleagues.

 

 

Highly efficient, high-quality life sciences product development.    Our founders have extensive experience overseeing R&D portfolio decisions and resourcing. Dr. Meanwell brings over 30 years of hands-on experience in drug development, designing, directing and reporting complex multidisciplinary programs including animal pharmacology, toxicology, manufacturing development, human pharmacology and clinical trials—including large phase III and IV studies. At The Medicines Company alone, more than 20 large-scale trials enrolled an aggregate of more than 90,000 patients, and led to 25 peer-reviewed publications in leading medical journals and eight new drug approvals by the FDA, with a 100% Phase III success rate. The inclisiran program enrolled over 18,000 patients, delivered multiple top-tier peer-reviewed articles, and was conducted at a total capital outlay 50-70% below industry benchmarks for similar programs.

 

 

Advanced manufacturing development and supply chain management.    Dr. Meanwell oversaw pioneering work in large-scale manufacturing development and production of peptides, and of oligonucleotides at The Medicines Company and led regulatory activities which included Roche manufacturing. Mr. Read oversaw one of the largest manufacturing and supply chain operations in the pharmaceutical industry.

 

 

Deep regulatory expertise.    During Dr. Meanwell’s tenure as Global Head of Regulatory affairs at Roche, and subsequently during his leadership of The Medicines Company, he oversaw effective engagement with life sciences regulators in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, China, and other major markets, including numerous new drug approvals. Dr. Meanwell was an ad hoc advisor to President Obama’s PCAST review of FDA organization and operations.

 

 

Innovative commercialization and payer relationships.    Mr. Read has overseen commercialization of some of the largest pharmaceutical products in history. His deep experience and relationships with leaders of global payers and health systems will be available to a target as a resource. Dr. Meanwell, Mr. Visioli, Mr. Bernard, and Mr. Cox collaboratively conceived, created, and negotiated a substantial, first-of-its-kind market access agreement with the NHS England to treat at least 300,000 patients per year with inclisiran after its approval and to perform a 40,000 patient cardiovascular outcomes trial (to be conducted at unprecedented levels of efficiency through NHS England), and a landmark manufacturing development agreement. This agreement provided a novel framework for a large health system to pre-commit to commercial supply in advance of approval.

 

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Corporate development and deal-making.    Mr. Read’s industry-leading experience overseeing and architecting $88 billion in acquisition and divestiture deals will be a uniquely valuable resource to potential target companies which may seek collaborations with large pharmaceutical companies as a means of unlocking shareholder value. Dr. Meanwell led significant buy-and-build activities as a core strategy of The Medicines Company. We believe their experiences and perspectives are synergistic with our management team’s recent experience operationalizing a $9.7 billion exit for shareholders of The Medicines Company.

2. Unique vantage point on target opportunities.    We believe that our management team’s long track record of operational experience also brings a unique aptitude for effective analysis of target opportunities, and identification of value creation opportunities which may not be apparent to others. The linkage of Mr. Read’s and Dr. Meanwell’s networks, executive leadership experience and deep operational knowledge with the broader management team’s analytic investment, commercial strategy, and diligence experience will form a uniquely synergistic capability in this regard.

3. Deal access and deal cultivation expertise.    We believe that the extensive relationships of our founders, management team and board of directors with biopharmaceutical industry executives, biotechnology entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and private equity executives, and academic and public sector leaders will provide ample access to attractive target opportunities, many of which will be proprietary and/or unavailable to other potential acquirers.

4. M&A and financing experience.    Our founders and management team, supported by our board of directors, bring a combined over $400 billion in structuring, negotiating, and executing M&A and related financing or investment transactions. We believe this experience positions us to effectively source, design and consummate a transaction on attractive terms for our shareholders.

Market and Industry Opportunity

Our focus will be on the therapeutics sector of healthcare in the United States and other developed countries. We believe the therapeutics sector, particularly the biotech sector, represents an enormous, growing market with a large number of potential target opportunities, backed by several major trends:

 

 

Rising healthcare costs.    Total U.S. health expenditures currently exceed $3.6 trillion, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has projected that total healthcare spending will grow at a 5.4% per year until 2028, when they are predicted to reach $6.2 trillion, or approximately 20% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product. We believe that the secular growth in healthcare is driven by underlying factors that will continue to foster market expansion and, therefore, investment opportunities—particularly in technologies that can improve the overall return on healthcare investment for society.

 

 

Shift from fee-for-service to outcomes-based payment models.    We believe that the U.S. healthcare market is in the midst of a broad shift from paying for activities and inputs to paying for outcomes, and that this shift will accelerate demand for new kinds of therapeutic solutions that deliver reliable, quantifiable outcomes and improve the cost/quality dynamic at a population level. We believe this shift will also drive increased focus on therapeutic attributes not traditionally considered in clinical development—including adherence, patient satisfaction, and reductions in waste and medical errors. Finally, we believe that expanded focus on the social determinants of health, and on inequalities of healthcare outcomes, will drive demand for differentiated therapeutic solutions that affordably and equitably distribute therapeutic benefit in a real-world setting.

 

 

Expanded role of payers (insurers, employers and consumers) in therapeutic choices.    While medical doctors will continue to manage frontline care, we believe their scope of decision-making is diminishing as

 

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expectations of higher quality and greater efficiency of care grow. Consumer awareness of healthcare costs, demands for better performance from employer sponsors, and expanded capitation schemes in Medicare mean that payers need greater coordination with therapeutic innovators before new products come to market, and greater input into shaping and prioritizing development-stage therapeutics.

 

 

Shift toward external innovation in pharmaceutical R&D.    Over recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has increasingly shifted its research and development strategy towards external innovation through in-licensing transactions and strategic acquisitions. In 2019, biotechnology mergers and acquisitions, or M&A, totaled $217.2 billion according to EvaluatePharma. We believe that large pharmaceutical companies will continue to externalize innovation to build capabilities and drive growth.

 

 

Increased pace of global regulatory approvals.    In addition to the considerable innovation capital being deployed, regulators worldwide are coordinating their work and accelerating their processes of product review. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, is taking steps to streamline its approval processes and facilitate new approaches to bring product to market more efficiently. Near-simultaneous regulatory submissions in the U.S., Europe, Japan and China are becoming normal practice, accelerating uptake of innovative therapeutics. Furthermore, private companies are partnering with the FDA and other government agencies to find innovative solutions to address the cost and quality challenges of clinical research. The number of new molecular entities approved by the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Review has increased substantially over the last 10 years from 24 in 2008 to 48 in 2019, after hitting a peak of 59 in 2018.

 

 

Impact of COVID-19 responses on innovation in healthcare ecosystem.    We believe the global COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the critical role of the biopharmaceutical industry in society, and accelerated a number of important, positive trends for value creation in the industry, notably: 1) coordination and acceleration of research and development from discovery to human testing; 2) improved efficiency and quality of manufacturing, particularly for complex molecules; 3) a validation of innovative methods for highly efficient, fast-recruiting, large-scale clinical trials; 4) an ongoing shift in the regulatory environment in favor of streamlined, sometimes provisional, approvals and innovative development strategies; and 5) a shift toward commercial pre-commitments from major government and health systems for drug candidates that create substantial value for public health, in exchange for favorable pricing and guaranteed volume.

More specifically, we have observed a significant dislocation of value in the biopharmaceutical industry, driven by a decades-long bias among large pharmaceutical companies towards oncology and monogenic diseases. This bias has manifested in a striking structural shift. In 2000, the top ten pharmaceutical products generated approximately $36 billion in total global revenue and addressed a total U.S. target population of approximately 112 million people, based on an analysis of data from Truven and Evaluate. In 2020, the top ten pharmaceutical products are projected to generate approximately $93 billion in total global revenue and address a total target population of approximately 18 million people. This represents a sixteen-fold shift towards higher-priced therapeutics targeting narrower addressable populations away from the highly prevalent conditions that continue to drive the largest health burden in major developed markets (i.e., cardiovascular disease, obesity, chronic respiratory conditions, complications of diabetes, and prevalent behavioral health and central nervous system conditions).

We believe this dislocation has been driven by two basic assumptions. First, that large-scale clinical trials are prohibitively expensive to execute, and thus dilutive to overall project value. Second, that the market risk for large-scale clinical indications—those directed at a patient population of more than one million—is greater than for narrower indications where a higher per-patient price can be supported. We believe that our decades of experience in large-scale drug development and payer engagement directly disproves both of these

 

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assumptions, positioning us to unlock substantial value in potential targets in prevalent therapeutic categories that may be undervalued on a relative basis.

Additionally, we believe that the increased concentration of leading biopharmaceutical companies in oncology and monogenic diseases leaves in its wake a range of high-quality, potential blockbuster assets within large pharmaceuticals pipelines which are no longer core to company strategies. We plan to actively explore such assets in the context of a potential transaction.

Finally, we believe that there are many benefits for private healthcare companies, particularly private biotech companies, to become publicly traded, including greater access to capital, a broader investor base, and greater market awareness. The complexity of executing an initial public offering at a critical strategic juncture can create substantial risks, however, which we believe makes acquisition by a special-purpose acquisition company led by a trusted, respected management team a preferred method of accessing the public markets due to increased deal certainty, transparency and efficiency. We also believe that the ability of a target company’s management to immediately leverage the deep and demonstrated sector expertise of our founders and management team will be an advantage in sourcing opportunities, and will create compelling opportunities for value creation after the initial business combination.

We believe that there is unprecedented investor demand for IPOs in the biotechnology sector and that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a renewed appreciation of the critical contributions the biotechnology sector makes to society, which in turn will continue to fuel investor demand. Between 2015 and 2019, more than $170 billion has been raised by biotechnology companies in the U.S. public capital markets. This includes approximately $21 billion raised by companies across 183 initial public offerings. Moreover, of the approximately 14,000 biotechnology companies operating globally, only a small fraction are publicly traded.

 

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Initial business combination criteria

We have developed the following high-level, non-exclusive and non-exhaustive criteria to further evaluate target businesses and technologies:

 

 

Potential for substantial impact in population health.    We believe a disproportionate share of the most attractive long-term opportunities in the biopharmaceutical pipeline are in technologies that bring differentiated solutions to the leading preventable causes of morbidity and mortality for major governments and health systems. We believe these opportunities will also align with the objectives of a growing number of investors interested in environmental, social, governance (“ESG”) issues.

 

 

Attractive valuation and path to near-term value creation.    We will seek to acquire a business at an attractive valuation, with a clear path for further de-risking of one or more pivotal technologies, to unlock near-to-medium term market value. We will seek to stabilize the capital structure of the acquired business, inclusive of debt, in a manner that is conservative and aligned to the medium-to-long-term objectives of the business.

 

 

Manageable clinical development risk.    We will generally prioritize targets whose technology has already achieved clinical proof of concept and reflects clear-cut anticipated biopharmaceutical effects. We believe our founders’ and management team’s operational experience selecting and developing assets, along with our expert networks in industry and among opinion leaders in medicine and academia, position us to effectively assess scientific and clinical risk for new biopharmaceutical product candidates.

 

 

Ability of our founders, management team, and PHP to unlock value.    We will prioritize businesses where our operating expertise and networks are disproportionately poised to unlock value—for example, businesses that would benefit from operationalizing large-scale late-stage clinical trials or entering into population-scale agreements with major payers or health systems. Our goal is to acquire a business that will be substantially more valuable as a public entity with our founders and management team involved than it would be in a comparable transaction with a purely financial acquirer.

 

 

Value to consumers, global payers and health systems.    We will prioritize therapeutics that can meet or exceed increasing global expectations for value in healthcare by delivering better overall outcomes and improved cost performance. We will leverage PHP’s and our founders’ relationships with payer and health system leaders as an important source of input in validating and conducting diligence on targets in this regard.

 

 

Target management team.    We view target management teams in two broad categories:

 

  1.   Targets with well-qualified, effective management teams open to support from PHP.     Our priority will be to acquire businesses with a strong leadership team whose incentives are aligned to those of our equity-holders, and who would also benefit from our expertise and network. We view this as the most likely scenario.

 

  2.   Targets with management teams that require augmentation or a ground-up rebuild.     An advantage of the network and operational capabilities of our founders and PHP is our ability to rapidly stand-up an industry-leading operational capability, if relevant and accretive to an attractively-priced transaction. We view this scenario as less likely.

These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as on other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to

 

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enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our stockholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents that we would file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Status as a public company

We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to partner businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a partner business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination with us. In a business combination transaction with us, the owners of the partner business may, for example, exchange their capital stock, shares or other equity interests in the partner business for our Class A ordinary shares (or shares of a new holding company) or for a combination of our Class A ordinary shares and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. We believe partner businesses will find this method a more expeditious and cost effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. The typical initial public offering process takes a significantly longer period of time than the typical business combination transaction process, and there are significant expenses in the initial public offering process, including underwriting discounts and commissions, that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us.

Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is completed, the partner business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring or have negative valuation consequences. Once public, we believe the partner business would then have greater access to capital, an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with shareholders’ interests and the ability to use its shares as currency for acquisitions. Being a public company can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.

While we believe that our structure and our founding team’s backgrounds will make us an attractive business partner, some potential partner businesses may view our status as a blank check company, such as our lack of an operating history and our ability to seek shareholder approval of any proposed initial business combination, negatively.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. 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 Class A ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30.

 

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Financial position

With funds available for a business combination initially in the amount of $152,000,000, after payment of the estimated expenses of this offering and $5,250,000 of deferred underwriting fees (or $174,500,000 after payment of the estimated expenses of this offering and $6,037,500 of deferred underwriting fees if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), we offer a partner 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 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 partner business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third-party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.

Effecting our initial business combination

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, the sale of the private placements warrants, our equity, debt or a combination of these as the consideration to be paid in our initial business combination. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.

If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-business combination company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.

We have not selected any partner business and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions with any partner business. Additionally, we have not engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate, to conduct any research or take any measures, directly or indirectly, to locate or contact a partner business, other than our officers and directors.

Accordingly, there is no current basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the partner business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination. Although our founding team will assess the risks inherent in a particular partner business with which we may combine, we cannot assure you that this assessment will result in our identifying all risks that a partner 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 affect a partner business.

We may need to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination, either because the transaction requires more cash than is available from the proceeds held in our trust account, or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of the business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. There are no prohibitions on our ability to issue securities or incur debt in connection with our initial business combination. We are not currently a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third

 

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party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities, the incurrence of debt or otherwise.

Sources of partner businesses

Our process of identifying partner business candidates will leverage our founding 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.

In addition, we anticipate that partner business candidates may be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers and private investment funds. Partner business candidates may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us through calls or mailings. These sources may also introduce us to partner 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 pursuing. Our officers and directors, as well as their affiliates, may also bring to our attention partner business candidates of which they become aware through their business contacts as a result of formal or informal inquiries or discussions they may have, as well as attending trade shows or conventions.

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 founding team 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 founding team determines is in our best interest to pursue. Payment of a finder’s fee is customarily tied to completion of a transaction, in which case any such fee will be paid out of the funds held in the trust account. In no event, however, will our sponsor or any of our existing officers or directors, or any entity with which they are affiliated, be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation by the company prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). None of our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be allowed to receive any compensation, finder’s fees or consulting fees from a prospective business combination partner in connection with a contemplated acquisition of such partner by us. Some of our officers and directors may enter into employment or consulting agreements with the post-business combination company following our initial business combination.

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination or subsequent transaction with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, founders, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor or any of our founders, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent valuation or accounting firm that such initial business combination or transaction is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.

Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities, including any future special purpose acquisition companies we expect

 

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they may be involved in and entities that are affiliates of our sponsor, pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity. See “Management—Conflicts of Interest.”

Evaluation of a partner business and structuring of our initial business combination

In evaluating a prospective partner business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information which will be made available to us. If we determine to move forward with a particular partner, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the business combination transaction.

The time required to identify and evaluate a partner business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of, and negotiation with, a prospective partner business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination. The company will not pay any consulting fees to members of our founding team, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to or in connection with our initial business combination. In addition, we have agreed not to enter into a definitive agreement regarding an initial business combination without the prior consent of our sponsor.

Lack of business diversification

For an indefinite period of time after the completion of our initial business combination, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete business combinations with multiple entities in one or several industries, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations and mitigate the risks of being in a single line of business. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:

 

 

subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which we operate after our initial business combination; and

 

 

cause us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products or services.

Limited ability to evaluate the partner’s management team

Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective partner business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with that business, our assessment of the partner business’s management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our founding team, if any, in the partner business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. The determination as to whether any of the members of our founding team will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our initial business combination, it is

 

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unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our initial business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our founding team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular partner business.

We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.

Following a business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the partner business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.

Shareholders may not have the ability to approve our initial business combination

We may conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC subject to the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. However, we will seek shareholder approval if it is required by applicable law or stock exchange rule, or we may decide to seek shareholder approval for business or other reasons.

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination in those instances in which shareholder approval is not required by law will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on business and legal reasons, which include a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:

 

 

the timing of the transaction, including in the event we determine shareholder approval would require additional time and there is either not enough time to seek shareholder approval or doing so would place the company at a disadvantage in the transaction or result in other additional burdens on the company;

 

 

the expected cost of holding a shareholder vote;

 

 

the risk that the shareholders would fail to approve the proposed business combination; other time and budget constraints of the company; and

 

 

additional legal complexities of a proposed business combination that would be time consuming and burdensome to present to shareholders.

 

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Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities

If we seek shareholder 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, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will be restricted from making 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.

In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights or submitted a proxy to vote against our initial business combination, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares and any proxy to vote against our initial business combination. 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 be required to comply with such rules.

The purpose of any such transactions could be to (i) vote such shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination, (ii) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a partner business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met or (iii) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or vote such warrants or any matter 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 Class A ordinary shares or public 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 their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the shareholders with whom our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated transactions by either the shareholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by shareholders (in the case of Class A ordinary shares) following our mailing of tender offer or 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 transaction, they would identify and contact only potential selling or redeeming shareholders 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 shareholder has already submitted a proxy with respect to our initial business combination but only if such shares have not already been voted at the general meeting related to our initial business combination. Our sponsor, executive officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase shares from based on the negotiated price

 

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and number of shares and any other factors that they may deem relevant, and will be restricted from purchasing shares if such purchases do not comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.

Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates will be restricted from making purchases of shares if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. We expect any such purchases would be reported by such person pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.

Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. The redemption rights may include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Further, we will not proceed with redeeming our public shares, even if a public shareholder has properly elected to redeem its shares, if a business combination does not close. Our sponsor and our founding team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private placement warrants and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in connection with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity.

Limitations on redemptions

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5.0 million (so that we do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). However, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the partner or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the partner for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.

 

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Manner of conducting redemptions

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements or whether we were deemed to be a foreign private issuer (which would require a tender offer rather than seeking shareholder approval under SEC rules). Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would typically require shareholder approval. We currently intend to conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote unless shareholder approval is not required by applicable law or stock exchange rule or we choose to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC for business or other reasons.

If we held a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:

 

 

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

 

 

file proxy materials with the SEC.

In the event that we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our public shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon completion of the initial business combination.

If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive approval pursuant to an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the shares voted at a general meeting of the company. In such case, our sponsor and each member of our founding team have agreed to vote their founder shares and public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 5,625,001 or 37.5%, of the 15,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised). Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination or vote at all. In addition, our sponsor and our founding team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in connection with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity.

 

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If we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:

 

 

conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and

 

 

file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.

Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase Class A ordinary shares in the open market if we elect to redeem our public shares through a tender offer, to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.

In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than the number of public shares we are permitted to redeem. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.

Limitation on redemption upon completion of our initial business combination if we seek shareholder approval

If we seek shareholder 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 memorandum and articles of association provides that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder 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, without our prior consent. We believe this restriction will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed business combination as a means to force us or our founding to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder 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, our sponsor or our founding team at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ 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 shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a partner 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 shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.

Tendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights

Public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” will be required to either tender their certificates (if any) to our transfer agent prior to

 

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the date set forth in the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, mailed to such holders, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, in each case up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote to approve the business combination. The proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate the applicable delivery requirements, which may include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Given the relatively short period in which to exercise redemption rights, it is advisable for shareholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.

There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker a fee of approximately $80.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.

The foregoing is different from the procedures used by many blank check companies. In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, many blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the shareholders’ vote on an initial business combination, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking to exercise his or her redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such shareholder to arrange for him or her to deliver his or her certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the shareholder then had an “option window” after the completion of the business combination during which he or she could monitor the price of the company’s shares in the market. If the price rose above the redemption price, he or she could sell his or her shares in the open market before actually delivering his or her shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which shareholders were aware they needed to commit before the general meeting, would become “option” rights surviving past the completion of the business combination until the redeeming holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a redeeming shareholder’s election to redeem is irrevocable once the business combination is approved.

Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the business combination, unless otherwise agreed to by us.

Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our initial business combination.

If our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public shareholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.

 

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If our initial proposed business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a business combination with a different partner until 24 months from the closing of this offering.

Redemption of public shares and liquidation if no initial business combination

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering to consummate an initial business combination. If we do not consummate an initial business combination within 24 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, 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 income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to our obligations under Cayman Islands 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 consummate an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that, if a resolution of the company’s shareholders is passed pursuant to the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands to commence the voluntary liquidation of the company, we will follow the foregoing procedures with respect to the liquidation of the trust account as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to applicable Cayman Islands law.

Our sponsor and each member of our founding team have entered into an 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 they hold if we fail to consummate an initial business combination within 24 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 24 months from the closing of this offering).

Our sponsor, executive officers, directors and director nominees have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5.0 million (so that we do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). If this optional redemption right is exercised with respect to an excessive number of public shares such that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement, we would not proceed with the amendment or the related redemption of our public shares at such time. This redemption right shall apply in the event of the approval of any such amendment, whether proposed by our sponsor, any executive officer, director or director nominee, or any other person.

 

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We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the $1,000,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account plus up to $100,000 of funds from the trust account available to us to pay dissolution expenses, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose.

If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of 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 shareholders upon our dissolution would be $10.00. 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 shareholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by shareholders will not be less than $10.00. 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 (excluding our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective partner 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 shareholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our founding team will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if our founding team believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by our founding team to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where our founding team is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. The underwriters will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. In order to protect the amounts held in the trust account, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective partner business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 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 $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest that may be withdrawn to pay our tax obligations, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective partner business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of 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. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Our sponsor may not 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 partner businesses.

 

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In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and 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 $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest that may be withdrawn to pay our tax obligations, 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 in any particular instance. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be less than $10.00 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 (excluding our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective partner 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 $1,000,000 from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants 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, shareholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors; however such liability will not be greater than the amount of funds from our trust account received by any such shareholder. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, 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 $1,000,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.

If we file a bankruptcy or insolvency petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency 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 shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.00 per public share to our public shareholders. Additionally, if we file a bankruptcy or insolvency petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders 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 or insolvency court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing itself and our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public shareholders 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 shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only (i) in the event of the redemption of our public shares if we do not consummate an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, (ii) in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial

 

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business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) if they redeem their respective shares for cash upon the completion of the initial business combination. Public shareholders who redeem their Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote described in clause (ii) in the preceding sentence shall not be entitled to funds from the trust account upon the subsequent completion of an initial business combination or liquidation if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, with respect to such Class A ordinary shares so redeemed. In no other circumstances will a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a shareholder’s voting in connection with the business combination alone will not result in a shareholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such shareholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, like all provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may be amended with a shareholder 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 do not consummate an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering.

 

       
      Redemptions in
connection with
our initial business
combination
   Other permitted
purchases of
public shares by
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 shareholder vote. The redemption price will be the same whether we conduct redemptions pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a shareholder vote. In either case, our public shareholders may redeem their public shares for cash equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination (which is    If we seek shareholder 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 either 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. If they engage in such transactions, they will be restricted from making any such purchases when they are in possession of    If we do not consummate an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will redeem all 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 $10.00 per share), including interest earned on the funds

 

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      Redemptions in
connection with
our initial business
combination
   Other permitted
purchases of
public shares by
our affiliates
   Redemptions if we
fail to complete
an initial business
combination
   initially anticipated to be $10.00 per share), including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the 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 to be less than $5.0 million and any limitations (including but not limited to cash requirements) agreed to in connection with the negotiation of terms of a proposed business combination.    any material nonpublic 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 be required to comply with such rules.    held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares.

Impact to remaining shareholders

   The redemptions in connection with our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for our remaining shareholders, 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 shareholders 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 sponsor, who will be our only remaining shareholder after such redemptions

 

 

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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 do not consummate an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering.

 

     
      Terms of our offering    Terms under a Rule 419 offering

Escrow of offering proceeds

   $150,000,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will be deposited into a trust account located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee.    Approximately $127,575,000 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.

Investment of net proceeds

   $150,000,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in trust 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.    Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act 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 income (if any) on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to shareholders is reduced by (i) any income taxes paid or payable and (ii) in the event of our 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.    Interest income 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 of a business combination.

 

 

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      Terms of our offering    Terms under a Rule 419 offering

Limitation on fair value or net assets of partner business

   Our initial business combination must occur with one or more partner businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of our assets held in the trust account (excluding the amount of deferred underwriting discounts held in trust and taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of signing the agreement to enter into the initial business combination.    The fair value or net assets of a partner business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds.

Trading of securities issued

   The units are expected to begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering. If the 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 over-allotment option. The units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination.    No trading of the units or the underlying Class A ordinary shares and warrants 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 our 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 shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash at a per-share price equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein. We may not be required by applicable law or stock exchange rule to hold a shareholder vote. If we are not required by applicable law or stock exchange rule and do not otherwise decide to hold a shareholder vote, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, 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    A prospectus containing information pertaining to the business combination 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 a post-effective amendment to the company’s registration statement, to decide if he, she or it elects to remain a shareholder of the company or require the return of his, her or its 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 are automatically returned to the shareholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all funds on deposit in the escrow account must be returned to all of the investors and none of the securities are issued. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or vote at all. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require that at

 

 

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      Terms of our offering    Terms under a Rule 419 offering
   rules. If, however, we hold a shareholder vote, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive approval pursuant to an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the shares voted at a general meeting of the company.    least five days’ notice will be given of any such general meeting.

Business combination deadline

   If we do not consummate an initial business combination within 24 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 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 income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following    If an acquisition has not been completed within 18 months after the effective date of the company’s registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors.

 

 

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      Terms of our offering    Terms under a Rule 419 offering
   such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.   

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 income taxes, if any, until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law and (iii) the redemption of our public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity. Based on current interest rates,    The proceeds held in the escrow account are not released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination and the failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time.

 

 

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      Terms of our offering    Terms under a Rule 419 offering
   we expect that interest income earned on the trust account (if any) will be sufficient to pay our income taxes.   

 

Competition

In identifying, evaluating and selecting a partner 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, public companies, operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than us. Our ability to acquire larger partner businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of a partner business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain partner businesses. Either of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination.

Facilities

We currently maintain our executive offices at One World Financial Center, New York, New York 10281. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.

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 partner 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 completion of our initial business combination.

Periodic reporting and financial information

We will register our units, Class A ordinary shares 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 reports will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accountants.

We will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective partner business as part of the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, sent to shareholders. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or reconciled to, GAAP, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential partner businesses we may acquire because some partners 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

 

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within 24 months from the closing of this offering. We cannot assure you that any particular partner business identified by us as a potential acquisition candidate will have financial statements prepared in accordance with the requirements outlined above, or that the potential partner business will be able to prepare its financial statements in accordance with the requirements outlined above. To the extent that these requirements cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed partner business. While this may limit the pool of potential acquisition candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.

We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company would we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on internal control over financial reporting. A partner business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.

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

We are a Cayman Islands exempted company. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies conducting business mainly outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Law. As an exempted company, we have applied for and received a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Tax Concessions Law (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 30 years from the date of the undertaking, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations will apply to us or our operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax will be payable (i) on or in respect of our shares, debentures or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of dividend or other distribution of income or capital by us to our shareholders or a payment of principal or interest or other sums due under a debenture or other obligation of us.

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 shareholder 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 Class A ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30.

Legal proceedings

There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our founding team in their capacity as such.

 

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Management

Officers, directors and director nominees

Our officers, directors and director nominees are as follows:

 

     
Name    Age        Position

Clive Meanwell

     63        Chief Executive Officer; Director

Ian Read

     67        Executive Chairman; Director Nominee

Christopher Visioli

     44        Chief Financial Officer

Chris Cox

     55        Senior Vice President

Whit Bernard

     36        Senior Vice President

Farah Champsi

     59        Director Nominee

Clarke Futch

     53        Director Nominee

Charles Homcy

     70        Director Nominee

 

Our founding team

Clive Meanwell, Co-Founder; Chief Executive Officer; Director

Clive Meanwell is our co-founder and has been our Chief Executive Officer since September 2020. Dr. Meanwell is a Founding Partner of Population Health Partners. Dr. Meanwell was a founder of The Medicines Company and was a director of The Medicines Company from 1996 until The Medicines Company was acquired by Novartis for $9.7 billion in January 2020. From December 2018 until January 2020, Dr. Meanwell served as The Medicine Company’s chief innovation officer. Prior to December 2018, he served as The Medicine Company’s chief executive officer since February 2012, The Medicine Company’s chief executive officer and president from October 2009 to February 2012, The Medicine Company’s chief executive officer from August 2004 to October 2009, as The Medicine Company’s president from August 2004 to December 2004, The Medicine Company’s executive chairman from September 2001 to August 2004 and The Medicine Company’s chief executive officer and president from 1996 to September 2001. Dr. Meanwell was also chairman of The Medicine Company’s board from September 2001 to August 2015. Dr. Meanwell is the vice chairman of BB Biotech, a Swiss investment corporation. From 1995 to 1996, Dr. Meanwell was a partner and managing director at MPM Capital, L.P., a venture capital firm. From 1986 to 1995, Dr. Meanwell held various positions at Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, including senior vice president from 1992 to 1995, vice president from 1991 to 1992 and director of product development from 1986 to 1991. Dr. Meanwell received an M.D. (M.B. Ch.B.) and a Ph.D. (M.D.) from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Dr. Meanwell’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include his significant experience building and leading successful biotechnology companies, developing pharmaceuticals and his scientific expertise.

Ian Read, co-founder; Executive Chairman; Director Nominee

Ian Read is our co-founder and will be our Executive Chairman. Mr. Read has served as the Operating Executive for Global Healthcare at The Carlyle Group since January 2020. Mr. Read was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer from December 2010 until January 2019, and Executive Chairman until December 2019.

 

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Previously, he served as Senior Vice President and Group President of the Worldwide Biopharmaceutical Businesses, which he led from 2006 through December 2010. In that role, he oversaw five global business units—Primary Care, Specialty Care, Oncology, Established Products and Emerging Markets. Mr. Read is an independent director at Kimberly Clark, having joined that company’s Board of Directors in 2007. He also serves as Chairman of DXC Technology and will become a founding member of the Board of Directors of Viatris upon the completion of that company’s formation.

Mr. Read’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include his significant experience in the global biopharmaceutical industry.

Chris Visioli, Chief Financial Officer

Chris Visioli has been our Chief Financial Officer since September 2020. Mr. Visioli served as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of The Medicines Company from March 2018 until January 2020. He previously served as Senior Vice President, Financial Strategy at The Medicine Company from January 2015 to March 2018 and Vice President, Cardiovascular Care from January 2013 to December 2014. Mr. Visioli joined The Medicine Company in June 2003 and worked in a variety of leadership roles in the organization, including finance, business development, investor relations, strategy, planning, and business leadership of the cardiovascular care unit. He led many efforts in the organization to acquire products and establish partnerships in addition to leading long-term strategy and financial planning work. Prior to joining The Medicine Company and before going to business school, Mr. Visioli was a management consultant for Ernst & Young LLP. Mr. Visioli received an M.B.A. with Honors, from Columbia Business School and a B.S. in electrical engineering, cum laude, from Cornell University.

Chris Cox, Senior Vice President

Chris Cox has been our Senior Vice President since September 2020. Mr. Cox is currently a Managing Partner at Population Health Partners. He is also a Senior Counsel at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, which he joined as a partner in January 2012. From February 2016 to March 2019, Mr. Cox was an Executive Vice President and the Chief Corporate Development Officer of The Medicines Company. Prior to January 2012, he was a partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel. Mr. Cox received a B.S. and a J.D. from the University of Missouri.

Whit Bernard, Senior Vice President

Whit Bernard has been our Senior Vice President since September 2020. Mr. Bernard is currently a Founding Partner at Population Health Partners. From December, 2018 to April, 2020, Mr. Bernard was the Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Business Development for The Medicines Company, which was acquired by Novartis in for $9.7 billion in January 2020.

Prior to joining The Medicines Company, from 2013 to 2018, Mr. Bernard was a consultant in McKinsey’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Products practice, where Mr. Bernard specialized in portfolio and corporate strategy for early-stage biotechnology companies, as well as commercial strategy for Top 20 pharmaceutical companies. Prior to joining McKinsey, Mr. Bernard worked in the arts, as a Fulbright Scholar in Latvia and then Director of Development at the International Contemporary Ensemble. Mr. Bernard received a B.A. from Brown University and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Farah Champsi, Independent Director Nominee

Farah Champsi has spent over 30 years evaluating, advising and building companies in the life sciences industry as a Managing Director and General Partner at Alta Partners, a leading venture capital firm and as a senior banker at Robertson Stephens, a preeminent emerging growth investment bank. From 1987 to 1999,

 

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Ms. Champsi was the lead banker for numerous successful initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions and financings in the biotech industry. In her subsequent role at Alta Partners (2000-present), Ms. Champsi raised over $1 billion in venture funds, served as a board member of 14 public and private companies, and led investments in many companies, including Kite Pharma (acquired by Gilead for $11.9 billion in 2017), Portola Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Alexion Pharmaceuticals for $1.4 billion in 2020), Excaliard Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer in 2011) and Agensys (acquired by Astellas in 2007).

Ms. Champsi received a B.A. from Smith College and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. She currently serves on the board of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals and as a trustee of Smith College.

We believe the Company will benefit from Ms. Champsi’s extensive network and reputation for constructive, active engagement and trusted working relationships with managements of dynamic, fast-growth companies. Ms. Champsi’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include her significant business and finance experience in the biotech industry.

Clarke Futch, Independent Director Nominee

Clarke Futch brings over 30 years of experience in biopharmaceutical/healthcare investing and financing, having raised over $5 billion across eight investment vehicles, and executed more than 100 transactions, including royalty, equity, debt and M&A deals. Since 2001, as co-founder, Managing Partner, and Chairman of the Investment Committee at Healthcare Royalty Partners, he has led or co-led more than 50 royalty and related debt financings representing more than $3 billion of invested capital, involving companies ranging from emerging biopharma to some of the largest global pharmaceutical companies. Before co-founding Healthcare Royalty Partners, Mr. Futch served as a partner at Paul Capital Partners where he co-managed the firm’s royalty investments as a member of the royalty management committee.

Mr. Futch previously served as a founding member of the healthcare group at Thomas Weisel Partners (now Stifel), and as a vice president at Raymond James. He holds a B.A., magna cum laude, from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

We believe the company will benefit from Mr. Futch’s expansive network across the biopharmaceutical industry, his decades of experience structuring and executing a broad range of innovative transactions, and his trusted relationships with major institutional investors. Mr. Futch’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include his significant biopharmaceutical investing and financing experience.

Charles Homcy, Independent Director Nominee

Charles Homcy, M.D. has served as a director of BridgeBio since November 2018, Chairman of Pharmaceuticals since February 2019, and Lead Director since February 2020. In 2010, Dr. Homcy joined Third Rock Ventures, a venture capital firm, where he is currently a partner. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Portola Pharmaceuticals, a clinical biotechnology company, and he served as their President and Chief Executive Officer since co-founding the company in 2003 until 2010. Prior to that, Dr. Homcy served as the President of Research and Development at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (currently, Takeda Oncology), a biopharmaceutical company, following its acquisition of COR Therapeutics, Inc. in 2002. He joined COR Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, in 1995 as Executive Vice President of Research and Development, and he served as a director of the company from 1998 to 2002. Dr. Homcy was a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco Medical School, and attending physician at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Hospital from 1997 to 2011.

He was previously president of the medical research division of American Cyanamid-Lederle Laboratories, a division of Wyeth-Ayest Laboratories. He currently serves on the board of directors of Portola Pharmaceuticals,

 

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Inc. (Nasdaq: PTLA), a position he has held since 2004, and of Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: GBT). Dr. Homcy received a B.A. and an M.D. from Johns Hopkins University and currently serves on its board of trustees.

We believe the Company will benefit from Dr. Homcy’s experience at biopharmaceutical companies, his significant business leadership and strong medical background. Dr. Homcy’s qualifications to serve on our Board of Directors include his significant biopharmaceutical industry experience.

Number and terms of office of officers and directors

Our board of directors is divided into three classes, with only one class of directors being appointed in each year, and with each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Farah Champsi and Clarke Futch, will expire at our first general annual meeting. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Charles Homcy and Ian Read, will expire at our second annual general meeting. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Clive Meanwell, will expire at our third annual general meeting.

Prior to the completion of an initial business combination, any vacancy on the board of directors may be filled by a nominee chosen by holders of a majority of our founder shares. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason.

Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into on or prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor, upon and following consummation of an initial business combination, will be entitled to nominate three individuals for appointment to our board of directors, as long as the sponsor holds any securities covered by the registration and shareholder rights agreement.

Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association as it deems appropriate. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that our officers may consist of one or more chairman of the board, chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief business officer, president, vice presidents, secretary, treasurer and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.

Director independence

The rules of Nasdaq 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 with the company which in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, could interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect to have “independent directors” as defined in Nasdaq’s listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our board of directors has determined that Farah Champsi, Clarke Futch and Charles Homcy 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.

Executive officer and director compensation

None of our executive officers or directors have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Our sponsor, executive officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any

 

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out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential partner businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or our or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made using funds held outside the trust account. Other than quarterly audit committee review of such reimbursements, we do not expect to have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors and executive officers for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with our activities on our behalf in connection with identifying and consummating an initial business combination. Other than these payments and reimbursements, no compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid by the company to our sponsor, executive officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, prior to completion of our initial business combination.

After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our founding 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 shareholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer materials furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed business combination. We have not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to our directors or members of management. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed business combination, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our executive officers will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.

We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our founding team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our executive officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our founding team’s motivation in identifying or selecting a partner business but we do not believe that the ability of our founding team to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our executive officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.

Committees of the board of directors

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our board of directors will have three standing committees: an audit committee, a nominating committee and a compensation committee.

Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, the rules of Nasdaq and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, the rules of Nasdaq require that the compensation committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Each committee will operate under a charter that has been approved by our board of directors and will have the composition and responsibilities described below.

 

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Audit committee

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish an audit committee of the board of directors. Farah Champsi, Clarke Futch, and Charles Homcy will serve as members of our audit committee. Our board of directors has determined that each of Farah Champsi, Clarke Futch, and Charles Homcy are independent. Farah Champsi will serve as the chair of the audit committee. Each member of the audit committee meets the financial literacy requirements of Nasdaq and our board of directors has determined that Clarke Futch qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules and has accounting or related financial management expertise.

The audit committee is responsible for:

 

 

meeting with our independent registered public accounting firm regarding, among other issues, audits, and adequacy of our accounting and control systems;

 

 

monitoring the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm;

 

 

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;

 

 

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 registered public accounting firm, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed;

 

 

appointing or replacing the independent registered public accounting firm;

 

 

determining the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm (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;

 

 

monitoring compliance on a quarterly basis with the terms of this offering and, if any noncompliance is identified, immediately taking all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise causing compliance with the terms of this offering; and

 

 

reviewing and approving all payments made to our existing shareholders, executive officers or directors and their respective affiliates. Any payments made to members of our audit committee will be reviewed and approved by our board of directors, with the interested director or directors abstaining from such review and approval.

Nominating committee

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a nominating committee of our board of directors. The members of our nominating committee will be Clarke Futch and Charles Homcy. Clarke Futch will serve as chairman of the nominating committee. Our board of directors has determined that each of Clarke Futch and Charles Homcy are independent.

The nominating committee is responsible for overseeing the selection of persons to be nominated to serve on our board of directors. The nominating committee considers persons identified by its members, management, shareholders, investment bankers and others.

 

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Guidelines for selecting director nominees

The guidelines for selecting nominees, which will be specified in a charter to be adopted by us, 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 shareholders.

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 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 shareholders and other persons.

Compensation committee

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a compensation committee of our board of directors. The members of our compensation committee will be Farah Champsi and Charles Homcy. Charles Homcy will serve as chairman of the compensation committee.

Our board of directors has determined that each of Farah Champsi and Charles Homcy are independent. We will adopt a compensation committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:

 

 

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

 

 

reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other Section 16 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;

 

 

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.

 

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Compensation committee interlocks and insider participation

None of our executive officers currently serves, and in the past year has not served, as a member of the compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our board of directors.

Code of Ethics

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. A copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K.

Conflicts of interest

Under Cayman Islands law, directors and officers owe the following fiduciary duties:

 

 

duty to act in good faith in what the director or officer believes to be in the best interests of the company as a whole;

 

 

duty to exercise powers for the purposes for which those powers were conferred and not for a collateral purpose;

 

 

directors should not improperly fetter the exercise of future discretion;

 

 

duty not to put themselves in a position in which there is a conflict between their duty to the company and their personal interests; and

 

 

duty to exercise independent judgment.

In addition to the above, directors also owe a duty of care which is not fiduciary in nature. This duty has been defined as a requirement to act as a reasonably diligent person having both the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person carrying out the same functions as are carried out by that director in relation to the company and the general knowledge skill and experience of that director.

As set out above, directors have a duty not to put themselves in a position of conflict and this includes a duty not to engage in self-dealing, or to otherwise benefit as a result of their position. However, in some instances what would otherwise be a breach of this duty can be forgiven and/or authorized in advance by the shareholders provided that there is full disclosure by the directors. This can be done by way of permission granted in the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or alternatively by shareholder approval at general meetings.

Certain of our officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities, including entities that are affiliates of our sponsor, pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination 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 initial business combination.

 

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Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our executive officers directors and director nominees currently have fiduciary duties, contractual obligations or other material management relationships:

 

       
Individual    Entity    Entity’s business    Affiliation

Clive Meanwell

   Population Health Partners LLC    Investment Manager    Managing Member
   Population Health Equity Partners III, L.P.    Investment Manager    Managing Partner
   Population Health Equity Partners III GP, LLC    Investment Manager    Managing Partner
   BB Biotech AG    Biotechnology    Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors

Ian Read

   Kimberly Clark Corporation    Personal Care/Consumer    Lead Independent Director
   DXC Technology    Enterprise Technology    Chairman of the Board of Directors
   Carlyle Group    Investment Manager    Operating Partner
   Viatris    Pharmaceuticals    Director (pending)

Chris Visioli

   None    Not applicable    Not applicable

Chris Cox

   Population Health Partners LLC    Investment Manager    Managing Member
   Nyrada Inc.    Biotechnology    Director

Whit Bernard

   Population Health Partners LLC    Investment Manager    Managing Member

Farah Champsi

   Alta Partners    Healthcare Venture Capital    Managing Director and General Partner

Clarke Futch

   Healthcare Royalty Partners    Investment Manager    Managing Partner and Chairman of the Investment Committee

Charles Homcy

   BridgeBio Pharma, Inc.    Biopharmaceuticals    Lead Director/Chairman Pharmaceuticals

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

Our sponsor subscribed for founder shares prior to the date of this prospectus and will purchase private placement warrants in a transaction that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Our

 

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sponsor and our founding team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in connection with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity. Additionally, our sponsor has agreed to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to its founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the required time period. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period, the private placement warrants and the underlying securities will expire worthless. Except as described herein, our sponsor and our founding team have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earliest of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. With certain limited exceptions, private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares underlying such warrants, will not be transferable until 30 days following the completion of our initial business combination. Because each of our executive officers and director nominees will own ordinary shares or warrants directly or indirectly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular partner 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 partner business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination or subsequent transaction with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, founders, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor or any of our founders, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent valuation or accounting firm that such initial business combination or transaction is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context. Furthermore, in no event will our sponsor or any of our existing officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, be paid by us any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination.

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

If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive approval pursuant to an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the shares voted at a general meeting of the company. In such case, our sponsor and each member of our founding team have agreed to vote their founder shares and public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination.

 

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Limitation on liability and indemnification of officers and directors

Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default, willful neglect, civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides for indemnification of our officers and directors to the maximum extent permitted by law, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud, willful default or willful neglect. We will enter into agreements with our directors and officers to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. We expect to 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.

Our officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account, and have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever (except to the extent they are entitled to funds from the trust account due to their ownership of public shares). Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied by us if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination.

Our indemnification obligations may discourage shareholders 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 shareholders. Furthermore, a shareholder’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.

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

 

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Principal Shareholders

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

 

 

each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares; and

 

 

each of our executive officers, directors and director nominees; and all our executive officers and directors as a group.

Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all of our ordinary shares beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.

On September 17, 2020, our sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.0058 per share, to cover certain offering costs in consideration for 4,312,500 founder shares (of which, 562,500 are subject to forfeiture if the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option). In addition, our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 3,333,333 warrants (or 3,633,333 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $1.50 per warrant in a private placement to occur concurrently with the closing of this offering for an aggregate purchase price of $5,000,000 (or $5,450,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by the sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per-share price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The number of shares beneficially owned and post-offering percentages in the following table assume that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option and that there are 22,083,333 ordinary shares, consisting of (i) 15,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, (ii) 3,750,000 Class B ordinary shares, and (iii) 3,333,333 Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement warrants, issued and outstanding after this offering.

 

     
     Number of
shares
beneficially
owned(2)(3)(4)
     Approximate
percentage of
outstanding ordinary
shares
 
Name and address of beneficial owner(1)    Before
offering
     After
offering
 

Population Health Investment Holding, Inc. (our sponsor)(3)

     4,312,500        100.00%        20.0%  

Clive Meanwell(5)

                    

Ian Read

                    

Chris Visioli

                    

Chris Cox

                    

Whit Bernard

                    

Farah Champsi

                    

Clarke Futch

                    

Charles Homcy

                    

All officers, directors and director nominees as a group (8 individuals)

            —%         

 

 

 

*   Less than one percent.

 

(1)   The business address of each of the following entities and individuals is One World Financial Center, New York, New York 10281.

 

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(2)   Interests shown consist solely of founder shares (assuming the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option), classified as Class B ordinary shares. The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination as described in the section entitled “Description of Securities.”

 

(3)   Does not include 3,333,333 Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement warrants (or 3,633,333 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full).

 

(4)   The shares reported herein are held in the name of our sponsor. Our sponsor is governed by three managers, Clive Meanwell, Chris Cox and Whit Bernard. As such, Clive Meanwell, Chris Cox and Whit Bernard have voting and investment discretion with respect to the Class B ordinary shares held of record by our sponsor and may be deemed to have shared beneficial ownership of the Class B ordinary shares held directly by our sponsor.

 

(5)   Does not include any shares indirectly owned by this individual as a result of his ownership interest in our sponsor.

Immediately after this offering, our initial shareholders will beneficially own approximately 20% of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares and will have the right to appoint all of our directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a share capitalization or a share surrender or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial shareholders (and their permitted transferees, if any) at 20% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. Holders of our public shares will not have the right to appoint any directors to our board of directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Because of this ownership block, our initial shareholders may be able to effectively influence the outcome of all other matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approval of significant corporate transactions including our initial business combination.

Our sponsor and our founding team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in connection with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity. Further, our sponsor and each member of our founding team have agreed to vote their founder shares and public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination.

Our sponsor is deemed to be our “promoter” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws.

Transfers of founder shares and private placement warrants

The founder shares, private placement warrants and any Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in the agreement entered into by our sponsor and our founding team. Our sponsor and our founding team have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell (i) any of their founder shares until the earliest of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) any of their private placement warrants and Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion

 

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or exercise thereof until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. The foregoing restrictions are not applicable to transfers (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of our officers or directors, any members or partners of our sponsor or their affiliates, any affiliates of our sponsor, or any employees of such affiliates; (b) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of one of the individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member 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 the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the founder shares, private placement warrants or Class A ordinary shares, as applicable, were originally purchased; (f) by virtue of our sponsor’s organizational documents upon liquidation or dissolution of our sponsor; (g) to the Company for no value for cancellation in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination; (h) in the event of our liquidation prior to the completion of our initial business combination; or (i) in the event of our completion of a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (f) these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and the other restrictions contained in the letter agreement.

 

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Certain relationships and related party transactions

On September 17, 2020, our sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.0058 per share, to cover for certain offering costs in consideration for 4,312,500 founder shares. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent 20% of the issued and outstanding shares upon completion of this offering. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a share capitalization or a share surrender or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial shareholders (and their permitted transferees, if any) at 20% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. Up to 562,500 founder shares held by our sponsor are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. The founder shares (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise thereof) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder.

Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase 3,333,333 warrants (or 3,633,333 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $1.50 per warrant in a private placement to occur concurrently with the closing of this offering for an aggregate purchase price of $5,000,000 (or $5,450,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. As such, our sponsor’s interest in this transaction is valued at between $5,000,000 and $5,450,000, depending on the number of private placement warrants purchased. The private placement warrants and Class A ordinary shares issued upon the exercise or conversion thereof may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder.

As more fully discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Management—Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such entity. Our officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.

No compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination. However, these individuals will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential partner businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers, directors 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.

Our sponsor may loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering pursuant to the promissory note. These loans would be non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of March 31, 2021 and the closing of this offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of the estimated $1,000,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated to the payment of offering expenses and that is not held in the trust account.

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 an initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that the initial business

 

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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 $1.50 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, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates 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.

After our initial business combination, members of our founding 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 shareholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, furnished to our shareholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a general meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.

We will enter into a registration and shareholder rights agreement pursuant to which our initial shareholders, and their permitted transferees, if any, will be entitled to certain registration rights with respect to the private placement warrants, the securities issuable upon conversion of working capital loans (if any) and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the foregoing and upon conversion of the founder shares. Further, pursuant to an agreement to be entered into on or prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor, upon and following consummation of an initial business combination, will be entitled to nominate three individuals for appointment to our board of directors, as long as the sponsor holds any securities covered by the registration and shareholder rights agreement, which is described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities—Registration and Shareholder Rights.”

Our sponsor has indicated a potential interest to purchase our shares in a private placement that would occur concurrently with the consummation of our initial business combination. It is expected that the capital from any such private placement, if made, would be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in our initial business combination, and any excess capital from any such private placement would be used for working capital in the post-transaction company. Sponsor is under no obligation to buy any such shares and we are not under any obligation to sell any such shares. Such investment would be made on terms and conditions determined at the time of the business combination.

Policy for approval of related party transactions

The audit committee of our board of directors will adopt a charter, providing for the review, approval and/or ratification of “related party transactions,” which are those transactions required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K as promulgated by the SEC, by the audit committee. At its meetings, the audit committee shall be provided with the details of each new, existing, or proposed related party transaction, including the terms of the transaction, any contractual restrictions that the company has already committed to, the business purpose of the transaction, and the benefits of the transaction to the company and to the relevant related party. Any member of the committee who has an interest in the related party transaction under review by the committee shall abstain from voting on the approval of the related party transaction, but may, if so requested by the chairman of the committee, participate in some or all of the committee’s discussions of the related party transaction. Upon completion of its review of the related party transaction, the committee may determine to permit or to prohibit the related party transaction.

 

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Description of securities

We are a Cayman Islands exempted company and our affairs will be governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Law and the common law of the Cayman Islands. Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association which will be adopted prior to the consummation of this offering, we will be authorized to issue 300,000,000 Class A ordinary shares and 30,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, as well as 1,000,000 preference shares, $0.0001 par value each. The following description summarizes certain terms of our shares as set out more particularly in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.

Units

Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-third of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of the company’s Class A ordinary shares. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrant holder.

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

In no event will the Class A ordinary shares and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants. We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes this audited balance sheet promptly after the completion of this offering. 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.

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

Ordinary shares

Prior to the date of this prospectus, there were 4,312,500 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding, all of which were held of record by our initial shareholders, so that our initial shareholders will own approximately 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering. Upon the closing of this offering, 18,750,000 of our ordinary shares will be outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) including:

 

 

15,000,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the units issued as part of this offering; and

 

3,750,000 Class B ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders.

 

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If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a share capitalization or share compulsory redemption or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial shareholders (and their permitted transferees, if any) at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering.

Ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. Except as described below, holders of Class A ordinary shares and holders of Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders except as required by law. Unless specified in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or as required by applicable provisions of the Companies Law or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of our ordinary shares that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our shareholders. Approval of certain actions will require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares that are voted, and pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; such actions include amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. Our board of directors is divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for terms of three years with only one class of directors being appointed in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voted for the appointment of directors can appoint all of the directors. Our shareholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor. 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. The provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association governing the appointment or removal of directors prior to our initial business combination may only be amended by a special resolution passed by holders representing at least two-thirds of our issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares.

Because our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will authorize the issuance of up to 300,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, if we were to enter into a business combination, we may (depending on the terms of such a business combination) be required to increase the number of Class A ordinary shares which we are authorized to issue at the same time as our shareholders vote on the business combination to the extent we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination.

Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being appointed in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term. In accordance with Nasdaq’s corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual general meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. As an exempted company, there is no requirement under the Companies Law for us to hold annual or extraordinary general meetings to appoint directors. We may not hold an annual or extraordinary general meeting to appoint new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination. Prior to the completion of an initial business combination, any vacancy on the board of directors may be filled by a nominee chosen by holders of a majority of our founder shares. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason.

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the

 

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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 income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. The redemption rights may include the requirement that a beneficial owner must identify itself in order to valid redeem its shares. Our sponsor and our founding team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in connection with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity. Unlike many blank check companies that hold shareholder votes and conduct proxy solicitations in conjunction with their initial business combinations and provide for related redemptions of public shares for cash upon completion of such initial business combinations even when a vote is not required by law, if a shareholder vote is not required by applicable law or stock exchange rule and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require these tender offer documents to 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, however, a shareholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange rule, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive approval pursuant to an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the shares voted at a general meeting of the company. However, the participation of our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates in privately-negotiated transactions (as described in this prospectus), if any, could result in the approval of our initial business combination even if a majority of our public shareholders vote, or indicate their intention to vote, against such initial business combination unless restricted by applicable Nasdaq rules. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require that at least five days’ notice will be given of any general meeting.

If we seek shareholder 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 memorandum and articles of association provides that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to Excess Shares, without our prior consent. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Our shareholders’ inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination, and such shareholders could suffer a material loss in their investment if they sell such Excess

 

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Shares on the open market. Additionally, such shareholders will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And, as a result, such shareholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose such shares would be required to sell their shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.

If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive approval pursuant to an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the shares voted at a general meeting of the company. In such case, our sponsor and each member of our founding team have agreed to vote their founder shares and public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 5,625,001 or 37.5%, of the 15,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised). The other members of our founding team are subject to the same arrangements with respect to any public shares acquired by them in or after this offering. Additionally, each public shareholder may appoint to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or vote at all.

Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, if we do not consummate an initial business combination within 24 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 ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case of clause (ii) and (iii), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our sponsor and each member of our founding team have entered into an 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 they hold if we fail to consummate an initial business combination within 24 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 24 months from the closing of this offering).

In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the company after a business combination, our shareholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of shares, if any, having preference over the ordinary shares. Our shareholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the ordinary shares, except that we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash at a per-share price equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.

 

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Founder shares

The founder shares are designated as Class B ordinary shares and, except as described below, are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, and holders of founder shares have the same shareholder rights as public shareholders, except that:

 

 

prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors;

 

 

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

 

 

our sponsor and our founding team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares they hold, (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares or private placement warrants they hold if we fail to consummate an initial business combination within 24 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 24 months from the closing of this offering);

 

 

the founder shares will automatically convert into our Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights” and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; and

 

 

the founder shares are entitled to registration rights.

If we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our sponsor and our founding team have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the ordinary shares, represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon, voted at a general meeting are voted in favor of the business combination. In such case, our sponsor and each member of our founding team have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 5,625,001 or 37.5%, of the 15,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised);

The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination at a ratio such that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of (i) the total number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding upon completion of this offering, plus (ii) the sum of the total number of Class A ordinary shares 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 Class A ordinary shares or

 

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equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, deemed issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement warrants issued to our sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates upon conversion of working capital loans. In no event will the Class B ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares at a rate of less than one to one.

Except as described herein, our sponsor and our founding team have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earliest of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our sponsor and our founding team with respect to any founder shares, private placement warrants and Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up.

Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by our Class B ordinary shares. With respect to any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders, 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.

Register of members

Under the Companies Law, we must keep a register of members and there should be entered therein:

 

 

the names and addresses of the members of the company, a statement of the shares held by each member, which:

 

   

distinguishes each share by its number (so long as the share has a number);

 

   

confirms the amount paid, or agreed to be considered as paid, on the shares of each member; confirms the number and category of shares held by each member; and

 

   

confirms whether each relevant category of shares held by a member carries voting rights under the Articles, and if so, whether such voting rights are conditional;

 

 

the date on which the name of any person was entered on the register as a member; and

 

 

the date on which any person ceased to be a member.

For these purposes, “voting rights” means rights conferred on shareholders, including the right to appoint or remove directors, in respect of their shares to vote at general meetings of the company on all or substantially all matters. A voting right is conditional where the voting right arises only in certain circumstances.

 

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Under Cayman Islands law, the register of members of our company is prima facie evidence of the matters set out therein (i.e. the register of members will raise a presumption of fact on the matters referred to above unless rebutted) and a member registered in the register of members will be deemed as a matter of Cayman Islands law to have legal title to the shares as set against its name in the register of members. Upon the closing of this public offering, the register of members will be immediately updated to reflect the issue of shares by us. Once our register of members has been updated, the shareholders recorded in the register of members will be deemed to have legal title to the shares set against their name. However, there are certain limited circumstances where an application may be made to a Cayman Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct legal position. Further, the Cayman Islands court has the power to order that the register of members maintained by a company should be rectified where it considers that the register of members does not reflect the correct legal position. If an application for an order for rectification of the register of members were made in respect of our ordinary shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a Cayman Islands court.

Preference shares

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

Warrants

Public shareholders’ warrants

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

We will not be obligated to deliver any Class A ordinary shares 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

 

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respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration, or a valid exemption from registration is available. No warrant will be exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue a Class A ordinary share upon exercise of a warrant unless the Class A ordinary share issuable upon such warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the Class A ordinary share underlying such unit.

We have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, and we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement; provided that if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so appoint, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement. If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th day after the closing of the initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when 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, but 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.

In addition, if (x) we issue additional Class A ordinary shares 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 Class A ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our initial shareholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our initial shareholders or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance including any transfer or reissuance of such shares (the “Newly Issued Price”)), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 50% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination, and (z) the volume-weighted average trading price of our Class A ordinary shares during the 10 trading day period starting on the trading day after the day on which we consummate our initial business combination 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 $10.00 and $18.00 per share redemption trigger prices described adjacent to “Redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00” and “Redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 100% and 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, respectively.

 

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Redemptions of warrants for cash when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00.    Once the warrants become exercisable, we may call the warrants for redemption (except as described herein with respect to the private placement warrants):

 

 

in whole and not in part;

 

 

at a price of $0.01 per warrant;

 

 

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

 

 

if, and only if, the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, 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 notice of the redemption is given to the warrant holders (the “Reference Value”).

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

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 his, her or its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the Class A ordinary shares may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) as well as the $11.50 (for whole shares) warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.

Redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00. Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants:

 

 

in whole and not in part;

 

 

at $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption; provided that holders will be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of shares determined by reference to the table below, based on the redemption date and the “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares (as defined below);

 

 

if, and only if, the Reference Value (as defined above under “Redemption of Warrants When the Price per Class A Ordinary Share Equals or Exceeds $18.00”) equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like); and

 

 

if the Reference Value is less than $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like), the private placement warrants must also be concurrently called for redemption on the same terms as the outstanding public warrants, as described above.

The numbers in the table below represent the number of Class A ordinary shares that a warrant holder will receive upon exercise in connection with a redemption by us pursuant to this redemption feature, based on the “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares on the corresponding redemption date (assuming holders elect to exercise their warrants and such warrants are not redeemed for $0.10 per warrant), determined based on volume-weighted average price of our Class A ordinary shares as reported during the 10 trading days

 

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immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants, and the number of months that the corresponding redemption date precedes the expiration date of the warrants, each as set forth in the table below. We will provide our warrant holders with the final fair market value no later than one business day after the 10-trading day period described above ends.

Pursuant to the warrant agreement, references above to Class A ordinary shares shall include a security other than Class A ordinary shares into which the Class A ordinary shares have been converted or exchanged for in the event we are not the surviving company in our initial business combination. The numbers in the table below will not be adjusted when determining the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued upon exercise of the warrants if we are not the surviving entity following our initial business combination.

The share prices set forth in the column headings of the table below will be adjusted as of any date on which the number of shares issuable upon exercise of a warrant or the exercise price of the warrant is adjusted as set forth under the heading “—Anti-dilution Adjustments” below. If the number of shares issuable upon exercise of a warrant is adjusted, the adjusted share prices in the column headings will equal the share prices immediately prior to such adjustment, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the exercise price of the warrant after such adjustment and the denominator of which is the price of the warrant immediately prior to such adjustment. In such an event, the number of shares in the table below shall be adjusted by multiplying such share amounts by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares deliverable upon exercise of a warrant immediately prior to such adjustment and the denominator of which is the number of shares deliverable upon exercise of a warrant as so adjusted. If the exercise price of the warrant is adjusted as a result of raising capital in connection with the initial business combination, the adjusted share prices in the column headings will by multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price as set forth under the heading “—Anti-dilution Adjustments” and the denominator of which is $10.00.

 

   
     Fair market value of Class A ordinary shares  
Redemption date (period to
expiration of warrants)
   £$10.00      $11.00      $12.00      $13.00      $14.00      $15.00      $16.00      $17.00      ³$18.00  

60 months

     0.261        0.281        0.297        0.311        0.324        0.337        0.348        0.358        0.361  

57 months

     0.257        0.277        0.294        0.310        0.324        0.337        0.348        0.358        0.361  

54 months

     0.252        0.272        0.291        0.307        0.322        0.335        0.347        0.357        0.361  

51 months

     0.246        0.268        0.287        0.304        0.320        0.333        0.346        0.357        0.361  

48 months

     0.241        0.263        0.283        0.301        0.317        0.332        0.344        0.356        0.361  

45 months

     0.235        0.258        0.279        0.298        0.315        0.330        0.343        0.356        0.361  

42 months

     0.228        0.252        0.274        0.294        0.312        0.328        0.342        0.355        0.361  

39 months

     0.221        0.246        0.269        0.290        0.309        0.325        0.340        0.354        0.361  

36 months

     0.213        0.239        0.263        0.285        0.305        0.323        0.339        0.353        0.361  

33 months

     0.205        0.232        0.257        0.280        0.301        0.320        0.337        0.352        0.361  

30 months

     0.196        0.224        0.250        0.274        0.297        0.316        0.335        0.351        0.361  

27 months

     0.185        0.214        0.242        0.268        0.291        0.313        0.332        0.350        0.361  

24 months

     0.173        0.204        0.233        0.260        0.285        0.308        0.329        0.348        0.361  

21 months

     0.161        0.193        0.223        0.252        0.279        0.304        0.326        0.347        0.361  

18 months

     0.146        0.179        0.211        0.242        0.271        0.298        0.322        0.345        0.361  

15 months

     0.130        0.164        0.197        0.230        0.262        0.291        0.317        0.342        0.361  

12 months

     0.111        0.146        0.181        0.216        0.250        0.282        0.312        0.339        0.361  

9 months

     0.090        0.125        0.162        0.199        0.237        0.272        0.305        0.336        0.361  

6 months

     0.065        0.099        0.137        0.178        0.219        0.259        0.296        0.331        0.361  

3 months

     0.034        0.065        0.104        0.150        0.197        0.243        0.286        0.326        0.361  

0 months

                   0.042        0.115        0.179        0.233        0.281        0.323        0.361  

 

    

 

 

 

 

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The exact fair market value and redemption date may not be set forth in the table above, in which case, if the fair market value is between two values in the table or the redemption date is between two redemption dates in the table, the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued for each warrant exercised will be determined by a straight-line interpolation between the number of shares set forth for the higher and lower fair market values and the earlier and later redemption dates, as applicable, based on a 365 or 366-day year, as applicable. For example, if the volume-weighted average price of our Class A ordinary shares as reported during the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants is $11.00 per share, and at such time there are 57 months until the expiration of the warrants, holders may choose to, in connection with this redemption feature, exercise their warrants for 0.277 Class A ordinary shares for each whole warrant. For an example where the exact fair market value and redemption date are not as set forth in the table above, if the volume-weighted average price of our Class A ordinary shares as reported during the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants is $13.50 per share, and at such time there are 38 months until the expiration of the warrants, holders may choose to, in connection with this redemption feature, exercise their warrants for 0.298 Class A ordinary shares for each whole warrant. In no event will the warrants be exercisable in connection with this redemption feature for more than 0.361 Class A ordinary shares per warrant (subject to adjustment).

This redemption feature is structured to allow for all of the outstanding warrants to be redeemed when the Class A ordinary shares are trading at or above $10.00 per share, which may be at a time when the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares is below the exercise price of the warrants. We have established this redemption feature to provide us with the flexibility to redeem the warrants without the warrants having to reach the $18.00 per share threshold set forth above under “—Redemption of warrants for cash when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00.” Holders choosing to exercise their warrants in connection with a redemption pursuant to this feature will, in effect, receive a number of shares for their warrants based on an option pricing model with a fixed volatility input as of the date of this prospectus. This redemption right provides us with an additional mechanism by which to redeem all of the outstanding warrants, and therefore have certainty as to our capital structure as the warrants would no longer be outstanding and would have been exercised or redeemed. We will be required to pay the applicable redemption price to warrant holders if we choose to exercise this redemption right and it will allow us to quickly proceed with a redemption of the warrants if we determine it is in our best interest to do so. As such, we would redeem the warrants in this manner when we believe it is in our best interest to update our capital structure to remove the warrants and pay the redemption price to the warrant holders.

As stated above, we can redeem the warrants when the Class A ordinary shares are trading at a price starting at $10.00, which is below the exercise price of $11.50, because it will provide certainty with respect to our capital structure and cash position while providing warrant holders with the opportunity to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis for the applicable number of shares. If we choose to redeem the warrants when the Class A ordinary shares are trading at a price below the exercise price of the warrants, this could result in the warrant holders receiving fewer Class A ordinary shares than they would have received if they had chosen to wait to exercise their warrants for Class A ordinary shares if and when such Class A ordinary shares were trading at a price higher than the exercise price of $11.50.

No fractional Class A ordinary shares will be issued upon exercise. If, upon exercise, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will round down to the nearest whole number of the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the holder. If, at the time of redemption, the warrants are exercisable for a security other than the Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the warrant agreement (for instance, if we are not the surviving company in our initial business combination), the warrants may be exercised for such security. At such time as the warrants become exercisable for a security other than the Class A ordinary shares, the

 

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Company (or surviving company) will use its commercially reasonable efforts to register under the Securities Act the security issuable upon the exercise of the warrants.

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

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

In addition, if we, at any time while the warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to all or substantially all the holders of Class A ordinary shares on account of such Class A ordinary shares (or other securities into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) any cash dividends or cash distributions which, when combined on a per share basis with all other cash dividends and cash distributions paid on the Class A ordinary shares during the 365-day period ending on the date of declaration of such dividend or distribution does not exceed $0.50 (as adjusted to appropriately reflect any other adjustments and excluding cash dividends or cash distributions that resulted in an adjustment to the exercise price or to the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant) but only with respect to the amount of the aggregate cash dividends or cash distributions equal to or less than $0.50 per share, (b) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a proposed initial business combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares 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 Class A ordinary share in respect of such event.

 

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

Whenever the number of Class A ordinary shares 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 Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of Class A ordinary shares so purchasable immediately thereafter.

In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Class A ordinary shares (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such Class A ordinary shares), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which we are dissolved, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of the Class A ordinary shares immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of Class A ordinary shares 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 Class A ordinary shares in such a transaction is payable in the form of Class A ordinary shares 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 thirty 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.

The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision or correct any mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the warrants and the warrant agreement set forth in this prospectus, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then-outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for a complete description of the terms and conditions applicable to the warrants.

The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of ordinary shares and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive Class A ordinary shares. After the issuance of Class A ordinary shares 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 shareholders.

 

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

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

Except as described below, 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. The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares 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 pursuant to limited exceptions as described under “Principal Shareholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants,” to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with the initial purchasers of the private placement warrants) and they will not be redeemable by us (except as described above under “—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00”) so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees. Our sponsor, or its permitted transferees, has the option to exercise the private placement warrants on a cashless basis. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us in all redemption scenarios and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering. Any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants will require a vote of holders of at least 50% of the number of the then-outstanding private placement warrants.

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

 

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Class A ordinary shares received upon such exercise freely in the open market in order to recoup the cost of such exercise, the insiders could be significantly restricted from selling such securities. As a result, we believe that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate.

In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination company at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants.

Dividends

We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares 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 we will only pay such dividend out of our profits or share premium (subject to solvency requirements) as permitted under Cayman Islands law. If we increase the size of this offering, we will effect a share capitalization or other appropriate mechanism immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares, on an as-converted basis, at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with a business combination, 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 ordinary shares 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 shareholders, 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 claims and losses due to any gross negligence or intentional misconduct of the indemnified person or entity.

Certain differences in corporate law

Cayman Islands companies are governed by the Companies Law. The Companies Law is modeled on English Law but does not follow recent English Law statutory enactments, and differs from laws applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of the material differences between the provisions of the Companies Law applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.

Mergers and similar arrangements.    In certain circumstances, the Companies Law allows for mergers or consolidations between two Cayman Islands companies, or between a Cayman Islands exempted company and a company incorporated in another jurisdiction (provided that is facilitated by the laws of that other jurisdiction) so as to form a single surviving company.

Where the merger or consolidation is between two Cayman Islands companies, the directors of each company must approve and enter into a written plan of merger or consolidation containing certain prescribed information. That plan or merger or consolidation must then be authorized by (a) a special resolution (usually a

 

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majority of two-thirds of the voting shares voted at a general meeting) of the shareholders of each company; and (b) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company’s articles of association. No shareholder resolution is required for a merger between a parent company (i.e., a company that owns at least 90% of the issued shares of each class in a subsidiary company) and its subsidiary company. The consent of each holder of a fixed or floating security interest of a constituent company must be obtained, unless the court waives such requirement. If the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies is satisfied that the requirements of the Companies Law (which includes certain other formalities) have been complied with, the Registrar of Companies will register the plan of merger or consolidation.

Where the merger or consolidation involves a foreign company, the procedure is similar, save that with respect to the foreign company, the directors of the Cayman Islands exempted company are required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, they are of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (i) that the merger or consolidation is permitted or not prohibited by the constitutional documents of the foreign company and by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the foreign company is incorporated, and that those laws and any requirements of those constitutional documents have been or will be complied with; (ii) that no petition or other similar proceeding has been filed and remains outstanding or order made or resolution adopted to wind up or liquidate the foreign company in any jurisdictions; (iii) that no receiver, trustee, administrator or other similar person has been appointed in any jurisdiction and is acting in respect of the foreign company, its affairs or its property or any part thereof; and (iv) that no scheme, order, compromise or other similar arrangement has been entered into or made in any jurisdiction whereby the rights of creditors of the foreign company are and continue to be suspended or restricted.

Where the surviving company is the Cayman Islands exempted company, the directors of the Cayman Islands exempted company are further required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, they are of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (i) that the foreign company is able to pay its debts as they fall due and that the merger or consolidated is bona fide and not intended to defraud unsecured creditors of the foreign company; (ii) that in respect of the transfer of any security interest granted by the foreign company to the surviving or consolidated company (a) consent or approval to the transfer has been obtained, released or waived; (b) the transfer is permitted by and has been approved in accordance with the constitutional documents of the foreign company; and (c) the laws of the jurisdiction of the foreign company with respect to the transfer have been or will be complied with; and (iii) that the foreign company will, upon the merger or consolidation becoming effective, cease to be incorporated, registered or exist under the laws of the relevant foreign jurisdiction. The Registrar of Companies shall also be required to be satisfied that there is no other reason why it would be against the public interest to permit the merger or consolidation.

Where the above procedures are adopted, the Companies Law provides certain limited appraisal rights for dissenting shareholders to be paid a payment of the fair value of their shares upon their dissenting to the merger or consolidation if they follow a prescribed procedure. In essence, that procedure is as follows: (a) the shareholder must give their written objection to the merger or consolidation to the constituent company before the vote on the merger or consolidation, including a statement that the shareholder proposes to demand payment for their shares if the merger or consolidation is authorized by the vote; (b) within 20 days following the date on which the merger or consolidation is approved by the shareholders, the constituent company must give written notice to each shareholder who made a written objection; (c) a shareholder must within 20 days following receipt of such notice from the constituent company, give the constituent company a written notice of their intention to dissent including, among other details, a demand for payment of the fair value of their shares; (d) within seven days following the date of the expiration of the period set out in paragraph (b) above or seven days following the date on which the plan of merger or consolidation is filed, whichever is later, the constituent company, the surviving company or the consolidated company must make a written offer to each dissenting shareholder to purchase their shares at a price that the company determines is the fair value and if the

 

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company and the shareholder agree the price within 30 days following the date on which the offer was made, the company must pay the shareholder such amount; and (e) if the company and the shareholder fail to agree a price within such 30 day period, within 20 days following the date on which such 30 day period expires, the company (and any dissenting shareholder) must file a petition with the Cayman Islands Grand Court to determine the fair value and such petition must be accompanied by a list of the names and addresses of the dissenting shareholders with whom agreements as to the fair value of their shares have not been reached by the company. At the hearing of that petition, the court has the power to determine the fair value of the shares together with a fair rate of interest, if any, to be paid by the company upon the amount determined to be the fair value. Any dissenting shareholder whose name appears on the list filed by the company may participate fully in all proceedings until the determination of fair value is reached. These rights of a dissenting shareholder are not available in certain circumstances, for example, to dissenters holding shares of any class in respect of which an open market exists on a recognized stock exchange or recognized interdealer quotation system at the relevant date or where the consideration for such shares to be contributed are shares of any company listed on a national securities exchange or shares of the surviving or consolidated company.

Moreover, Cayman Islands law has separate statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction or amalgamation of companies in certain circumstances, schemes of arrangement will generally be more suited for complex mergers or other transactions involving widely held companies, commonly referred to in the Cayman Islands as a “scheme of arrangement” which may be tantamount to a merger. In the event that a merger was sought pursuant to a scheme of arrangement (the procedures for which are more rigorous and take longer to complete than the procedures typically required to consummate a merger in the United States), the arrangement in question must be approved by a majority in number of each class of shareholders and creditors with whom the arrangement is to be made and who must in addition represent three-fourth in value of each such class of shareholders or creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, or meeting summoned for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the terms of the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder would have the right to express to the court the view that the transaction should not be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it satisfies itself that:

 

 

the company is not proposing to act illegally or beyond the scope of its corporate authority and the statutory provisions as to duel majority vote have been complied with;

 

 

the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question; the arrangement is such as a businessman would reasonably approve; and

 

 

the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Companies Law or that would amount to a “fraud on the minority.”

If a scheme of arrangement or takeover offer (as described below) is approved, any dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights (providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares), which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of United States corporations.

Squeeze-out provisions.    When a tender offer is made and accepted by holders of 90% of the shares to whom the offer relates within four months, the offeror may, within a two-month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, but this is unlikely to succeed unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith, collusion or inequitable treatment of the shareholders.

 

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Further, transactions similar to a merger, reconstruction and/or an amalgamation may in some circumstances be achieved through means other than these statutory provisions, such as a share capital exchange, asset acquisition or control, or through contractual arrangements of an operating business.

Shareholders’ suits.    Walkers, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, is not aware of any reported class action having been brought in a Cayman Islands court. Derivative actions have been brought in the Cayman Islands courts, and the Cayman Islands courts have confirmed the availability for such actions. In most cases, we will be the proper plaintiff in any claim based on a breach of duty owed to us, and a claim against (for example) our officers or directors usually may not be brought by a shareholder. However, based both on Cayman Islands authorities and on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority and be applied by a court in the Cayman Islands, exceptions to the foregoing principle apply in circumstances in which:

 

 

a company is acting, or proposing to act, illegally or ultra vires (beyond the scope of its authority);

 

 

the act complained of, although not beyond the scope of the authority, could be effected if duly authorized by more than the number of votes which have actually been obtained; or

 

 

those who control the company are perpetrating a “fraud on the minority.”

A shareholder may have a direct right of action against us where the individual rights of that shareholder have been infringed or are about to be infringed.

Enforcement of civil liabilities.    The Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States and provides less protection to investors. Additionally, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the Federal courts of the United States.

We have been advised by Walkers, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, and or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands (awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.

 

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Special considerations for exempted companies.    We are an exempted company with limited liability (meaning our public shareholders have no liability, as members of the company, for liabilities of the company over and above the amount paid for their shares) under the Companies Law. The Companies Law distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except for the exemptions and privileges listed below:

 

 

annual reporting requirements are minimal and consist mainly of a statement that the company has conducted its operations mainly outside of the Cayman Islands and has complied with the provisions of the Companies Law;

 

 

an exempted company’s register of members is not open to inspection;

 

 

an exempted company does not have to hold an annual general meeting;

 

 

an exempted company may issue shares with no par value;

 

 

an exempted company may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation (such undertakings are usually given for 30 years in the first instance);

 

 

an exempted company may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands;

 

 

an exempted company may register as a limited duration company; and

 

 

an exempted company may register as a segregated portfolio company.

Amended and restated memorandum and articles of association

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain provisions designed to provide certain rights and protections relating to this offering that will apply to us until the completion of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without a special resolution. As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a resolution is deemed to be a special resolution where it has been approved by either (i) the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (or any higher threshold specified in a company’s articles of association) of the shares voted at a general meeting for which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been given; or (ii) if so authorized by a company’s articles of association, by a unanimous written resolution of all of the company’s shareholders. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that special resolutions must be approved either by at least two-thirds of shares voted at a general meeting of the company (i.e., the lowest threshold permissible under Cayman Islands law), or by a unanimous written resolution of all of our shareholders. Further, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that a quorum at our general meetings will consist of one-third of the ordinary shares entitled to vote at such meeting and present in person or by proxy; provided that a quorum in connection with any meeting that is convened to vote on a business combination or any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity shall be a majority of the ordinary shares entitled to vote at such meeting being individuals present in person or by proxy or if a corporation or other non-natural person by its duly authorized representative or proxy.

 

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Our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees, if any, who will collectively beneficially own approximately 20% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering, will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Specifically, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides, among other things, that:

 

 

if we do not consummate an initial business combination within 24 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 ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law;

 

 

prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we may not issue additional securities that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote as a class with our public shares (a) on our initial business combination or on any other proposal presented to shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination or (b) to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination beyond 24 months from the closing of this offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions;

 

 

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

 

 

if a shareholder vote on our initial business combination is not required by applicable law or stock exchange rule and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other 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;

 

 

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

 

 

if our shareholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, we will provide our public

 

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shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their ordinary shares 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 income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein; and

 

 

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

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

The Companies Law permits a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands to amend its memorandum and articles of association with the approval of a special resolution. A company’s articles of association may specify that the approval of a higher majority is required but, provided the approval of the required majority is obtained, any Cayman Islands exempted company may amend its memorandum and articles of association regardless of whether its memorandum and articles of association provides otherwise. Accordingly, although we could amend any of the provisions relating to our proposed offering, structure and business plan which are contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, we view all of these provisions as binding obligations to our shareholders and neither we, nor our officers or directors, will take any action to amend or waive any of these provisions unless we provide dissenting public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares.

Anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, prevention of proliferation financing and financial sanctions compliance—Cayman Islands

In order to comply with legislation or regulations aimed at the prevention of money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing and compliance with financial sanctions, we are required to adopt and maintain certain procedures, and may require subscribers to provide evidence to verify their identity and source of funds. Where permitted, and subject to certain conditions, we may also delegate the maintenance of our anti-money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing and compliance with financial sanctions compliance procedures (including the acquisition of due diligence information) to a suitable person.

We reserve the right to request such information as is necessary to verify the identity of a subscriber. In some cases the directors may be satisfied that no further information is required since an exemption applies under the Anti-Money Laundering Regulations (2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, as amended and revised from time to time (the “Regulations”). Depending on the circumstances of each application, a detailed verification of identity might not be required where:

(a) the subscriber is a relevant financial business required to comply with the Regulations or is a majority-owned subsidiary of such a business; or

(b) the subscriber is acting in the course of a business in relation to which a regulatory authority exercises regulatory functions and which is in a country either: (i) listed by the Cayman Islands Anti-Money Laundering Steering Committee; or (ii) which is assessed by us to have a low degree of risk of money laundering and terrorist financing in accordance with the Regulations (“Equivalent Jurisdiction”) or is a majority-owned subsidiary of such subscriber; or

(c) the subscriber is a central or local government organization, statutory body or agency of government in the Cayman Islands or an Equivalent Jurisdiction; or

 

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(d) the subscriber is a company that is listed on a recognized stock exchange and subject to disclosure requirements which impose requirements to ensure adequate transparency of beneficial ownership, or is a majority-owned subsidiary of such a company; or

(e) the subscriber is a pension fund for a professional association, trade union or is acting on behalf of employees of an entity referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) to (d); or

(f) the application is made through a nominee or introduced by an introducer which falls within one of sub-paragraphs (a) to (e). In this situation the company may rely on a written assurance from the nominee or the introducer (as applicable) which confirms (i) that the requisite identification and verification procedures on the applicant for business and (for introducers only) its beneficial owners have been carried out; (ii) the nature and intended purpose of the business relationship; (iii) that the nominee or the introducer has identified the source of funds of the applicant for business; (iv) (for introducers only) that the introducer is supervised or monitored by an overseas regulatory authority and has measures in place to comply with customer due diligence and record keeping requirements; and (iv) that the intermediary shall make available copies of any identification and verification data or information and relevant documents.

For the purposes of these exceptions, recognition of a financial institution, regulatory authority or jurisdiction will be determined in accordance with the Regulations by reference to the Equivalent Jurisdiction defined above.

In the event of delay or failure on the part of the subscriber in producing any information required for verification purposes, we may refuse to accept the application, in which case any funds received will be returned without interest to the account from which they were originally debited.

We also reserve the right to refuse to make any distribution payment to a shareholder if our directors or officers suspect or are advised that the payment of such distribution to such shareholder might result in a breach of applicable anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, prevention of proliferation financing and financial sanctions or other laws or regulations by any person in any relevant jurisdiction, or if such refusal is considered necessary or appropriate to ensure our compliance with any such laws or regulations in any applicable jurisdiction.

If any person resident in the Cayman Islands knows or suspects, or has reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting, that another person is engaged in criminal conduct or is involved with terrorism or terrorist property or proliferation financing or is the target of a financial sanction and the information for that knowledge or suspicion came to their attention in the course of business in the regulated sector or other trade, profession, business or employment, the person will be required to report such knowledge or suspicion to (i) the Financial Reporting Authority of the Cayman Islands, pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Law (2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands if the disclosure relates to criminal conduct, money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing or a financial sanctions breach or (ii) a police officer of the rank of constable or higher, or the Financial Reporting Authority, pursuant to the Terrorism Law (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, if the disclosure relates to involvement with terrorism or terrorist financing and property. Such a report will not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by any enactment or otherwise.

Data protection in the Cayman Islands—privacy notice

We have certain duties under the Data Protection Law, 2017 of the Cayman Islands (the “DPL”) based on internationally accepted principles of data privacy.

 

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Introduction

This privacy notice puts our shareholders on notice that through your investment in the company you will provide us with certain personal information which constitutes personal data within the meaning of the DPL (“personal data”).

In the following discussion, the “company” refers to us and our affiliates and/or delegates, except where the context requires otherwise.

Investor data

We will collect, use, disclose, retain and secure personal data to the extent reasonably required only and within the parameters that could be reasonably expected during the normal course of business. We will only process, disclose, transfer or retain personal data to the extent legitimately required to conduct our activities on an ongoing basis or to comply with legal and regulatory obligations to which we are subject. We will only transfer personal data in accordance with the requirements of the DPL, and will apply appropriate technical and organizational information security measures designed to protect against unauthorized or unlawful processing of the personal data and against the accidental loss, destruction or damage to the personal data.

In our use of this personal data, we will be characterized as a “data controller” for the purposes of the DPL, while our affiliates and service providers who may receive this personal data from us in the conduct of our activities may either act as our “data processors” for the purposes of the DPL or may process personal information for their own lawful purposes in connection with services provided to us.

We may also obtain personal data from other public sources. Personal data includes, without limitation, the following information relating to a shareholder and/or any individuals connected with a shareholder as an investor: name, residential address, email address, contact details, corporate contact information, signature, nationality, place of birth, date of birth, tax identification, credit history, correspondence records, passport number, bank account details, source of funds details and details relating to the shareholder’s investment activity.

Who this affects

If you are a natural person, this will affect you directly. If you are a corporate investor (including, for these purposes, legal arrangements such as trusts or exempted limited partnerships) that provides us with personal data on individuals connected to you for any reason in relation your investment in the Company, this will be relevant for those individuals and you should transmit the content of this Privacy Notice to such individuals or otherwise advise them of its content.

How the company may use your personal data

The company, as the data controller, may collect, store and use personal data for lawful purposes, including, in particular:

(i) where this is necessary for the performance of our rights and obligations under any purchase agreements;

(ii) where this is necessary for compliance with a legal and regulatory obligation to which we are subject (such as compliance with anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, prevention of proliferation financing, financial sanctions and FATCA/CRS requirements); and/or

(iii) where this is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and such interests are not overridden by your interests, fundamental rights or freedoms.

 

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Should we wish to use personal data for other specific purposes (including, if applicable, any purpose that requires your consent), we will contact you.

Why we may transfer your personal data

In certain circumstances, we may be legally obliged to share personal data and other information with respect to your shareholding with the relevant regulatory authorities such as the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority or the Tax Information Authority. They, in turn, may exchange this information with foreign authorities, including tax authorities.

We anticipate disclosing personal data to persons who provide services to us and their respective affiliates (which may include certain entities located outside the U.S., the Cayman Islands or the European Economic Area), who will process your personal data on our behalf.

The data protection measures we take

Any transfer of personal data by us or our duly authorized affiliates and/or delegates outside of the Cayman Islands shall be in accordance with the requirements of the DPL.

We and our duly authorized affiliates and/or delegates shall apply appropriate technical and organizational information security measures designed to protect against unauthorized or unlawful processing of personal data, and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.

We shall notify you of any personal data breach that is reasonably likely to result in a risk to your interests, fundamental rights or freedoms or those data subjects to whom the relevant personal data relates.

If you consider that your personal data has not been handled correctly, or you are not satisfied with the company’s responses to any requests you have made regarding the use of your personal data, you have the right to complain to the Cayman Islands’ Ombudsman. The Ombudsman can be contacted by calling +1 (345) 946-6283 or by email at info@ombudsman.ky.

Rights of Individual Data Subjects

Individual data subjects have certain data protection rights, including the right to:

 

 

be informed about the purposes for which your personal data are processed;

 

 

access your personal data;

 

 

stop direct marketing;

 

 

restrict the processing of your personal data;

 

 

have incomplete or inaccurate personal data corrected;

 

 

ask us to stop processing your personal data;

 

 

be informed of a personal data breach (unless the breach is unlikely to be prejudicial to you);

 

 

complain to the Data Protection Ombudsman; and

 

 

require us to delete your personal data in some limited circumstances.

 

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Certain anti-takeover provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that our board of directors will be classified into three classes of directors. Prior to the completion of 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.

Our authorized but unissued Class A ordinary shares and preference shares are available for future issuances without shareholder 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 Class A ordinary shares and preference shares could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.

Securities eligible for future sale

Immediately after this offering we will have 18,750,000 Class A ordinary shares (or 21,562,500 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) issued and outstanding on an as-converted basis. Of these shares, the Class A ordinary shares sold in this offering (15,000,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and 17,250,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any Class A ordinary shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the outstanding founder shares (3,750,000 founder shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and 4,312,500 founder shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering.

Rule 144

Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares or warrants for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the 12 months (or such shorter period as we were required to file reports) preceding the sale.

Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares or warrants for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:

 

 

1% of the total number of ordinary shares then outstanding, which will equal 125,000 shares immediately after this offering (or 143,750 shares if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full); and

 

 

the average weekly reported trading volume of the Class A ordinary shares during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.

Sales by our affiliates under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.

 

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Restrictions on the use of Rule 144 by shell companies or former shell companies

Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:

 

 

the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;

 

 

the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;

 

 

the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Form 8-K reports; and

 

 

at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.

As a result, our initial shareholders will be able to sell their founder shares and our sponsor will be able to sell its private placement warrants, and the securities underlying the foregoing, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination.

Registration and shareholder rights

The holders of the founder shares, private placement warrants, Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the private placement warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration and shareholder rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination. However, the registration and shareholder rights agreement provides that we will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period, which occurs (i) in the case of the founder shares, as described in the following paragraph, and (ii) in the case of the private placement warrants and the respective Class A ordinary shares underlying such warrants, 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

Except as described herein, our sponsor and our founding team have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell (i) any of their founder shares until the earliest of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) any of their private placement warrants and Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our sponsor and founding team with respect to any founder shares, private placement warrants and Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up.

 

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In addition, pursuant to an agreement to be entered into on or prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor, upon and following consummation of an initial business combination, will be entitled to nominate three individuals for appointment to our board of directors, as long as the sponsor holds any securities covered by the registration and shareholder rights agreement.

Listing of securities

We have applied to have our units listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “PHICU.” Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “PHIC” and “PHICW,” respectively. The units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded following the completion of our initial business combination.

 

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Taxation

The following summary of certain Cayman Islands and U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in our units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share and one-third of one redeemable warrant, which we refer to collectively as our securities, is based upon laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this prospectus, all of which are subject to change. This summary does not deal with all possible tax consequences relating to an investment in our Class A ordinary shares and warrants, such as the tax consequences under state, local and other tax laws.

Prospective investors should consult their advisors on the possible tax consequences of investing in our securities under the laws of their country of citizenship, residence or domicile.

Cayman Islands tax considerations

The following is a discussion on certain Cayman Islands income tax consequences of an investment in the securities of the Company. The discussion is a general summary of present law, which is subject to prospective and retroactive change. It is not intended as tax advice, does not consider any investor’s particular circumstances, and does not consider tax consequences other than those arising under Cayman Islands law.

Under existing Cayman Islands laws

Payments of dividends and capital in respect of our securities will not be subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands and no withholding will be required on the payment of a dividend or capital to any holder of the securities nor will gains derived from the disposal of the securities be subject to Cayman Islands income or corporation tax. The Cayman Islands currently has no income, corporation or capital gains tax and no estate duty, inheritance tax or gift tax.

No stamp duty is payable in respect of the issue of the warrants. An instrument of transfer in respect of a warrant is stampable if executed in or brought into the Cayman Islands.

No stamp duty is payable in respect of the issue of our Class A ordinary shares or on an instrument of transfer in respect of such shares.

The Company has been incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability and, as such, has applied for and received an undertaking from the Financial Secretary of the Cayman Islands in the following form:

The Tax Concessions Law

(2018 Revision)

Undertaking as to tax concessions

In accordance with the provision of Section 6 of The Tax Concessions Law (2018 Revision), the Financial Secretary undertakes with Population Health Investment Co., Inc. (the “Company”):

1. That no law which is hereafter enacted in the Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations shall apply to the Company or its operations; and

2. In addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax shall be payable:

2.1 On or in respect of the shares, debentures or other obligations of the Company; or

 

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2.2 by way of the withholding in whole or part, of any relevant payment as defined in Section 6(3) of the Tax Concessions Law (2018 Revision).

These concessions shall be for a period of 30 years from the date hereof.

United States federal income tax Considerations

General

The following is a summary of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants (other than private placement warrants), which we refer to collectively as our securities. Because the components of a unit are generally separable at the option of the holder on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (subject to our filing a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants), the holder of a unit generally should be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as the owner of the underlying Class A ordinary share and one-third of one redeemable warrant components of the unit. As a result, the discussion below with respect to actual holders of Class A ordinary shares and warrants also should apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying Class A ordinary shares and warrants that comprise the units). This discussion applies only to securities that are held as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes and is applicable only to holders who purchase units in this offering.

This discussion does not describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to you in light of your particular circumstances, including the alternative minimum tax, the Medicare tax on certain investment income, tax consequences to accrual-method taxpayers who are required under Section 451(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) to recognize income for U.S. federal income tax purposes no later than when such income is taken into account in applicable financial statements and the different consequences that may apply if you are subject to special rules that apply to certain types of investors, such as:

 

 

our sponsor, founders, officers or directors;

 

banks, financial institutions or financial services entities;

 

S corporations;

 

governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof;

 

regulated investment companies;

 

real estate investment trusts;

 

expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States;

 

insurance companies;

 

broker-dealers;

 

taxpayers subject to mark-to-market tax accounting rules;

 

persons holding the securities as part of a “straddle,” hedge, integrated transaction or similar transaction;

 

U.S. Holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;

 

persons that actually or constructively own 5% or more of our shares by vote or value;

 

controlled foreign corporations or passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”); and

 

tax-exempt entities.

This discussion also does not consider the tax treatment of entities treated as partnerships or other pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes or persons who hold our securities through such entities. If a partnership (or other entity or arrangement classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is the beneficial owner of our securities, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partner and the

 

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partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding our securities, we urge you to consult your tax advisor.

This discussion is based on the Code, administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and final, temporary and proposed Treasury regulations as of the date hereof, 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 do not expect to seek, a ruling from the IRS as to any U.S. federal income tax consequence described herein. The IRS may disagree with the discussion herein, and its determination may be upheld by a court. Moreover, there can be no assurance that future legislation, regulations, administrative rulings or court decisions will not adversely affect the accuracy of the statements in this discussion.

THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, IS ONLY A SUMMARY OF CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES AND IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR CAREFUL TAX PLANNING. EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IN OUR SECURITIES IS URGED TO CONSULT ITS TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO SUCH INVESTOR OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES, INCLUDING THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF U.S. FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND NON-U.S. TAX LAWS AND ANY APPLICABLE TAX TREATY.

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 Class A ordinary share and one-third of one warrant to acquire one Class A ordinary share. Under this treatment, 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 Class A ordinary share and the one-third of one warrant based on their relative fair market values at the time of issuance. Under U.S. federal income tax law, each investor must make its own determination of fair market value based on all the relevant facts and circumstances. Therefore, we strongly urge each investor to consult its own advisors regarding the determination of fair market value for these purposes. The price allocated to each Class A ordinary share and the one-third of one warrant should be the investor’s initial tax basis in such share or one-third 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 Class A ordinary share and one-third of one warrant comprising the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the Class A ordinary share and the one-third of one warrant based on their relative fair market values at the time of disposition. Neither the separation of the Class A ordinary share and the one-third of one warrant constituting a unit nor the combination of thirds of warrants into a single warrant should be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The foregoing treatment of Class A ordinary shares and warrants and an investor’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts. Because there are no authorities that directly address instruments that are similar to the units, no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below. Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult its tax advisor 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.

 

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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, Class A ordinary shares or warrants who or that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

 

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

 

a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation 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;

 

 

an estate the income of which is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or

 

 

a trust (A) the administration of which is subject to the primary supervision of a United States court and which has one or more United States persons (within the meaning of the Code) who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (B) that has in effect a valid election under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person.

Taxation of distributions

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will be required to include in gross income as dividends the amount of any distribution paid on our Class A ordinary shares to the extent the distribution is paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Such dividends paid by us will be taxable to a corporate U.S. Holder at regular rates and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally allowed to domestic corporations in respect of dividends received from other domestic corporations. Distributions in excess of such earnings and profits will constitute a return of capital that will be applied against and reduce the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares (but not below zero) and, to the extent in excess of such tax basis, will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of such Class A ordinary shares (see “—Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants” below).

With respect to non-corporate U.S. Holders, under tax laws currently in effect and subject to certain exceptions, dividends generally will be taxed at the lower applicable long-term capital gains rate (see “—Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants” below) only if our Class A ordinary shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States, the Company is not treated as a PFIC at the time the dividend was paid or in the preceding taxable year and certain holding period requirements are satisfied. It is unclear, however, whether certain redemption rights described in this prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability of such lower rate for any dividends paid with respect to our Class A ordinary shares.

Gain or loss on sale, taxable exchange or other taxable disposition of Class A ordinary shares and warrants

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss on the sale or other taxable disposition of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants, including as a result of a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate our initial business combination within the required time period. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for such Class A ordinary shares or warrants exceeds one year. It is unclear, however, whether certain redemption rights described in this prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose. Long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate U.S. Holders may be taxed at reduced rates. However, the deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

 

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The amount of gain or loss recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition generally will be equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received on such disposition (or, if the Class A ordinary shares 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 component Class A ordinary shares or the warrants based upon their fair market values at that time) and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares or warrants so disposed of. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares or warrants generally will equal the U.S. Holder’s acquisition cost (that is, as discussed above under “—Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit,” the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to a Class A ordinary share or one-third of one warrant) less, in the case of a Class A ordinary share, any prior distributions treated as a return of capital.

Redemption of Class A ordinary shares

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, in the event that a U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares are redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under “Description of Securities—Ordinary Shares” or if we purchase a U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares in an open market transaction (each of which is referred to herein as a “redemption”), the treatment of the redemption for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on whether it qualifies as a sale of the Class A ordinary shares under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption qualifies as a sale of Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder will be treated as described under “—Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants” above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a corporate distribution with the tax consequences described above under “—Taxation of Distributions.” Whether a redemption qualifies for sale treatment will depend largely on the total number of shares of our stock treated as owned by the U.S. Holder (including any shares constructively owned by the U.S. Holder as a result of owning warrants) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after such redemption. The redemption of Class A ordinary shares generally will be treated as a sale of the Class A ordinary shares (rather than as a corporate distribution) if such 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 is satisfied, a U.S. Holder takes into account not only Class A ordinary shares 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 shares owned directly, shares 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 shares the U.S. Holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include Class A ordinary shares which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants that it owns at the time of the redemption. For a redemption to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of our issued and outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately following the redemption of Class A ordinary shares must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our issued and outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately before the redemption. Before the completion of our initial business combination, the Class A ordinary shares may not be treated as voting stock for this purpose and, consequently, this substantially disproportionate test may not apply. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. Holder’s interest if either (i) all of our shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed or (ii) all of our shares 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 shares owned by certain family members and the U.S. Holder does not constructively own any other shares of our stock. The redemption of the Class A ordinary shares will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend with respect to a U.S. Holder if it results in a “meaningful

 

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reduction” of the U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction of 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 shareholder in a publicly held corporation that exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.” A U.S. Holder should consult its tax advisor 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 “—Taxation of Distributions” above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the U.S. Holder in the redeemed Class A ordinary shares will be added to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its remaining shares, or, if it has none, to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its warrants or possibly in other shares constructively owned by it.

Exercise, lapse or redemption of a warrant

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below and 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 a Class A ordinary share on the exercise of a warrant for cash. The U.S. Holder’s initial tax basis in a Class A ordinary share received upon exercise of the warrant generally will equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s initial investment in the warrant (i.e., the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for the units that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under “—Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”), adjusted as described above under “—Redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares,” and the exercise price. The U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary share received upon exercise of a warrant will begin on the day following the date of exercise (or possibly the date of exercise) and will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrant. If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to the U.S. 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 tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares received would equal the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants. If the cashless exercise were treated as not being a realization event, a U.S. Holder’s holding period in the Class A ordinary shares would be treated as commencing on the day following the date of exercise (or possibly the date of exercise) of the warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the Class A ordinary shares would include the holding period of the warrants.

It also is possible that a cashless exercise could be treated in whole or in part as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss is recognized. In such event, a U.S. Holder would be deemed to have surrendered warrants equal to the number of Class A ordinary shares having a value equal to the exercise price for the total number of warrants to be exercised. Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, the U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the Class A ordinary shares received in respect of the warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants deemed surrendered. In this case, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares received would equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s initial investment in the warrants deemed exercised (i.e., the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for the units that is allocated to the warrants, as described above under “—Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”), adjusted as described above under “—Redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares,” and the exercise price of such warrants. A U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares would commence on the day following the date of exercise (or possibly the date of exercise) of the warrants.

 

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Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, 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, a U.S. Holder should consult its tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.

Subject to the PFIC rules described below, if we redeem warrants for cash pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemptions of warrants for cash when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00” or if we purchase warrants in an open market transaction, such redemption or purchase generally will be treated as a taxable disposition to the U.S. Holder, taxed as described above under “—Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants.”

If we provide notice that we will redeem warrants for $0.10 as described in the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00,” and a U.S. Holder exercises its warrant on a cashless basis and receives the amount of Class A ordinary shares as determined by reference to the table set forth therein, we intend to treat such exercise as an exchange of warrants for Class A ordinary shares for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Such exchange should be treated as a recapitalization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, a U.S. Holder should not recognize any gain or loss on the exchange of warrants for Class A ordinary shares. A U.S. Holder’s aggregate tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares received in the redemption generally should equal the U.S. Holder’s aggregate tax basis in the warrants redeemed and the holding period for the Class A ordinary shares received should include the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the surrendered warrants. However, there is some uncertainty regarding this tax treatment and it is possible such a redemption could be treated in part as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized in a manner similar to that discussed above for a cashless exercise of warrants. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares.

Possible constructive distributions

The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of Class A ordinary shares for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants.” An adjustment that 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 the adjustment increases their proportionate interests in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of Class A ordinary shares that would be obtained upon exercise) and there is within a six-year window around the adjustment a distribution of cash or other property to the holders of our Class A ordinary shares which is taxable to the U.S. Holders of such Class A ordinary shares as described under “—Taxation of Distributions” above. Any such constructive distribution would be subject to tax as described in that section in the same manner as if the U.S. Holders of the warrants received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased interest.

Passive foreign investment company rules

A foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) corporation will be classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes if either (i) at least 75% of its gross income in a taxable year, including its pro rata share of the gross income of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, is passive income or (ii) at least 50% of its assets in a taxable year (ordinarily determined based on fair market value and averaged quarterly

 

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over the year), including its pro rata share of the assets of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, are held for the production of, or produce, passive income. Passive income generally includes dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other than rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of passive assets.

Because we are a blank check company, with no current active business, we believe that it is likely that we will meet the PFIC asset or income test for our current taxable year. However, pursuant to a start-up exception, a corporation will not be a PFIC for the first taxable year the corporation has gross income (the “start-up year”) if (1) no predecessor of the corporation was a PFIC; (2) the corporation satisfies the IRS that it will not be a PFIC for either of the two taxable years following the start-up year; and (3) the corporation is not in fact a PFIC for either of those years. The applicability of the start-up exception to us is uncertain and will not be known until after the close of our current taxable year or, possibly, after the close of the first two taxable years following our start-up year. After the acquisition of a company or assets in a business combination, we may still meet one of the PFIC tests depending on the timing of the acquisition and the amount of our passive income and assets as well as the passive income and assets of the acquired business. If the company that we acquire in a business combination is a PFIC (or we do not complete a business acquisition by the end of the first taxable year after the taxable year of our formation), then we will likely not qualify for the start-up exception and will be a PFIC for the year of our formation. Our actual PFIC status for the year of our formation or any subsequent taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year (or possibly later, as indicated above). Accordingly, there can be no assurance with respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year or any future taxable year.

Although our PFIC status is determined annually, an initial determination that our company is a PFIC will generally apply for subsequent years to a U.S. Holder who held Class A ordinary shares or warrants while we were a PFIC, whether or not we meet the test for PFIC status in those subsequent years. If we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. Holder of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants and, in the case of our Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder did not make either a timely qualified electing fund (“QEF”) election or a mark-to-market election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder held Class A ordinary shares, as described below, such U.S. Holder generally would be subject to special and adverse rules with respect to (i) any gain recognized by the U.S. Holder on the sale or other disposition of its Class A ordinary shares or warrants and (ii) any “excess distribution” made to the U.S. Holder (generally, any distributions to such U.S. Holder during a taxable year of the U.S. Holder that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received by such U.S. Holder in respect of the Class A ordinary shares during the three preceding taxable years of such U.S. Holder or, if shorter, such U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares).

Under these rules:

 

 

the U.S. Holder’s gain or excess distribution will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares or warrants;

 

 

the amount allocated to the U.S. Holder’s taxable year in which the U.S. Holder recognized the gain or received the excess distribution, or to the period in the U.S. Holder’s holding period before the first day of our first taxable year in which we are a PFIC, will be taxed as ordinary income;

 

 

the amount allocated to other taxable years (or portions thereof) of the U.S. Holder and included in its holding period will be taxed at the highest tax rate in effect for that year and applicable to the U.S. Holder; and

 

 

an additional tax equal to the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed on the U.S. Holder with respect to the tax attributable to each such other taxable year of the U.S. Holder.

 

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In general, if we are determined to be a PFIC, a U.S. Holder may avoid the adverse PFIC tax consequences described above in respect of our Class A ordinary shares (but not our warrants) by making and maintaining a timely and valid QEF election (if eligible to do so) to include in income its pro rata share of our net capital gains (as long-term capital gain) and other earnings and profits (as ordinary income), on a current basis, in each case whether or not distributed, in the taxable year of the U.S. Holder in which or with which our taxable year ends. A U.S. Holder generally may make a separate election to defer the payment of taxes on undistributed income inclusions under the QEF rules, but if deferred, any such taxes will be subject to an interest charge.

It is not entirely clear how various aspects of the PFIC rules apply to warrants. However, a U.S. Holder may not make a QEF election with respect to its warrants to acquire our Class A ordinary shares. As a result, if a U.S. Holder sold or otherwise disposed of such warrants (other than upon exercise of such warrants for cash) and we were a PFIC at any time during the U.S. Holder’s holding period of such warrants, any gain recognized generally would be treated as an excess distribution, taxed as described above. If a U.S. Holder that exercises such warrants properly makes and maintains a QEF election with respect to the newly acquired Class A ordinary shares (or has previously made a QEF election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares), the QEF election will apply to the newly acquired Class A ordinary shares. Notwithstanding such QEF election, the adverse tax consequences relating to PFIC shares, adjusted to take into account the current income inclusions resulting from the QEF election, will continue to apply with respect to such newly acquired Class A ordinary shares (which generally will be deemed to have a holding period for purposes of the PFIC rules that includes the period the U.S. Holder held the warrants), unless the U.S. Holder makes a purging election under the PFIC rules. Under one type of purging election, the U.S. Holder will be deemed to have sold such shares at their fair market value and any gain recognized on such deemed sale will be treated as an excess distribution, as described above. Under another type of purging election, an electing U.S. Holder will be treated as having received as an excess distribution its ratable share of our earnings and profits determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In order for a U.S. Holder to make the second election, we must also be a “controlled foreign corporation” as defined in the Code, and there are no assurances that we will so qualify. As a result of either purging election, the U.S. Holder will have a new tax basis and holding period in the Class A ordinary shares acquired upon the exercise of the warrants for purposes of the PFIC rules. A U.S. Holder should consult its tax advisor as to the application of the rules governing purging elections to its particular circumstances.

A QEF election is made on a shareholder-by-shareholder basis and, once made, can be revoked only with the consent of the IRS. A U.S. Holder generally makes a QEF election by attaching a completed IRS Form 8621 (Information Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund), including the information provided in a PFIC annual information statement, to a timely filed U.S. federal income tax return for the tax year to which the election relates. A U.S. Holder might be able to make a QEF election with respect to a previous taxable year if it has filed a protective statement with its U.S. federal income tax return for such taxable year and certain other conditions are met or with the consent of the IRS. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a retroactive QEF election under their particular circumstances.

In order to comply with the requirements of a QEF election, a U.S. Holder must receive a PFIC annual information statement from us. If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, upon written request, we will endeavor to provide to a U.S. Holder such information as the IRS may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable the U.S. Holder to make and maintain a QEF election, but there is no assurance that we will timely provide such required information. There is also no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of our status as a PFIC in the future or of the required information to be provided.

If a U.S. Holder has made a QEF election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares, and the excess distribution rules discussed above do not apply to such shares (because of a timely QEF election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) such shares or a purge of the PFIC taint pursuant to

 

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a purging election, as described above), any gain recognized on the sale of our Class A ordinary shares generally will be taxable as capital gain and no additional interest charge will be imposed under the PFIC rules. As discussed above, if we are a PFIC for any taxable year, a U.S. Holder of our Class A ordinary shares that has made a QEF election will be currently taxed on its pro rata share of our earnings and profits, whether or not distributed for such year. A subsequent distribution of such earnings and profits that were previously included in income generally should not be taxable when distributed to such U.S. Holder. The tax basis of a U.S. Holder’s shares in a QEF will be increased by amounts that are included in income, and decreased by amounts distributed but not taxed as dividends, under the above rules. In addition, if we are not a PFIC for any taxable year, such U.S. Holder will not be subject to the QEF inclusion regime with respect to our Class A ordinary shares for such taxable year.

Alternatively, if we are a PFIC and our Class A ordinary shares constitute “marketable stock,” a U.S. Holder may avoid the adverse PFIC tax consequences discussed above in respect of the Class A ordinary shares if such U.S. Holder, at the close of the first taxable year in which it holds our Class A ordinary shares, makes a mark-to-market election with respect to such shares for such taxable year. Such U.S. Holder generally will include for each of its taxable years as ordinary income the excess, if any, of the fair market value of its Class A ordinary shares at the end of such year over its adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares. The U.S. Holder also will recognize an ordinary loss in respect of the excess, if any, of its adjusted tax basis of its Class A ordinary shares over the fair market value of its Class A ordinary shares at the end of its taxable year (but only to the extent of the net amount of previously included income as a result of the mark-to-market election). The U.S. Holder’s tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss amounts, and any further gain recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition of its Class A ordinary shares will be treated as ordinary income. Currently, a mark-to-market election may not be made with respect to warrants.

The mark-to-market election is available only for “marketable stock,” which generally is stock that is regularly traded on a national securities exchange that is registered with the SEC, including Nasdaq (on which we intend to list the Class A ordinary shares), or on a foreign exchange or market that the IRS determines has rules sufficient to ensure that the market price represents a legitimate and sound fair market value. If made, a mark-to-market election would be effective for the taxable year for which the election was made and for all subsequent taxable years unless the Class A ordinary shares ceased to qualify as “marketable stock” for purposes of the PFIC rules or the IRS consented to the revocation of the election. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a mark-to-market election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares under their particular circumstances.

If we are a PFIC and, at any time, have a foreign subsidiary that is classified as a PFIC, U.S. Holders generally would be deemed to own a portion of the shares of such lower-tier PFIC, and generally could incur liability for the deferred tax and interest charge described above if we receive a distribution from, or dispose of all or part of our interest in, the lower-tier PFIC or the U.S. Holders otherwise were deemed to have disposed of an interest in the lower-tier PFIC. We will endeavor to cause any lower-tier PFIC to provide to a U.S. Holder the information that may be required to make or maintain a QEF election with respect to the lower-tier PFIC. There can be no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of the status of any such lower-tier PFIC. In addition, we may not hold a controlling interest in any such lower-tier PFIC and thus there can be no assurance we will be able to cause the lower-tier PFIC to provide such required information. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the tax issues raised by lower-tier PFICs.

A U.S. Holder that owns (or is deemed to own) shares in a PFIC during any taxable year of the U.S. Holder may have to file an IRS Form 8621 (whether or not a QEF or mark-to-market election is made) and such other information as may be required by the U.S. Treasury Department. Failure to do so, if required, will extend the statute of limitations with respect to the U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax returns until such required information is furnished to the IRS.

 

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The rules dealing with PFICs and with the QEF and mark-to-market elections are very complex and are affected by various factors in addition to those described above. Accordingly, U.S. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares and warrants should consult their tax advisors concerning the application of the PFIC rules to our securities under their particular circumstances.

Tax reporting

Certain U.S. Holders may be required to file an IRS Form 926 (Return by a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation) to report a transfer of property (including cash) to us. Substantial penalties may be imposed on a U.S. Holder that fails to comply with this reporting requirement and the period of limitations for assessment and collection of U.S. federal income taxes will be extended in the event of a failure to comply. Furthermore, certain U.S. Holders who are individuals and certain entities will be required to report information with respect to such U.S. Holder’s investment in “specified foreign financial assets” on IRS Form 8938 (Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets), subject to certain exceptions. An interest in the Company constitutes a specified foreign financial asset for these purposes. Persons who are required to report specified foreign financial assets and fail to do so may be subject to substantial penalties and the period of limitations for assessment and collection of U.S. federal income taxes will be extended in the event of a failure to comply. Potential investors are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the foreign financial asset and other reporting obligations and their application to an investment in our Class A ordinary shares and warrants.

Non-U.S. Holders

This section applies to you if you are a “Non-U.S. Holder.” As used herein, the term “Non-U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants (other than a partnership or other entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) 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);

 

 

a foreign corporation; or

 

 

an estate or trust that is not a U.S. Holder,

but generally does not include an individual who is present in the 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 sale or other disposition of our securities.

Dividends (including constructive dividends) paid or deemed paid to a Non-U.S. Holder in respect of our Class A ordinary shares generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, unless the dividends are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such holder maintains in the United States). In addition, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any gain attributable to a sale or other disposition of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants unless such gain is effectively connected with its conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such holder maintains in the United States).

Dividends (including constructive dividends) and gains that are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base in the United States) generally will be subject to U.S.

 

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federal income tax at the same regular U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to a comparable U.S. Holder and, in the case of a Non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, also may be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate or a lower applicable tax treaty rate.

The characterization for U.S. federal income tax purposes of the redemption of a Non-U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares will generally correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of such a redemption of a U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares, as described under “U.S. Holders—Redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares” above, and the consequences of the redemption to the Non-U.S. Holder will be as described in the paragraphs above under the heading “Non-U.S. Holders” based on such characterization.

The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a Non-U.S. Holder’s exercise, lapse or redemption of a warrant held by a Non-U.S. Holder, generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the exercise, lapse or redemption of a warrant by a U.S. Holder, as described under “—U.S. Holders—Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant,” above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described in the preceding paragraphs above for a Non-U.S. Holder’s gain on the sale or other disposition of our Class A ordinary shares and warrants.

Information reporting and backup withholding

Dividend payments with respect to our Class A ordinary shares and proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of our Class A ordinary shares may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible U.S. backup withholding. Backup withholding will not apply, however, to a U.S. Holder who furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number and makes other required certifications, or who is otherwise exempt from backup withholding and establishes such exempt status. A Non-U.S. Holder generally will eliminate the requirement for information reporting and backup withholding by providing certification of its foreign status, under penalties of perjury, on a duly executed applicable IRS Form W-8 or by otherwise establishing an exemption.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against a holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, and a holder generally may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules by timely filing the appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnishing any required information. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of backup withholding and the availability of and procedure for obtaining an exemption from backup withholding in their particular circumstances.

 

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Underwriting

Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC has agreed to purchase from us on a firm commitment basis the following respective number of units at a public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus:

 

   
Underwriter    Number of units  

J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC

  

Total

     15,000,000  

 

 

The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the units included in this offering are subject to approval of legal matters by counsel and to other conditions. The underwriters are obligated to purchase all of the units (other than those covered by the option to purchase additional units described below) if it purchases any of the units.

Units sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Certain of the underwriters may offer and sell the units through one or more of their respective affiliates or selling agents. If all of the units are not sold at the initial offering price, the underwriters may change the offering price and the other selling terms. J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC has advised us that the underwriter does not intend to make sales to discretionary accounts.

If the underwriters sell more units than the total number set forth in the table above, we have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 45 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to 2,250,000 additional units at the public offering price less the underwriting discount. To the extent the option is exercised, the underwriters must purchase a number of additional units approximately proportionate to their initial purchase commitment. Any units issued or sold under the option will be issued and sold on the same terms and conditions as the other units that are the subject of this offering.

We, our sponsor 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 J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any units, warrants, Class A ordinary shares or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, Class A ordinary shares; provided, however, that we may (i) issue and sell the private placement warrants, (ii) issue and sell the additional units to cover our underwriters’ option to purchase additional units (if any), (iii) 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 founder shares and the private placement warrants or the warrants and Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and (iv) issue securities in connection with an initial business combination. J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC in its sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice.

Our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earlier to occur of: (i) one year after the completion of our initial business combination; or (ii) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction after our initial business combination that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under “Principal Shareholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”). Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial shareholders with respect to any founder shares. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any

 

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30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up.

The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares 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 “Principal Shareholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”).

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our securities. Consequently, the initial public offering price for the units was determined by negotiations between us and the underwriters.

The determination of our per unit offering price was more arbitrary than would typically be the case if we were an operating company. Among the factors considered in determining initial public offering price were the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies, prior offerings of those companies, our management, our capital structure, and currently prevailing general conditions in equity securities markets, including current market valuations of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company. We cannot assure you, however, that the price at which the units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants will sell in the public market after this offering will not be lower than the initial public offering price or that an active trading market in our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants will develop and continue after this offering.

We have applied to have our units approved for listing on Nasdaq under the symbol “PHICU”. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “PHIC” and “PHICW,” respectively.

The following table shows the underwriting discounts and commissions that we are to pay to the underwriters in connection with this offering. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units.

 

   
     Paid by Population Health
Investment Co., Inc.
 
      No exercise      Full exercise  

Per Unit(1)

   $ 0.55      $ 0.55  

Total(1)

   $ 8,250,000      $ 9,487,500  

 

 

 

(1)   $0.20 per unit, or $3,000,000 in the aggregate (or $3,450,000 in the aggregate if the option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), is payable upon the closing of this offering. $0.35 per unit, or $5,250,000 in the aggregate (or $6,037,500 in the aggregate if the option 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.

The offering of the shares by the underwriters is subject to receipt and acceptance and subject to the underwriters’ right to reject any order in whole or in part.

If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 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) that 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 paid or payable) to the public shareholders.

 

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In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell units in the open market. Purchases and sales in the open market may include short sales, purchases to cover short positions, which may include purchases pursuant to the option to purchase additional units, and stabilizing purchases.

 

 

Short sales involve secondary market sales by the underwriters of a greater number of units than it is required to purchase in the offering.

 

 

“Covered” short sales are sales of units in an amount up to the number of units represented by the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units.

 

 

“Naked” short sales are sales of units in an amount in excess of the number of units represented by the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units.

 

 

Covering transactions involve purchases of units either pursuant to the option to purchase additional units or in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover short positions.

 

 

To close a naked short position, the underwriters must purchase units in the open market after the distribution has been completed. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the units in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering.

 

 

To close a covered short position, the underwriters must purchase units in the open market after the distribution has been completed or must exercise the option to purchase additional units. In determining the source of units to close the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, 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.

 

 

Stabilizing transactions involve bids to purchase units so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum.

Purchases to cover short positions and stabilizing purchases, as well as other purchases by the underwriters for their own accounts, may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the units. They may also cause the price of the units to be higher than the price that would otherwise exist in the open market in the absence of these transactions. The underwriters may conduct these transactions in the over-the-counter market or otherwise. If the underwriters commence any of these transactions, they may discontinue them at any time.

We estimate that the total expenses of this offering payable by us will be $ , excluding underwriting discounts and commissions.

We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make because of any of those liabilities. We have also agreed to pay for the FINRA-related fees and expenses of the underwriters’ legal counsel, not to exceed $25,000.

We are not under any contractual obligation to engage the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering, and have no present intent to do so. However, the underwriters may introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital in the future. If the underwriters provide services to us after this offering, we may pay the underwriters fair and reasonable fees that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with the underwriters and no fees for such services will be paid to 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

 

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with this offering and we may pay the underwriters of this offering or any entity with which it is affiliated a finder’s fee or other compensation for services rendered to us in connection with the completion of a business combination.

In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, the underwriters and 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. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. The underwriters and their affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.

Notice to prospective investors in Canada

The securities may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the securities must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto) 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 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.

Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.

Notice to prospective investors in the European Economic Area and United Kingdom

In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom (each a “Relevant State”), no units or underlying Class A ordinary shares and warrants have been offered or will be offered pursuant to this offering to the public in that Relevant State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the shares which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, except that offers of shares may be made to the public in that Relevant State at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Regulation:

 

(a)   to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under the Prospectus Regulation;

 

(b)   to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under the Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriters; or

 

(c)   in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation,

provided that no such offer of securities shall require us or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus

 

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Regulation and each person who initially acquires any securities or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with each of the underwriters and the Company that it is a “qualified investor” within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation. In the case of any securities being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in the Prospectus Regulation, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that the securities acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer of any securities to the public other than their offer or resale in a Relevant State to qualified investors as so defined or in circumstances in which the prior consent of the underwriters have been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to securities in any Relevant State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any shares, and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.

Notice to prospective investors in the United Kingdom

In addition, in the United Kingdom, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer subsequently made may only be directed at persons who are “qualified investors” (as defined in the Prospectus Regulation) (i) who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “ Order ”) and/or (ii) who are high net worth companies (or persons to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated) falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”) or otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted and will not result in an offer to the public of the securities in the United Kingdom within the meaning of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on the information included in this document or use it as basis for taking any action. In the United Kingdom, any investment or investment activity that this document relates to may be made or taken exclusively by relevant persons.

Notice to prospective investors in the Dubai International Financial Centre (“DIFC”)

This document relates to an Exempt Offer in accordance with the Markets Rules 2012 of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”). This document is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in the Markets Rules 2012 of the DFSA. It must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The DFSA has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The DFSA has not approved this prospectus supplement nor taken steps to verify the information set forth herein and has no responsibility for this document. The securities to which this document relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers of the securities offered should conduct their own due diligence on the securities. If you do not understand the contents of this document you should consult an authorized financial advisor.

In relation to its use in the DIFC, this document is strictly private and confidential and is being distributed to a limited number of investors and must not be provided to any person other than the original recipient, and may not be reproduced or used for any other purpose. The interests in the securities may not be offered or sold directly or indirectly to the public in the DIFC.

 

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Notice to prospective investors in Australia

This prospectus:

 

 

does not constitute a disclosure document or a prospectus under Chapter 6D.2 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the “Corporations Act”);

 

 

has not been, and will not be, lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (“ASIC”), as a disclosure document for the purposes of the Corporations Act and does not purport to include the information required of a disclosure document for the purposes of the Corporations Act; and

 

 

may only be provided in Australia to select investors who are able to demonstrate that they fall within one or more of the categories of investors, available under section 708 of the Corporations Act (“Exempt Investors”).

The securities may not be directly or indirectly offered for subscription or purchased or sold, and no invitations to subscribe for or buy the securities may be issued, and no draft or definitive offering memorandum, advertisement or other offering material relating to any securities may be distributed in Australia, except where disclosure to investors is not required under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act or is otherwise in compliance with all applicable Australian laws and regulations. By submitting an application for the securities, you represent and warrant to us that you are an Exempt Investor.

As any offer of securities under this document will be made without disclosure in Australia under Chapter 6D.2 of the Corporations Act, the offer of those securities for resale in Australia within 12 months may, under section 707 of the Corporations Act, require disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D.2 if none of the exemptions in section 708 applies to that resale. By applying for the securities you undertake to us that you will not, for a period of 12 months from the date of issue of the securities, offer, transfer, assign or otherwise alienate those securities to investors in Australia except in circumstances where disclosure to investors is not required under Chapter 6D.2 of the Corporations Act or where a compliant disclosure document is prepared and lodged with ASIC.

Notice to prospective investors in 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 stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the securities or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the company, or the shares has been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (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.

Notice to prospective investors in Hong Kong

The securities have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than (a) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.

 

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571 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (the “SFO”) of Hong Kong and any rules made thereunder; or (b) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong (the “CO”) or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the CO. No advertisement, invitation or document relating to the securities has been or may be issued or has been or may be in the possession of any person for the purposes of issue, 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 to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to the securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the SFO and any rules made thereunder.

Notice to prospective investors in Japan

The securities have not been and will not be registered pursuant to Article 4, Paragraph 1 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. Accordingly, none of the securities nor any interest therein may be offered or sold, 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 a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan in effect at the relevant time.

Notice to prospective investors in Singapore

Each Book Running Manager has acknowledged that this prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, each Book Running Manager has represented and agreed that it has not offered or sold any securities or caused the securities to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase and will not offer or sell any securities or cause the securities to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, and has not circulated or distributed, nor will it circulate or distribute, this prospectus or any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the securities, whether directly or indirectly, to any person in Singapore other than:

 

(a)   to an institutional investor (as defined in Section 4A of the Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289) of Singapore, as modified or amended from time to time (the “SFA”)) pursuant to Section 274 of the SFA;

 

(b)   to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) pursuant to Section 275(1) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA; or

 

(c)   otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.

Where the securities are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:

 

(a)   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

 

(b)   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 or securities-based derivatives contracts (each term as defined in Section 2(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred

 

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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:

 

(i)  

to an institutional investor or to a relevant person, or to any person arising from an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) or Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;

 

(ii)   where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer;

 

(iii)   where the transfer is by operation of law;

 

(iv)   as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or

as specified in Regulation 37A of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Securities and Securities-based Derivatives Contracts) Regulations 2018.

Cayman Islands

No offer or invitation to subscribe for shares or units may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands.

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, New York, New York will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to units and warrants. Walkers will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to the ordinary shares and matters of Cayman Islands law. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, New York, New York advised the underwriters in connection with the offering of the securities.

Experts

The financial statements of Population Health Investment Co., Inc., as of September 17, 2020, and for the period from September 11, 2020 (inception) through September 17, 2020 appearing in this prospectus have been audited by WithumSmith+Brown, PC, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, and are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

Where you can find additional information

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are materially complete but may not include a description of all aspects of such contracts, agreements or other documents, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.

Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

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Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Index to financial statements

 

     Page  

Report of independent registered public accounting firm

     F-2  

Balance sheets

     F-3  

Statements of operations

     F-4  

Statements of changes in shareholder’s deficit

     F-5  

Statements of cash flows

     F-6  

Notes to financial statements

     F-7  

 

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Table of Contents

Report of independent registered public accounting firm

To the Shareholder and the Board of Directors of

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Opinion on the financial statements

We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Population Health Investment Co., Inc. (the “Company”) as of September 17, 2020, and the related statements of operations, changes in shareholder’s deficit and cash flows for the period from September 11, 2020 (inception) through September 17, 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 September 17, 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from September 11, 2020 (inception) through September 17, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2020.

New York, New York

September 23, 2020

 

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Table of Contents

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Balance sheets

 

     
     September 30,
2020
    September 17,
2020
 
      (unaudited)         

Assets

    

Deferred offering costs associated with proposed public offering

   $ 279,605     $ 54,058  
  

 

 

 

Total Assets

   $ 279,605     $ 54,058  
  

 

 

 

Liabilities and Shareholder's Deficit

    

Current liabilities:

    

Accounts payable

   $ 10,000     $  

Accrued expenses

     277,981       62,434  
  

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

     287,981       62,434  
  

 

 

 

Commitments and Contingencies

    

Shareholder's Deficit

    

Preference shares, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding

            

Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 300,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding

            

Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 30,000,000 shares authorized; 4,312,500 shares issued and outstanding(1)

     431       431  

Additional paid-in capital

     24,569       24,569  

Accumulated deficit

     (33,376     (33,376
  

 

 

 

Total shareholder's deficit

     (8,376     (8,376
  

 

 

 

Total Liabilities and Shareholder's Deficit

   $ 279,605     $ 54,058  

 

 

 

(1)   This number includes up to 562,500 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Statements of operations

 

   
     For the period from
September 11,  2020
(inception) through
 
     September 30,
2020
    September 17,
2020
 
      (unaudited)         

General and administrative expenses

   $ 33,376     $ 33,376  
  

 

 

 

Net loss

   $ (33,376   $ (33,376
  

 

 

 

Weighted average Class B ordinary shares outstanding, basic and diluted(1)

     3,750,000       3,750,000  
  

 

 

 

Basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share

   $ (0.01   $ (0.01

 

 

 

(1)   This number excludes an aggregate of up to 562,500 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Statements of changes in shareholder’s deficit

 

   
    For the period from September 11, 2020
(inception) through September 30, 2020
 
  Ordinary shares     Additional
paid-in
capital
    Accumulated
deficit
    Total
shareholder's
deficit
 
  Class A     Class B  
     Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount  

Balance—September 11, 2020 (inception)

        $           $     $     $     $  

Issuance of Class B ordinary shares to Sponsor(1)

                4,312,500       431       24,569             25,000  

Net loss

                                  (33,376     (33,376
 

 

 

 

Balance—September 17, 2020

        $       4,312,500     $ 431     $ 24,569     $ (33,376 )    $ (8,376 ) 

Net loss (unaudited)

                                         
 

 

 

 

Balance—September 30, 2020 (unaudited)

        $       4,312,500     $ 431     $ 24,569     $ (33,376 )    $ (8,376 ) 

 

 

 

(1)   This number includes up to 562,500 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Statements of cash flows

 

   
     For the period from
September 11, 2020
(inception) through
 
     September 30,
2020
    September 17,
2020
 
      (unaudited)         

Cash Flows from Operating Activities:

    

Net loss

   $ (33,376   $ (33,376

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

    

Accrued expenses

     33,376       33,376  
  

 

 

 

Net cash used in operating activities

            
  

 

 

 

Net change in cash

            

Cash—beginning of the period

            
  

 

 

 

Cash—ending of the period

   $     $  
  

 

 

 

Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:

    

Deferred offering costs included in accrued expenses

   $ 244,605     $ 29,058  

Deferred offering costs included in accounts payable

   $ 10,000     $  

Deferred offering costs paid in exchange for issuance of Class B ordinary shares to Sponsor

   $ 25,000     $ 25,000  

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Notes to financial statements

Note 1—Description of organization, business operations and basis of presentation

Population Health Investment Co., Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on September 11, 2020. The Company was incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”). The Company is an emerging growth company and, as such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with emerging growth companies.

As of September 30, 2020, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from September 11, 2020 (inception) through September 30, 2020 relates to the Company’s formation and the proposed initial public offering described 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 Population Health Investment Holding, Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Sponsor”). The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed public offering (the “Proposed Public Offering”) of 15,000,000 units (each, a “Unit” and collectively, the “Units”) at $10.00 per Unit (or 17,250,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), which is discussed in Note 3, and the sale of 3,333,333 warrants (or 3,633,333 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (each, a “Private Placement Warrant” and collectively, the “Private Placement Warrants”), each exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share, at a price of $1.50 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 the sale of Private Placement Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a Business Combination successfully. The Company must complete one or more initial Business Combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Account (as defined below) (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial Business Combination. However, the Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the partner or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the partner sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).

Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed that an amount equal to at least $10.00 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including the proceeds of the Private Placement Warrants, will be held in a trust account (“Trust Account”), located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and will invest only in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, as determined by the Company, until the

 

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Table of Contents

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Notes to financial statements

 

earlier of: (i) the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account as described below.

The Company will provide its holders (the “Public Shareholders”) of its Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001, sold in the Proposed Public Offering (the “Public Shares”), with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The Public Shareholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $10.00 per Public Share). The per-share amount to be distributed to Public Shareholders who redeem their Public Shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions the Company will pay to the underwriters (as discussed in Note 5). These Public Shares will be classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering in accordance with the 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 and the approval of an ordinary resolution. If a shareholder vote is not required by law and the Company does not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, the Company will, pursuant to its amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If, however, shareholder approval of the transactions is required by law, or the Company decides to obtain shareholder approval for business or legal reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. Additionally, each Public Shareholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. If the Company seeks shareholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the initial shareholders (as defined below) have agreed to vote their Founder Shares (as defined below in Note 4) and any Public Shares purchased during or after the Proposed Public Offering in favor of a Business Combination. Subsequent to the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will adopt an insider trading policy which will require insiders to: (i) refrain from purchasing shares during certain blackout periods and when they are in possession of any material non-public information and (ii) to clear all trades with the Company’s legal counsel prior to execution. In addition, the initial shareholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares and Public Shares in connection with the completion of a Business Combination.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association will provide that a Public Shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% or more of the Class A ordinary shares sold in the Proposed Public Offering, without the prior consent of the Company.

The Company’s Sponsor, officers and directors (the “initial shareholders”) have agreed not to propose an amendment to the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of its Public Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering (the “Combination Period”) or (B) with

 

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Table of Contents

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Notes to financial statements

 

respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity, unless the Company provides the Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares in conjunction with any such amendment.

If the Company is unable to complete a 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 ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of the then-outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining shareholders and the board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

The Sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to waive their liquidation rights with respect to the Founder Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. However, if the initial shareholders or members of the Company’s management team acquire Public Shares in or after the Proposed Public Offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such Public Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to its deferred underwriting commission (see Note 5) held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within in the Combination Period and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the other funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the residual assets remaining available for distribution (including Trust Account assets) will be only $10.00 per share initially held in the Trust Account. In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Sponsor has agreed to be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective partner business with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account. This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account or to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of the Proposed Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (except for the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm), prospective partner businesses or other entities with which the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account.

Going concern consideration

The Company does not have sufficient liquidity to meet its anticipated obligations over the next year from the date of issuance of these financial statements. In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties

 

F-9


Table of Contents

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Notes to financial statements

 

about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern,” management has determined that the Company has access to funds from the Sponsor that are sufficient to fund the working capital needs of the Company until the earlier of the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering or a minimum of one year from the date of issuance of these financial statements.

Basis of presentation

The accompanying financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. The accompanying unaudited financial statements as of September 30, 2020 and for the period from September 11, 2020 (inception) through September 30, 2020 have been prepared in accordance with GAAP for interim financial information and Article 8 of Regulation S-X. In the opinion of management of the Company, all adjustments (consisting of normal accruals) considered for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the period from September 11, 2020 (inception) through September 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020.

Emerging growth company

The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart 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 shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (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 an emerging growth company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make the comparison of the Company’s financial statement with another public company that is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company that has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.

Note 2—Summary of significant accounting policies

Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

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Table of Contents

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Notes to financial statements

 

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 sheets primarily due to their short-term nature.

Deferred offering costs

The Company complies with the requirements of the ASC 340-10-S99-1. Deferred offering costs consisted of legal fees incurred through the balance sheet dates that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering and that will be charged to shareholder’s deficit 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.

Net loss per ordinary share

The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of FASB ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” Net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period, excluding ordinary shares subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares at September 30, 2020 and September 17, 2020 were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 562,500 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (see Note 6). As of September 30, 2020 and September 17, 2020, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into ordinary shares and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per share is the same as basic loss per share for the period presented.

Income taxes

ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. There were no unrecognized tax benefits as of September 30, 2020 and September 17, 2020. The Company’s management determined that the Cayman Islands is the Company’s only major tax jurisdiction. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. No amounts were accrued for the payment of interest and penalties for the period from September 11, 2020 (inception) through September 30, 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 is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception.

There is currently no taxation imposed on income by the Government of the Cayman Islands. In accordance with Cayman federal income tax regulations, income taxes are not levied on the Company. Consequently, income taxes are not reflected in the Company’s financial statements. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.

Recent accounting pronouncements

The Company’s management does not believe that there are any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Notes to financial statements

 

Note 3—Proposed public offering

Pursuant to the Proposed Public Offering, the Company intends to offer for sale 15,000,000 Units at a price of $10.00 per Unit (or 17,250,000 units if the underwriters overallotment option is exercised in full). Each Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share, par value $0.001 per share and one-third of one redeemable warrant (each, a “Public Warrant”). Each whole Public Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment (see Note 6).

Note 4—Related party transactions

Founder shares

On September 17, 2020, the Sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.006 per share, to cover certain offering costs in consideration for 4,312,500 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 (the “Founder Shares”). Up to 562,500 Founder Shares are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the underwriters. The forfeiture will be adjusted to the extent that the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the underwriters so that the Founder Shares will represent 20.0% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering. If the Company increases or decreases the size of the offering, the Company will effect a share capitalization or share contribution back to capital, as applicable, immediately prior to the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering in such amount as to maintain the Founder Share ownership of the Company’s shareholders prior to the Proposed Public Offering at 20.0% of the Company’s issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering.

The initial shareholders will agree, subject to limited exceptions, 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 and (B) subsequent to the initial Business Combination, (x) if the closing price of Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the initial Business Combination, or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the Public Shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.

Private Placement Warrants

The Sponsor will agree to purchase an aggregate of 3,333,333 Private Placement Warrants (or 3,633,333 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant ($5.0 million in the aggregate, or approximately $5.5 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. Each warrant is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share. A portion of the proceeds from the Private Placement Warrants will be added to the proceeds from the Proposed Public Offering to be held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the Private Placement Warrants will expire worthless.

The Sponsor and the Company’s officers and directors will agree, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Private Placement Warrants until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination.

 

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Table of Contents

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Notes to financial statements

 

Sponsor loan

On September 17, 2020, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company up to $300,000 to cover expenses related to the Proposed Public Offering pursuant to a promissory note (the “Note”). This loan is non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of March 31, 2021 or the completion of the Proposed Public Offering. As of September 30, 2020 and September 17, 2020, the Company had not borrowed any amount under the Note. Subsequent to September 30, 2020, the Company fully borrowed $300,000 under the Note.

Working Capital Loans

In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company would repay the Working Capital Loans. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. The Working Capital Loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1.5 million of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into private placement warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such Working Capital Loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. As of September 30, 2020 and September 17, 2020, the Company had no borrowings under the Working Capital Loans.

Note 5—Commitments and contingencies

Registration rights

The holders of Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants, Class A ordinary shares underlying the Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed upon consummation of the Proposed Public Offering. These holders will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company registers such securities. In addition, these holders will have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of the initial Business Combination. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

Underwriting agreement

The Company will grant the underwriters a 45-day option from the final prospectus relating to the Proposed Public Offering to purchase up to 2,250,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the Proposed Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

The underwriters will be entitled to an underwriting discount of $0.20 per unit, or $3.0 million in the aggregate (or approximately $3.5 million in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), payable upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. In addition, $0.35 per unit, or approximately $5.3 million in the aggregate (or approximately $6.0 million in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions. The

 

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Table of Contents

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Notes to financial statements

 

deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that the Company completes a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.

Risks and uncertainties

Management is currently evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry 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 partner 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 6—Shareholder’s deficit

Preference Shares—The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 preference shares with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. As of September 30, 2020 and September 17, 2020, there were no preference shares issued or outstanding.

Class A Ordinary Shares—The Company is authorized to issue 300,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. At September 30, 2020 and September 17, 2020, there were no Class A ordinary shares issued or outstanding.

Class B Ordinary Shares—The Company is authorized to issue 30,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders are entitled to one vote for each share of Class B ordinary shares. At September 30, 2020 and September 17, 2020, there were 4,312,500 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding. Of the 4,312,500 Class B ordinary shares, an aggregate of up to 562,500 shares are subject to forfeiture to the Company for no consideration to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that the initial shareholders will collectively own 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding ordinary shares after the Proposed Public Offering.

Ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. Except as described below, holders of Class A ordinary shares and holders of Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders except as required by law.

The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares on the first business day following the consummation of the initial Business Combination at a ratio such that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Founder Shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of (i) the total number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding upon the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering, plus the sum of the total number of Class A ordinary shares issued or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities (as defined herein) or rights issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial Business Combination (net of any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by Public Shareholders), excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, deemed issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial Business Combination and any private placement warrants issued to the Sponsor, members of the founding team or any

 

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Table of Contents

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Notes to financial statements

 

of their affiliates upon conversion of Working Capital Loans. In no event will the Class B ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares at a rate of less than one-to-one.

Warrants—Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional Public Warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole Public Warrants will trade. The Public Warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination or (b) 12 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering; provided in each case that the Company has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares 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 and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act). The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days after the closing of the initial Business Combination, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, and the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days after the closing of the initial Business Combination, and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed; provided that if the Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its option, require holders of Public Warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event the Company so elect, it will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement. If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th day after the closing of the initial Business Combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company will 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, but the Company will use its best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.

The warrants have an exercise price of at $11.50 per share and will expire five years after the completion of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional Class A ordinary shares 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 Class A ordinary share (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 such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance), or 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 ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day after the day on which the Company consummates its 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 $10.00 and 18.00 per share redemption trigger prices described under “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equal or exceed $10.00” and “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds

 

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Table of Contents

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Notes to financial statements

 

$18.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 100% and 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, respectively.

The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants underlying the Units sold in the Proposed Public Offering, except that the Private Placement Warrants and the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants, so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, (i) will not be redeemable by the Company, (ii) may not (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of these warrants), subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination, (iii) may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis and (iv) will be entitled to registration rights. 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 Public Warrants.

Redemption of warrants for cash when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00:

Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants (except 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; and

 

 

if, and only if, the last reported sales price (the “closing price”) of Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, 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 the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders (the “Reference Value”).

The Company will not redeem the warrants as described above unless an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period. Any such exercise would not be on a “cashless” basis and would require the exercising warrant holder to pay the exercise price for each warrant being exercised.

Redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00:

After the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants:

 

 

in whole and not in part;

 

 

at $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that holders will be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of shares determined by reference to an agreed table based on the redemption date and the “fair market value” of the Class A ordinary shares (as defined below);

 

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Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Notes to financial statements

 

 

 

 

if, and only if, the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $10.00 per Public Share (as adjusted per share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) on the trading day before the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders; and

 

 

if the Reference Value is less than $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like), then the Private Placement Warrants must also concurrently be called for redemption on the same terms (except as described herein with respect to a holder’s ability to cashless exercise its warrants) as the outstanding Public Warrants as described above.

The “fair market value” of the Class A ordinary shares shall mean the volume-weighted average price of Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. In no event will the warrants be exercisable in connection with this redemption feature for more than 0.361 Class A ordinary shares per warrant (subject to adjustment).

If the Company is unable to complete the initial Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with the respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.

Note 7—Subsequent events

Subsequent to September 30, 2020, the Company fully borrowed $300,000 under the Note.

The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after September 17, 2020, the balance sheet date up to September 23, 2020, the date that the audited financial statements were available to be issued. The Company also evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after September 30, 2020, the balance sheet date, up to October 30, 2020, the date the unaudited interim financial statements were available to be issued. Other than as described above, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

15,000,000 units

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

Book-running manager

J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC

                , 2020

Until                 , 2020 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade our ordinary shares, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.


Table of Contents

Part II

Information not required in prospectus

Item 13. Other expenses of issuance and distribution.

The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discount and commissions) will be as follows:

 

SEC and FINRA expenses

   $ 80,000  

Accounting fees and expenses

     60,000  

Printing and engraving expenses

     40,000  

Travel and road show expenses

     20,000  

Legal fees and expenses

     300,000  

Nasdaq listing and filing fees

     75,000  

Director & Officers liability insurance premiums(1)

     125,000  

Miscellaneous

     300,000  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 1,000,000  

 

 

 

(1)   This amount represents the approximate amount of annual director and officer liability insurance premiums the Registrant anticipates paying following the completion of its initial public offering and until it completes a business combination.

Item 14. Indemnification of directors and officers.

Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default, willful neglect, civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides for indemnification of our officers and directors to the maximum extent permitted by law, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud, willful default or willful neglect. We may 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.

Our officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account, and have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied by us if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

Item 15. Recent sales of unregistered securities.

On September 17, 2020, Population Health Investment Holding, Inc., our sponsor, paid $25,000 or approximately $0.0058 per share, to cover for certain offering costs in consideration for 4,312,500 shares of

 

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Table of Contents

our Class B ordinary shares. Such securities were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.

Our sponsor is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D. Each of the equity holders in our sponsor is an accredited investor under Rule 501 of Regulation D. The sole business of Population Health Investment Holding, Inc. is to act as the company’s sponsor in connection with this offering.

Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase 3,333,333 warrants (or 3,633,333 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $1.50 per warrant in a private placement to occur concurrently with the closing of this offering for an aggregate purchase price of $5,000,000 (or $5,450,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. These issuances will be made 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.

(a) The Exhibit Index is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 17. Undertakings.

(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) 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;

(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;

(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.

(2) That for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, if the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first

 

II-2


Table of Contents

use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

(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.

(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

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Exhibit index

 

    1.1     

Form of Underwriting Agreement.

    3.1   

Memorandum and Articles of Association.

    3.2     

Form of Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association.

    4.1   

Form of Specimen Unit Certificate.

    4.2   

Form of Specimen Ordinary Share Certificate.

    4.3   

Form of Specimen Warrant Certificate.

    4.4   

Form of Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.

    5.1     

Opinion of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP.

    5.2     

Opinion of Walkers, Cayman Islands Legal Counsel to the Registrant.

  10.1   

Form of Investment Management Trust Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.

  10.2   

Form of Registration and Shareholder Rights Agreement among the Registrant, the Sponsor and the Holders signatory thereto.

  10.3   

Form of Private Placement Warrant Agreement between the Registrant and the Sponsor.

  10.4   

Form of Indemnity Agreement.

  10.5   

Promissory Note, dated as of September 17, 2020, issued to the Sponsor.

  10.6   

Securities Subscription Agreement, dated September 17, 2020, between the Registrant and the Sponsor.

  10.7   

Form of Letter Agreement between the Registrant, the Sponsor and each director and officer of the Registrant.

  14.1     

Form of Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

  23.1     

Consent of WithumSmith+Brown, PC

  23.2     

Consent of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

  23.3     

Consent of Walkers (included in Exhibit 5.2).

  99.1     

Consent of Ian Read

  99.2     

Consent of Farah Champsi

  99.3     

Consent of Clarke Futch

  99.4     

Consent of Charles Homcy

  99.5     

Form of Audit Committee Charter

  99.6     

Form of Compensation Committee Charter

  99.7     

Form of Nominating Committee Charter

 

 

*   Previously filed.

 

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Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York, on the 12th day of November, 2020.

 

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.
By:  

/s/ Clive Meanwell

  Name: Clive Meanwell
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

     
Name    Position   Date

/s/ Clive Meanwell

Clive Meanwell

  

Chief Executive Officer

  November 12, 2020

/s/ Chris Visioli

Chris Visioli

  

Chief Financial Officer

  November 12, 2020

 

 

II-5

Exhibit 1.1

POPULATION HEALTH INVESTMENT CO., INC.

15,000,000 Units

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

[●], 2020

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

As Representative of the several

Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto

c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

383 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10179

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Population Health Investment Co., Inc., a Cayman Islands corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representative (the “Representative”), an aggregate of 15,000,000 units of the Company (the “Underwritten Units”) and, at the option of the Underwriters, up to an additional 2,250,000 units of the Company (the “Option Units”). The Underwritten Units and the Option Units are herein referred to as the “Units.” To the extent that there are no additional Underwriters listed on Schedule 1 hereto other than you, the term “Representative” as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriter, and the term “Underwriters” shall mean either the singular or plural as the context requires.

Each Unit consists of one share of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), and one-third of one redeemable warrant, where each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Ordinary Share (the “Warrant(s)”). The Ordinary Shares and the Warrants included in the Units will not trade separately until the 52nd day following the date of the Prospectus (as defined below) (unless the Representative informs the Company of its decision to allow earlier separate trading), subject to (a) the Company’s preparation of an audited balance sheet reflecting the receipt by the Company of the proceeds of the Offering (as defined below), (b) the filing of such audited balance sheet with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on a Current Report on Form 8-K or similar form by the Company that includes such audited balance sheet and (c) the Company having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. No fractional Warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units, and only whole Warrants will trade. Each whole Warrant entitles its holder, upon exercise, to purchase one Ordinary Share at a price of $11.50 per share during the period commencing on the later of thirty days after the completion of the


Company’s initial Business Combination (as defined below) and twelve months from the date of the consummation of the Offering and terminating on the five-year anniversary of the date of the completion of such initial Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation of the Company; provided, however, that pursuant to the Warrant Agreement (as defined below), a fractional Warrant may not be exercised, so that only a whole Warrant may be exercised at any given time by a holder thereof. As used herein, the term “Business Combination” (as described more fully in the Prospectus) shall mean a merger, capital share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses involving the Company.

The Company has entered into an Investment Management Trust Agreement, effective as of the Closing Date (the “Trust Agreement”), with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“CST”), as trustee (the “Trustee”), in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Registration Statement (as defined below), pursuant to which proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants (as defined below) and proceeds of the Offering will be deposited and held in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) for the benefit of the Company, the Underwriters and the Public Stockholders (as defined below).

The Company has entered into a Warrant Agreement, effective as of the Closing Date (the “Warrant Agreement”), with respect to the Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants with CST, as warrant agent, in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 4.4 to the Registration Statement, pursuant to which CST will act as warrant agent in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer, exchange, redemption, and exercise of the Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants.

The Company has entered into a Securities Subscription Agreement, dated as of September 17, 2020 (the “Founder’s Purchase Agreement”), with Population Health Investment Holding, Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Sponsor”), pursuant to which the Sponsor paid an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, to cover certain offering costs in consideration for 4,312,500 shares of the Company’s Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Founder Shares”) upon the closing of the Offering. Up to 562,500 Founder Shares are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. The Founder Shares are substantially similar to the Ordinary Shares included in the Units, except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package (as defined below) and the Prospectus.

The Company has entered into a Sponsor Warrants Purchase Agreement, effective as of the Closing Date (the “Warrant Purchase Agreement”), with the Sponsor, in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Registration Statement, pursuant to which the Sponsor agreed to purchase an aggregate of 3,333,333 warrants (or up to 3,633,333 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), each entitling the holder to purchase one Ordinary Share (the “Private Placement Warrants”), for $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant. The Private Placement Warrants are substantially similar to the Warrants included in the Units, except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

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The Company has entered into a Registration and Shareholder Rights Agreement, effective as of the Closing Date (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), with the Sponsor and the other parties thereto, in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Registration Statement, pursuant to which the Company has granted certain registration rights in respect of the Private Placement Warrants and the Ordinary Shares underlying the Founder Shares, the Private Placement Warrants and certain warrants (which will be substantially similar to the Private Placement Warrants), if any, that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans.

The Company has caused to be duly executed and delivered a letter agreement, dated as of [●], 2020 (the “Insider Letter”) and, collectively with this Agreement, the Trust Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Founder’s Purchase Agreement, the Warrant Purchase Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement, the “Transaction Documents”), by and among the Sponsor and each of the Company’s officers, directors and director nominees, in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 10.7 to the Registration Statement.

The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the several Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Units, as follows:

1. Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), a registration statement (File No. 333-[●]), including a prospectus, relating to the Units and the Warrants and Ordinary Shares included therein. Such registration statement, as amended at the time it became effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (“Rule 430 Information”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; and as used herein, the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means each prospectus included in such registration statement (and any amendments thereto) before effectiveness, any prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act and the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness that omits Rule 430 Information, and the term “Prospectus” means the prospectus in the form first used (or

 

3


made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Units. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement.

At or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively with the pricing information set forth on Annex A, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”): a Preliminary Prospectus dated [●], 2020.

Applicable Time” means [—:—] P.M., New York City time, on [●], 2020.

2. Purchase of the Units.

(a) The Company agrees to issue and sell the Underwritten Units to the several Underwriters as provided in this underwriting agreement (this “Agreement”), and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase at a price per unit of $9.80 (the “Purchase Price”) from the Company the respective number of Underwritten Units set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule 1 hereto.

(b) In addition, the Company agrees to issue and sell the Option Units to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and the Underwriters, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, shall have the option to purchase, severally and not jointly, from the Company the Option Units at a price per unit of $9.80 less an amount per unit equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Units but not payable on the Option Units.

If any Option Units are to be purchased, the number of Option Units to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the number of Option Units which bears the same ratio to the aggregate number of Option Units being purchased as the number of Underwritten Units set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule 1 hereto (or such number increased as set forth in Section 10 hereof) bears to the aggregate number of Underwritten Units being purchased from the Company by the several Underwriters, subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate any fractional Units as the Representative in its sole discretion shall make.

The Underwriters may exercise the option to purchase Option Units at any time in whole, or from time to time in part, on or before the forty-fifth day following the date of the Prospectus, by written notice from the Representative to the Company. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Option Units as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time when the Option Units are to be delivered and paid for, which may be the same date and time as the Closing Date (as defined below) but shall not be earlier than the Closing Date nor later than the tenth full business day (as defined below) after the date of such notice (unless such time and date are postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 hereof). Any such notice shall be given at least two business days prior to the date and time of delivery specified therein.

 

4


(c) In addition to the discount from the public offering price represented by the Purchase Price, the Company hereby agrees to pay to the Underwriters a deferred discount of $0.35 per Unit (including both Underwritten Units and Option Units) purchased hereunder (the “Deferred Discount”). The Deferred Discount will be paid directly to the Representative (subject to the provisions of Section 4(ii)), on behalf of the Underwriters, by the Trustee from amounts on deposit in the Trust Account (without accrued interest) by wire transfer payable in same-day funds if and when the Company consummates an initial Business Combination. The Underwriters hereby agree that if no Business Combination is consummated within the time period provided in the Trust Agreement, as such time period may be extended, and the funds held under the Trust Agreement are distributed to the holders of the Ordinary Shares included in the Units sold pursuant to this Agreement (the “Public Stockholders”), (i) the Underwriters will forfeit any rights or claims to the Deferred Discount and (ii) the Trustee is authorized to distribute the Deferred Discount to the Public Stockholders on a pro rata basis.

(d) The Company understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Units (the “Offering”), and initially to offer the Units on the terms set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and sell Units to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter.

(e) Payment for the Units shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representative in the case of the Underwritten Units, through the offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell, LLP, 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017 at 10:00 A.M. New York City time on [•], 2020, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representative and the Company may agree upon in writing or, in the case of the Option Units, on the date and at the time and place specified by the Representative in the written notice of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Option Units. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver any of the Underwritten Units, except upon tender of payment by the Representative for all Underwritten Units. The time and date of such payment for the Underwritten Units is referred to herein as the “Closing Date,” and the time and date for such payment for the Option Units, if other than the Closing Date, is herein referred to as the “Additional Closing Date.

Payment for the Units to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be made against delivery to the Representative for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Units to be purchased on such date in definitive or book-entry form registered in such names and in such denominations as the Representative shall request in writing not later than two full business days prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of such Units duly paid by the Company. Delivery of the Units shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) unless the Representative shall otherwise instruct.

 

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(f) The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Representative and the other Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the Offering contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the Offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company or any other person. Additionally, neither the Representative nor any other Underwriter is advising the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Representative nor the other Underwriters shall have any responsibility or liability to the Company with respect thereto. Any review by the Representative and the other Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company.

3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter that:

(a) Preliminary Prospectus. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and no Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof.

(b) Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in such Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof. No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been omitted from the Pricing Disclosure Package and no statement of material fact included in the Pricing Disclosure Package that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted therefrom.

 

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(c) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Units other than any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act.

(d) Form 8-A. The Company has filed with the Commission a Form 8-A (file number 001-[•]) providing for the registration under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), of the Units, the Ordinary Shares and the Warrants, which registration is currently effective on the date hereof. The Units and the Ordinary Shares and the Warrants included as part of the Units have been authorized for listing, subject to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution, on the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Nasdaq”), and the Company knows of no reason or set of facts that is likely to adversely affect such authorization.

(e) Emerging Growth Company. From the time of the initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”). “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act.

(f) Testing-the-Waters Materials. The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representative with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representative to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representative has been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed or approved for distribution any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Annex B hereto. “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act. Any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Pricing Disclosure Package, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and when taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

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(g) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the Offering has been initiated or threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof.

(h) Financial Statements. The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and present fairly the financial position of the Company as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, and any supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein; and the other financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and presents fairly the information shown thereby; all disclosures included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of Commission), if any, comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable.

(i) No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any change in the share capital, short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of share capital, or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective

 

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material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company; (ii) the Company has not entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) that is material to the Company or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company; and (iii) the Company has not sustained any loss or interference with its business that is material to the Company and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(j) Organization and Good Standing. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, and has all power and authority necessary to own or hold its properties and to conduct the business in which it is engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Transaction Documents (a “Material Adverse Effect”).

(k) Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization”; all the outstanding shares of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights; except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares or other equity interest in the Company or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any shares of the Company, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the shares of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The offers and sales of the outstanding securities of the Company were at all relevant times either registered under the Securities Act, the applicable state securities and blue sky laws or, based in part on the representations and warranties of the purchasers of such securities, exempt from such registration requirements.

(l) Due Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby has been duly and validly taken.

 

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(m) Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(n) The Units. The Units to be issued and sold by the Company hereunder have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered and paid for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability, and will conform to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and the issuance of the Units is not subject to any preemptive or similar rights.

(o) The Unit Shares. The Ordinary Shares included in the Units have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered against payment for the Units by the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued and delivered, will be fully paid and nonassessable, and will conform to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(p) The Units Warrants. The Warrants included in the Units to be issued and sold by the Company hereunder have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered in the manner set forth in the Warrant Agreement against payment for the Units by the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued and delivered, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability, and will conform to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(q) The Warrant Shares. The Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants included in the Units and the Private Placement Warrants have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor pursuant to the Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants, as applicable, and the Warrant Agreement, will be duly and validly issued and delivered, will be fully paid and nonassessable; and such Ordinary Shares have been duly authorized by the Company and validly reserved for issuance. The holders of such Ordinary Shares will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; such Ordinary Shares are not, and at the time such shares are issued will not be, subject to any preemptive or other similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of such Ordinary Shares (other than such delivery at the time of issuance) has been duly and validly taken.

 

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(r) The Private Placement Warrants. The Private Placement Warrants to be issued and sold by the Company under the Warrant Purchase Agreement have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered in the manner set forth in the Warrant Agreement against payment therefor by the Sponsor pursuant to the Warrant Purchase Agreement, will be duly and validly issued and delivered, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability, and will conform to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(s) The Trust Agreement. The Trust Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability.

(t) The Warrant Agreement. The Warrant Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability.

(u) The Founders Purchase Agreement. The Founder’s Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Sponsor and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company and the Sponsor enforceable against the Company and the Sponsor in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability.

(v) The Warrant Purchase Agreement. The Warrant Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Sponsor and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company and the Sponsor enforceable against the Company and the Sponsor in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability.

(w) The Registration Rights Agreement. The Registration Rights Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability.

 

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(x) The Insider Letter. The Insider Letter has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, the Sponsor and, to the Company’s knowledge, each officer, director and director nominee of the Company and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company, the Sponsor and, to the Company’s knowledge, each officer, director and director nominee of the Company enforceable against the Company, the Sponsor and, to the Company’s knowledge, each officer, director and director nominee of the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability.

(y) Descriptions of the Transaction Documents. Each Transaction Document conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(z) No Violation or Default. The Company is not (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound or to which any property or asset of the Company is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(aa) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Units and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents or the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, result in the termination, modification or acceleration of, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property, right or asset of the Company pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound or to which any property, right or asset of the Company is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order,

 

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rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation, default, lien, charge or encumbrance that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(bb) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Units and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, except for the registration of the Units under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Units by the Underwriters.

(cc) Legal Proceedings. There are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, demands, claims, suits, arbitrations, inquiries or proceedings (“Actions”) pending to which the Company is or may be a party or to which any property of the Company is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; no such Actions are threatened or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others; and (i) there are no current or pending Actions that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (ii) there are no statutes, regulations or contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(dd) Independent Accountants. WithumSmith+Brown, PC, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.

(ee) Disclosure. There is no franchise, contract or other document of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or to be filed as an exhibit thereto, which is not described or filed as required (and the Pricing Disclosure Package contains in all material respects the same description of the foregoing matters contained in the Prospectus); and the statements in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the headings “Principal shareholders,” “Certain relationships and related party transactions,” “Description of securities,” “Underwriting” and “Taxation” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters,

 

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agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are in all material respects accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings. There are no business relationships or related party transactions involving the Company or any other person required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus that have not been described as required.

(ff) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers, suppliers or other affiliates of the Company, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents and in the Pricing Disclosure Package.

(gg) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Units and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Investment Company Act”).

(hh) Taxes. The Company has paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof; and except as otherwise disclosed in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no tax deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its properties or assets.

(ii) Licenses and Permits. The Company possesses all licenses, sub-licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and has made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of its properties or the conduct of its business as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course.

(jj) Disclosure Controls. The Company maintains an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act to the extent required by Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act.

(kk) Cybersecurity; Data Protection. The Company’s information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites,

 

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applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company as currently conducted, free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Company has implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect its material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”)) used in connection with its business, and there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company is presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except where the failure to be in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(ll) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any director, officer or employee of the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company has instituted, maintains and enforces, and will continue to maintain and enforce policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.

(mm) Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company conducts business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines

 

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issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(nn) No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its directors, officers, or employees, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government, (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the Offering hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past five years, the Company has not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.

(oo) No Registration Rights. No person has the right to require the Company to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Units.

(pp) Compliance with Nasdaq Rules. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s officers or directors, in their capacities as such, to comply with (as and when applicable), and immediately following the initial effective date of the Registration Statement the Company will be in compliance with, the requirements of Nasdaq Marketplace Rule IM 5605. Further, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s officers or directors, in their capacities as such, to comply with (as and when applicable), and immediately following the initial effective date of the Registration Statement the Company will be in compliance with, the phase-in requirements and all other provisions of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements set forth in the Nasdaq Rules.

(qq) Taxes. There are no transfer, stamp, issue, registration, documentary or other similar taxes, duties, fees or charges under U.S. federal law or the laws of any state,

 

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or any political subdivision thereof, or under the laws of any non-U.S. jurisdiction, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance or sale by the Company of the Units.

(rr) Questionnaires. All information contained in the questionnaires (the “Questionnaires”) completed by the Company and the Sponsor and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Company’s officers, directors and director nominees and provided to the Underwriters, is true and correct and the Company has not become aware of any information that would cause the information disclosed in the Questionnaires completed by the Company, the Sponsor or the Company’s officers, directors and director nominees to become inaccurate and incorrect.

(ss) Acquisition Target Not Identified. Prior to the date hereof, the Company has not identified any acquisition target and has not, nor, to its knowledge, has anyone on its behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with respect to a possible initial Business Combination, or engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any such acquisition candidate.

(tt) No Brokers Fees. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no claims, payments, arrangements, contracts, agreements or understandings relating to the payment of a brokerage commission or finder’s, consulting, origination or similar fee by the Company, the Sponsor or any officer, director or director nominee of the Company with respect to the sale of the Units hereunder or any other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company, the Sponsor or any such officer, director or director nominee of the Company, or their respective affiliates, that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation, as determined by the FINRA.

(uu) No Direct or Indirect Payments. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or any other “underwriting compensation” as defined in Rule 5110(j)(22) of FINRA’s Conduct Rules): (i) to any person, as a finder’s fee, consulting fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) to any person that, to the Company’s knowledge, has been accepted by FINRA as a member of FINRA (a “Member”); or (iii) to any person or entity that, to the Company’s knowledge, has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any Member, within the twelve months prior to the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, other than payments to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement.

(vv) No Investment Banking, Financial Advisory and/or Consulting Services. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, during the period beginning 180 days prior to the initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement and ending on the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, no Member and/or any person associated or affiliated with a Member has provided any investment banking, financial advisory and/or consulting services to the Company.

 

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(ww) Affiliation with FINRA. Except as disclosed in the Questionnaires provided to the Representative, to the Company’s knowledge, no officer, director, director nominee or beneficial owner of any class of the Company’s securities (whether debt or equity, registered or unregistered, regardless of the time acquired or the source from which derived) (any such individual or entity, a “Company Affiliate”) is a Member or a person associated or affiliated with a Member.

(xx) Ownership of FINRA Member Securities. Except as disclosed in the Questionnaires provided to the Representative, to the Company’s knowledge, no Company Affiliate is an owner of stock or other securities of any Member (other than securities purchased on the open market).

(yy) Subordinated Loans to FINRA Members. To the Company’s knowledge, no Company Affiliate has made a subordinated loan to any Member.

(zz) Non-Compete/Non-Solicitation. Except as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, to the Company’s knowledge, none of the Sponsor, officers, directors or director nominees of the Company is subject to a non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or prior employer that could materially affect its, his or her ability to be and act in the capacity of stockholder, officer or director of the Company, as applicable.

(aaa) Related Party Transactions. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among any of the Company or any affiliate of the Company, on the one hand, and any director, director nominee, officer, stockholder, special advisor, customer or supplier of the Company or any affiliate of the Company, on the other hand, which is required by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act to be described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that is not described as required. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers, directors or director nominees of the Company or any of their respective family members. The Company has not extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any officer, director or director nominee of the Company.

(bbb) No Unlawful Influence. The Company has not offered, or caused the Underwriters to offer, the Units to any person or entity with the intention of unlawfully influencing: (a) a customer or supplier of the Company or any affiliate of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or such affiliate or (b) a journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or any such affiliate.

(ccc) Applicability of Rule 419. Upon delivery and payment for the Units on the Closing Date and each Additional Closing Date, the Company will not be subject to Rule 419 under the Securities Act and none of the Company’s outstanding securities will be deemed to be a “penny stock” as defined in Rule 3a51-1 under the Exchange Act.

 

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(ddd) Absence of Manipulation. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Units.

(eee) Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Units nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.

(fff) Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.

(ggg) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Solely to the extent that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) have been applicable to the Company, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

(hhh) Status under the Securities Act. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto the Company was an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act solely because of subclause (B) of clause (ii) of the definition thereof. The Company has paid the registration fee for this offering pursuant to Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act.

(iii) No Ratings. There are (and prior to the Closing Date, will be) no debt securities, convertible securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company that are rated by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act.

(jjj) Company Ownership of Other Entities. The Company does not own, and since its incorporation has not owned, an interest in any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other entity.

4.Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:

 

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(a) Required Filings. The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act; and the Company will furnish copies of the Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Representative may reasonably request.

(b) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, upon request, without charge, (i) to the Representative, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith; and (ii) to each Underwriter (A) a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) and (B) during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto) as the Representative may reasonably request. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Units as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Units is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Units by any Underwriter or dealer.

(c) Amendments or Supplements. Before making, preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, the Company will furnish to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed amendment or supplement for review and will not make, prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representative reasonably objects.

(d) Notice to the Representative. The Company will advise the Representative promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective; (ii) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (iii) when any supplement to the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed or distributed; (iv) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information, including, but not limited to, any request for information concerning any Testing-the-Waters Communication; (v) of the issuance by the Commission or any other governmental or regulatory authority of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (vi) of the occurrence of any event or development within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact

 

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or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; and (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Units for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or suspending any such qualification of the Units and, if any such order is issued, will obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

(e) Ongoing Compliance. (1) If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event or development shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representative may designate such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law and (2) if at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event or development shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Pricing Disclosure Package as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representative may designate such amendments or supplements to the Pricing Disclosure Package as may be necessary so that the statements in the Pricing Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Pricing Disclosure Package will comply with law.

(f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Units for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Units; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.

 

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(g) Earning Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and the Representative as soon as practicable an earning statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.

(h) Clear Market. For a period of 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or submit to, or file with, the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any Units, Ordinary Shares, Founder Shares, Warrants or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for any Units, Ordinary Shares, Founder Shares or Warrants, or publicly disclose the intention to undertake any of the foregoing, or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any Units, Ordinary Shares, Founder Shares or Warrants or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Units or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, except, that the Company may (a) issue and sell the Private Placement Warrants, (b) issue and sell the Option Units on exercise of the option provided for in Section 2(b) hereof, (c) register with the Commission pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, in accordance with the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, the resale of the Founder Shares, the Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and any Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise of any such Private Placement Warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of the working capital loans and upon conversion of the Founder Shares), and (d) issue securities in connection with a Business Combination. The Company agrees not to amend or waive the Insider Letter without the written consent of the Representative.

(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants received by it in a manner materially consistent with the applications described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(j) No Stabilization. Neither the Company nor its affiliates will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Units.

(k) Exchange Listing. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Units, the Ordinary Shares and the Warrants on the Nasdaq.

 

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(l) Reports. For a period commencing on the initial effective date of the Registration Statement and ending five years from the date of the consummation of the Business Combination or until such earlier time at which the Liquidation occurs, the Company shall, to the extent such information or documents are not otherwise publicly available, upon written request from the Representative, furnish to the Representative copies of such financial statements and other periodic and special reports as the Company from time to time furnishes generally to holders of any class of securities, and, to the extent such information or documents are not otherwise publicly available, upon written request from the Representative, promptly furnish to the Representative: (i) a copy of such registration statements, financial statements and periodic and special reports as the Company shall be required to file with the Commission and from time to time furnishes generally to holders of any such class of its securities in their capacities as such; and (ii) such additional documents and information with respect to the Company and the affairs of any future subsidiaries of the Company as the Representative may from time to time reasonably request, all subject to the execution of a satisfactory confidentiality agreement. Any registration statements, financial statements, periodic and special reports or other additional documents referred to in the preceding sentence filed or furnished on the Commission’s EDGAR website and publicly available will be considered furnished for the purposes of this Section 4(l).

(m) Filings. The Company will file with the Commission such reports as may be required by Rule 463 under the Securities Act.

(n) Emerging Growth Company. The Company will promptly notify the Representative if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of Units within the meaning of the Securities Act and (ii) completion of the 180-day restricted period referred to in Section 4(h) hereof.

(o) Exchange Act Registration. For a period commencing on the initial effective date of the Registration Statement and ending five years from the date of the consummation of the Business Combination or until such earlier time at which the Liquidation occurs, the Company will use its best efforts to maintain the registration of the Ordinary Shares (or such other security into which such Ordinary Shares may be exchanged in connection with a Business Combination) under the provisions of the Exchange Act, except after giving effect to a going private transaction after the completion of an initial Business Combination. During such period, the Company will not deregister the Ordinary Shares under the Exchange Act (except in connection with an exchange of the Ordinary Shares pursuant to a Business Combination or a going private transaction after the completion of an initial Business Combination) without the prior written consent of the Representative.

(p) Current Report on Form 8-K. The Company shall, on the date hereof, retain its independent registered public accounting firm to audit the balance sheet of the Company as of the Closing Date (the “Audited Balance Sheet”) reflecting the receipt by the Company of the proceeds of the Offering on the Closing Date. As soon as the Audited Balance Sheet becomes available, the Company shall promptly, but not later than four

 

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business days after the Closing Date, file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Commission, which Current Report shall contain the Company’s Audited Balance Sheet. Additionally, upon the Company’s receipt of the proceeds from the exercise of all or any portion of the option provided for in Section 2(b) hereof, the Company shall promptly, but not later than four business days after the receipt of such proceeds, file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Commission, which report shall disclose the Company’s sale of the Option Units and its receipt of the proceeds therefrom, unless the receipt of such proceeds are reflected in the Current Report on Form 8-K referenced in the immediately prior sentence.

(q) Quarterly Review. For a period commencing on the initial effective date of the Registration Statement and ending five years from the date of the consummation of the Business Combination or until such earlier time at which the Liquidation occurs or the Ordinary Shares and Warrants cease to be publicly traded, the Company, at its expense, shall cause its regularly engaged independent registered public accounting firm to review (but not audit) the Company’s financial statements for each of the first three fiscal quarters prior to the announcement of quarterly financial information, the filing of the Company’s Form 10-Q quarterly report and the mailing, if any, of quarterly financial information to stockholders.

(r) Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Company shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and the Company shall at the time of filing either pay to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111(b) under the Securities Act.

(s) Transfer and Warrant Agent. For a period commencing on the initial effective date of the Registration Statement and ending five years from the date of the consummation of the Business Combination or until such earlier time at which the Liquidation occurs or the Ordinary Shares and Warrants cease to be publicly traded, the Company shall retain a transfer and warrant agent.

(t) Initial Business Combination. The Company will not consummate an initial Business Combination with any entity that is affiliated with the Sponsor or any of the Company’s officers or directors unless it or a committee of independent and disinterested members of its board of directors obtains an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, that such initial Business Combination is fair to the Company from a financial point of view. The Company shall not pay the Sponsor or its affiliates or any of the Company’s officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates any fees or compensation of any kind for services rendered to the Company prior to, or in connection with, the consummation of an initial Business Combination; provided, however, that such officers, directors and affiliates (i) may receive reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with activities on the Company’s behalf related to identifying, investigating, negotiating and completing an initial Business Combination and (ii) may be repaid loans as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing

 

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Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, none of which payments will be made from the proceeds held in the Trust Account prior to completion of the initial Business Combination.

(u) FINRA Submissions. For a period of 60 days following the effective date of the Registration Statement, in the event any person or entity (regardless of any FINRA affiliation or association) is engaged to assist the Company in its search for a merger candidate or to provide any other merger and acquisition services, or has provided or will provide any investment banking, financial, advisory and/or consulting services to the Company, the Company agrees that it shall promptly provide to FINRA (via a FINRA submission), the Representative and its counsel a notification prior to entering into the agreement or transaction relating to a potential Business Combination: (i) the identity of the person or entity providing any such services; (ii) complete details of all such services and copies of all agreements governing such services prior to entering into the agreement or transaction; and (iii) justification as to why the value received by any person or entity for such services is not underwriting compensation for the Offering. The Company also agrees that proper disclosure of such arrangement or potential arrangement will be made in the tender offer materials or proxy statement, as applicable, which the Company may file in connection with the Business Combination for purposes of offering redemption of shares held by its stockholders or for soliciting stockholder approval, as applicable.

(v) Affiliates or Associated Persons of Members. The Company shall advise FINRA, the Representative and their counsel if it is aware that any 10% or greater stockholder of the Company becomes an affiliate or associated person of a Member participating in the distribution of the Units.

(w) Trust Account Investments. The Company shall cause the proceeds of the Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants to be held in the Trust Account to be invested only in United States government treasury bills 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 as set forth in the Trust Agreement and disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company will otherwise conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment Company Act. Furthermore, once the Company consummates an initial Business Combination, it will not be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

(x) Use of Funds in Trust Account. During the period prior to the Company’s initial Business Combination or Liquidation, the Company may instruct the Trustee to release from the Trust Account, (i) solely from interest income earned on the funds held in the Trust Account, the amounts necessary to pay taxes, if any, and (ii) to pay Public Stockholders who properly redeem their Public Shares (as defined below) in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (x) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of the outstanding Public Shares if the Company does not consummate an initial Business Combination within 24 months from

 

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the closing of the Offering or (y) which adversely affects the rights of Public Stockholders. Otherwise, all funds held in the Trust Account (including any interest income earned on the amounts held in the Trust Account (net of taxes payable thereon in accordance with the preceding sentence) will remain in the Trust Account until the earlier of the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination and the Liquidation; provided, however, that in the event of the Liquidation, up to $100,000 of interest income may be released to the Company if the proceeds of the Offering held by the Company outside of the Trust Account are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing the Company’s plan of dissolution.

(y) Availability of Authorized but Unissued Securities. The Company will reserve and keep available that maximum number of its authorized but unissued securities that are issuable upon the exercise of any of the Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants outstanding from time to time and the conversion of the Founder Shares.

(z) No Additional Issuances prior to the Business Combination. Prior to the earlier of the consummation of an initial Business Combination and the Liquidation, the Company shall not issue (other than in replacement for lost, stolen or mutilated certificates) any Ordinary Shares, Warrants or any options or other securities convertible into Ordinary Shares, or any preferred stock, in each case, that (1) receive funds from the Trust Account or (2) vote as a class with the Public Shares (a) on any initial Business Combination or (b) to approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association to (i) extend the time the Company has to consummate a Business Combination beyond 24 months from the Closing Date or (ii) amend the foregoing provisions.

(aa) Audit Committee Review. Prior to the earlier of the consummation of an initial Business Combination and the Liquidation, the Company’s audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments made to the Sponsor, to the Company’s officers or directors, or to the Company’s or any of such other persons’ respective affiliates.

(bb) Penny Stock. The Company agrees that it will use commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the Company from becoming subject to Rule 419 under the Securities Act prior to the consummation of any Business Combination, including, but not limited to, using its best efforts to prevent any of the Company’s outstanding securities from being deemed to be a “penny stock” as defined in Rule 3a51-1 under the Exchange Act during such period.

(cc) Internal Controls. To the extent required by Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act, the Company will maintain “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined under Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary in order to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

 

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(dd) Maintenance of Listing. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to effect and maintain the listing of (x) the Units and Warrants on the Nasdaq (or another national securities exchange) until the consummation of the Business Combination or until such earlier time at which the Liquidation occurs, and (y) the Ordinary Shares on the Nasdaq (or another national securities exchange) until five years from the date of the consummation of the Business Combination or until such earlier time at which Liquidation occurs.

(ee) Sarbanes Oxley. As soon as legally required to do so, the Company and its directors and officers, in their capacities as such, shall take all actions necessary to comply with any applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications, and to comply with the rules of the Nasdaq.

(ff) Memorandum and Articles of Association. The Company shall not take any action or omit to take any action that would cause the Company to be in breach or violation of its Memorandum and Articles of Association.

(gg) Consummate the Initial Business Combination. The Company, subject to any applicable provision of the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, may consummate the initial Business Combination and conduct redemptions of Public Shares for cash upon consummation of such Business Combination without a stockholder vote pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E under the Exchange Act, including the filing of tender offer documents with the Commission. Such 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 Commission’s proxy rules and will provide each stockholder of the Company with the opportunity prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination to redeem the Ordinary Shares held by such stockholder for an amount of cash equal to (A) the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, representing (x) the proceeds held in the Trust Account from the Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants and (y) any interest income earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by (B) the total number of Ordinary Shares sold as part of the Units in the Offering (the “Public Shares”) then outstanding. If, however, a stockholder vote is required by law or applicable stock exchange listing requirement in connection with the initial Business Combination, or the Company decides to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, the Company will submit such Business Combination to the Company’s stockholders for their approval (“Business Combination Vote”). With respect to the initial Business Combination Vote, if any, each of the Sponsor and the Company’s directors and officers has agreed to vote all of the Founder Shares and Public Shares it then holds, if any, in favor of the Company’s initial Business Combination. If the Company seeks stockholder approval of the initial Business Combination, the Company will offer to each Public Stockholder the

 

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right to have its shares redeemed in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules of the Commission at a per share redemption price (the “Redemption Price”) equal to (I) the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, representing (1) the proceeds held in the Trust Account from the Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants and (2) interest income earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of any taxes payable), divided by (II) the total number of Public Shares then outstanding. If the Company seeks stockholder approval of the initial Business Combination, the Company may proceed with such Business Combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares voted by the stockholders at a duly held stockholders meeting are voted to approve such Business Combination. If, after seeking and receiving such stockholder approval, the Company elects to so proceed, it will redeem shares, at the Redemption Price, from those Public Stockholders who validly and affirmatively requested such redemption. Only Public Stockholders who properly exercise their redemption rights, in accordance with the applicable tender offer or proxy materials related to such Business Combination and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, shall be entitled to receive distributions from the Trust Account in connection with an initial Business Combination, and the Company shall pay no distributions with respect to any other holders of shares of the Company in connection therewith. In the event that the Company does not effect a Business Combination by twenty-four months from the closing of the Offering (or such later date as has been approved pursuant to a valid amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association), the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $100,000 of such net interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation 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 Company’s board of directors, wind up and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Only Public Stockholders holding Ordinary Shares included in the Units shall be entitled to receive such redemption amounts and the Company shall pay no such redemption amounts or any distributions in liquidation with respect to any other shares of the Company. The Sponsor and the Company’s officers and directors have agreed that they will not propose any amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of the outstanding Public Shares if the Company has not consummated a Business Combination within twenty-four months from the closing of the Offering or (B) which adversely affects the rights of Public Stockholders, unless the Company offers to the Public Stockholders the right to redeem their Public Shares in connection with such amendment, as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus.

 

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(hh) Business Combination Announcement. In the event that the Company desires or is required by an applicable law or regulation to cause an announcement (a “Business Combination Announcement”) to be placed in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times or any other news or media publication or outlet or to be made via a public filing or submission with the Commission announcing the consummation of an initial Business Combination that indicates that the Underwriters were the underwriters in the Offering, the Company shall supply the Representative with a draft of the Business Combination Announcement and provide the Representative with a reasonable advance opportunity to comment thereon, subject to the agreement of the Underwriters to keep confidential such draft announcement in accordance with the Representative’s standard policies regarding confidential information.

(ii) Deferred Discount Payment. Upon the consummation of the initial Business Combination, the Company will direct the Trustee to pay the Representative (subject to the fifth and sixth sentences of this Section 4(ii)), on behalf of the Underwriters, the Deferred Discount out of the proceeds of the Offering held in the Trust Account. The Underwriters shall have no claim to payment of any interest earned on the portion of the proceeds held in the Trust Account representing the Deferred Discount. If the Company fails to consummate its initial Business Combination within the time period required by its Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Deferred Discount will not be paid to the Representative and will, instead, be included in the Liquidation distribution of the proceeds held in the Trust Account made to the Public Stockholders. In connection with any such Liquidation, the Underwriters forfeit any rights or claims to the Deferred Discount.

(jj) Forfeiture. Upon the earlier to occur of the expiration and termination of the Underwriters’ over-allotment option, the Company shall cancel or otherwise effect the forfeiture of Founder Shares from the Sponsor, in an aggregate amount equal to the number of Founder Shares determined by multiplying (a) 562,500 by (b) a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is 2,250,000 minus the number of Option Units purchased by the Underwriters upon the exercise of their over-allotment option, and (ii) the denominator of which is 2,250,000. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, the Company shall not cancel or otherwise effect the forfeiture of the Founder Shares pursuant to this Section 4(jj).

(kk) Written Testing-the-Waters Communication. If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly (i) notify the Representative so that use of the Written Testing-the-Waters Communication may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to the Representative in such quantities as may be reasonably requested.

 

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(ll) Emerging Growth Company. The Company will promptly notify the Representative if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of the Units within the meaning of the Securities Act and (ii) completion of the 180-day restricted period referred to in Section 4(h) hereof.

(mm) Delivery of Agreements. The Company will deliver to the Representative executed copies of the Trust Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Founder’s Purchase Agreement, the Warrant Purchase Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and the Insider Letter.

(nn) Trust Account Waiver. The Company will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than its independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses or other entities with which it does business enter into an agreement waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account for the benefit of the Public Stockholders. The Company may forego obtaining such waivers only if the Company’s management shall have determined that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to the Company than any alternative.

(oo) Certification of Beneficial Ownership. The Company will deliver to each Underwriter (or its agent), on the date of execution of this Agreement, a properly completed and executed Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners and Key Controllers of Legal Entity Customers, together with copies of identifying documentation, and the Company undertakes to provide such additional supporting documentation as each Underwriter may reasonably request in connection with the verification of the foregoing Certification.

5. Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that it is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect to the Offering (and will promptly notify the Company if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).

6. Conditions of Underwriters Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase the Underwritten Units on the Closing Date or the Option Units on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, as provided herein is subject to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representative.

 

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(b) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be; and the statements of the Company and its officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

(c) No Material Adverse Change. No event or condition of a type described in Section 3(i) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Pricing Disclosure Package (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Representative makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Units on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(d) Officers Certificate. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate of the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who is satisfactory to the Representative (i) confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, to the knowledge of such officers, the representations set forth in Sections 3(b) and 3(c) hereof are true and correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a) and (c) above.

(e) Comfort Letters. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, WithumSmith+Brown, PC shall have furnished to the Representative, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided, that the letter delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall use a “cut-off” date no more than two business days prior to such Closing Date or such Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

(f) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of U.S. Counsel for the Company. Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representative, at the request of the Company, their written opinion and 10b-5

 

31


statement, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.

(g) Opinion of Cayman Islands Counsel for the Company. The Company shall have requested and caused Walkers, Cayman Islands counsel for the Company, to have furnished to the Representative their opinion, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representative. In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials. References to the Prospectus in this paragraph (g) shall also include any supplements thereto at the Closing Date.

(h) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion and 10b-5 statement, addressed to the Underwriters, of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representative may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

(i) No Legal Impediment to Issuance and Sale. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Units; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Units.

(j) Good Standing. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company in its jurisdiction of organization and its good standing in such other jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.

(k) Exchange Listing. The Units to be delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq, subject to official notice of issuance.

(l) Delivery of Transaction Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have delivered to the Representative executed copies of the Trust Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Founder’s Purchase Agreement, the Warrant Purchase Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and the Insider Letter, and each of the Transaction Documents shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

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(m) Funding of Private Placement Warrants. At least one business day prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as applicable, the Company shall have caused proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants to be deposited into the Trust Account such that the cumulative amount deposited into the Trust Account as of such Closing Date or Additional Closing Date shall equal the product of the number of Units sold in the public offering as of such Closing Date or Additional Closing Date and the public offering price per Unit as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

(n) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative such further certificates and documents as the Representative may reasonably request.

All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.

7. Indemnification and Contribution.

(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a “road show”) or any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in paragraph (b) below.

(b) Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who

 

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signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, any road show or any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: (y) the concession figure appearing in the fourth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” and (z) the sixteenth and seventeenth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting.

(c) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to the preceding paragraphs of this Section 7, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 7 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 7. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be

 

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liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Representative and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the Indemnified Person for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Indemnifying Person of such request and (ii) the Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.

(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a) or (b) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, from the Offering or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Units and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Units. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact

 

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relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

(e) Limitation on Liability. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to paragraph (d) above were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (d) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (d) and (e), in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the Offering exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to paragraphs (d) and (e) are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.

(f) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 7 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.

8. Effectiveness of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above.

9. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representative, by notice to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and on or prior to the Closing Date or, in the case of the Option Units, prior to the Additional Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the New York Stock Exchange or The Nasdaq Stock Market; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the Representative, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Units on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

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10. Defaulting Underwriter.

(a) If, on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Units that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Units by other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Units, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Units on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Units of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 10, purchases Units that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.

(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Units of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Units that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of Units to be purchased on such date, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Units that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the number of Units that such Underwriter agreed to purchase on such date) of the Units of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.

(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Units of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Units that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate amount of Units to be purchased on such date, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement or, with respect to any Additional Closing Date, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase Units on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 10 shall be without liability on the part of the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 11 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 7 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.

 

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(d) Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.

11. Payment of Expenses.

(a) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Units and any taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the costs of reproducing and distributing each of the Transaction Documents; (iv) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent accountants; (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Units under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters); (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, trustee, warrant agent and registrar; (viii) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of the offering by, FINRA (including the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters relating to such filings up to $25,000); (ix) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors; and (x) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of the Units on the Nasdaq.

(b) (b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 9 (other than clauses (iii) and (iv)), (ii) the Company for any reason fails to tender the Units for delivery to the Underwriters or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Units for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the Offering.

12. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons referred to herein, and the affiliates of each Underwriter referred to in Section 7 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of Units from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.

 

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13. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Units and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters or the directors, officers, controlling persons or affiliates referred to in Section 7 hereof.

14. Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; and (b) the term “business day” means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City; and (c) the term “Liquidation” means the distributions of the Trust Account to the Public Stockholders in connection with the redemption of the Ordinary Shares held by the Public Stockholders pursuant to the terms of the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, as amended, if the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination with the time period provided therein.

15. Compliance with USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.

16. Miscellaneous.

(a) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication.

Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to the Representative:

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

383 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10179 (fax: (212) 622-8358)

Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk

with a copy to:

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP,

450 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10017 (fax: (212) 701-5322)

Attention: Deanna L. Kirkpatrick; Roshni Banker Cariello

 

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Notices to the Company shall be given to it at:

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

One World Financial Center

New York, New York 102871

Attention: Clive Meanwell, Chief Executive Officer

with a copy to:

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

200 Liberty Street

New York, New York 10281 (fax: (212) 504-6666)

Attention: Gregory P. Patti, Jr.

(b) Governing Law. This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

(c) Judgment Currency. The Company agrees to indemnify each Underwriter, its directors, officers, affiliates and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any loss incurred by such Underwriter as a result of any judgment or order being given or made for any amount due hereunder and such judgment or order being expressed and paid in a currency (the “Judgment Currency”) other than U.S. dollars and as a result of any variation as between (i) the rate of exchange at which the U.S. dollar amount is converted into the Judgment Currency for the purpose of such judgment or order, and (ii) the rate of exchange at which such indemnified person is able to purchase U.S. dollars with the amount of the Judgment Currency actually received by the indemnified person. The foregoing indemnity shall constitute a separate and independent obligation of the Company and shall continue in full force and effect notwithstanding any such judgment or order as aforesaid. The term “rate of exchange” shall include any premiums and costs of exchange payable in connection with the purchase of, or conversion into, the relevant currency.

(d) Waiver of Immunity. To the extent that the Company has or hereafter may acquire any immunity (sovereign or otherwise) from jurisdiction of any court of (i) the Cayman Islands, or any political subdivision thereof, (ii) the United States or the State of New York, (iii) any jurisdiction in which it owns or leases property or assets or from any legal process (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution, execution, set-off or otherwise) with respect to themselves or their respective property and assets or this Agreement, the Company hereby irrevocably waives such immunity in respect of its obligations under this Agreement to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

(e) Submission to Jurisdiction. The Company hereby submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. federal and New York state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit or proceeding

 

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in such courts. The Company agrees that final judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and may be enforced in any court to the jurisdiction of which Company is subject by a suit upon such judgment.

(f) Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY SUIT OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT.

(g) Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

(i) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

(ii) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

As used in this Section 16(g):

BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).

Covered Entity” means any of the following:

(i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);

(ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or

(iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).

Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.

 

41


U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

(h) Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

(i) Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

(j) Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.

(k) Integration. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

42


If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.

 

Very truly yours,
POPULATION HEALTH INVESTMENT CO., INC.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

43


Accepted: As of the date first written above

 

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

For itself and on behalf of the

several Underwriters listed

in Schedule 1 hereto.
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC
By:  

 

  Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


SCHEDULE 1

 

Underwriter

   Number of
Units
 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

     [ ●] 

Total

     [ ●] 


ANNEX A

Pricing Information Provided Orally by Underwriters

The initial public offering price per Unit for the Units is $10.00.

The number of Units purchased by the Underwriters is [●].

 

Annex A-1


ANNEX B

Written Testing-the-Waters Communications

Reference is made to the materials used in the testing the waters presentation made to potential investors by the Company, to the extent such materials are deemed to be a “written communication” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

Annex B-1

Exhibit 3.2

THE COMPANIES LAW (AS AMENDED)

COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES

AMENDED AND RESTATED MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION

OF

POPULATION HEALTH INVESTMENT CO., INC.

(ADOPTED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION DATED [], 2020)

 

1.

The name of the company is Population Health Investment Co., Inc. (the “Company”).

 

2.

The registered office of the Company will be situated at the offices of Walkers Corporate Limited, Cayman Corporate Centre, 27 Hospital Road, George Town, Grand Cayman KY1-9008, Cayman Islands or at such other location as the Directors may from time to time determine.

 

3.

The objects for which the Company is established are unrestricted and the Company shall have full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by any law as provided by Section 7(4) of the Companies Law (as amended) of the Cayman Islands (the “Companies Law”).

 

4.

The Company shall have and be capable of exercising all the functions of a natural person of full capacity irrespective of any question of corporate benefit as provided by Section 27(2) of the Companies Law.

 

5.

The Company will not trade in the Cayman Islands with any person, firm or corporation except in furtherance of the business of the Company carried on outside the Cayman Islands; provided that nothing in this section shall be construed as to prevent the Company effecting and concluding contracts in the Cayman Islands, and exercising in the Cayman Islands all of its powers necessary for the carrying on of its business outside the Cayman Islands.

 

6.

The liability of the shareholders of the Company is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares respectively held by them.

 

7.

The authorised share capital of the Company is US$33,100 divided into 300,000,000 Class A ordinary shares of a nominal or par value of US$0.0001, 30,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of a nominal or par value of US$0.0001 and 1,000,000 preference shares of a nominal or par value of US$0.0001 each provided always that subject to the Companies Law and the Articles of Association the Company shall have power to redeem or purchase any of its shares and to sub-divide or consolidate the said shares or any of them and to issue all or any part of its capital whether original, redeemed, increased or reduced with or without any preference, priority, special privilege or other rights or subject to any postponement of rights or to any conditions or restrictions whatsoever and so that unless the conditions of issue shall otherwise expressly provide every issue of shares whether stated to be ordinary, preference or otherwise shall be subject to the powers on the part of the Company hereinbefore provided.

 

1


8.

The Company may exercise the power contained in Section 206 of the Companies Law to deregister in the Cayman Islands and be registered by way of continuation in some other jurisdiction.

 

2


THE COMPANIES LAW (AS AMENDED)

COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES

AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

OF

POPULATION HEALTH INVESTMENT CO., INC.

(ADOPTED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION DATED [_] 2020)

 

LOGO

REF: CBY/KME/P3724-166622


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

CLAUSE    PAGE  

TABLE A

     1  

INTERPRETATION

     1  

PRELIMINARY

     5  

SHARES

     6  

FOUNDER SHARES CONVERSION AND ANTI-DILUTION RIGHTS

     7  

MODIFICATION OF RIGHTS

     8  

CERTIFICATES

     8  

FRACTIONAL SHARES

     9  

LIEN

     9  

CALLS ON SHARES

     10  

FORFEITURE OF SHARES

     11  

TRANSFER OF SHARES

     12  

TRANSMISSION OF SHARES

     12  

ALTERATION OF SHARE CAPITAL

     13  

REDEMPTION, PURCHASE AND SURRENDER OF SHARES

     13  

TREASURY SHARES

     14  

GENERAL MEETINGS

     15  

NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS

     15  

PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS

     16  

VOTES OF SHAREHOLDERS

     17  

 

i


CORPORATIONS ACTING BY REPRESENTATIVES AT MEETINGS

     18  

CLEARING HOUSES

     19  

DIRECTORS

     19  

ALTERNATE DIRECTOR

     20  

POWERS AND DUTIES OF DIRECTORS

     20  

BORROWING POWERS OF DIRECTORS

     22  

THE SEAL

     22  

DISQUALIFICATION OF DIRECTORS

     22  

PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS

     23  

DIVIDENDS

     25  

ACCOUNTS, AUDIT AND ANNUAL RETURN AND DECLARATION

     26  

CAPITALISATION OF RESERVES

     27  

SHARE PREMIUM ACCOUNT

     28  

NOTICES

     28  

INDEMNITY

     29  

NON-RECOGNITION OF TRUSTS

     31  

BUSINESS COMBINATION REQUIREMENTS

     31  

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

     34  

WINDING UP

     35  

AMENDMENT OF ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

     35  

CLOSING OF REGISTER OR FIXING RECORD DATE

     35  

REGISTRATION BY WAY OF CONTINUATION

     36  

MERGERS AND CONSOLIDATION

     36  

DISCLOSURE

     36  

 

ii


THE COMPANIES LAW (AS AMENDED)

COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES

AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

OF

POPULATION HEALTH INVESTMENT CO., INC.

TABLE A

The Regulations contained or incorporated in Table ‘A’ in the First Schedule of the Companies Law shall not apply to Population Health Investment Co., Inc. (the “Company”) and the following Articles shall comprise the Articles of Association of the Company.

INTERPRETATION

 

1.

In these Articles the following defined terms will have the meanings ascribed to them, if not inconsistent with the subject or context:

Articles” means these articles of association of the Company, as amended or substituted from time to time.

Audit Committee” means the audit committee of the Company formed pursuant to Article 142 hereof, or any successor audit committee.

Branch Register” means any branch Register of such category or categories of Members as the Company may from time to time determine.

Business Combination” means a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganisation or similar business combination involving the Company, with one or more businesses or entities (the “target business”), which Business Combination: (a) must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Fund (net of amounts previously disbursed to the Company’s management for working capital purposes and excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the Trust Fund) at the time of the agreement to enter into a Business Combination; and (b) must not be effectuated with another blank cheque company or a similar company with nominal operations.

Class” or “Classes” means any class or classes of Shares as may from time to time be issued by the Company.

 

1


Class A Shares” means the Class A ordinary Shares in the capital of the Company of $0.0001 nominal or par value designated as Class A Shares, and having the rights provided for in these Articles.

Class B Shares” means the Class B ordinary Shares in the capital of the Company of $0.0001 nominal or par value designated as Class B Shares, and having the rights provided for in these Articles.

Companies Law” means the Companies Law (as amended) of the Cayman Islands.

“Designated Stock Exchange” means any national securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Company’s securities are traded, including but not limited the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC, the NYSE MKT LLC, the New York Stock Exchange LLC or any OTC market.

Directors” means the directors of the Company for the time being, or as the case may be, the directors assembled as a board or as a committee thereof.

Exchange Act” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any similar U.S. federal statute and the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect at the time.

Founders” means the Sponsor and all Members immediately prior to the consummation of the IPO.

Investor Group” means the Sponsor and its affiliates, successors and assigns.

IPO” means the Company’s initial public offering of securities.

“IPO Redemption” means the meaning given to it in Article 163.

Memorandum of Association” means the memorandum of association of the Company, as amended or substituted from time to time.

Office” means the registered office of the Company as required by the Companies Law.

Officers” means the officers for the time being and from time to time of the Company.

Ordinary Resolution” means a resolution:

 

  (a)

passed by a simple majority of such Shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of the Company and where a poll is taken regard shall be had in computing a majority to the number of votes to which each Shareholder is entitled; or

 

2


  (b)

approved in writing by all of the Shareholders entitled to vote at a general meeting of the Company in one or more instruments each signed by one or more of the Shareholders and the effective date of the resolution so adopted shall be the date on which the instrument, or the last of such instruments, if more than one, is executed.

Ordinary Shares” means the Class A Shares and the Class B Shares.

Over-Allotment Option” means the option of the Underwriters to purchase up to an additional 15% of the units sold in the IPO at a price equal to $10.00 per unit, less underwriting discounts and commissions.

paid up” means paid up as to the par value in respect of the issue of any Shares and includes credited as paid up.

Person” means any natural person, firm, company, joint venture, partnership, corporation, association or other entity (whether or not having a separate legal personality) or any of them as the context so requires, other than in respect of a Director or Officer in which circumstances Person shall mean any person or entity permitted to act as such in accordance with the laws of the Cayman Islands.

Preference Shares” means the Preference Shares in the capital of the Company of $0.0001 nominal or par value designated as Preference Shares, and having the rights provided for in these Articles.

Public Shares” means the Class A Shares issued as part of the units issued in the IPO.

Principal Register”, where the Company has established one or more Branch Registers pursuant to the Companies Law and these Articles, means the Register maintained by the Company pursuant to the Companies Law and these Articles that is not designated by the Directors as a Branch Register.

Redemption Price” has the meaning given to it in Article 163.

Register” means the register of Members of the Company required to be kept pursuant to the Companies Law and includes any Branch Register(s) established by the Company in accordance with the Companies Law.

Seal” means the common seal of the Company (if adopted) including any facsimile thereof.

SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Secretary” means any Person appointed by the Directors to perform any of the duties of the secretary of the Company.

Series” means a series of a Class as may from time to time be issued by the Company.

 

3


Share” means a share in the capital of the Company. All references to “Shares” herein shall be deemed to be Shares of any or all Classes as the context may require. For the avoidance of doubt in these Articles the expression “Share” shall include a fraction of a Share.

Shareholder” or “Member” means a Person who is registered as the holder of Shares in the Register and includes each subscriber to the Memorandum of Association pending entry in the Register of such subscriber.

Share Premium Account” means the share premium account established in accordance with these Articles and the Companies Law.

signed” means bearing a signature or representation of a signature affixed by mechanical means.

Special Resolution” means a special resolution of the Company passed in accordance with the Companies Law, being a resolution:

 

  (a)

passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds of such Shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of the Company of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been duly given and where a poll is taken regard shall be had in computing a majority to the number of votes to which each Shareholder is entitled; or

 

  (b)

approved in writing by all of the Shareholders entitled to vote at a general meeting of the Company in one or more instruments each signed by one or more of the Shareholders and the effective date of the special resolution so adopted shall be the date on which the instrument or the last of such instruments, if more than one, is executed.

Sponsor” means Population Health Investment Holding, Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company.

Treasury Shares” means Shares that were previously issued but were purchased, redeemed, surrendered or otherwise acquired by the Company and not cancelled.

Trust Fund” means the trust account established by the Company upon the consummation of its IPO and into which a certain amount of the net proceeds of the IPO, together with certain of the proceeds of a private placement of warrants simultaneously with the closing date of the IPO, will be deposited.

Underwriter” means an underwriter of the IPO.

 

4


2.

In these Articles, save where the context requires otherwise:

 

  (a)

words importing the singular number shall include the plural number and vice versa;

 

  (b)

words importing the masculine gender only shall include the feminine gender and any Person as the context may require;

 

  (c)

the word “may” shall be construed as permissive and the word “shall” shall be construed as imperative;

 

  (d)

reference to a dollar or dollars or USD (or $) and to a cent or cents is reference to dollars and cents of the United States of America;

 

  (e)

reference to a statutory enactment shall include reference to any amendment or re-enactment thereof for the time being in force;

 

  (f)

reference to any determination by the Directors shall be construed as a determination by the Directors in their sole and absolute discretion and shall be applicable either generally or in any particular case; and

 

  (g)

reference to “in writing” shall be construed as written or represented by any means reproducible in writing, including any form of print, lithograph, email, facsimile, photograph or telex or represented by any other substitute or format for storage or transmission for writing or partly one and partly another.

3. Subject to the preceding Articles, any words defined in the Companies Law shall, if not inconsistent with the subject or context, bear the same meaning in these Articles.

PRELIMINARY

 

4.

The business of the Company may be commenced at any time after incorporation.

 

5.

The Office shall be at such address in the Cayman Islands as the Directors may from time to time determine. The Company may in addition establish and maintain such other offices and places of business and agencies in such places as the Directors may from time to time determine.

 

6.

The expenses incurred in the formation of the Company and in connection with the offer for subscription and issue of Shares shall be paid by the Company. Such expenses may be amortised over such period as the Directors may determine and the amount so paid shall be charged against income and/or capital in the accounts of the Company as the Directors shall determine.

 

7.

The Directors shall keep, or cause to be kept, the Register at such place or (subject to compliance with the Companies Law and these Articles) places as the Directors may from time to time determine. In the absence of any such determination, the Register shall be kept at the Office. The Directors may keep, or cause to be kept, one or more Branch Registers as well as the Principal Register in accordance with the Companies Law, provided always that a duplicate of such Branch Register(s) shall be maintained with the Principal Register in accordance with the Companies Law and the rules or requirements of any Designated Stock Exchange.

 

5


SHARES

 

8.

Subject to these Articles, and, where applicable, the rules of the Designated Stock Exchange and/or any competent regulatory authority, all Shares for the time being unissued shall be under the control of the Directors who may:

 

  (a)

issue, allot and dispose of the same to such Persons, in such manner, on such terms and having such rights and being subject to such restrictions as they may from time to time determine; and

 

  (b)

grant options with respect to such Shares and issue warrants or similar instruments with respect thereto;

and, for such purposes, the Directors may reserve an appropriate number of Shares for the time being unissued, provided however that the Directors shall not allot, issue, grant options over or otherwise dispose of Shares (including fractions of a Share) to the extent that it may affect the ability of the Company to carry out a conversion described in Articles 14 to 18.

 

9.

The Company may issue units of securities in the Company, which may be comprised of whole or fractional Shares, rights, options, warrants or convertible securities or securities of similar nature conferring the right upon the holders thereof to subscribe for, purchase or receive any class of Shares or other securities in the Company, upon such terms as the Directors may from time to time determine. The securities comprising any such units which are issued pursuant to the IPO can only be traded separately from one another on the 52nd day following the date of the prospectus relating to the IPO unless the Underwriters determine that an earlier date is acceptable, subject to the Company having filed a current report on Form 8-K with the SEC and a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Prior to such date, the units can be traded, but the securities comprising such units cannot be traded separately from one another.

 

10.

The Directors, or the Shareholders by Ordinary Resolution, may authorise the division of Shares into any number of Classes and sub-classes and Series and sub-series and the different Classes and sub-classes and Series and sub-series shall be authorised, established and designated (or re-designated as the case may be) and the variations in the relative rights (including, without limitation, voting, dividend and redemption rights), restrictions, preferences, privileges and payment obligations as between the different Classes and Series (if any) may be fixed and determined by the Directors or the Shareholders by Ordinary Resolution.

 

11.

The Company may insofar as may be permitted by law, pay a commission to any Person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe whether absolutely or conditionally for any Shares. Such commissions may be satisfied by the payment of cash or the lodgement of fully or partly paid-up Shares or partly in one way and partly in the other. The Company may also pay such brokerage as may be lawful on any issue of Shares.

 

6


12.

The Directors may refuse to accept any application for Shares, and may accept any application in whole or in part, for any reason or for no reason.

 

13.

Except as otherwise specified in these Articles or required by law, the holders of the Class A Shares and the Class B Shares shall vote as a single class. Prior to the closing of an initial Business Combination, only the holders of the Class B Shares and not the holders of Class A Shares shall be entitled to vote on any resolution to amend or vary Articles 97 and 115(b).

FOUNDER SHARES CONVERSION AND ANTI-DILUTION RIGHTS

 

14.

Immediately following the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination, the issued and outstanding Class B Shares shall automatically be converted into such number of Class A Shares as is equal to 20% of the sum of:

 

  (a)

the total number of Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding on consummation of the IPO (including pursuant to the Over-Allotment Option), plus

 

  (b)

the total number of Class A Shares issued or deemed issued, or issuable upon the 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 (net of any redemptions of Public Shares), excluding (x) any Class A Shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A Shares issued, deemed issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial Business Combination and (y) any private placement warrants issued to the Sponsor, members of our founding team or any of their affiliates upon conversion of working capital loans.

The term “equity-linked securities” refers to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for Class A Shares issued in a financing transaction in connection with the initial Business Combination, including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt.

 

15.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein in no event shall the Class B Shares convert into Class A Shares at a ratio that is less than one-for-one.

 

16.

References in Articles 14 to Article 18 to “converted”, “conversion” or “exchange” shall mean the compulsory redemption without notice of Class B Shares of any Member and, on behalf of such Members, automatic application of such redemption proceeds in paying for such new Class A Shares into which the Class B Shares have been converted or exchanged at a price per Class B Share necessary to give effect to a conversion or exchange calculated on the basis that the Class A Shares to be issued as part of the conversion or exchange will be issued at par. The Class A Shares to be issued on an exchange or conversion shall be registered in the name of such Member or in such name as the Member may direct.

 

7


17.

Each Class B Share shall convert into its pro rata number of Class A Shares as set forth in this Article 17. The pro rata share for each holder of Class B Shares will be determined as follows: Each Class B Ordinary Share shall convert into such number of Class A Shares as is equal to the product of 1 multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the total number of Class A Shares into which all of the issued and outstanding Class B Shares shall be converted pursuant to this Article 17 and the denominator of which shall be the total number of issued and outstanding Class B Shares at the time of conversion.

 

18.

The Directors may effect such conversion in the manner contemplated by Article 16 or in any other manner available under applicable law, including redeeming or repurchasing the relevant Class B Shares and applying the proceeds thereof towards payment for the new Class A Shares. For purposes of the repurchase or redemption, the Directors may, subject to the Company being able to pay its debts in the ordinary course of business, make payments out of amounts standing to the credit of the Company’s share premium account or out of its capital.

MODIFICATION OF RIGHTS

 

19.

Whenever the capital of the Company is divided into different Classes (and as otherwise determined by the Directors) the rights attached to any such Class may, subject to any rights or restrictions for the time being attached to any Class only be materially adversely varied or abrogated with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than two-thirds of the issued Shares of the relevant Class, or with the sanction of a resolution passed at a separate meeting of the holders of the Shares of such Class by a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast at such a meeting. To every such separate meeting all the provisions of these Articles relating to general meetings of the Company or to the proceedings thereat shall, mutatis mutandis, apply, except that the necessary quorum shall be one or more Persons at least holding or representing by proxy one-third in nominal or par value amount of the issued Shares of the relevant Class (but so that if at any adjourned meeting of such holders a quorum as above defined is not present, those Shareholders who are present shall form a quorum) and that, subject to any rights or restrictions for the time being attached to the Shares of that Class, every Shareholder of the Class shall on a poll have one vote for each Share of the Class held by him. For the purposes of this Article the Directors may treat all the Classes or any two or more Classes as forming one Class if they consider that all such Classes would be affected in the same way by the proposals under consideration, but in any other case shall treat them as separate Classes. The Directors may vary the rights attaching to any Class without the consent or approval of Shareholders provided that the rights will not, in the determination of the Directors, be materially adversely varied or abrogated by such action.

 

20.

The rights conferred upon the holders of the Shares of any Class issued with preferred or other rights shall not, subject to any rights or restrictions for the time being attached to the Shares of that Class, be deemed to be materially adversely varied or abrogated by, inter alia, the creation, allotment or issue of further Shares ranking pari passu with or subsequent to them, any variation of the rights conferred upon the holders of Shares of any other Class or the redemption or purchase of any Shares of any Class by the Company.

 

8


CERTIFICATES

 

21.

If so determined by the Directors, any Person whose name is entered as a member in the Register may receive a certificate in the form determined by the Directors. All certificates shall specify the Share or Shares held by that person and the amount paid up thereon, provided that in respect of a Share or Shares held jointly by several persons the Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate, and delivery of a certificate for a Share to one of several joint holders shall be sufficient delivery to all. All certificates for Shares shall be delivered personally or sent through the post addressed to the member entitled thereto at the Member’s registered address as appearing in the Register.

 

22.

Every share certificate of the Company shall bear legends required under the applicable laws, including the Exchange Act.

 

23.

Any two or more certificates representing Shares of any one Class held by any Member may at the Member’s request be cancelled and a single new certificate for such Shares issued in lieu on payment (if the Directors shall so require) of $1.00 or such smaller sum as the Directors shall determine.

 

24.

If a share certificate shall be damaged or defaced or alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, a new certificate representing the same Shares may be issued to the relevant Member upon request subject to delivery up of the old certificate or (if alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed) compliance with such conditions as to evidence and indemnity and the payment of out-of-pocket expenses of the Company in connection with the request as the Directors may think fit.

 

25.

In the event that Shares are held jointly by several persons, any request may be made by any one of the joint holders and if so made shall be binding on all of the joint holders.

FRACTIONAL SHARES

 

26.

The Directors may issue fractions of a Share and, if so issued, a fraction of a Share shall be subject to and carry the corresponding fraction of liabilities (whether with respect to nominal or par value, premium, contributions, calls or otherwise), limitations, preferences, privileges, qualifications, restrictions, rights (including, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, voting and participation rights) and other attributes of a whole Share. If more than one fraction of a Share of the same Class is issued to or acquired by the same Shareholder such fractions shall be accumulated.

LIEN

 

27.

The Company has a first and paramount lien on every Share (whether or not fully paid) for all amounts (whether presently payable or not) payable at a fixed time or called in respect of that Share. The Company also has a first and paramount lien on every Share (whether or not fully paid) registered in the name of a Person indebted or under liability to the Company (whether he is the sole registered holder of a Share or one of two or more joint holders) for all amounts owing by him or his estate to the Company (whether or not presently payable). The Directors may at any time declare a Share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The Company’s lien on a Share extends to any amount payable in respect of it.

 

9


28.

The Company may sell, in such manner as the Directors may determine, any Share on which the Company has a lien, but no sale shall be made unless an amount in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable nor until the expiration of fourteen days after a notice in writing, demanding payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable, has been given to the registered holder for the time being of the Share, or the Persons entitled thereto by reason of his death or bankruptcy.

 

29.

For giving effect to any such sale the Directors may authorise some Person to transfer the Shares sold to the purchaser thereof. The purchaser shall be registered as the holder of the Shares comprised in any such transfer and he shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, nor shall his title to the Shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the sale.

 

30.

The proceeds of the sale after deduction of expenses, fees and commission incurred by the Company shall be received by the Company and applied in payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable, and the residue shall (subject to a like lien for sums not presently payable as existed upon the Shares prior to the sale) be paid to the Person entitled to the Shares immediately prior to the sale.

CALLS ON SHARES

 

31.

Subject to the terms of the allotment and issue of any Shares, the Directors may from time to time make calls upon the Shareholders in respect of any moneys unpaid on their Shares, and each Shareholder shall (subject to receiving at least fourteen days’ notice specifying the time or times of payment) pay to the Company at the time or times so specified the amount called on such Shares.

 

32.

The joint holders of a Share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay calls in respect thereof.

 

33.

If a sum called in respect of a Share is not paid before or on the day appointed for payment thereof, the Person from whom the sum is due shall pay interest upon the sum at the rate of eight percent per annum from the day appointed for the payment thereof to the time of the actual payment, but the Directors shall be at liberty to waive payment of that interest wholly or in part.

 

34.

The provisions of these Articles as to the liability of joint holders and as to payment of interest shall apply in the case of non-payment of any sum which, by the terms of issue of a Share, becomes payable at a fixed time, whether on account of the amount of the Share, or by way of premium, as if the same had become payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified.

 

35.

The Directors may make arrangements on the issue of partly paid Shares for a difference between the Shareholders, or the particular Shares, in the amount of calls to be paid and in the times of payment.

 

10


36.

The Directors may, if they think fit, receive from any Shareholder willing to advance the same all or any part of the moneys uncalled and unpaid upon any partly paid Shares held by him, and upon all or any of the moneys so advanced may (until the same would, but for such advance, become presently payable) pay interest at such rate (not exceeding without the sanction of an Ordinary Resolution, eight percent per annum) as may be agreed upon between the Shareholder paying the sum in advance and the Directors.

FORFEITURE OF SHARES

 

37.

If a Shareholder fails to pay any call or instalment of a call in respect of any Shares on the day appointed for payment, the Directors may, at any time thereafter during such time as any part of such call or instalment remains unpaid, serve a notice on him requiring payment of so much of the call or instalment as is unpaid, together with any interest which may have accrued.

 

38.

The notice shall name a further day (not earlier than the expiration of fourteen days from the date of the notice) on or before which the payment required by the notice is to be made, and shall state that in the event of non-payment at or before the time appointed the Shares in respect of which the call was made will be liable to be forfeited.

 

39.

If the requirements of any such notice as aforesaid are not complied with, any Share in respect of which the notice has been given may at any time thereafter, before the payment required by notice has been made, be forfeited by a resolution of the Directors to that effect.

 

40.

A forfeited Share may be sold or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the Directors think fit, and at any time before a sale or disposition the forfeiture may be cancelled on such terms as the Directors think fit.

 

41.

A Person whose Shares have been forfeited shall cease to be a Shareholder in respect of the forfeited Shares, but shall, notwithstanding, remain liable to pay to the Company all moneys which at the date of forfeiture were payable by him to the Company in respect of the Shares forfeited, but his liability shall cease if and when the Company receives payment in full of the amount unpaid on the Shares forfeited.

 

42.

A statutory declaration in writing that the declarant is a Director, and that a Share has been duly forfeited on a date stated in the declaration, shall be conclusive evidence of the facts in the declaration as against all Persons claiming to be entitled to the Share.

 

43.

The Company may receive the consideration, if any, given for a Share on any sale or disposition thereof pursuant to the provisions of these Articles as to forfeiture and may execute a transfer of the Share in favour of the Person to whom the Share is sold or disposed of and that Person shall be registered as the holder of the Share, and shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, if any, nor shall his title to the Shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the disposition or sale.

 

11


44.

The provisions of these Articles as to forfeiture shall apply in the case of non-payment of any sum which by the terms of issue of a Share becomes due and payable, whether on account of the amount of the Share, or by way of premium, as if the same had been payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified.

TRANSFER OF SHARES

 

45.

Subject to these Articles and the rules or regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange or any relevant rules of the SEC or securities laws (including, but not limited to the Exchange Act), a Shareholder may transfer all or any of his or her Shares.

 

46.

The instrument of transfer of any Share shall be in (i) any usual or common form; (ii) such form as is prescribed by the Designated Stock Exchange; or (iii) in any other form the Directors may determine and shall be executed by or on behalf of the transferor (or otherwise as prescribed by the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange) and if in respect of a nil or partly paid up Share, or if so required by the Directors, shall also be executed on behalf of the transferee and shall be accompanied by the certificate (if any) of the Shares to which it relates and such other evidence as the Directors may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer. The transferor shall be deemed to remain a Shareholder until the name of the transferee is entered in the Register in respect of the relevant Shares.

 

47.

Subject to the terms of issue thereof and the rules or regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange or any relevant rules of the SEC or securities laws (including, but not limited to the Exchange Act), the Directors may determine to decline to register any transfer of Shares without assigning any reason therefor.

 

48.

The registration of transfers may be suspended at such times and for such periods as the Directors may from time to time determine.

 

49.

All instruments of transfer that are registered shall be retained by the Company, but any instrument of transfer that the Directors decline to register shall (except in any case of fraud) be returned to the Person depositing the same.

TRANSMISSION OF SHARES

 

50.

The legal personal representative of a deceased sole holder of a Share shall be the only Person recognised by the Company as having any title to the Share. In the case of a Share registered in the name of two or more holders, the survivors or survivor, or the legal personal representatives of the deceased holder of the Share, shall be the only Person recognised by the Company as having any title to the Share.

 

12


51.

Any Person becoming entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Shareholder shall upon such evidence being produced as may from time to time be required by the Directors, have the right either to be registered as a Shareholder in respect of the Share or, instead of being registered himself, to make such transfer of the Share as the deceased or bankrupt Person could have made; but the Directors shall, in either case, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the Share by the deceased or bankrupt Person before the death or bankruptcy.

 

52.

A Person becoming entitled to a Share by reason of the death or bankruptcy of a Shareholder shall be entitled to the same dividends and other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the registered Shareholder, except that he shall not, before being registered as a Shareholder in respect of the Share, be entitled in respect of it to exercise any right conferred by membership in relation to meetings of the Company.

ALTERATION OF SHARE CAPITAL

 

53.

The Company may from time to time by Ordinary Resolution increase the share capital by such sum, to be divided into Shares of such Classes and amount, as the resolution shall prescribe.

 

54.

The Company may by Ordinary Resolution:

 

  (a)

consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into Shares of a larger amount than its existing Shares;

 

  (b)

convert all or any of its paid up Shares into stock and reconvert that stock into paid up Shares of any denomination;

 

  (c)

subdivide its existing Shares, or any of them into Shares of a smaller amount provided that in the subdivision the proportion between the amount paid and the amount, if any, unpaid on each reduced Share shall be the same as it was in case of the Share from which the reduced Share is derived; and

 

  (d)

cancel any Shares that, at the date of the passing of the resolution, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any Person and diminish the amount of its share capital by the amount of the Shares so cancelled.

 

55.

The Company may by Special Resolution reduce its share capital and any capital redemption reserve in any manner authorised by law.

REDEMPTION, PURCHASE AND SURRENDER OF SHARES

 

56.

Subject to the Companies Law and the rules of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Company may:

 

  (a)

issue Shares on terms that they are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Company or the Shareholder on such terms and in such manner as the Directors may determine;

 

13


  (b)

purchase its own Shares (including any redeemable Shares) on such terms and in such manner as the Directors may determine and agree with the Shareholder;

 

  (c)

make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own Shares in any manner authorised by the Companies Law, including out of its capital; and

 

  (d)

accept the surrender for no consideration of any paid up Share (including any redeemable Share) on such terms and in such manner as the Directors may determine.

 

57.

With respect to redeeming or repurchasing the Shares:

 

  (a)

Members who hold Public Shares are entitled to request the redemption of such Shares in the circumstances described in Article 163;

 

  (b)

Shares held by the Founders shall be surrendered by the Founders on a pro rata basis for no consideration to the extent that the Over-Allotment Option is not exercised in full so that the Founders will own 20% of the Company’s issued Shares after the IPO (exclusive of any securities purchased in a private placement simultaneously with the IPO); and

 

  (c)

Public Shares shall be repurchased by way of tender offer in the circumstances set out in Article 159(b).

 

58.

Any Share in respect of which notice of redemption has been given shall not be entitled to participate in the profits of the Company in respect of the period after the date specified as the date of redemption in the notice of redemption.

 

59.

The redemption, purchase or surrender of any Share shall not be deemed to give rise to the redemption, purchase or surrender of any other Share.

 

60.

The Directors may when making payments in respect of redemption or purchase of Shares, if authorised by the terms of issue of the Shares being redeemed or purchased or with the agreement of the holder of such Shares, make such payment either in cash or in specie including, without limitation, interests in a special purpose vehicle holding assets of the Company or holding entitlement to the proceeds of assets held by the Company or in a liquidating structure.

TREASURY SHARES

 

61.

Shares that the Company purchases, redeems or acquires (by way of surrender or otherwise) may, at the option of the Company, be cancelled immediately or held as Treasury Shares in accordance with the Companies Law. In the event that the Directors do not specify that the relevant Shares are to be held as Treasury Shares, such Shares shall be cancelled.

 

62.

No dividend may be declared or paid, and no other distribution (whether in cash or otherwise) of the Company’s assets (including any distribution of assets to members on a winding up) may be declared or paid in respect of a Treasury Share.

 

14


63.

The Company shall be entered in the Register as the holder of the Treasury Shares provided that:

 

  (a)

the Company shall not be treated as a member for any purpose and shall not exercise any right in respect of the Treasury Shares, and any purported exercise of such a right shall be void;

 

  (b)

a Treasury Share shall not be voted, directly or indirectly, at any meeting of the Company and shall not be counted in determining the total number of issued shares at any given time, whether for the purposes of these Articles or the Companies Law, save that an allotment of Shares as fully paid bonus shares in respect of a Treasury Share is permitted and Shares allotted as fully paid bonus shares in respect of a treasury share shall be treated as Treasury Shares.

 

64.

Treasury Shares may be disposed of by the Company on such terms and conditions as determined by the Directors.

GENERAL MEETINGS

 

65.

The Directors may, whenever they think fit, convene a general meeting of the Company and, for the avoidance of doubt, Members shall not have the ability to call general meetings except as provided in Article68. Members seeking to bring business before an annual general meeting or to nominate candidates for appointment as Directors at the annual general meeting must deliver notice to the principal executive officer of the Company not less than 90 days and not more than 120 days prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding year’s annual general meeting or, if the Company did not hold an annual general meeting during the previous year, or if the date of the current annual general meeting has been changed by more than 30 days from the date of the previous year’s annual general meeting, then such deadline as may be set by the Directors.

 

66.

For so long as the Company’s Shares are traded on a Designated Stock Exchange, the Company shall in each year hold a general meeting as its annual general meeting at such time and place as may be determined by the Directors in accordance with the rules of the Designated Stock Exchange, unless such Designated Stock Exchange does not require the holding of an annual general meeting.

 

67.

The Directors may cancel or postpone any duly convened general meeting at any time prior to such meeting, for any reason or for no reason at any time prior to the time for holding such meeting or, if the meeting is adjourned, the time for holding such adjourned meeting. The Directors shall give Shareholders notice in writing of any cancellation or postponement. A postponement may be for a stated period of any length or indefinitely as the Directors may determine.

 

68.

If at any time there are no Directors, any two Shareholders (or if there is only one Shareholder then that Shareholder) entitled to vote at general meetings of the Company may convene a general meeting in the same manner as nearly as possible as that in which general meetings may be convened by the Directors.

 

15


NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS

 

69.

At least five clear days’ notice in writing counting from the date service is deemed to take place as provided in these Articles specifying the place, the day and the hour of the meeting and the general nature of the business, shall be given in the manner hereinafter provided or in such other manner (if any) as may be prescribed by the Company by Ordinary Resolution to such Persons as are, under these Articles, entitled to receive such notices from the Company, but with the consent of all the Shareholders entitled to receive notice of some particular meeting and attend and vote thereat, that meeting may be convened by such shorter notice or without notice and in such manner as those Shareholders may think fit.

 

70.

The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to or the non-receipt of a notice of a meeting by any Shareholder shall not invalidate the proceedings at any meeting.

PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS

 

71.

All business carried out at a general meeting shall be deemed special with the exception of sanctioning a dividend, the consideration of the accounts, balance sheets, any report of the Directors or of the Company’s auditors, and the fixing of the remuneration of the Company’s auditors. No special business shall be transacted at any general meeting without the consent of all Shareholders entitled to receive notice of that meeting unless notice of such special business has been given in the notice convening that meeting.

 

72.

No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum of Shareholders is present at the time when the meeting proceeds to business. One or more Shareholders holding at least one-third of the paid up voting share capital of the Company present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote at that meeting shall form a quorum except that, in the case of any meeting that is convened to vote on a business combination or any amendment to these Articles: (a) that would modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to provide holders of Class A Shares the right to have Class A Shares redeemed in connection with an initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the Public Shares if the Company does not consummate a Business Combination by twenty-four months after the closing of the IPO; or (b) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of Class A Shares or pre-initial business combination activity a quorum shall be one or more Shareholders holding at least a majority of the paid up voting share capital of the Company present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote at that meeting.

 

73.

If within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened upon the requisition of Shareholders, shall be dissolved. In any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week, at the same time and place, and if at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting the Shareholder or Shareholders present and entitled to vote shall form a quorum.

 

74.

If the Directors wish to make this facility available for a specific general meeting or all general meetings of the Company, participation in any general meeting of the Company may be by means of a telephone or similar communication equipment by way of which all Persons participating in such meeting can communicate with each other and such participation shall be deemed to constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

75.

The chairman, if any, of the Directors shall preside as chairman at every general meeting of the Company.

 

16


76.

If there is no such chairman, or if at any general meeting he is not present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting or is unwilling to act as chairman, any Director or Person nominated by the Directors shall preside as chairman, failing which the Shareholders present in person or by proxy shall choose any Person present to be chairman of that meeting.

 

77.

The chairman may adjourn a meeting from time to time and from place to place either:

 

  (a)

with the consent of any general meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting); or

 

  (b)

without the consent of such meeting if, in his sole opinion, he considers it necessary to do so to:

 

  (i)

secure the orderly conduct or proceedings of the meeting; or

 

  (ii)

give all persons present in person or by proxy and having the right to speak and / or vote at such meeting, the ability to do so,

but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. When a meeting, or adjourned meeting, is adjourned for fourteen days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given in the manner provided for the original meeting. Save as aforesaid, it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting.

 

78.

A resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a poll.

 

79.

If a poll is duly demanded it shall be taken in such manner as the chairman directs, and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded.

 

80.

In the case of an equality of votes, the chairman of the meeting shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.

 

81.

A poll demanded on the election of a chairman of the meeting or on a question of adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken at such time as the chairman of the meeting directs.

VOTES OF SHAREHOLDERS

 

82.

Subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any Share, every Shareholder present in person and every Person representing a Shareholder by proxy shall, at a general meeting of the Company, shall have one vote for each Share of which he or the Person represented by proxy is the holder.

 

17


83.

In the case of joint holders the vote of the senior who tenders a vote whether in person or by proxy shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders and for this purpose seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names stand in the Register.

 

84.

A Shareholder of unsound mind, or in respect of whom an order has been made by any court having jurisdiction in lunacy, may vote in respect of Shares carrying the right to vote held by him, by his committee, or other Person in the nature of a committee appointed by that court, and any such committee or other Person, may vote in respect of such Shares by proxy.

 

85.

No Shareholder shall be entitled to vote at any general meeting of the Company unless all calls, if any, or other sums presently payable by him in respect of Shares carrying the right to vote held by him have been paid.

 

86.

On a poll votes may be given either personally or by proxy.

 

87.

The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in writing under the hand of the appointor or of his attorney duly authorised in writing or, if the appointor is a corporation, either under Seal or under the hand of an Officer or attorney duly authorised. A proxy need not be a Shareholder.

 

88.

An instrument appointing a proxy may be in any usual or common form or such other form as the Directors may approve.

 

89.

The instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited at the Office or at such other place as is specified for that purpose in the notice convening the meeting no later than the time for holding the meeting or, if the meeting is adjourned, the time for holding such adjourned meeting.

 

90.

The instrument appointing a proxy shall be deemed to confer authority to demand or join in demanding a poll.

 

91.

A resolution in writing signed by all the Shareholders for the time being entitled to receive notice of and to attend and vote at general meetings of the Company (or being corporations by their duly authorised representatives) shall be as valid and effective as if the same had been passed at a general meeting of the Company duly convened and held.

CORPORATIONS ACTING BY REPRESENTATIVES AT MEETINGS

 

92.

Any corporation which is a Shareholder or a Director may by resolution of its directors or other governing body authorise such Person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or of any meeting of holders of a Class or of the Directors or of a committee of Directors, and the Person so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the corporation which he represents as that corporation could exercise if it were an individual Shareholder or Director.

 

18


CLEARING HOUSES

 

93.

If a clearing house (or its nominee) is a Member of the Company it may, by resolution of its directors or other governing body or by power of attorney, authorise such person or persons as it thinks fit to act as its representative or representatives at any general meeting of the Company or at any general meeting of any class of Members of the Company provided that, if more than one person is so authorised, the authorisation shall specify the number and class of Shares in respect of which each such person is so authorised. A person so authorised pursuant to this Article shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the clearing house (or its nominee) which he represents as that clearing house (or its nominee) could exercise if it were an individual Member holding the number and Class of Shares specified in such authorisation.

DIRECTORS

 

94.

The Company may by Ordinary Resolution from time to time fix the maximum and minimum number of Directors to be appointed but unless such numbers are fixed as aforesaid the minimum number of Directors shall be one and the maximum number of Directors shall be unlimited.

 

95.

There shall be no shareholding qualification for Directors.

 

96.

For so long as the Company’s Shares are traded on a Designated Stock Exchange, the Directors shall be divided into three (3) classes designated as Class I, Class II and Class III, respectively. Directors shall be assigned to each class in accordance with a resolution or resolutions adopted by the board of Directors. At the first annual general meeting of Members after the IPO, the term of office of the Class I Directors shall expire and Class I Directors shall be elected for a full term of three (3) years. At the second annual general meeting of Members after the IPO, the term of office of the Class II Directors shall expire and Class II Directors shall be elected for a full term of three (3) years. At the third annual general meeting of Members after the IPO, the term of office of the Class III Directors shall expire and Class III Directors shall be elected for a full term of three (3) years. At each succeeding annual general meeting of Members, Directors shall be elected for a full term of three (3) years to succeed the Directors of the class whose terms expire at such annual general meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article, each Director shall hold office until the expiration of his term, until his successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until his earlier death, resignation or removal. No decrease in the number of Directors constituting the board of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent Director.

 

97.

Prior to the closing of an initial Business Combination, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution of the holders of the Class B Shares (only) appoint any person to be a Director or remove any Director for any reason. For the avoidance of doubt (i) prior to the closing of an initial Business Combination, holders of Class A Shares shall have no right to vote on the appointment or removal of any Director and (ii) following the closing of an initial Business Combination, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution (of all Shareholders entitled to vote) appoint or remove any Director in accordance with these Articles.

 

19


98.

For so long as the Company’s Shares are traded on a Designated Stock Exchange, any and all vacancies in the board of Directors, however occurring, including, without limitation, by reason of an increase in the size of the board of Directors, or the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of a Director, may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Directors then in office, even if less than a quorum of the board of Directors. Any Director appointed in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of Directors in which the new directorship was created or the vacancy occurred and until such Director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation, death or removal. When the number of Directors is increased or decreased, the board of Directors shall, subject to Article 96 above, determine the class or classes to which the increased or decreased number of Directors shall be apportioned; provided, however, that no decrease in the number of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent Director. In the event of a vacancy in the board of Directors, the remaining Directors, except as otherwise provided by law, shall exercise the powers of the full board of Directors until the vacancy is filled.

ALTERNATE DIRECTOR

 

99.

Any Director may in writing appoint another Person to be his alternate and, save to the extent provided otherwise in the form of appointment, such alternate shall have authority to sign written resolutions on behalf of the appointing Director, but shall not be authorised to sign such written resolutions where they have been signed by the appointing Director, and to act in such Director’s place at any meeting of the Directors. Every such alternate shall be entitled to attend and vote at meetings of the Directors as the alternate of the Director appointing him and where he is a Director to have a separate vote in addition to his own vote. A Director may at any time in writing revoke the appointment of an alternate appointed by him. Such alternate shall not be an Officer solely as a result of his appointment as an alternate other than in respect of such times as the alternate acts as a Director. The remuneration of such alternate shall be payable out of the remuneration of the Director appointing him and the proportion thereof shall be agreed between them.

POWERS AND DUTIES OF DIRECTORS

 

100.

Subject to the Companies Law, these Articles and to any resolutions passed in a general meeting, the business of the Company shall be managed by the Directors, who may pay all expenses incurred in setting up and registering the Company and may exercise all powers of the Company. No resolution passed by the Company in general meeting shall invalidate any prior act of the Directors that would have been valid if that resolution had not been passed.

 

101.

The Directors may from time to time appoint any Person, whether or not a Director to hold such office in the Company as the Directors may think necessary for the administration of the Company (including, for the avoidance of doubt and without limitation, any chairman (or co-chairman) of the board of Directors, vice chairman of the board of Directors, one or more chief executive officers, presidents, a chief financial officer, a secretary, a treasurer, senior vice-presidents, vice-presidents, one or more assistant vice presidents, one or more assistant treasurers, one or more assistant secretaries or any other officers as may be determined by the Directors), and for such term and at such remuneration (whether by way of salary or commission or participation in profits or partly in one way and partly in another), and with such powers and duties as the Directors may think fit. Any

 

20


  Person so appointed by the Directors may be removed by the Directors The Directors may also appoint one or more of their number to the office of managing director upon like terms, but any such appointment shall ipso facto terminate if any managing director ceases from any cause to be a Director, or if the Company by Ordinary Resolution resolves that his tenure of office be terminated.

 

102.

The Directors may appoint any Person to be a Secretary (and if need be an assistant Secretary or assistant Secretaries) who shall hold office for such term, at such remuneration and upon such conditions and with such powers as they think fit. Any Secretary or assistant Secretary so appointed by the Directors may be removed by the Directors or by the Company.

 

103.

The Directors may delegate any of their powers to committees consisting of such member or members of their body as they think fit; any committee so formed shall in the exercise of the powers so delegated conform to any regulations that may be imposed on it by the Directors.

 

104.

The Directors may from time to time and at any time by power of attorney (whether under Seal or under hand) or otherwise appoint any company, firm or Person or body of Persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors, to be the attorney or attorneys or authorised signatory (any such person being an “Attorney” or “Authorised Signatory”, respectively) of the Company for such purposes and with such powers, authorities and discretion (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Directors under these Articles) and for such period and subject to such conditions as they may think fit, and any such power of attorney or other appointment may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of Persons dealing with any such Attorney or Authorised Signatory as the Directors may think fit, and may also authorise any such Attorney or Authorised Signatory to delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretion vested in him.

 

105.

The Directors may from time to time provide for the management of the affairs of the Company in such manner as they shall think fit and the provisions contained in the three next following Articles shall not limit the general powers conferred by this Article.

 

106.

The Directors from time to time and at any time may establish any committees, local boards or agencies for managing any of the affairs of the Company and may appoint any Person to be a member of such committees or local boards and may appoint any managers or agents of the Company and may fix the remuneration of any such Person.

 

107.

The Directors from time to time and at any time may delegate to any such committee, local board, manager or agent any of the powers, authorities and discretions for the time being vested in the Directors and may authorise the members for the time being of any such local board, or any of them to fill any vacancies therein and to act notwithstanding vacancies and any such appointment or delegation may be made on such terms and subject to such conditions as the Directors may think fit and the Directors may at any time remove any Person so appointed and may annul or vary any such delegation, but no Person dealing in good faith and without notice of any such annulment or variation shall be affected thereby.

 

108.

Any such delegates as aforesaid may be authorised by the Directors to sub-delegate all or any of the powers, authorities, and discretion for the time being vested in them.

 

21


109.

The Directors may agree with a Shareholder to waive or modify the terms applicable to such Shareholder’s subscription for Shares without obtaining the consent of any other Shareholder; provided that such waiver or modification does not amount to a variation or abrogation of the rights attaching to the Shares of such other Shareholders.

 

110.

The Directors shall have the authority to present a winding up petition on behalf of the Company without the sanction of a resolution passed by the Company in general meeting.

BORROWING POWERS OF DIRECTORS

 

111.

The Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and uncalled capital or any part thereof, or to otherwise provide for a security interest to be taken in such undertaking, property or uncalled capital, and to issue debentures, debenture stock and other securities whenever money is borrowed or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party.

THE SEAL

 

112.

The Seal shall not be affixed to any instrument except by the authority of a resolution of the Directors provided always that such authority may be given prior to or after the affixing of the Seal and if given after may be in general form confirming a number of affixings of the Seal. The Seal shall be affixed in the presence of a Director or a Secretary (or an assistant Secretary) or in the presence of any one or more Persons as the Directors may appoint for the purpose and every Person as aforesaid shall sign every instrument to which the Seal is so affixed in their presence.

 

113.

The Company may maintain a facsimile of the Seal in such countries or places as the Directors may appoint and such facsimile Seal shall not be affixed to any instrument except by the authority of a resolution of the Directors provided always that such authority may be given prior to or after the affixing of such facsimile Seal and if given after may be in general form confirming a number of affixings of such facsimile Seal. The facsimile Seal shall be affixed in the presence of such Person or Persons as the Directors shall for this purpose appoint and such Person or Persons as aforesaid shall sign every instrument to which the facsimile Seal is so affixed in their presence and such affixing of the facsimile Seal and signing as aforesaid shall have the same meaning and effect as if the Seal had been affixed in the presence of and the instrument signed by a Director or a Secretary (or an assistant Secretary) or in the presence of any one or more Persons as the Directors may appoint for the purpose.

 

114.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Secretary or any assistant Secretary shall have the authority to affix the Seal, or the facsimile Seal, to any instrument for the purposes of attesting authenticity of the matter contained therein but which does not create any obligation binding on the Company.

DISQUALIFICATION OF DIRECTORS

 

115.

The office of Director shall be vacated, if the Director:

 

22


  (a)

becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors;

 

  (b)

dies or is found to be or becomes of unsound mind;

 

  (c)

resigns his office by notice in writing to the Company;

 

  (d)

prior to the closing of an initial Business Combination, is removed from office by Ordinary Resolution of the holders of the Class B Shares (only);

 

  (e)

following the closing of an initial Business Combination, is removed from office by Ordinary Resolution of all Shareholders entitled to vote; or

 

  (f)

is removed from office pursuant to any other provision of these Articles.

PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS

 

116.

The Directors may meet together (either within or outside the Cayman Islands) for the despatch of business, adjourn, and otherwise regulate their meetings and proceedings as they think fit. Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes. In case of an equality of votes the chairman shall have a second or casting vote. A Director may, and a Secretary or assistant Secretary on the requisition of a Director shall, at any time summon a meeting of the Directors.

 

117.

A Director may participate in any meeting of the Directors, or of any committee appointed by the Directors of which such Director is a member, by means of telephone or similar communication equipment by way of which all Persons participating in such meeting can communicate with each other and such participation shall be deemed to constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

118.

The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the Directors may be fixed by the Directors, and unless so fixed, if there be two or more Directors the quorum shall be two, and if there be one Director the quorum shall be one. A Director represented by an alternate Director at any meeting shall be deemed to be present for the purposes of determining whether or not a quorum is present.

 

119.

A Director who is in any way, whether directly or indirectly, interested in a contract or proposed contract with the Company shall declare the nature of his interest at a meeting of the Directors. A general notice given to the Directors by any Director to the effect that he is to be regarded as interested in any contract or other arrangement which may thereafter be made with that company or firm shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of interest in regard to any contract so made. A Director may vote in respect of any contract or proposed contract or arrangement notwithstanding that he may be interested therein and if he does so his vote shall be counted and he may be counted in the quorum at any meeting of the Directors at which any such contract or proposed contract or arrangement shall come before the meeting for consideration.

 

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120.

A Director may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company (other than the office of auditor) in conjunction with his office of Director for such period and on such terms (as to remuneration and otherwise) as the Directors may determine and no Director or intending Director shall be disqualified by his office from contracting with the Company either with regard to his tenure of any such other office or place of profit or as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, nor shall any such contract or arrangement entered into by or on behalf of the Company in which any Director is in any way interested, be liable to be avoided, nor shall any Director so contracting or being so interested be liable to account to the Company for any profit realised by any such contract or arrangement by reason of such Director holding that office or of the fiduciary relation thereby established. A Director, notwithstanding his interest, may be counted in the quorum present at any meeting of the Directors whereat he or any other Director is appointed to hold any such office or place of profit under the Company or whereat the terms of any such appointment are arranged and he may vote on any such appointment or arrangement.

 

121.

Any Director may act by himself or his firm in a professional capacity for the Company, and he or his firm shall be entitled to remuneration for professional services as if he were not a Director; provided that nothing herein contained shall authorise a Director or his firm to act as auditor to the Company.

 

122.

The Directors shall cause minutes to be made in books or loose-leaf folders provided for the purpose of recording:

 

  (a)

all appointments of Officers made by the Directors;

 

  (b)

the names of the Directors present at each meeting of the Directors and of any committee of the Directors; and

 

  (c)

all resolutions and proceedings at all meetings of the Company, and of the Directors and of committees of Directors.

 

123.

When the chairman of a meeting of the Directors signs the minutes of such meeting the same shall be deemed to have been duly held notwithstanding that all the Directors have not actually come together or that there may have been a technical defect in the proceedings.

 

124.

A resolution in writing signed by all the Directors or all the members of a committee of Directors entitled to receive notice of a meeting of Directors or committee of Directors, as the case may be (an alternate Director, subject as provided otherwise in the terms of appointment of the alternate Director, being entitled to sign such a resolution on behalf of his appointer), shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a duly called and constituted meeting of Directors or committee of Directors, as the case may be. When signed a resolution may consist of several documents each signed by one or more of the Directors or his duly appointed alternate.

 

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125.

The continuing Directors may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body but if and for so long as their number is reduced below the number fixed by or pursuant to these Articles as the necessary quorum of Directors, the continuing Directors may act for the purpose of increasing the number, or of summoning a general meeting of the Company, but for no other purpose.

 

126.

The Directors may elect a chairman of their meetings and determine the period for which he is to hold office but if no such chairman is elected, or if at any meeting the chairman is not present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, the Directors present may choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.

 

127.

Subject to any regulations imposed on it by the Directors, a committee appointed by the Directors may elect a chairman of its meetings. If no such chairman is elected, or if at any meeting the chairman is not present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, the committee members present may choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.

 

128.

A committee appointed by the Directors may meet and adjourn as it thinks proper. Subject to any regulations imposed on it by the Directors, questions arising at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes of the committee members present and in case of an equality of votes the chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

 

129.

All acts done by any meeting of the Directors or of a committee of Directors, or by any Person acting as a Director, shall notwithstanding that it be afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any such Director or Person acting as aforesaid, or that they or any of them were disqualified, be as valid as if every such Person had been duly appointed and was qualified to be a Director.

DIVIDENDS

 

130.

Subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any Shares, or as otherwise provided for in the Companies Law and these Articles, the Directors may from time to time declare dividends (including interim dividends) and other distributions on Shares in issue and authorise payment of the same out of the funds of the Company lawfully available therefor.

 

131.

Subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any Shares, the Company by Ordinary Resolution may declare dividends, but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the Directors.

 

132.

The Directors may determine, before recommending or declaring any dividend, to set aside out of the funds legally available for distribution such sums as they think proper as a reserve or reserves which shall be applicable for meeting contingencies, or for equalising dividends or for any other purpose to which those funds may be properly applied and pending such application may, at the determination of the Directors, either be employed in the business of the Company or be invested in such investments as the Directors may from time to time think fit.

 

133.

Any dividend may be paid in any manner as the Directors may determine. If paid by cheque it will be sent through the post to the registered address of the Shareholder or Person entitled thereto, or in the case of joint holders, to any one of such joint holders at his registered address or to such Person and such address as the Shareholder or Person entitled, or such joint holders as the case may be, may direct. Every such cheque shall be made payable to the order of the Person to whom it is sent or to the order of such other Person as the Shareholder or Person entitled, or such joint holders as the case may be, may direct.

 

25


134.

The Directors when paying dividends to the Shareholders in accordance with the foregoing provisions of these Articles may make such payment either in cash or in specie and may determine the extent to which amounts may be withheld therefrom (including, without limitation, any taxes, fees, expenses or other liabilities for which a Shareholder (or the Company, as a result of any action or inaction of the Shareholder) is liable).

 

135.

Subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any Shares, all dividends shall be declared and paid according to the amounts paid up on the Shares, but if and for so long as nothing is paid up on any of the Shares dividends may be declared and paid according to the par value of the Shares.

 

136.

If several Persons are registered as joint holders of any Share, any of them may give effectual receipts for any dividend or other moneys payable on or in respect of the Share.

 

137.

No dividend shall bear interest against the Company.

ACCOUNTS, AUDIT AND ANNUAL RETURN AND DECLARATION

 

138.

The books of account relating to the Company’s affairs shall be kept in such manner as may be determined from time to time by the Directors.

 

139.

The books of account shall be kept at the Office, or at such other place or places as the Directors think fit, and shall always be open to the inspection of the Directors.

 

140.

The Directors may from time to time determine whether and to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions or regulations the accounts and books of the Company or any of them shall be open to the inspection of Shareholders not being Directors, and no Shareholder (not being a Director) shall have any right of inspecting any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by law or authorised by the Directors or by Ordinary Resolution.

 

141.

The accounts relating to the Company’s affairs shall only be audited if the Directors so determine, in which case the financial year end and the accounting principles will be determined by the Directors. The financial year of the Company shall end on 31 December of each year or such other date as the Directors may determine.

 

142.

Without prejudice to the freedom of the Directors to establish any other committee, if the Shares are listed or quoted on the Designated Stock Exchange, and if required by the Designated Stock Exchange, the Directors shall establish and maintain an audit committee (the “Audit Committee”) as a committee of the board of Directors and shall adopt a formal written audit committee charter and review and assess the adequacy of the formal written charter on an annual basis. The composition and responsibilities of the Audit Committee shall comply with the rules and regulations of the SEC and the Designated Stock Exchange. The Audit Committee shall meet at least once every financial quarter, or more frequently as circumstances dictate

 

26


143.

The Directors in each year shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, an annual return and declaration setting forth the particulars required by the Companies Law and deliver a copy thereof to the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands.

CAPITALISATION OF RESERVES

 

144.

Subject to the Companies Law and these Articles, the Directors may:

 

  (a)

resolve to capitalise an amount standing to the credit of reserves (including a Share Premium Account, capital redemption reserve and profit and loss account), whether or not available for distribution;

 

  (b)

appropriate the sum resolved to be capitalised to the Shareholders in proportion to the nominal amount of Shares (whether or not fully paid) held by them respectively and apply that sum on their behalf in or towards:

 

  (i)

paying up the amounts (if any) for the time being unpaid on Shares held by them respectively, or

 

  (ii)

paying up in full unissued Shares or debentures of a nominal amount equal to that sum,

and allot the Shares or debentures, credited as fully paid, to the Shareholders (or as they may direct) in those proportions, or partly in one way and partly in the other, but the Share Premium Account, the capital redemption reserve and profits which are not available for distribution may, for the purposes of this Article, only be applied in paying up unissued Shares to be allotted to Shareholders credited as fully paid;

 

  (c)

make any arrangements they think fit to resolve a difficulty arising in the distribution of a capitalised reserve and in particular, without limitation, where Shares or debentures become distributable in fractions the Directors may deal with the fractions as they think fit;

 

  (d)

authorise a Person to enter (on behalf of all the Shareholders concerned) into an agreement with the Company providing for either:

 

  (i)

the allotment to the Shareholders respectively, credited as fully paid, of Shares or debentures to which they may be entitled on the capitalisation, or

 

  (ii)

the payment by the Company on behalf of the Shareholders (by the application of their respective proportions of the reserves resolved to be capitalised) of the amounts or part of the amounts remaining unpaid on their existing Shares,

 

27


and any such agreement made under this authority being effective and binding on all those Shareholders; and

 

  (e)

generally do all acts and things required to give effect to any of the actions contemplated by this Article.

SHARE PREMIUM ACCOUNT

 

145.

The Directors shall in accordance with the Companies Law establish a Share Premium Account and shall carry to the credit of such account from time to time a sum equal to the amount or value of the premium paid on the issue of any Share.

 

146.

There shall be debited to any Share Premium Account on the redemption or purchase of a Share the difference between the nominal value of such Share and the redemption or purchase price provided always that at the determination of the Directors such sum may be paid out of the profits of the Company or, if permitted by the Companies Law, out of capital.

NOTICES

 

147.

Any notice or document may be served by the Company or by the Person entitled to give notice to any Shareholder either personally, or by posting it airmail or air courier service in a prepaid letter addressed to such Shareholder at his address as appearing in the Register, or by electronic mail to any electronic mail address such Shareholder may have specified in writing for the purpose of such service of notices, or by facsimile should the Directors deem it appropriate. In the case of joint holders of a Share, all notices shall be given to that one of the joint holders whose name stands first in the Register in respect of the joint holding, and notice so given shall be sufficient notice to all the joint holders.

 

148.

Any Shareholder present, either personally or by proxy, at any meeting of the Company shall for all purposes be deemed to have received due notice of such meeting and, where requisite, of the purposes for which such meeting was convened.

 

149.

Any notice or other document, if served by:

 

  (a)

post, shall be deemed to have been served five clear days after the time when the letter containing the same is posted;

 

  (b)

facsimile, shall be deemed to have been served upon production by the transmitting facsimile machine of a report confirming transmission of the facsimile in full to the facsimile number of the recipient;

 

  (c)

recognised courier service, shall be deemed to have been served 48 hours after the time when the letter containing the same is delivered to the courier service; or

 

28


  (d)

electronic mail, shall be deemed to have been served immediately upon the time of the transmission by electronic mail.

In proving service by post or courier service it shall be sufficient to prove that the letter containing the notice or documents was properly addressed and duly posted or delivered to the courier service.

 

150.

Any notice or document delivered or sent in accordance with the terms of these Articles shall notwithstanding that such Shareholder be then dead or bankrupt, and whether or not the Company has notice of his death or bankruptcy, be deemed to have been duly served in respect of any Share registered in the name of such Shareholder as sole or joint holder, unless his name shall at the time of the service of the notice or document, have been removed from the Register as the holder of the Share, and such service shall for all purposes be deemed a sufficient service of such notice or document on all Persons interested (whether jointly with or as claiming through or under him) in the Share.

 

151.

Notice of every general meeting of the Company shall be given to:

 

  (a)

all Shareholders holding Shares with the right to receive notice and who have supplied to the Company an address for the giving of notices to them; and

 

  (b)

every Person entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Shareholder, who but for his death or bankruptcy would be entitled to receive notice of the meeting.

No other Person shall be entitled to receive notices of general meetings.

INDEMNITY

 

152.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, every Director (including for the purposes of this Article any alternate Director appointed pursuant to the provisions of these Articles), Secretary, assistant Secretary, or other Officer (but not including the Company’s auditors) and the personal representatives of the same (each an “Indemnified Person”) shall be indemnified and secured harmless out of the assets and funds of the Company against all actions or proceedings whether threatened, pending or completed (a “Proceeding”), costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by such Indemnified Person, other than by reason of such Indemnified Person’s own actual fraud, wilful default or wilful neglect as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, in or about the conduct of the Company’s business or affairs (including as a result of any mistake of judgment), in the execution or discharge of his duties, powers, authorities or discretions or in respect of any actions or activities undertaken by an Indemnified Person provided for and in accordance with the provisions set out above (inclusive) including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by such Indemnified Person in defending or otherwise being involved in, (whether successfully or otherwise) any civil proceedings concerning the Company or its affairs in any court whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere. Each Member agrees to waive any claim or right of action he or she

 

29


  might have, whether individually or by or in the right of the Company, against any Director on account of any action taken by such Director, or the failure of such Director to take any action in the performance of his duties with or for the Company; provided that such waiver shall not extend to any matter in respect of any actual fraud, wilful default or wilful neglect which may attach to such Director.

 

153.

No Indemnified Person shall be liable:

 

  (a)

for the acts, receipts, neglects, defaults or omissions of any other Director or Officer or agent of the Company; or

 

  (b)

for any loss on account of defect of title to any property of the Company; or

 

  (c)

on account of the insufficiency of any security in or upon which any money of the Company shall be invested; or

 

  (d)

for any loss incurred through any bank, broker or other similar Person; or

 

  (e)

for any loss occasioned by any negligence, default, breach of duty, breach of trust, error of judgement or oversight on such Indemnified Person’s part; or

 

  (f)

for any loss, damage or misfortune whatsoever which may happen in or arise from the execution or discharge of the duties, powers, authorities, or discretions of such Indemnified Person’s office or in relation thereto;

unless the same shall happen through such Indemnified Person’s own actual fraud, wilful default or wilful neglect as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

154.

The Company will pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by a Indemnified Person in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that, to the extent required by applicable law, such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the Indemnified Person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the Indemnified Person is not entitled to be indemnified under these Articles or otherwise.

 

155.

The Directors, on behalf of the Company, may purchase and maintain insurance for the benefit of any Director or officer of the Company against any liability which, by virtue of any rule of law, would otherwise attach to such person in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust of which such person may be guilty in relation to the Company.

 

156.

The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses conferred on any indemnitee as set out above will not be exclusive of any other rights that any indemnitee may have or hereafter acquire. The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses set out above will be contract rights and such rights will continue as to an Indemnified Person who has ceased to be a Director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors and administrators.

 

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NON-RECOGNITION OF TRUSTS

 

157.

Subject to the proviso hereto, no Person shall be recognised by the Company as holding any Share upon any trust and the Company shall not, unless required by law, be bound by or be compelled in any way to recognise (even when having notice thereof) any equitable, contingent, future or partial interest in any Share or (except only as otherwise provided by these Articles or as the Companies Law requires) any other right in respect of any Share except an absolute right to the entirety thereof in each Shareholder registered in the Register, provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall be entitled to recognise any such interests as shall be determined by the Directors.

BUSINESS COMBINATION REQUIREMENTS

 

158.

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Articles, the Articles under this heading “Business Combination Requirements” shall apply during the period commencing upon the adoption of the Articles and terminating upon the first to occur of the consummation of any Business Combination and the distribution of the Trust Fund pursuant to Article 166. In the event of a conflict between the Articles under this heading “Business Combination Requirements” and any other Articles, the provisions of the Articles under this heading “Business Combination Requirements” shall prevail.

 

159.

Prior to the consummation of any Business Combination, the Company shall either:

 

  (a)

submit such Business Combination to its Members for approval; or

 

  (b)

provide Members with the opportunity to have their Shares repurchased by means of a tender offer for a per-Share repurchase price payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Fund, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, including interest earned on the Trust Fund and not previously released to the Company to pay income taxes, if any, (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of Public Shares then in issue, provided that the Company shall not repurchase Public Shares in an amount that would cause the Company’s net tangible assets to be less than US$5,000,001.

 

160.

If the Company initiates any tender offer in accordance with Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act in connection with a Business Combination, it shall file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about such Business Combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act.

 

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161.

If, alternatively, the Company holds a Member vote to approve a proposed Business Combination, the Company will conduct any compulsory redemption in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act and not pursuant to the tender offer rules and file proxy materials with the SEC.

 

162.

At a general meeting called for the purposes of approving a Business Combination pursuant to these Articles, in the event that a majority of the Shares voted are voted for the approval of a Business Combination, the Company shall be authorised to consummate a Business Combination.

 

163.

Any Member holding Public Shares who is not a Founder, officer or Director may, contemporaneously with any vote on a Business Combination, elect to have their Public Shares redeemed for cash (the “IPO Redemption”), provided that no such Member acting together with any affiliate or any other person with whom such Member is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act) may exercise this redemption right with respect to more than 15% of the Public Shares without the consent of the Company, and provided further that any holder that holds Public Shares beneficially through a nominee must identify itself to the Company in connection with any redemption election in order to validly redeem such Public Shares. In connection with any vote held to approve a proposed Business Combination, holders of Public Shares seeking to exercise their redemption rights will be required to either tender their certificates (if any) to the Company’s transfer agent or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, in each case up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve a Business Combination. If so demanded, the Company shall pay any such redeeming Member, regardless of whether he is voting for or against such proposed Business Combination, a per-Share redemption price payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Fund calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, including interest earned on the Trust Fund and not previously released to the Company to pay income taxes, if any, (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of Public Shares then in issue (such redemption price being referred to herein as the “Redemption Price”).

 

164.

The Redemption Price shall be paid promptly following the consummation of the relevant Business Combination. If the proposed Business Combination is not approved or completed for any reason then such redemptions shall be cancelled and share certificates (if any) returned to the relevant Members as appropriate.

 

165.

(a) In the event that either the Company does not consummate a Business Combination by twenty-four months after the closing of the IPO, or such later time as the Members of the Company may approve in accordance with the Articles or a resolution of the Company’s Members is passed pursuant to the Companies Law to commence the voluntary liquidation of the Company prior to the consummation of a Business Combination for any reason, the Company shall: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-Share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Fund, including interest earned on the Trust Fund and not previously released to the Company to pay income taxes, if any, (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of Public Shares

 

32


  then in issue, which redemption will completely extinguish public Members’ rights as Members (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining Members and the Directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of sub-articles (ii) and (iii), to its obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the other requirements of applicable law.

(b) If any amendment is made to Article 165(a) that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of the Public Shares if the Company has not consummated an initial Business Combination within twenty-four months after the date of the closing of the IPO, or any amendment is made with respect to any other provisions of these Articles relating to the rights of holders of Class A Shares, each holder of Public Shares who is not a Founder, officer or Director shall be provided with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares upon the approval of any such amendment at a per-Share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Fund, including interest earned on the Trust Fund and not previously released to the Company to pay our income taxes, if any, (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of Public Shares then in issue.

 

166.

Except for the withdrawal of interest to pay income taxes, if any, none of the funds held in the Trust Fund shall be released from the Trust Fund until the earlier of an IPO Redemption pursuant to Article 164, a repurchase of Shares by means of a tender offer pursuant to Article 160(b), a distribution of the Trust Fund pursuant to Article 165(a) or an amendment under Article 165(b). In no other circumstance shall a holder of Public Shares have any right or interest of any kind in the Trust Fund.

 

167.

After the issue of Public Shares, and prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, the Directors shall not issue additional Shares or any other securities that would entitle the holders thereof to: (a) receive funds from the Trust Fund; or (b) vote on any Business Combination or any other proposal presented to the Shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of a Business Combination.

 

168.

The Company must complete one or more Business Combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Fund (excluding the amount of deferred underwriting discounts held in the Trust Fund and taxes payable on the income earned on the Trust Fund) at the time of the Company’s signing a definitive agreement in connection with a Business Combination. An initial Business Combination must not be effectuated with another blank cheque company or a similar company with nominal operations. In the event the Company enters into a Business Combination with an entity that is affiliated with the Sponsor, officers or Directors, the Company, or a committee of independent directors (as defined pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Designated Stock Exchange), will obtain an opinion that the initial Business Combination is fair to the Company from a financial point of view from either an independent investment banking firm that is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or an independent accounting firm.

 

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169.

Any payment made to members of the Audit Committee (if one exists) shall require the review and approval of the Directors, with any Director interested in such payment abstaining from such review and approval.

 

170.

A Director may vote in respect of any Business Combination in which such Director has a conflict of interest with respect to the evaluation of such Business Combination. Such Director must disclose such interest or conflict to the other Directors.

 

171.

The Audit Committee shall monitor compliance with the terms of the IPO and, if any non-compliance is identified, the Audit Committee shall be charged with the responsibility to take all action necessary to rectify such non-compliance or otherwise cause compliance with the terms of the IPO.

 

172.

The Company may enter into a Business Combination with a target business that is affiliated with the Sponsor, the Directors or officers of the Company if such transaction were approved by a majority of the independent directors (as defined in Article 168) and the directors that did not have an interest in such transaction. In the event the Company enters into a Business Combination with an entity that is affiliated with the Sponsor, the Directors or officers, the Company, or a committee of independent directors (as defined in Article 168), will obtain an opinion that the Business Combination is fair to the Company from a financial point of view from either an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

 

173.

In recognition and anticipation of the facts that: (a) directors, managers, officers, members, partners, managing members, employees and/or agents of one or more members of the Investor Group (each of the foregoing, an “Investor Group Related Person”) may serve as Directors and/or officers of the Company; and (b) the Investor Group engages, and may continue to engage in the same or similar activities or related lines of business as those in which the Company, directly or indirectly, may engage and/or other business activities that overlap with or compete with those in which the Company, directly or indirectly, may engage, the provisions of Articles 173 to 177 are set forth to regulate and define the conduct of certain affairs of the Company as they may involve the Members and the Investor Group Related Persons, and the powers, rights, duties and liabilities of the Company and its officers, Directors and Members in connection therewith.

 

174.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Investor Group and the Investor Group Related Persons shall have no duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as the Company.

 

175.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company renounces any interest or expectancy of the Company in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for either the Investor Group or the Investor Group Related Persons, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other.

 

34


176.

Except to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Investor Group and the Investor Group Related Persons shall have no duty to communicate or offer any such corporate opportunity to the Company and shall not be liable to the Company or its Members for breach of any fiduciary duty as a Member, Director and/or officer of the Company solely by reason of the fact that such party pursues or acquires such corporate opportunity for itself, himself or herself, directs such corporate opportunity to another person, or does not communicate information regarding such corporate opportunity to the Company.

 

177.

Except as provided elsewhere in these Articles, the Company hereby renounces any interest or expectancy of the Company in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for both the Company and the Investor Group, about which a Director and/or officer of the Company who is also an Investor Group Related Person acquires knowledge and the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, waive any interest in any such corporate opportunity offered to any Director or officer.

 

178.

To the extent a court might hold that the conduct of any activity related to a corporate opportunity that is renounced in this Article to be a breach of duty to the Company or its Members, the Company and (if applicable) each Member hereby waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all claims and causes of action that the Company may have for such activities described in Articles 174 to 177 above. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the provisions of Articles 174 to 177 apply equally to activities conducted in the future and that have been conducted in the past.

WINDING UP

 

179.

If the Company shall be wound up the liquidator shall apply the assets of the Company in such manner and order as he thinks fit in satisfaction of creditors’ claims.

 

180.

If the Company shall be wound up, the liquidator may, with the sanction of an Ordinary Resolution divide amongst the Shareholders in specie or kind the whole or any part of the assets of the Company (whether they shall consist of property of the same kind or not) and may, for such purpose set such value as he deems fair upon any property to be divided as aforesaid and may determine how such division shall be carried out as between the Shareholders or different Classes. The liquidator may, with the like sanction, vest the whole or any part of such assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the Shareholders as the liquidator, with the like sanction shall think fit, but so that no Shareholder shall be compelled to accept any assets whereon there is any liability.

AMENDMENT OF ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

 

181.

Subject to the Companies Law and the rights attaching to the various Classes, the Company may at any time and from time to time by Special Resolution alter or amend these Articles in whole or in part.

 

35


CLOSING OF REGISTER OR FIXING RECORD DATE

 

182.

For the purpose of determining those Shareholders that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at any meeting of Shareholders or any adjournment thereof, or those Shareholders that are entitled to receive payment of any dividend, or in order to make a determination as to who is a Shareholder for any other purpose, the Directors may, by any means in accordance with the requirements of any Designated Stock Exchange, provide that the Register shall be closed for transfers for a stated period which shall not exceed in any case 40 days. If the Register shall be so closed for the purpose of determining those Shareholders that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of Shareholders the Register shall be so closed for at least ten days immediately preceding such meeting and the record date for such determination shall be the date of the closure of the Register.

 

183.

In lieu of or apart from closing the Register, the Directors may fix in advance a date as the record date for any such determination of those Shareholders that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of the Shareholders and for the purpose of determining those Shareholders that are entitled to receive payment of any dividend the Directors may, at or within 90 days prior to the date of declaration of such dividend, fix a subsequent date as the record date for such determination.

 

184.

If the Register is not so closed and no record date is fixed for the determination of those Shareholders entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of Shareholders or those Shareholders that are entitled to receive payment of a dividend, the date on which notice of the meeting is posted or the date on which the resolution of the Directors declaring such dividend is adopted, as the case may be, shall be the record date for such determination of Shareholders. When a determination of those Shareholders that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of Shareholders has been made as provided in this Article, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof.

REGISTRATION BY WAY OF CONTINUATION

 

185.

The Company may by Special Resolution resolve to be registered by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands or such other jurisdiction in which it is for the time being incorporated, registered or existing. In furtherance of a resolution adopted pursuant to this Article, the Directors may cause an application to be made to the Registrar of Companies to deregister the Company in the Cayman Islands or such other jurisdiction in which it is for the time being incorporated, registered or existing and may cause all such further steps as they consider appropriate to be taken to effect the transfer by way of continuation of the Company.

MERGERS AND CONSOLIDATION

 

186.

The Company may merge or consolidate in accordance with the Companies Law.

 

187.

To the extent required by the Companies Law, the Company may by Special Resolution resolve to merge or consolidate the Company.

 

36


DISCLOSURE

 

188.

The Directors, or any authorised service providers (including the Officers, the Secretary and the registered office agent of the Company), shall be entitled to disclose to any regulatory or judicial authority, or to any stock exchange on which the Shares may from time to time be listed, any information regarding the affairs of the Company including, without limitation, information contained in the Register and books of the Company.

 

37

Exhibit 5.1

 

LOGO

November 12, 2020

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

One World Financial Center

New York, New York 10281

 

            Re:    Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special counsel for Population Health Investment Co., Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing of the registration statement on Form S-1, File No. 333-249756, which was initially filed on October 30, 2020, and was amended on November 12, 2020 (the “Registration Statement”), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to the offering (the “Offering”) by the Company of units (the “Units”), each Unit consisting of one Class A ordinary share, $0.0001 par value (“Class A Shares”), and one-third of one redeemable warrant (the “Warrants”), in each case of the Company.

This opinion is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act.

In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have examined and relied upon the originals, copies or specimens, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of:

 

  (a)

the form of Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) proposed to be entered into by and between the Company and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representative of the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), relating to the sale by the Company to the Underwriters of the Units, filed as Exhibit 1.1 to the Registration Statement;

 

  (b)

the form of Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the Registration Statement;

 

  (c)

the Registration Statement;


LOGO

 

  (d)

the form of specimen Unit certificate, filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration Statement;

 

  (e)

the form of specimen Class A ordinary share certificate, filed as Exhibit 4.2 to the Registration Statement;

 

  (f)

the form of specimen Warrant certificate, filed as Exhibit 4.3 to the Registration Statement;

 

  (g)

the form of Warrant Agreement proposed to be entered into by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent (the “Warrant Agreement”), filed as Exhibit 4.4 to the Registration Statement; and

 

  (h)

the written resolution of the sole director of the Company relating to, among other matters, the issuance of the Units, the Shares and the Warrants and the filing of the Registration Statement.

We have also examined such certificates, corporate and public records, agreements and instruments and other documents as we have deemed appropriate as a basis for the opinions expressed below. In such examination we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents, agreements and instruments submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents, agreements and instruments of all documents, agreements and instruments submitted to us as copies or specimens, the authenticity of the originals of such documents, agreements and instruments submitted to us as copies or specimens, the conformity of the text of each document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) through the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System to the printed document reviewed by us, and the accuracy of the matters set forth in the documents, agreements and instruments we reviewed. As to matters of fact relevant to the opinions expressed herein, we have relied upon certificates and oral or written statements and other information obtained from the Company. Except as expressly set forth herein, we have not undertaken any independent investigation (including, without limitation, conducting any review, search or investigation of any public files, records or dockets) to determine the existence or absence of the facts that are material to our opinions, and no inference as to our knowledge concerning such facts should be drawn from our reliance on the representations of the Company in connection with the preparation and delivery of this letter. We have assumed, with your consent, that the Company is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands, has the corporate power to execute, deliver and perform its obligations to which it is a party and duly authorized the Class A Shares and Warrants constituting the Units, and that when the Units are delivered and paid for as contemplated by the Registration Statement, such Class A Shares and Warrants will have been duly and validly issued, executed and delivered under the laws of the Cayman Islands, as applicable.

We express no opinion concerning the laws of any jurisdiction other than the laws of the State of New York.

Based on the foregoing and subject to the limitations, qualifications and assumptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that:

When the Underwriting Agreement and the Warrant Agreement have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the respective parties thereto and certificates representing the Units, the Class A Shares, and the Warrants in the forms of the respective specimen certificates filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement have been duly authorized, executed and delivered in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement and the Warrant Agreement against payment in full of the consideration payable therefor as

- 2 -


LOGO

 

contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement, (a) the Units will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms and (b) the Warrants included in the Units will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.

Each opinion with respect to the Units and the Warrants being “valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms” or similar language is subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights, to general equity principles and public policy considerations which may limit the right of parties to obtain certain remedies.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission. This opinion is expressed as of the date hereof unless otherwise expressly stated, and we disclaim any undertaking to advise you of any subsequent changes of the facts stated or assumed herein or any subsequent changes in applicable law.

 

Very yours truly,
/s/ Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

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Exhibit 5.2

 

12 November 2020

 

Population Health Investment Co., Inc.

c/o Walkers Corporate Limited

Cayman Corporate Centre

27 Hospital Road

George Town

Grand Cayman KY1-9008

Cayman Islands

Dear Sirs

POPULATION HEALTH INVESTMENT CO., INC.

We have been asked to provide this legal opinion to you with regard to the laws of the Cayman Islands in connection with the registration of an initial public offering by Population Health Investment Co., Inc. (the “Company”), of:

 

(i)

up to 15,000,000 units (the “Units”), each Unit consisting of one share of Class A ordinary shares of the Company, par value US$0.0001 (each an “Ordinary Share” and together, the “Ordinary Shares”), and one-third of one redeemable warrant to purchase one Ordinary Share (the “Warrants);

 

(ii)

up to 2,250,000 units (the “Over-Allotment Units”), which may be issued upon exercise of an option granted to the underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any;

 

(iii)

all Ordinary Shares, and all Warrants issued as part of the Units and the Over-Allotment Units; and

 

(iv)

all Ordinary Shares that may be issued upon exercise of the Warrants included in the Units and the Over-Allotment Units,

in each case under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and pursuant to the terms of the Registration Statement (as defined in Schedule 1).

For the purposes of giving this opinion, we have examined and relied upon the originals or copies of the documents listed in Schedule 1.

We are Cayman Islands Attorneys at Law and express no opinion as to any laws other than the laws of the Cayman Islands in force and as interpreted at the date of this opinion.

Based upon the foregoing examinations and the assumptions and qualifications set out below and having regard to legal considerations which we consider relevant, and under the laws of the Cayman Islands, as at the date hereof, we give the following opinions in relation to the matters set out below.


WALKERS    Page 2

 

1.

The Company is an exempted company duly incorporated with limited liability, validly existing under the laws of the Cayman Islands and in good standing with the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands (the “Registrar”).

 

2.

The Ordinary Shares, as contemplated by the Registration Statement, will have been duly authorised by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and upon the issue of the Ordinary Shares (by the entry of the name of the registered owner thereof in the Register of Members of the Company confirming that such Ordinary Shares have been issued credited as fully paid), delivery and payment therefore by the purchaser in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association (as defined in Schedule 1) and in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Underwriting Agreement (as defined in Schedule 1), the Ordinary Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable (meaning that no additional sums may be levied on the holder thereof by the Company).

 

3.

The Ordinary Shares, to be issued upon redemption of the Warrants as contemplated by the Warrant Documents (as defined in Schedule 1), will have been duly authorised by all necessary corporate action of the Company and upon the issue of such Ordinary Shares (by the entry of the name of the registered owner thereof in the Register of Members of the Company confirming that such Ordinary Shares have been issued credited as fully paid), delivery and redemption of the Warrants in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association and in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Warrant Documents (as defined in Schedule 1), such Ordinary Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable (meaning that no additional sums may be levied on the holder thereof by the Company).

 

4.

The execution, delivery and performance of the Unit Certificate and the Warrant Documents will have been authorised by and on behalf of the Company and, once the Unit Certificate and the Warrant Documents have been executed and unconditionally delivered by the Company, such documents, will be duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Company and will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms.

The foregoing opinions are given based on the following assumptions.

 

1.

The originals of all documents examined in connection with this opinion are authentic. The signatures, initials and seals on the Documents are or will be genuine and are or will be those of a person or persons given power to execute the Documents under the Resolutions (as defined in Schedule 1). All documents purporting to be sealed have been or will be so sealed. All copies are complete and conform to their originals. The Documents when executed will conform in every material respect to the latest drafts of the same produced to us prior to the date hereof and, where provided in successive drafts, have been marked up to indicate all changes to such Documents.

 

2.

The Resolutions have been duly executed (and where by a corporate entity such execution has been duly authorised if so required) by or on behalf of each Director and the signatures and initials thereon are those of a person or persons in whose name the Resolutions have been expressed to be signed.


WALKERS    Page 3

 

3.

The Memorandum and Articles of Association will be the Memorandum and Articles of Association in effect on the issue of the Ordinary Shares.

 

4.

We have relied upon the statements and representations of directors, officers and other representatives of the Company as to factual matters.

 

5.

The Company will receive consideration in money or money’s worth for each Ordinary Share offered by the Company when issued at the agreed issue price as per the terms of the Registration Statement, such price in any event not being less than the stated par or nominal value of each Ordinary Share.

 

6.

The preparation and filing of the Registration Statement has been duly authorised by or on behalf of the Company prior to the issue and sale of the Ordinary Shares.

 

7.

Each of the Documents will be duly authorised, executed and delivered by or on behalf of all relevant parties prior to the issue and sale of the Ordinary Shares and will be legal, valid, binding and enforceable against all relevant parties in accordance with their terms under the laws of the State of New York and all other relevant laws (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands).

 

8.

The choice of New York law as the governing law of the Documents has been made in good faith and would be regarded as a valid and binding selection which will be upheld by the courts of the State of New York as a matter of New York law and all other relevant laws (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands).

 

9.

The power, authority and legal right of all parties under all relevant laws and regulations (other than the Company under the laws of the Cayman Islands) to enter into, execute and perform their respective obligations under the Documents.

 

10.

All preconditions to the obligations of the parties to the Underwriting Agreement, the Unit Certificate and Warrant Documents will be satisfied or duly waived prior to the issue and sale of the Ordinary Shares and there will be no breach of the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, the Unit Certificate and Warrant Documents.

The opinions expressed above are subject to the following qualifications:

 

1.

The term “enforceable” and its cognates as used in this opinion means that the obligations assumed by any party under the Documents are of a type which the courts of the Cayman Islands (the “Courts” and each a “Court”) enforce. This does not mean that those obligations will necessarily be enforced in all circumstances in accordance with their terms. In particular:

 

  (a)

enforcement of obligations and the priority of obligations may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, reorganisation, readjustment of debts or moratorium and other laws of general application relating to or affecting the rights of creditors or by prescription or lapse of time;

 

  (b)

enforcement may be limited by general principles of equity and, in particular, the availability of certain equitable remedies such as injunction or specific performance of an obligation may be limited where a Court considers damages to be an adequate remedy;


WALKERS    Page 4

 

  (c)

claims may become barred under statutes of limitation or may be or become subject to defences of set-off, counterclaim, estoppel and similar defences;

 

  (d)

where obligations are to be performed in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands, they may not be enforceable in the Cayman Islands to the extent that performance would be illegal under the laws of, or contrary to the public policy of, that jurisdiction;

 

  (e)

a judgment of a Court may be required to be made in Cayman Islands dollars;

 

  (f)

to the extent that any provision of the Documents is adjudicated to be penal in nature, it will not be enforceable in the Courts; in particular, the enforceability of any provision of the Documents that is adjudicated to constitute a secondary obligation which imposes a detriment on the contract-breaker out of all proportion to any legitimate interest of the innocent party in the enforcement of the primary obligation may be limited;

 

  (g)

to the extent that the performance of any obligation arising under the Documents would be fraudulent or contrary to public policy, it will not be enforceable in the Courts;

 

  (h)

in the case of an insolvent liquidation of the Company, its liabilities are required to be translated into the functional currency of the Company (being the currency of the primary economic environment in which it operated as at the commencement of the liquidation) at the exchange rates prevailing on the date of commencement of the voluntary liquidation or the day on which the winding up order is made (as the case may be);

 

  (i)

a Court will not necessarily award costs in litigation in accordance with contractual provisions in this regard;

 

  (j)

the effectiveness of terms in the Documents excusing any party from a liability or duty otherwise owed or indemnifying that party from the consequences of incurring such liability or breaching such duty shall be construed in accordance with, and shall be limited by, applicable law, including generally applicable rules and principles of common law and equity.

 

2.

Our opinion as to good standing is based solely upon receipt of the Certificate of Good Standing issued by the Registrar. The Company shall be deemed to be in good standing under section 200A of the Companies Law (as amended) of the Cayman Islands (the “Companies Law”) on the date of issue of the certificate if all fees and penalties under the Companies Law have been paid and the Registrar has no knowledge that the Company is in default under the Companies Law.

This opinion is limited to the matters referred to herein and shall not be construed as extending to any other matter or document not referred to herein. This opinion is given solely for your benefit and the benefit of your legal advisers acting in that capacity in relation to this transaction and may not be relied upon by any other person, other than persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act, without our prior written consent.


WALKERS    Page 5

 

This opinion shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the Cayman Islands.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our firm in the Registration Statement.

Yours faithfully

/s/ Walkers


WALKERS    Page 6

 

SCHEDULE 1

LIST OF DOCUMENTS EXAMINED

 

1.

The Certificate of Incorporation dated 11 September 2020 and a draft of the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company to be in effect upon the consummation of the sale of the Ordinary Shares (the “Memorandum and Articles of Association”).

 

2.

The Cayman Online Registry Information System (CORIS), the Cayman Islands’ General Registry’s online database, searched on 11 November 2020.

 

3.

The Register of Writs and other Originating Process of the Grand Court kept at the Clerk of Court’s Office, George Town, Grand Cayman (the “Court Register”), examined at 9.00am on 11 November 2020 (the “Search Time”).

 

4.

A copy of a Certificate of Good Standing dated 11 November 2020 in respect of the Company issued by the Registrar (the “Certificate of Good Standing”).

 

5.

A copy of executed written resolutions of the Directors of the Company dated 11 November approving the offering for sale of the Ordinary Shares (collectively, the “Resolutions”).

 

6.

Copies of the following documents (the “Documents”):

 

  (a)

a draft of the Form S-1 Registration Statement to be filed by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission registering the Units, Ordinary Shares and Warrants under the Securities Act (as filed, the “Registration Statement”);

 

  (b)

a draft of the form of the warrant agreement and the warrant certificate constituting the Warrants (the “Warrant Documents”);

 

  (c)

a draft of the form of the unit certificate constituting the Units (the “Unit Certificate”); and

 

  (d)

a draft of the form of Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) to be entered into between the Company and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC as representative of the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”).

Exhibit 14.1

POPULATION HEALTH INVESTMENT CO., INC.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

Introduction

Purpose and Scope

The Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) of Population Health Investment Co., Inc. (the “Company”) established this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics to aid the Company’s directors, officers, employees and certain designated agents in making ethical and legal decisions when conducting the Company’s business and performing their day-to-day duties.

The Company’s Board of Directors or a committee thereof is responsible for administering the Code. The Company expects its directors, officers, employees and designated agents to be familiar with the Code, adhere to the principles and procedures set forth in the Code and to exercise reasonable judgment when conducting the Company’s business. The Company encourages its directors, officers employees and designated agents to refer to this Code frequently to ensure that they are acting within both the letter and the spirit of this Code.

The Company’s directors, officers, employees and designated agents generally have other legal and contractual obligations to the Company. This Code is not intended to reduce or limit the other obligations that you may have to the Company. Instead, the standards in this Code should be viewed as the minimum standards that the Company expects from its directors, officers, employees and certain designated agents in the conduct of the Company’s business.


Standards of Conduct

Compliance with Laws, Rules and Regulations

The Company requires that all employees, officers, directors and designated agents comply with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to the Company, including those relating to accounting and auditing matters and insider trading. You are expected to use good judgment and common sense in seeking to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations and to ask for advice when you are uncertain about them.

Employees, officers, directors and designated agents who have material non-public information about the Company or other companies, including our suppliers and customers, as a result of their relationship with the Company are prohibited by law and Company policy from trading in securities of the Company or such other companies, as well as from communicating such information to others who might trade on the basis of that information.

If you become aware of the violation of any law, rule or regulation by the Company, whether by its officers, employees, directors, designated agents or any third party doing business on behalf of the Company, it is your responsibility to promptly report the matter to your supervisor or to the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer. While it is the Company’s desire to address matters internally, nothing in this Code should discourage you from reporting any illegal activity, including any violation of the securities laws, antitrust laws, environmental laws or any other federal, state or foreign law, rule or regulation, to the appropriate regulatory authority. Employees, officers and directors shall not discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, harass or in any other manner discriminate or retaliate against an employee because he or she reports any such violation, unless it is determined that the report was made with knowledge that it was false. This Code should not be construed to prohibit you from testifying, participating or otherwise assisting in any state or federal administrative, judicial or legislative proceeding or investigation.

Conflicts of Interest

The Company recognizes and respects the right of its directors, officers, employees and certain designated agents to engage in outside activities that they may deem proper and desirable; provided that these activities do not impair or interfere with the performance of their duties to the Company or their ability to act in the Company’s best interests. In most, if not all, cases this will mean that our directors, officers, employees and designated agents must avoid situations that present a potential or actual conflict between their own interests and the Company’s interests.

A “conflict of interest” occurs when a director’s, officer’s, employee’s or designated agent’s personal or business interest interferes with the Company’s interests. Conflicts of interest may arise in many situations. For example, conflicts of interest can arise when a director, officer, employee or designated agent takes an action or has an outside interest, responsibility or obligation that may make it difficult for him or her to perform the responsibilities of his or her position objectively and/or effectively in the Company’s best interests. Conflicts of interest may also occur when a director, officer, employee, designated agent or an immediate family member, receives some personal benefit (whether improper or not) as a result of the director’s, officer’s, employee’s or designated agent’s position with the Company. Each individual’s situation is different and in evaluating his or her own situation, a director, officer, employee or designated agent will have to consider many factors.

 

-2-


Any material transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest should be reported promptly to the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer may notify the Board of Directors or a committee thereof as he or she deems appropriate. Actual or potential conflicts of interest involving a director or executive officer other than the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer should be disclosed directly to the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer.

Confidentiality

Employees, officers, directors and designated agents must maintain the confidentiality of confidential and proprietary information entrusted to them by the Company or other companies, including our suppliers and customers, except when disclosure is authorized by a supervisor or legally mandated. Unauthorized disclosure of any confidential information is prohibited. Additionally, employees should take appropriate precautions to ensure that confidential or sensitive business information, whether it is proprietary to the Company or another company, is not communicated within the Company except to employees who have a need to know such information to perform their responsibilities for the Company.

Honest and Ethical Conduct and Fair Dealing

Employees, officers, directors and designated agents should endeavor to deal honestly, ethically and fairly with the Company’s suppliers, customers, competitors and employees. Statements regarding the Company’s products and services must not be untrue, misleading, deceptive or fraudulent. You must not take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts or any other unfair-dealing practice.

Protection and Proper Use of the Company’s Assets

Employees, officers, directors and designated agents should seek to protect the Company’s assets. Theft, carelessness and waste have a direct impact on the Company’s financial performance. Employees, officers, directors and designated agents must use the Company’s assets and services solely for legitimate business purposes of the Company and not for any personal benefit or the personal benefit of anyone else.

Corporate Opportunities

Employees, officers, directors and designated agents owe a duty to the Company to advance its legitimate business interests when the opportunity to do so arises. Each employee, officer, director and designated agent is prohibited from:

 

   

diverting to himself or herself or to others any opportunities that are discovered through the use of the Company’s property or information or as a result of his or her position with the Company unless such opportunity has first been presented to, and rejected by, the Company;

 

-3-


   

using the Company’s property or information or his or her position for improper personal gain; or

 

   

competing with the Company.

Accuracy of Records

Employees, officers, directors and designated agents must honestly and accurately report all business transactions. You are responsible for the accuracy of your records and reports. Accurate information is essential to the Company’s ability to meet legal and regulatory obligations.

All Company books, records and accounts shall be maintained in accordance with all applicable regulations and standards and accurately reflect the true nature of the transactions they record. The financial statements of the Company shall conform to generally accepted accounting rules and the Company’s accounting policies. No undisclosed or unrecorded account or fund shall be established for any purpose. No false or misleading entries shall be made in the Company’s books or records for any reason, and no disbursement of corporate funds or other corporate property shall be made without adequate supporting documentation.

Quality of Public Disclosures

It is the policy of the Company to provide full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents filed with, or submitted to, the Securities and Exchange Commission and in other public communications.

Compliance Procedures

Communication of Code

All directors, officers, employees and designated agents will be supplied with a copy of the Code upon its enactment and, thereafter, upon beginning service at the Company. Updates of the Code will be provided from time to time.

Monitoring Compliance and Disciplinary Action

The Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer will (i) monitor compliance with the Code, (ii) report any violation or alleged violation involving a director or an executive officer to the Chairman of the Board of Directors, and (iii) when appropriate, impose and enforce appropriate disciplinary measures for violations of the Code.

Where appropriate, the Board will conduct additional investigation as it deems necessary. The Board will determine whether a director or executive has violated the Code.

 

-4-


Reporting Concerns/Receiving Advice

Any questions related to the Code should be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer. Any transaction or relationship that could reasonably be expected to create a conflict of interest should be discussed with the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer. If any employee, officer or designated agent believes that actions have taken place, may be taking place, or may be about to take place that violate or would violate the Code or any law, rule or regulation applicable to the Company, he or she must bring the matter to the attention of the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer. Neither the Company nor any of the Company’s directors, officers, or employees, may retaliate against any other director, officer, employee or designated agent who reports potential violations of the Code.

Waivers and Amendments

No waiver of any provisions of the Code for the benefit of a director or an executive officer (which includes, without limitation, for purposes of this Code, the Company’s principal executive, financial and accounting officers) shall be effective unless (i) approved by the Board of Directors or, if permitted, a committee thereof, and (ii) if applicable, such waiver is promptly disclosed to the Company’s shareholders in accordance with applicable U.S. securities laws and/or the rules and regulations of the exchange or system on which the Company’s shares are traded or quoted, as the case may be.

Any waivers of the Code for other employees may be made by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, the Board of Directors or, if permitted, a committee thereof.

All amendments to the Code must be approved by the Board of Directors or a committee thereof and, if applicable, must be promptly disclosed to the Company’s shareholders in accordance with applicable United States securities laws and/or the rules and regulations of the exchange or system on which the Company’s shares are traded or quoted, as the case may be.

*    *    *    *    *

Adopted:

 

-5-

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Amendment No. 1 to Form S-1, of our report dated September 23, 2020, relating to the balance sheet of Population Health Investment Co., Inc. as of September 17, 2020, and the related statements of operations, changes in shareholder’s deficit and cash flows for the period from September 11, 2020 (inception) through September 17, 2020, and to the reference to our Firm under the caption “Experts” in the Prospectus.

/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC

New York, New York

November 12, 2020

Exhibit 99.1

CONSENT OF IAN READ

Population Health Investment Co., Inc. (the “Company”) intends to file a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (together with any amendments or supplements thereto, the “Registration Statement”) registering securities for issuance in its initial public offering. As required by Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents to being named in the Registration Statement as a Director Nominee.

November 02, 2020

 

By:  

/s/ Ian Read

  Name: Ian Read

Exhibit 99.2

CONSENT OF FARAH CHAMPSI

Population Health Investment Co., Inc. (the “Company”) intends to file a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (together with any amendments or supplements thereto, the “Registration Statement”) registering securities for issuance in its initial public offering. As required by Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents to being named in the Registration Statement as a Director Nominee.

November 10, 2020

 

By:  

/s/ Farah Champsi

  Name: Farah Champsi

Exhibit 99.3

CONSENT OF CLARKE FUTCH

Population Health Investment Co., Inc. (the “Company”) intends to file a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (together with any amendments or supplements thereto, the “Registration Statement”) registering securities for issuance in its initial public offering. As required by Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents to being named in the Registration Statement as a Director Nominee.

November 10, 2020

 

By:  

/s/ Clarke Futch

  Name: Clarke Futch

Exhibit 99.4

CONSENT OF CHARLES HOMCY

Population Health Investment Co., Inc. (the “Company”) intends to file a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (together with any amendments or supplements thereto, the “Registration Statement”) registering securities for issuance in its initial public offering. As required by Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents to being named in the Registration Statement as a Director Nominee.

November 10, 2020

 

By:  

/s/ Charles Homcy

  Name: Charles Homcy

Exhibit 99.5

POPULATION HEALTH INVESTMENT CO., INC.

Audit Committee Charter

 

I.

General Statement of Purpose

The purposes of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Audit Committee”) of Population Health Investment Co., Inc. (the “Company”) are to:

 

   

oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Company and the audits of the Company’s financial statements;

 

   

oversee the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements;

 

   

oversee the performance of the Company’s internal audit function;

 

   

monitoring compliance on a quarterly basis with the terms of our initial public offering;

 

   

reviewing and approving all payments made to our existing shareholders, executive officers or directors and their respective affiliates;

 

   

take, or recommend that the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) take, appropriate action to oversee the qualifications, independence and performance of the Company’s independent auditors; and

 

   

prepare the report required by the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) to be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement.

 

II.

Composition

The Audit Committee shall consist of at least three (3) members of the Board, each of whom must (1) be “independent” as defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) under the Listing Rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (the “Nasdaq Rules”); (2) meet the criteria for independence set forth in Rule 10A-3(b)(1) promulgated under Section 10A(m)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), subject to the exemptions provided in Rule 10A-3(c) under the Exchange Act; and (3) not have participated in the preparation of the financial statements of the Company or a current subsidiary of the Company at any time during the past three years. One or more members of the Audit Committee must qualify as an “audit committee financial expert” under the rules promulgated by the SEC.

The members of the Audit Committee shall be appointed annually by the Board and may be replaced or removed by the Board with or without cause. Resignation or removal of a Director from the Board, for whatever reason, shall automatically and without any further action constitute resignation or removal, as applicable, from the Audit Committee. Any vacancy on the Audit Committee, occurring for whatever reason, may be filled only by the Board. The Board shall designate one member of the Audit Committee to be Chair of the committee.


III.

Compensation

A member of the Audit Committee may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the Audit Committee, the Board or any other committee established by the Board, receive directly or indirectly any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee from the Company. A member of the Audit Committee may receive additional directors’ fees to compensate such member for the significant time and effort expended by such member to fulfill his or her duties as an Audit Committee member.

 

IV.

Meetings

The Audit Committee shall meet as often as it determines is appropriate to carry out its responsibilities under this Charter, but not less frequently than quarterly. The Audit Committee can meet in person or by telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all participants in the meeting can hear each other. A majority of the members of the Audit Committee shall constitute a quorum for purposes of holding a meeting and the Audit Committee may act by a vote of a majority of the members present at such meeting. In lieu of a meeting, the Audit Committee may act by unanimous written consent. The Chair of the Audit Committee, in consultation with the other committee members, may determine the frequency and length of the committee meetings and may set meeting agendas consistent with this Charter.

 

V.

Responsibilities and Authority

 

  A.

Review of Charter

 

   

The Audit Committee shall review and reassess the adequacy of this Charter annually and recommend to the Board any amendments or modifications to the Charter that the Audit Committee deems appropriate.

 

  B.

Performance Evaluation of the Audit Committee

 

   

Periodically, the Audit Committee shall evaluate its own performance and report the results of such evaluation to the Board.

 

  C.

Matters Relating to Selection, Performance and Independence of Independent Auditors

 

   

The Audit Committee shall be directly responsible for the appointment, retention and termination, and for determining the compensation, of the Company’s independent auditors engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit, review or attest services for the Company. The Audit Committee may consult with management in fulfilling these duties, but may not delegate these responsibilities to management.

 

-2-


   

The Audit Committee shall be directly responsible for oversight of the work of the independent auditors (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditors regarding financial reporting) engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit, review or attest services for the Company.

 

   

The independent auditors shall report directly to the Audit Committee.

 

   

The Audit Committee shall pre-approve all auditing services and the terms thereof (which may include providing comfort letters in connection with securities offerings) and non-audit services (other than non-audit services prohibited under Section 10A(g) of the Exchange Act or the applicable rules of the SEC or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”)) to be provided to the Company by the independent auditors; provided, however, the pre-approval requirement is waived with respect to the provision of non-audit services for the Company if the “de minimus” provisions of Section 10A(i)(1)(B) of the Exchange Act are satisfied. This authority to pre-approve non-audit services may be delegated to one or more members of the Audit Committee, who shall present all decisions to pre-approve an activity to the full Audit Committee at its first meeting following such decision.

 

   

The Audit Committee may review and approve the scope and staffing of the independent auditors’ annual audit plan(s).

 

   

The Audit Committee shall (1) request that the independent auditors provide the Audit Committee with the written disclosures and the letter required by Rule 3526 (“Rule 3526”), (2) require that the independent auditors submit to the Audit Committee at least annually a formal written statement describing all relationships between the independent auditors or any of its affiliates and the Company or persons in financial reporting oversight roles at the Company that might reasonably be thought to bear on the independence of the independent auditors, (3) discuss with the independent auditors the potential effects of any disclosed relationships or services on the objectivity and independence of the independent auditors, (4) require that the independent auditors provide to the Audit Committee written affirmation that the independent auditor is, as of the date of the affirmation, independent in compliance with PCAOB Rule 3520 and (5) based on such disclosures, statement, discussion and affirmation, take or recommend that the Board take appropriate action in response to the independent auditor’s report to satisfy itself of the independent auditor’s independence. In addition, before approving the initial engagement of any independent auditor, the Audit Committee shall receive, review and discuss with the audit firm all information required by, and otherwise take all

 

-3-


 

actions necessary for compliance with the requirements of, Rule 3526. References to rules of the PCAOB shall be deemed to refer to such rules and to any substantially equivalent rules adopted to replace such rules, in each case as subsequently amended, modified or supplemented.

 

   

The Audit Committee may consider whether the provision of the services covered in Items 9(e)(2) and 9(e)(3) of Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act (or any successor provision) is compatible with maintaining the independent auditor’s independence.

 

   

The Audit Committee shall evaluate the independent auditor’s qualifications, performance and independence, and shall present its conclusions with respect to the independent auditors to the full Board. As part of such evaluation, at least annually, the Audit Committee shall:

 

   

obtain and review a report or reports from the independent auditors describing (1) the auditor’s internal quality-control procedures, (2) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review or peer review of the auditors or by any inquiry or investigation by government or professional authorities, within the preceding five years, regarding one or more independent audits carried out by the auditors, and any steps taken to address any such issues, and (3) in order to assess the auditor’s independence, all relationships between the independent auditors and the Company;

 

   

review and evaluate the performance of the independent auditors and the lead partner (and the Audit Committee may review and evaluate the performance of other members of the independent auditor’s audit staff); and

 

   

assure the regular rotation of the audit partners (including, without limitation, the lead and concurring partners) as required under the Exchange Act and Regulation S-X.

In this regard, the Audit Committee shall also (1) seek the opinion of management and the internal auditors of the independent auditor’s performance and (2) consider whether, in order to assure continuing auditor independence, there should be regular rotation of the audit firm.

 

   

The Audit Committee may establish, or recommend to the Board, policies with respect to the potential hiring of current or former employees of the independent auditors.

 

-4-


  D.

Audited Financial Statements and Annual Audit

 

   

The Audit Committee shall review the overall audit plan (both external and internal) with the independent auditors, the internal auditors and the members of management who are responsible for preparing the Company’s financial statements, including the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and/or principal accounting officer or principal financial officer (the Chief Financial Officer and such other officer or officers are referred to herein collectively as the “Senior Accounting Executive”).

 

   

The Audit Committee shall review and discuss with management (including the Company’s Senior Accounting Executive) and with the independent auditors the Company’s annual audited financial statements, including (a) all critical accounting policies and practices used or to be used by the Company, (b) the Company’s disclosures under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” prior to the filing of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, and (c) any significant financial reporting issues that have arisen in connection with the preparation of such audited financial statements.

 

   

The Audit Committee must review:

 

  (i)

any analyses prepared by management, the internal auditors and/or the independent auditors setting forth significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of the financial statements, including analyses of the effects of alternative GAAP methods on the financial statements. The Audit Committee may consider the ramifications of the use of such alternative disclosures and treatments on the financial statements, and the treatment preferred by the independent auditors. The Audit Committee may also consider other material written communications between the registered public accounting firm and management, such as any management letter or schedule of unadjusted differences;

 

  (ii)

major issues as to the adequacy of the Company’s internal controls and any special audit steps adopted in light of material control deficiencies;

 

  (iii)

major issues regarding accounting principles and procedures and financial statement presentations, including any significant changes in the Company’s selection or application of accounting principles; and

 

  (iv)

the effects of regulatory and accounting initiatives, as well as off-balance sheet transactions and structures, on the financial statements of the Company.

 

-5-


   

The Audit Committee shall review and discuss with the independent auditors any audit problems or difficulties and management’s response thereto. This review shall include (1) any difficulties encountered by the independent auditors in the course of performing their audit work, including any restrictions on the scope of their activities or their access to information, (2) any significant disagreements with management and (3) a discussion of the responsibilities, budget and staffing of the Company’s internal audit function.

 

   

This review may also include:

 

  (i)

any accounting adjustments that were noted or proposed by the independent auditors but were “passed” (as immaterial or otherwise);

 

  (ii)

any communications between the audit team and the audit firm’s national office regarding auditing or accounting issues presented by the engagement; and

 

  (iii)

any management or internal control letter issued, or proposed to be issued, by the independent auditors.

 

   

If brought to the attention of the Audit Committee, the Audit Committee shall discuss with the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company (1) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and (2) any fraud involving management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

   

Based on the Audit Committee’s review and discussions (1) with management of the audited financial statements, (2) with the independent auditors of the matters required to be discussed by PCAOB AS 1301, and (3) with the independent auditors concerning the independent auditor’s independence, the Audit Committee shall make a recommendation to the Board as to whether the Company’s audited financial statements should be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the last fiscal year.

 

   

The Audit Committee shall prepare the Audit Committee report required by Item 407(d) of Regulation S-K of the Exchange Act (or any successor provision) to be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement.

 

-6-


  E.

Internal Auditors

 

   

The Audit Committee shall evaluate the performance, responsibilities, budget and staffing of the Company’s internal audit function and review the internal audit plan. Such evaluation may include a review of the responsibilities, budget and staffing of the Company’s internal audit function with the independent auditors.

 

   

In connection with the Audit Committee’s evaluation of the Company’s internal audit function, the Audit Committee may evaluate the performance of the senior officer or officers responsible for the internal audit function.

 

  F.

Unaudited Quarterly Financial Statements

 

   

The Audit Committee shall discuss with management and the independent auditors, prior to the filing of the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, (1) the Company’s quarterly financial statements and the Company’s related disclosures under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” (2) such issues as may be brought to the Audit Committee’s attention by the independent auditors pursuant to The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Statement on Auditing Standards No. 100, and (3) any significant financial reporting issues that have arisen in connection with the preparation of such financial statements.

 

  G.

Earnings Press Releases

 

   

The Audit Committee shall discuss the Company’s earnings press releases, as well as financial information and earnings guidance provided to analysts and rating agencies, including, in general, the types of information to be disclosed and the types of presentations to be made (paying particular attention to the use of “pro forma” or “adjusted” non-GAAP information).

 

  H.

Risk Assessment and Management

 

   

The Audit Committee shall discuss the guidelines and policies that govern the process by which the Company’s exposure to risk is assessed and managed by management.

 

   

In connection with the Audit Committee’s discussion of the Company’s risk assessment and management guidelines, the Audit Committee may discuss or consider the Company’s major financial risk exposures and the steps that the Company’s management has taken to monitor and control such exposures.

 

-7-


  I.

Monitoring Payments and Compliance with Contractual Obligations

 

   

The Audit Committee shall monitor compliance on a quarterly basis with the terms of our initial public offering and, if any noncompliance is identified, immediately taking all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise causing compliance with the terms of such offering.

 

   

The Audit Committee shall be responsible for reviewing and approving all payments made to our existing shareholders, executive officers or directors and their respective affiliates. Any payments made to members of our Audit Committee will be reviewed and approved by our Board, with the interested director or directors abstaining from such review and approval.

 

  J.

Procedures for Addressing Complaints and Concerns

 

   

The Audit Committee shall establish procedures for (1) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters and (2) the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Company of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.

 

   

The Audit Committee may review and reassess the adequacy of these procedures periodically and adopt any changes to such procedures that the Audit Committee deems necessary or appropriate.

 

  K.

Regular Reports to the Board

 

   

The Audit Committee shall regularly report to and review with the Board any issues that arise with respect to the quality or integrity of the Company’s financial statements, the Company’s compliance with legal or regulatory requirements, the performance and independence of the independent auditors, the performance of the internal audit function and any other matters that the Audit Committee deems appropriate or is requested to review for the benefit of the Board.

 

VI.

Additional Authority

The Audit Committee is authorized, on behalf of the Board, to do any of the following as it deems necessary or appropriate:

 

  A.

Engagement of Advisors

 

   

The Audit Committee may engage independent counsel and such other advisors it deems necessary or advisable to carry out its responsibilities and powers, and, if such counsel or other advisors are engaged, shall determine the compensation or fees payable to such counsel or other advisors.

 

-8-


  B.

Legal and Regulatory Compliance

 

   

The Audit Committee may discuss with management and the independent auditors, and review with the Board, the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to the Company and its subsidiaries and the Company’s compliance with such requirements. After these discussions, the Audit Committee may, if it determines it to be appropriate, make recommendations to the Board with respect to the Company’s policies and procedures regarding compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

 

   

The Audit Committee may discuss with management legal matters (including pending or threatened litigation) that may have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements or its compliance policies and procedures.

 

  C.

Conflicts of Interest

 

   

The Audit Committee shall conduct an appropriate review of all related party transactions for potential conflict of interest situations on an ongoing basis, and the approval of the Audit Committee shall be required for all such transactions. The Audit Committee may establish such policies and procedures as it deems appropriate to facilitate such review.

 

  D.

General

 

   

The Audit Committee may form and delegate authority to subcommittees consisting of one or more of its members as the Audit Committee deems appropriate to carry out its responsibilities and exercise its powers.

 

   

The Audit Committee may perform such other oversight functions outside of its stated purpose as may be requested by the Board from time to time.

 

   

In performing its oversight function, the Audit Committee shall be entitled to rely upon advice and information that it receives in its discussions and communications with management, the independent auditors and such experts, advisors and professionals as may be consulted with by the Audit Committee.

 

   

The Audit Committee is authorized to request that any officer or employee of the Company, the Company’s outside legal counsel, the Company’s independent auditors or any other professional retained by the Company to render advice to the Company attend a meeting of the Audit Committee or meet with any members of or advisors to the Audit Committee.

 

   

The Audit Committee is authorized to incur such ordinary administrative expenses as are necessary or appropriate in carrying out its duties.

 

-9-


Notwithstanding the responsibilities and powers of the Audit Committee set forth in this Charter, the Audit Committee does not have the responsibility of planning or conducting audits of the Company’s financial statements or determining whether the Company’s financial statements are complete, accurate and in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”). Such responsibilities are the duty of management and, to the extent of the independent auditor’s audit responsibilities, the independent auditors. In addition, it is not the duty of the Audit Committee to conduct investigations or to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.

*    *    *    *    *

Adopted:

 

-10-

Exhibit 99.6

POPULATION HEALTH INVESTMENT CO., INC.

Compensation Committee Charter

 

I.

General Statement of Purpose

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”) of Population Health Investment Co., Inc. (the “Company”), on behalf of the Board of Directors (the “Board”), discharges the Board’s responsibilities relating to compensation of the Company’s directors and executive officers, oversees the Company’s overall compensation structure, policies and programs, reviews the Company’s processes and procedures for the consideration and determination of director and executive compensation, and is responsible for producing a report for inclusion in the Company’s proxy statement relating to its annual meeting of shareholders or annual report on Form 10-K, in accordance with applicable rules and regulations. The primary objective of the Compensation Committee is to develop and implement compensation policies and plans that ensure the attraction and retention of key management personnel, the motivation of management to achieve the Company’s corporate goals and strategies, and the alignment of the interests of management with the long-term interests of the Company’s shareholders.

 

II.

Compensation Committee Composition

The number of individuals serving on the Compensation Committee shall be fixed by the Board from time to time but shall consist of no fewer than two members, each of whom shall satisfy the independence standards established pursuant to Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules, subject to any applicable exceptions contained in the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules. In determining the members of the Compensation Committee, the Board will consider whether the members qualify as “non-employee directors” as defined in Rule 16b-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

The members of the Compensation Committee shall be appointed annually by the Board and may be replaced or removed by the Board at any time, with or without cause. Resignation or removal of a Director from the Board, for whatever reason, shall automatically constitute resignation or removal, as applicable, from the Compensation Committee. Vacancies occurring, for whatever reason, may be filled only by the Board. The Board shall designate one member of the Compensation Committee to serve as Chair of the Compensation Committee.

 

III.

Meetings

The Compensation Committee shall meet as often as it determines is appropriate to carry out its responsibilities, which meetings may be in person or by conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other. A majority of the members of the Compensation Committee shall constitute a quorum for purposes of holding a meeting and the Compensation Committee may act by a vote of a majority of members present at such meeting. In lieu of a meeting, the Compensation Committee may act by unanimous written consent in accordance with the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. The Chair of the Compensation Committee, in consultation with the other members and management, may set meeting agendas consistent with this Charter.


IV.

Compensation Committee Activities

The Compensation Committee’s purpose and responsibilities shall be to:

 

  A.

Review of Charter

 

   

Review and reassess the adequacy of this Charter annually and submit any proposed changes to the Board for approval.

 

  B.

Processes and Procedures for Considering and Determining Director and Executive Compensation

 

   

Review and reassess periodically (and where appropriate, make such recommendations to the Board as the Compensation Committee deems advisable with regard to) the Company’s processes and procedures for the consideration and determination of director and executive compensation, and review and discuss with management any description of such processes and procedures to be included in the Company’s proxy statement.

 

  C.

Compensation Committee Report

 

   

Review and discuss with management any Compensation Discussion and Analysis to be included in the Company’s proxy statement or annual report on Form 10-K (“CD&A”).

 

   

Based on the Compensation Committee’s review of the CD&A and discussions with management, make a recommendation to the Board that the CD&A, if and when required, be included in the Company’s proxy statement or annual report on Form 10-K.

 

   

Prepare the Compensation Committee Report to be included in the Company’s proxy statement or annual report on Form 10-K in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules, and any other rules and regulations applicable to the Company.

 

  D.

Performance Evaluation of the Compensation Committee

 

   

Perform periodic performance evaluations of the Compensation Committee and report to the Board on the results of such evaluation.

 

-2-


  E.

Equity-Based Plans

 

   

(i) For the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Executive Officers (as defined below), review and make such recommendations to the Board as the Compensation Committee deems advisable with regard to awards under equity-based plans consistent with the terms of such plans and (ii) for all other service providers to the Company, review and approve grants and awards under equity-based plans consistent with the terms of such plans.

 

   

Review and make such recommendations to the Board as the Compensation Committee deems advisable with regard to policies and procedures for the grant of equity-based awards by the Company.

 

   

Review and make such recommendations to the Board as the Compensation Committee deems advisable with regard to the size of equity-based plans.

 

  F.

Matters Related to Compensation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer

 

   

Annually, review and recommend to the Board for determination the corporate goals and objectives that may be relevant to the compensation of the CEO.

 

   

Evaluate the CEO’s performance in light of the goals and objectives that were set for the CEO and recommend to the Board for determination the CEO’s equity and non-equity compensation (including cash-based incentive compensation) based on such evaluation. In connection with recommending the long-term incentive component of the CEO’s compensation, the Compensation Committee should consider the Company’s performance, the value of similar incentive awards to CEOs at comparable companies, and the awards given to the Company’s CEO in past years.

 

   

The CEO may not be present during voting or deliberations concerning his or her compensation.

 

  G.

Matters Related to Compensation of the Executive Officers Other Than the Chief Executive Officer

 

   

Recommend to the Board for determination the equity and non-equity compensation (including cash-based incentive compensation) for all Executive Officers of the Company other than the CEO. For purposes hereof, the term “Executive Officer” shall mean any “executive officer” as defined in Rule 3b-7 under the Exchange Act.

 

-3-


   

Review and make such recommendations to the Board as the Compensation Committee deems advisable with regard to the equity compensation of Executive Officers.

 

  H.

Matters Related to Compensation of the Company’s Directors

 

   

Review and make such recommendations to the Board as the Compensation Committee deems advisable with regard to the compensation of the directors of the Company, including with respect to any equity-based plans.

 

V.

Additional Compensation Committee Authority

The Compensation Committee is authorized, on behalf of the Board, to do any of the following, as the Compensation Committee deems necessary or appropriate in its discretion:

 

  A.

Matters Related to Compensation of Members of Senior Management

 

   

Provide oversight of management’s decisions regarding the compensation of all members of senior management of the Company (other than the CEO and other Executive Officers described above), including with respect to any incentive-compensation plans.

 

  B.

Matters Related to Compensation Consulting Firms or Other Outside Advisors

 

   

Retain or obtain the advice of compensation consultants, legal counsel and/or other advisers; provided that:

 

   

The Compensation Committee is authorized to, and must, have direct responsibility for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser retained by the Compensation Committee and the Company must provide for appropriate funding, as determined by the Compensation Committee, for payment of reasonable compensation to any such compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser; and

 

   

Before any compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser (other than (1) in-house legal counsel or (2) any compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser whose role is limited to the following activities for which no disclosure would be required under Item 407(e)(3)(iii) of Regulation S-K: (i) consulting on any broad-based plan that does not discriminate in scope, terms, or operation, in favor of executive officers or directors of the Company, and that is available generally to all salaried employees or (ii) providing information that either is not customized for a particular company or that is customized based on parameters that are not developed by

 

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the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and about which the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser does not provide advice) is selected by, or provides advice to, the Compensation Committee, the Compensation Committee shall take into consideration the following factors:

 

   

The provision of other services to the Company by the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser;

 

   

The amount of fees received from the Company by the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser, as a percentage of the total revenue of the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser;

 

   

The policies and procedures of the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser that are designed to prevent conflicts of interest;

 

   

Any business or personal relationship of the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser with a member of the Compensation Committee;

 

   

Any shares of the Company owned by the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser; and

 

   

Any business or personal relationship of the compensation consultant, legal counsel, other adviser or the person employing the adviser with an executive officer of the Company.

 

   

Prohibit the Company from engaging a compensation consultant engaged by the Compensation Committee, or an affiliate of any such compensation consultant, to provide any other services to the Company without the approval of the Compensation Committee.

 

VI.

General

 

   

The Compensation Committee may establish and delegate authority to one or more subcommittees consisting of one or more of its members, when the Compensation Committee deems it appropriate to do so in order to carry out its responsibilities.

 

   

The Compensation Committee shall make regular reports to the Board concerning areas of the Compensation Committee’s responsibility.

 

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In carrying out its responsibilities, the Compensation Committee shall be entitled to rely upon advice and information that it receives in its discussions and communications with management and such experts, advisors and professionals with whom the Compensation Committee may consult. The Compensation Committee shall have the authority to request that any officer or employee of the Company, the Company’s outside legal counsel, the Company’s independent auditor or any other professional retained by the Company to render advice to the Company attend a meeting of the Compensation Committee or meet with any members of or advisors to the Compensation Committee.

 

   

The Compensation Committee may perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time.

*    *    *    *    *

Adopted:

 

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Exhibit 99.7

POPULATION HEALTH INVESTMENT CO., INC.

Nominating Committee Charter

 

I.

General Statement of Purpose

The Nominating Committee (the “Nominating Committee”) of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Population Health Investment Co., Inc. (the “Company”) is responsible for identifying individuals qualified to become board members, consistent with criteria approved by the Board, with the goal of creating a balance of knowledge, experience and diversity; and recommending that the Board select the director nominees for election at each annual meeting of shareholders. The Nominating Committee is also responsible for developing and recommending to the Board a set of corporate governance guidelines applicable to the Company, periodically reviewing such guidelines and recommending any changes thereto, and overseeing the evaluation of the Board.

 

II.

Nominating Committee Composition

The number of individuals serving on the Nominating Committee shall be fixed by the Board from time to time but shall consist of no fewer than two members, each of whom shall satisfy the independence standards established pursuant to Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Listing Rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (the “Listing Rules”).

The members of the Nominating Committee shall be appointed annually by the Board and may be replaced or removed by the Board at any time with or without cause. Resignation or removal of the Director from the Board, for whatever reason, shall automatically constitute resignation or removal, as applicable, from the Nominating Committee. Vacancies occurring, for whatever reason, may be filled by the Board. The Board shall designate one member of the Nominating Committee to serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee.

 

III.

Meetings

The Nominating Committee shall meet as often as it determines is appropriate to carry out its responsibilities. The Nominating Committee may meet in person or by conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, with any additional meetings as deemed necessary or appropriate by the Nominating Committee. A majority of the members of the Nominating Committee shall constitute a quorum for purposes of holding a meeting and the Nominating Committee may act by a vote of a majority of members present at such meeting. In lieu of a meeting, the Nominating Committee may act by unanimous written consent.


IV.

Nominating Committee Activities

The Nominating Committee’s purpose and responsibilities shall be to:

 

  A.

Review of Charter

 

   

Review and reassess the adequacy of this Charter annually and submit any proposed changes to the Board for approval.

 

  B.

Performance Evaluation of the Nominating Committee

 

   

Undertake periodically a performance evaluation of the Nominating Committee and report to the Board on the results of such evaluation.

 

  C.

Selection of New Directors

 

   

Recommend to the Board criteria for Board and committee membership, which shall include a description of any specific, minimum qualifications that the Nominating Committee believes must be met by a Nominating Committee-recommended nominee, and a description of any specific qualities or skills that the Nominating Committee believes are necessary for one or more of the Company’s directors to possess, and annually reassess the adequacy of such criteria and submit any proposed changes to the Board for approval.

 

   

Establish a policy with regard to the consideration of director candidates recommended by shareholders.

 

   

Establish procedures to be followed by securityholders in submitting recommendations for director candidates to the Nominating Committee.

 

   

Establish a process for identifying and evaluating nominees for the Board, including nominees recommended by securityholders.

 

   

Upon identifying individuals qualified to become members of the Board, consistent with the minimum qualifications and other criteria set forth in Exhibit A hereto, as updated and approved by the Board from time to time, recommend that the Board select the director nominees for election at each annual meeting of shareholders; provided that, if the Company is legally required by contract or otherwise to provide third parties with the ability to nominate individuals for election as a member of the Board (pursuant, for example, to the rights of holders of preferred shares to elect directors upon a dividend default or in accordance with shareholder agreements or management agreements), the selection and nomination of such director nominees shall be governed by such contract or other arrangement and shall not be the responsibility of the Nominating Committee.

 

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Consider recommendations in light of the requirement that a majority of the Board be comprised of directors who meet the independence requirements set forth in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Listing Rules.

 

   

Recommend that the Board select the directors for appointment to committees of the Board.

 

   

Review all shareholder nominations and proposals submitted to the Company (including any proposal relating to the procedures for making nominations or electing directors), determine whether the nomination or proposal was submitted in a timely manner and, in the case of a director nomination, whether the nomination and the nominee satisfy all applicable eligibility requirements, and recommend to the Board appropriate action on each such nomination or proposal.

 

  D.

Corporate Governance Guidelines

 

   

Develop and recommend to the Board a set of Corporate Governance Guidelines applicable to the Company that satisfy the standards set forth in Rule 5605 of the Listing Rules.

 

   

Review and reassess the adequacy of the Corporate Governance Guidelines annually and recommend any proposed changes to the Board for approval.

 

  E.

Evaluation of Board of Directors

 

   

Oversee periodic evaluations of the Board and its committees.

 

  F.

Matters Relating to Retention and Termination of Search Firms to Identify Director Candidates

 

   

Exercise sole authority to retain and terminate any search firm that is to be used by the Company to assist in identifying director candidates. The Nominating Committee shall also have sole authority to approve any such search firm’s fees and other retention terms.

 

  G.

Succession Planning

 

   

Review and discuss with the Board corporate succession plans for the CEO and other key officers of the Company.

 

V.

General

 

   

The Nominating Committee may establish and delegate authority to subcommittees consisting of one or more of its members, when the Nominating Committee deems it appropriate to do so in order to carry out its responsibilities.

 

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The Nominating Committee shall make regular reports to the Board concerning areas of the Nominating Committee’s responsibility.

 

   

In carrying out its responsibilities, the Nominating Committee shall be entitled to rely upon advice and information that it receives in its discussions and communications with management and such experts, advisors and professionals with whom the Nominating Committee may consult. The Nominating Committee shall have the authority to request that any officer or employee of the Company, the Company’s outside legal counsel, the Company’s independent auditor or any other professional retained by the Company to render advice to the Company attend a meeting of the Nominating Committee or meet with any members of or advisors to the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall also have the authority to engage legal, accounting or other advisors to provide it with advice and information in connection with carrying out its responsibilities and shall have sole authority to approve any such advisor’s fees and other retention terms.

 

   

The Nominating Committee may perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time.

*    *    *    *    *

Adopted:

 

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Exhibit A

Guidelines for Selecting Director Nominees

In its evaluation of director candidates, including the members of the Board eligible for re-election, the Nominating Committee will consider the following:

 

   

The current size and composition of the Board and the needs of the Board of Directors and the respective committees of the Board.

 

   

Such factors as character, integrity, professionalism, judgment, diversity, independence, skills, education, expertise, business acumen, business experience, length of service, understanding of the Company’s business and industry, other commitments and the like. The Nominating Committee evaluates these factors, among others, and does not assign any particular weight or priority to any of these factors.

 

   

Whether the proposed director candidate has demonstrated notable or significant achievements in business, education or public service, and possesses the requisite intelligence, education, experience and dedication to make a significant contribution to the Board and bring a range of skills, diverse perspectives and backgrounds to its deliberations

 

   

Whether the proposed director candidate, if elected, assists in achieving a mix of Board members that represents a diversity of background and experience, inclusive of gender, race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation.

 

   

Other factors that the Nominating Committee may consider appropriate.

The Nominating Committee requires the following minimum qualifications to be satisfied by any nominee for a position on the Board:

 

   

High standards of personal and professional ethics and integrity.

 

   

Proven achievement and competence in the nominee’s field and the ability to exercise sound business judgment.

 

   

Skills that are complementary to those of the existing Board.

 

   

The ability to assist and support management and make significant contributions to the Company’s success.

 

   

An understanding of the fiduciary responsibilities that is required of a member of the Board and the commitment of time and energy necessary to diligently carry out those responsibilities.

 

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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 membership on the Board. 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.

*    *    *    *    *

Adopted _________, ____.

 

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