RISK FACTORS

In addition to the other information contained in this proxy statement/prospectus, including the matters addressed under the heading “Forward-Looking Statements”, you should carefully consider the following risk factors in deciding how to vote on the proposals presented in this proxy statement/prospectus. In this section “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Nogin prior to the Business Combination and to the Post-Combination Company following the Business Combination.

Risks Related to Nogin’s Business and Industry

We have a history of operating losses, and we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to achieve and sustain profitability.

We have not yet achieved profitability. We incurred operating losses of approximately $5.4 million, $2.1 million and $2.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and the years ended December 31, 2020 and the December 31, 2019, respectively. As of September 30, 2021, we had an accumulated deficit of $14.1 million. While we have experienced significant revenue growth over recent periods, we may not be able to sustain or increase our growth or achieve profitability in the future. We intend to continue to invest heavily in sales and marketing efforts. In addition, we expect to incur significant additional legal, accounting, and other expenses related to our being a public company as compared to when we were a private company. While our revenue has grown in recent years, if our revenue declines or fails to grow at a rate faster than these increases in our operating expenses, we will not be able to achieve and maintain profitability in future periods. As a result, we may continue to generate losses. We cannot assure you that we will achieve profitability in the future or that, if we do become profitable, we will be able to sustain profitability. Additionally, we may encounter unforeseen operating expenses, difficulties, complications, delays, and other unknown factors that may result in losses in future periods. If these losses exceed our expectations or our revenue growth expectations are not met in future periods, our financial performance will be harmed.

We have experienced strong growth in recent periods, and our recent growth rates may not be indicative of our future growth.

We have experienced strong growth in recent years. In future periods, we may not be able to sustain revenue growth consistent with recent history, or at all. We believe our revenue growth depends on a number of factors, including our ability to:

We may not accomplish any of these objectives and, as a result, it is difficult for us to forecast our future revenue or revenue growth. If our assumptions are incorrect or change in reaction to changes in our market, or if we are unable to maintain consistent revenue or revenue growth, our stock price could be volatile, and it may be difficult to achieve and maintain profitability. You should not rely on our revenue for any prior periods as any indication of our future revenue or revenue growth.

Our future revenue and operating results will be harmed if we are unable to acquire new customers, retain existing customers, expand sales to our existing customers, develop new functionality for our CaaS platform that achieves market acceptance, or the increase in ecommerce during the COVID-19 pandemic fails to continue after the pandemic ends.

In order to continue to grow our business, we must continue to acquire new customers to purchase and use our CaaS platform. Our success in adding new customers depends on numerous factors, including our ability to:

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(1) offer a compelling ecommerce platform, (2) execute our sales and marketing strategy, (3) attract, effectively train and retain new sales, marketing, professional services, and support personnel in the markets we pursue, (4) develop or expand relationships with partners, payment providers, systems integrators, and resellers, (5) expand into new geographies and market segments, and (6) efficiently onboard new customers to our CaaS platform.

Our ability to increase revenue also depends, in part, on our ability to retain existing customers and to sell additional functionality and adjacent services to our existing and new customers. Our customers have no obligation to renew their subscriptions for our solutions after the expiration of their initial subscription period. In order for us to maintain or improve our results of operations, it is important that our customers renew their subscriptions with us on the same or more favorable terms to us. Our ability to increase sales to existing customers depends on several factors, including their experience with implementing and using our CaaS platform, their ability to integrate our CaaS platform with other technologies, and our pricing model.

Our ability to generate revenue may be inconsistent across small and midsize businesses, mid-market, and large enterprise customers. If we experience limited or inconsistent growth in any of these customer sets, particularly our large enterprise customers, our business, financial condition, and operating results could be adversely affected.

We may not be able to successfully implement our growth strategy on a timely basis or at all.

Our future growth, profitability and cash flows depend upon our ability to successfully implement our growth strategy, which, in turn, is dependent upon a number of factors, including our ability to:

There can be no assurance that we can successfully achieve any or all of the above initiatives in the manner or time period that we expect. Further, achieving these objectives will require investments which may result in short-term costs without generating any current revenue and therefore may be dilutive to our earnings. We cannot provide any assurance that we will realize, in full or in part, the anticipated benefits we expect our strategy will achieve. The failure to realize those benefits could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Failure to effectively develop and expand our marketing and sales capabilities could harm our ability to increase our customer base and achieve broader market acceptance of our CaaS platform. If we are not able to generate traffic to our website through digital marketing, our ability to attract new customers may be impaired.

Our ability to increase our customer base and achieve broader market acceptance of our CaaS platform will depend on our ability to expand our marketing and sales operations. We plan to continue increasing the size of our sales force. We also plan to dedicate significant resources to sales and marketing programs, including search engine and other online advertising. The effectiveness of our online advertising may vary due to competition for key search terms, changes in search engine use and changes in search algorithms used by major search engines

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and other digital marketing platforms. Our business and operating results will be harmed if our sales and marketing efforts do not generate a corresponding increase in revenue. We may not achieve anticipated revenue growth from increasing the size of our sales force if we are unable to hire, develop, and retain talented sales personnel, if our new sales personnel are unable to achieve desired productivity levels in a reasonable period of time, or if our sales and marketing programs are not effective.

If the cost of marketing our CaaS platform over search engines or other digital marketing platforms increases, our business and operating results could be adversely affected. Competitors also may bid on the search terms that we use to drive traffic to our website. Such actions could increase our marketing costs and result in decreased traffic to our website.

Furthermore, search engines and digital marketing platforms may change their advertising policies from time to time. If these policies delay or prevent us from advertising through these channels, it could result in reduced traffic to our website and subscriptions to our CaaS platform. New search engines and other digital marketing platforms may develop, particularly in specific jurisdictions, that reduce traffic on existing search engines and digital marketing platforms. If we are not able to achieve prominence through advertising or otherwise, we may not achieve significant traffic to our website through these new platforms and our business and operating results could be adversely affected.

Our operating results are subject to seasonal fluctuations.

Our transaction-based revenues are directionally correlated with the level of gross transaction value that customers facilitate through our CaaS platform. Our customers typically process additional gross transaction value during the fourth quarter holiday season. As a result, we have historically generated higher transaction-based revenues in our fourth quarter than in other quarters. While we believe that this seasonality has affected and will continue to affect our quarterly results, our rapid growth has largely masked seasonal trends to date. As a result of the continued growth of our transaction-based revenues, we believe that our business may become more seasonal in the future and that historical patterns in our business may not be a reliable indicator of our future performance. Fluctuations in quarterly results may materially and adversely affect the predictability of our business and the price of our subordinate voting shares.

Our sales cycle with large enterprise customers can be long and unpredictable, and our sales efforts require considerable time and expense.

The timing of our sales with our large enterprise customers and related revenue recognition is difficult to predict because of the length and unpredictability of the sales cycle for these customers. Large enterprise customers, particularly those in highly regulated industries and those requiring customized applications, may have a lengthy sales cycle for the evaluation and implementation of our CaaS platform. This may cause a delay between increasing operating expenses for such sales efforts and, upon successful sales, the generation of corresponding revenue.

As the purchase and launch of our CaaS platform can be dependent upon customer initiatives, infrequently, our sales cycle can extend to up to twelve months. As a result, much of our revenue is generated from the recognition of contract liabilities from contracts entered into during previous periods. Customers often view a subscription to our CaaS platform and services as a strategic decision with significant investment. As a result, customers frequently require considerable time to evaluate, test, and qualify our CaaS platform prior to entering into or expanding a subscription. During the sales cycle, we expend significant time and money on sales and marketing and contract negotiation activities, which may not result in a sale. Additional factors that may influence the length and variability of our sales cycle include:

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Given these factors, it is difficult to predict whether and when a sale will be completed, and when revenue from a sale will be recognized. Consequently, a shortfall in demand for our CaaS platform and services or a decline in new or renewed contracts in a given period may not significantly reduce our revenue for that period but could negatively affect our revenue in future periods.

If we fail to maintain or grow our brand recognition, our ability to expand our customer base will be impaired and our financial condition may suffer.

We believe maintaining and growing the Nogin brand is important to supporting continued acceptance of our existing and future solutions, attracting new customers to our CaaS platform, and retaining existing customers. We also believe that the importance of brand recognition will increase as competition in our market increases. Successfully maintaining our brand will depend largely on the effectiveness of our marketing efforts, our ability to provide a reliable and useful CaaS platform to meet the needs of our customers at competitive prices, our ability to maintain our customers’ trust, our ability to continue to develop new functionality and solutions, and our ability to successfully differentiate our CaaS platform. Brand promotion activities may not generate customer awareness or yield increased revenue. Even if they do, any increased revenue may not offset the expenses we incurred in building our brand. If we fail to successfully promote and maintain our brand, we may fail to attract enough new customers or retain our existing customers to realize a sufficient return on our brand-building efforts, and our business could suffer.

If we fail to offer high quality support, our business and reputation could suffer.

Our customers rely on our personnel for support related to our subscription and customer solutions. High-quality support is important for the renewal and expansion of our agreements with existing customers. The importance of high-quality support will increase as we expand our business and pursue new customers, particularly large enterprise customers. If we do not help our customers quickly resolve issues and provide effective ongoing support, our ability to sell new software to existing and new customers could suffer and our reputation with existing or potential customers could be harmed.

If we fail to improve and enhance the functionality, performance, reliability, design, security and scalability of our CaaS platform and innovate and introduce new solutions in a manner that responds to our customers’ evolving needs, our business may be adversely affected.

The markets in which we compete are characterized by constant change and innovation and we expect them to continue to evolve rapidly. Our success has been based on our ability to identify and anticipate the needs of our customers and design platforms that provide them with the breadth of tools they need to operate and grow their businesses. Our ability to attract new customers, retain revenue from existing customers and increase sales to both new and existing customers will depend in large part on our ability to continue to improve and enhance the functionality, performance, reliability, design, security and scalability of our CaaS platform and to innovate and introduce new solutions.

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We expect that new services and technologies applicable to the industries in which we operate will continue to emerge and evolve, including developments in POS, eCommerce and payments technology. Other potential changes are on the horizon as well, notably in the payments space, such as developments in real-time payments, blockchain, crypto-currencies and in tokenization, which replaces sensitive data (e.g., payment card information) with symbols (tokens) to keep data safe in the event of a breach. Similarly, there is rapid innovation in the provision of other products and services to businesses, including tailored financial solutions and marketing services. These new services and technologies may be superior to, impair, or render obsolete the products and services we currently offer or the technologies we currently use to provide them. We have in the past, and may experience in the future, difficulties with software development that could delay or prevent the development, introduction or implementation of new solutions and enhancements. Software development involves a significant amount of time for our research and development team, as it can take our developers months to update, code and test new and upgraded solutions and integrate them into our CaaS platform. We must also continually update, test and enhance our software platforms. For example, our design team spends a significant amount of time and resources incorporating various design enhancements, such as customized colors, fonts, content and other features, into our CaaS platform. The continual improvement and enhancement of our CaaS platform requires significant investment and we may not have the resources to make such investment. Our improvements and enhancements may not result in our ability to recoup our investments in a timely manner, or at all. We may make significant investments in new solutions or enhancements that may not achieve expected returns. The success of any enhancement or new solution depends on several factors, including the timely completion and market acceptance of the enhancement or new solution. Our ability to develop new enhancements or solutions may also be inhibited by industry-wide standards, payment card networks, laws and regulations, resistance to change by customers, difficulties relating to integration or compatibility with third-party software or hardware, or third parties’ intellectual property rights.

Any new solution we develop or acquire might not be introduced in a timely or cost-effective manner and might not achieve the broad market acceptance necessary to generate significant revenue. Improving and enhancing the functionality, performance, reliability, design, security and scalability of our CaaS platform is expensive, time-consuming and complex, and to the extent we are not able to do so in a manner that responds to our customers’ evolving needs, our business, operating results and financial condition will be adversely affected.

Payment transactions on our CaaS platform subject us to regulatory requirements, additional fees, and other risks that could be costly and difficult to comply with or that could harm our business.

We are required by our payment processors to comply with payment card network operating rules and we have agreed to reimburse our payment processors for any fees or fines that are assessed by payment card networks as a result of any rule violations by us or our customers. The payment card networks set and interpret the payment card industry rules, certification requirements and rules governing electronic funds transfer, any of which could change or be reinterpreted to make it more difficult for us to comply. We face the risk that one or more payment card networks or other processors may, at any time, assess penalties against us, against our customers, or terminate our ability to accept credit card payments or other forms of online payments from shoppers. This would have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results.

If we fail to comply with the payment card network rules, including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (“PCI-DSS”) and those of each of the credit card brands, we would breach our contractual obligations to our payment processors, financial institutions, partners, and customers. Such a failure may subject us to fines, penalties, damages, higher transaction fees, and civil liability. It could prevent us from processing or accepting payment cards or lead to a loss of payment processor partners, even if customer or shopper information has not been compromised.

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Activities of customers, their shoppers, and our partners could damage our brand, subject us to liability and harm our business and financial results.

Our terms of service prohibit our customers from using our CaaS platform to engage in illegal activities and our terms of service permit us to take down a customer’s shop if we become aware of illegal use. Customers may nonetheless engage in prohibited or illegal activities or upload store content in violation of applicable laws, which could subject us to liability. Our partners may engage in prohibited or illegal activities, which could subject us to liability. Furthermore, our brand may be negatively impacted by the actions of customers or partners that are deemed to be hostile, offensive, inappropriate, or illegal. We do not proactively monitor or review the appropriateness of the content of our customers’ stores or our partners’ activities. Our safeguards may not be sufficient for us to avoid liability or avoid harm to our brand. Hostile, offensive, inappropriate, or illegal use could adversely affect our business and financial results.

In many jurisdictions, laws relating to the liability of providers of online services for activities of their shoppers and other third parties are being tested by actions based on defamation, invasion of privacy, unfair competition, copyright and trademark infringement, and other theories. Any court ruling or other governmental regulation or action that imposes liability on customers of online services in connection with the activities of their shoppers could harm our business. We could also be subject to liability under applicable law, which may not be fully mitigated by our terms of service. Any liability attributed to us could adversely affect our brand, reputation, ability to expand our subscriber base, and financial results.

We are dependent upon customers’ continued and unimpeded access to the internet, and upon their willingness to use the internet for commerce.

Our success depends upon the general public’s ability to access the internet, including through mobile devices, and its continued willingness to use the internet to pay for purchases, communicate, access social media, research and conduct commercial transactions. The adoption of any laws or regulations that adversely affect the growth, popularity or use of the internet, including changes to laws or regulations impacting internet neutrality, could decrease the demand for our CaaS platform, increase our operating costs, or otherwise adversely affect our business. Given uncertainty around these rules, we could experience discriminatory or anti-competitive practices that could impede both our and our customers’ growth, increase our costs or adversely affect our business. In the future, providers of internet browsers could introduce new features that would make it difficult for customers to use our CaaS platform. In addition, internet browsers for desktop, tablets or mobile devices could introduce new features, or change existing browser specifications, such that they would be incompatible with our CaaS platform. If customers become unable, unwilling or less willing to use the internet for commerce for any reason, including lack of access to high-speed communications equipment, congestion of traffic on the internet, internet outages or delays, disruptions or other damage to customers’ computers, increases in the cost of accessing the internet and security and privacy risks or the perception of such risks, our business could be adversely affected.

The COVID-19 pandemic may continue to materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic, the measures attempting to contain and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including stay-at-home, business closure, and other restrictive orders, and the resulting changes in consumer behaviors, have disrupted our normal operations and impacted our employees, suppliers, partners, and customers. We expect these disruptions and impacts to continue. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have taken a number of actions that have impacted and continue to impact our business, including transitioning employees across all our offices (including our corporate headquarters) to remote work-from-home arrangements and imposing travel and related restrictions. While we believe these actions were reasonable and necessary as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were disruptive to our business and could adversely impact our results of operations. Given the continued spread of COVID-19 and the resultant personal, economic, and governmental reactions, we may have to take additional actions in the future that could harm our business, financial condition,

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and results of operations. While we have a distributed workforce and our employees are accustomed to working remotely or working with other remote employees, our workforce has not historically been fully remote. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, certain of our employees traveled frequently to establish and maintain relationships with one another and with our customers, partners, and investors. We continue to monitor the situation and may adjust our current policies as more information and guidance become available. Suspending travel and doing business in-person on a long-term basis could negatively impact our marketing efforts, our ability to enter into customer contracts in a timely manner, and our ability to recruit employees across the organization. These changes could negatively impact our sales and marketing in particular, which could have longer-term effects on our sales pipeline, or create operational or other challenges as our workforce remains predominantly remote. Any of these impacts could harm our business. In addition, our management team has spent, and will likely continue to spend, significant time, attention, and resources monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and associated global economic uncertainty and seeking to manage its effects on our business and workforce. As our offices reopen, planning and risk management for these reopenings will require further additional time from management and other employees, which may further reduce the amount of time available for other initiatives.

The degree to which COVID-19 and related vaccines will affect our business and results of operations will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot currently be predicted. These developments include, but are not limited to, the duration, extent, and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, actions taken to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions on economic activity and domestic and international trade, the timing and deployment of any vaccine, and the extent of the impact of these and other factors on our employees, suppliers, partners, and customers. While certain COVID-19 vaccines have recently been approved and have become available for use in the United States and certain other countries, we are unable to predict when those vaccines will become widely available, how widely utilized the vaccines will be, whether they will be effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and when or if normal economic activity and business operations will resume. The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions could limit our customers’ ability to continue to operate, to obtain inventory, generate sales, or make timely payments to us. It could disrupt or delay the ability of employees to work because they become sick or are required to care for those who become sick, or for dependents for whom external care is not available. It could cause delays or disruptions in services provided by key suppliers and vendors, make us, our partners, and our service providers more vulnerable to security breaches, denial of service attacks or other hacking or phishing attacks, or cause other unpredictable effects.

The COVID-19 pandemic also has caused heightened uncertainty in the global economy. If economic conditions further deteriorate, consumers may not have the financial means to make purchases from our customers and may delay or reduce discretionary purchases, negatively impacting our customers and our results of operations. Uncertainty from the pandemic may cause prospective or existing customers to defer investment in ecommerce. Our SMB customers may be more susceptible to general economic conditions than larger businesses, which may have greater liquidity and access to capital. Uncertain and adverse economic conditions also may lead to increased refunds and chargebacks. Since the impact of COVID-19 is ongoing, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related impact on the global economy may not be fully reflected in our results of operations until future periods. Volatility in the capital markets has been heightened during recent months and such volatility may continue, which may cause declines in the price of our common stock.

To the extent there is a sustained general economic downturn and our software and CaaS platform is perceived by customers and potential customers as costly, or too difficult to deploy or migrate to, our revenue may be disproportionately affected. Our revenue may also be disproportionately affected by delays or reductions in general information technology spending. Competitors, many of whom are larger and more established than we are, may respond to market conditions by lowering prices and attempting to lure away our customers. In addition, the increased pace of consolidation in certain industries may result in reduced overall spending on our subscription offerings and related services. We cannot predict the timing, strength, or duration of any economic slowdown, instability, or recovery, generally or within any particular industry. If the economic conditions of the

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general economy or markets in which we operate worsen from present levels, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

Natural catastrophic events and man-made problems such as power disruptions, computer viruses, global pandemics, data security breaches and terrorism may disrupt our business.

We rely heavily on our network infrastructure and IT systems for our business operations. An online attack, damage as a result of civil unrest, earthquake, fire, terrorist attack, power loss, global pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), telecommunications failure, or other similar catastrophic event could cause system interruptions, delays in accessing our service, reputational harm, and loss of critical data. Such events could prevent us from providing our CaaS platform to our customers. A catastrophic event that results in the destruction or disruption of our data centers, or our network infrastructure or IT systems, including any errors, defects, or failures in third-party hardware, could affect our ability to conduct normal business operations, and adversely affect our operating results.

In addition, as computer malware, viruses, computer hacking, fraudulent use attempts, and phishing attacks have become more prevalent, we face increased risk from these activities. These activities threaten the performance, reliability, security, and availability of our CaaS platform. Any computer malware, viruses, computer hacking, fraudulent use attempts, phishing attacks, or other data security breaches to our systems could, among other things, harm our reputation and our ability to retain existing customers and attract new customers. Many companies that provide cloud-based services have reported a significant increase in cyberattack activity since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If we are unable to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, and the market price of our common stock may decline.

We are required to maintain internal controls over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal controls. In addition, we will be required in the future to furnish a report by management on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, pursuant to Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley. The process of designing, implementing, and testing the internal control over financial reporting required to comply with this obligation is time-consuming, costly, and complicated.

If we identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley in a timely manner, or if we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, we will be unable to certify that our internal control over financial reporting is effective. We cannot assure you that there will not be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting in the future. Any failure to maintain internal control over financial reporting could severely inhibit our ability to accurately report our financial condition or results of operations. If we are unable to conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm determines we have a material weakness or significant deficiency in our internal control over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our common stock could decline. We could become subject to investigations by the stock exchange on which our securities are listed, the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.

If we fail to manage our growth effectively, we may be unable to execute our business plan, maintain high levels of service and customer satisfaction or adequately address competitive challenges.

We may continue to experience rapid growth and organizational change, which may continue to place significant demands on our management and our operational and financial resources. We have also experienced growth in the number of customers, the amount of transactions we process, and the amount of data that our

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hosting infrastructure supports. Our success will depend in part on our ability to manage this growth effectively. We will require significant capital expenditures and valuable management resources to grow without undermining our culture of innovation, teamwork, and attention to customer success, which has been central to our growth so far. If we fail to manage our anticipated growth and change in a manner that preserves our corporate culture, it could negatively affect our reputation and ability to retain and attract customers and employees.

We intend to expand our international operations in the future. Our expansion will continue to place a significant strain on our managerial, administrative, financial, and other resources. If we are unable to manage our growth successfully, our business and results of operations could suffer.

It is important that we maintain a high level of customer service and satisfaction as we expand our business. As our customer base continues to grow, we will need to expand our account management, customer service, and other personnel. Failure to manage growth could result in difficulty or delays in launching our CaaS platform, declines in quality or customer satisfaction, increases in costs, difficulties in introducing new features, or other operational difficulties. Any of these could adversely impact our business performance and results of operations.

We may acquire or invest in companies, which may divert our management’s attention and result in additional dilution to our stockholders. We may be unable to integrate acquired businesses and technologies successfully or achieve the expected benefits of such acquisitions.

We may evaluate and consider potential strategic transactions, including acquisitions of, or investments in, businesses, technologies, services, products, and other assets in the future. An acquisition, investment or business relationship may result in unforeseen operating difficulties and expenditures. In particular, we may encounter difficulties assimilating or integrating the businesses, technologies, products, personnel, or operations of the acquired companies. Key personnel of the acquired companies may choose not to work for us, their software may not be easily adapted to work with ours, or we may have difficulty retaining the customers of any acquired business due to changes in ownership, management, or otherwise. We may also experience difficulties integrating personnel of the acquired company into our business and culture. Acquisitions may also disrupt our business, divert our resources and require significant management attention that would otherwise be available for development of our existing business. The anticipated benefits of any acquisition, investment, or business relationship may not be realized or we may be exposed to unknown risks or liabilities.

Negotiating these transactions can be time-consuming, difficult, and expensive, and our ability to close these transactions may often be subject to approvals that are beyond our control. Consequently, these transactions, even if undertaken and announced, may not close. For one or more of those transactions, we may:

We face intense competition, especially from well-established companies offering solutions and related applications. We may lack sufficient financial or other resources to maintain or improve our competitive position, which may harm our ability to add new customers, retain existing customers, and grow our business.

The market for ecommerce solutions is evolving and highly competitive. We expect competition to increase in the future from established competitors and new market entrants. With the introduction of new technologies

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and the entry of new companies into the market, we expect competition to persist and intensify in the future. This could harm our ability to increase sales, maintain or increase renewals, and maintain our prices. We face intense competition from other software companies that may offer related ecommerce platform software solutions and services. Our competitors include larger companies that have acquired ecommerce platform solution providers in recent years. We also compete with custom software internally developed within ecommerce businesses. In addition, we face competition from niche companies that offer point products that attempt to address certain of the problems that our CaaS platform solves.

Merger and acquisition activity in the technology industry could increase the likelihood that we compete with other large technology companies. Many of our existing competitors have, and our potential competitors could have, substantial competitive advantages such as greater name recognition, longer operating histories, larger sales and marketing budgets and resources, greater customer support resources, lower labor and development costs, larger and more mature intellectual property portfolios, and substantially greater financial, technical and other resources.

Some of our larger competitors also have substantially broader product lines and market focus and will therefore not be as susceptible to downturns in a particular market. Conditions in our market could change rapidly and significantly as a result of technological advancements, partnering by our competitors, or continuing market consolidation. New start-up companies that innovate, and large companies that are making significant investments in research and development, may invent similar or superior products and technologies that compete with our CaaS platform. In addition, some of our competitors may enter into new alliances with each other or may establish or strengthen cooperative relationships with agency partners, technology and application providers in complementary categories, or other parties. Furthermore, ecommerce on large marketplaces, such as Amazon, could increase as a percentage of all ecommerce activity, thereby reducing customer traffic to individual customer websites. Any such consolidation, acquisition, alliance or cooperative relationship could lead to pricing pressure, a loss of market share, or a smaller addressable share of the market. It could also result in a competitor with greater financial, technical, marketing, service, and other resources, all of which could harm our ability to compete.

We may need to reduce or change our pricing model to remain competitive.

We price our subscriptions based on a combination of GMV and services. We expect that we may need to change our pricing from time to time. As new or existing competitors introduce products that compete with ours or reduce their prices, we may be unable to attract new customers or retain existing customers. We also must determine the appropriate price to enable us to compete effectively internationally. Large enterprise customers may demand substantial price discounts as part of the negotiation of sales contracts. As a result, we may be required or choose to reduce our prices or otherwise change our pricing model, which could adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition.

If we fail to adapt and respond effectively to rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards, and changing customer needs or preferences, our CaaS platform may become less competitive.

The software industry is subject to rapid technological change, evolving industry standards and practices, and changing customer needs and preferences. The success of our business will depend, in part, on our ability to adapt and respond effectively to these changes on a timely basis. We may introduce significant changes to our CaaS platform or develop and introduce new and unproven services, including using technologies with which we have little or no prior development or operating experience. If we are unable to develop and sell new technology, features, and functionality for our CaaS platform that satisfy our customers and that keep pace with rapid technological and industry change, our revenue and operating results could be adversely affected. If new technologies emerge that deliver competitive solutions at lower prices, more efficiently, more conveniently, or more securely, it could adversely impact our ability to compete.

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Our CaaS platform must also integrate with a variety of network, hardware, mobile, and software platforms and technologies. We need to continuously modify and enhance our CaaS platform to adapt to changes and innovation in these technologies. If businesses widely adopt new ecommerce technologies, we would have to develop new functionality for our CaaS platform to work with those new technologies. This development effort may require significant engineering, marketing and sales resources, all of which would affect our business and operating results. Any failure of our CaaS platform to operate effectively with future technologies could reduce the demand for our CaaS platform. If we are unable to respond to these changes in a cost-effective manner, our CaaS platform may become less marketable and less competitive or obsolete, and our operating results may be negatively affected.

The estimates of market opportunity and forecasts of market growth included in this prospectus may prove to be inaccurate. Even if the market in which we compete achieves the forecasted growth, our business could fail to grow at similar rates, if at all.

The market for ecommerce solutions is relatively new and will experience changes over time. Ecommerce market estimates and growth forecasts are uncertain and based on assumptions and estimates that may be inaccurate. Our addressable market depends on a number of factors, including businesses’ desire to differentiate themselves through ecommerce, partnership opportunities, changes in the competitive landscape, technological changes, data security or privacy concerns, customer budgetary constraints, changes in business practices, changes in the regulatory environment, and changes in economic conditions. Even if the market in which we compete meets the size estimates and growth rates we forecast, our business could fail to grow at similar rates, if at all.

We anticipate that our operations will continue to increase in complexity as we grow, which will create management challenges.

Our business has experienced strong growth and is complex. We expect this growth to continue and for our operations to become increasingly complex. To manage this growth, we continue to make substantial investments to improve our operational, financial, and management controls as well as our reporting systems and procedures. We may not be able to implement and scale improvements to our systems and processes in a timely or efficient manner or in a manner that does not negatively affect our operating results. For example, we may not be able to effectively monitor certain extraordinary contract requirements or individually negotiated provisions as the number of transactions continues to grow. Our systems and processes may not prevent or detect all errors, omissions, or fraud. We may have difficulty managing improvements to our systems, processes and controls or in connection with third-party software. This could impair our ability to provide our CaaS platform to our customers, causing us to lose customers, limiting our CaaS platform to less significant updates, or increasing our technical support costs. If we are unable to manage this complexity, our business, operations, operating results and financial condition may suffer.

As our customer base continues to grow, we will need to expand our services and other personnel, and maintain and enhance our partnerships, to provide a high level of customer service. Extended stay-at-home, business closure, and other restrictive orders may impact our ability to identify, hire, and train new personnel. We also will need to manage our sales processes as our sales personnel and partner network continue to grow and become more complex, and as we continue to expand into new geographies and market segments. If we do not effectively manage this increasing complexity, the quality of our CaaS platform and customer service could suffer, and we may not be able to adequately address competitive challenges. These factors could impair our ability to attract and retain customers and expand our customers’ use of our CaaS platform.

We depend on our senior management team and the loss of one or more key employees or an inability to attract and retain highly skilled employees may adversely affect our business.

Our success depends largely upon the continued services of our executive officers, particularly our CEO and founder, Jan Nugent. Mr. Nugent has acted as Nogin’s Chief Executive Officer since its inception, and as such, is

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deeply involved in all aspects of Nogin’s business. We rely on Mr. Nugent and our leadership team for research and development, marketing, sales, services, and general and administrative functions, and on mission-critical individual contributors. From time to time, our executive management team may change from the hiring or departure of executives, which could disrupt our business. We do not have employment agreements with our executive officers or other key personnel that require them to continue to work for us for any specified period; therefore, they could terminate their employment with us at any time. The loss of one or more of our executive officers or key employees (including any limitation on the performance of their duties or short term or long-term absences as a result of COVID-19) could have a serious adverse effect on our business.

To execute our growth plan, we must attract and retain highly qualified personnel. Competition for these personnel is intense, especially for experienced software engineers and senior sales executives. If we are unable to attract such personnel in cities where we are located, we may need to hire in other locations, which may add to the complexity and costs of our business operations. We expect to continue to experience, difficulty in hiring and retaining employees with appropriate qualifications. Extended stay-at-home, business closure, and other restrictive orders may impact our ability to identify, hire, and train new personnel. Many of the companies with which we compete for experienced personnel have greater resources than we have. If we hire employees from competitors or other companies, their former employers may attempt to assert that these employees or we have breached legal obligations, resulting in a diversion of our time and resources. In addition, job candidates and existing employees often consider the value of the stock awards they receive in connection with their employment. If the perceived value of our stock awards declines, it may adversely affect our ability to recruit and retain highly skilled employees. If we fail to attract new personnel or fail to retain and motivate our current personnel, it could adversely affect our business and future growth prospects.

If we are unable to hire, retain and motivate qualified personnel, our business will suffer.

Our future success depends, in part, on our ability to continue to attract and retain highly skilled personnel. Our ability to identify, hire, develop, motivate and retain qualified personnel will directly affect our ability to maintain and grow our business, and such efforts will require significant time, expense and attention. The inability to attract or retain qualified personnel or delays in hiring required personnel may seriously harm our business, financial condition and operating results. Our ability to continue to attract and retain highly skilled personnel, specifically employees with technical and engineering skills and employees with high levels of experience in designing and developing software and internet-related services, will be critical to our future success. The continued existence of a remote working environment may negatively impact our ability to hire, retain and motivate talent. Competition for highly skilled personnel in the geographic areas in which we operate can be intense due in part to the more limited pool of qualified personnel as compared to other places in the world. In addition, to the extent we hire personnel from competitors, we may be subject to allegations that they have been improperly solicited or have divulged proprietary or other confidential information. While we have in the past and intend to continue to issue options or other equity awards as key components of our overall compensation and employee attraction and retention efforts, we are required under GAAP to recognize compensation expense in our operating results for employee stock-based compensation under our equity grant programs which may increase the pressure to limit stock-based compensation.

If we are unable to maintain our corporate culture as we grow, we could lose the innovation, teamwork, passion and focus on execution that we believe contribute to our success, and our business may be harmed.

We believe a portion of our success has been our corporate culture. We have invested substantial time and resources in building our team. As we grow and develop our infrastructure as a public company, our operations may become increasingly complex. We may find it difficult to maintain these important aspects of our corporate culture. If we are required to maintain work-from-home arrangements for a significant period of time, it may impact our ability to preserve our corporate culture. Any failure to preserve our culture could negatively affect our future success, including our ability to retain and recruit personnel, and to effectively focus on and pursue our corporate objectives.

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Mobile devices are increasingly being used to conduct commerce, and if our CaaS platform does not operate as effectively when accessed through these devices, our customers and their shoppers may not be satisfied with our services, which could harm our business.

Ecommerce transacted over mobile devices continues to grow more rapidly than desktop transactions. We are dependent on the interoperability of our CaaS platform with third-party mobile devices and mobile operating systems as well as web browsers that are out of our control. Changes in such devices, systems, or web browsers that degrade the functionality of our CaaS platform or give preferential treatment to competitive services could adversely affect usage of our CaaS platform. Mobile ecommerce is a key element in our strategy and effective mobile functionality is integral to our long-term development and growth strategy. If our customers and their shoppers have difficulty accessing and using our CaaS platform on mobile devices, our business and operating results could be adversely affected.

If our software or hardware contains serious errors or defects, we may lose revenue and market acceptance and may incur costs to defend or settle claims with our customers.

Software such as ours often contains errors, defects, security vulnerabilities or software bugs that are difficult to detect and correct, particularly when first introduced or when new versions or enhancements are released. Despite internal testing, our CaaS platform may contain serious errors or defects, security vulnerabilities or software bugs that we may be unable to successfully correct in a timely manner or at all, which could result in lost revenue, significant expenditures of capital, a delay or loss in market acceptance and damage to our reputation and brand, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, our CaaS platform is a multi-tenant cloud-based system that allow us to deploy new versions and enhancements to all of our customers simultaneously. To the extent we deploy new versions or enhancements that contain errors, defects, security vulnerabilities or software bugs to all of our customers of a single platform simultaneously, the consequences would be more severe than if such versions or enhancements were only deployed to a smaller number of our customers. Additionally, our hardware products may have defects in design, manufacture, or associated software. Such defects could exposes us to product liability claims, litigation or regulatory action.

Since our customers use our services for processes that are critical to their businesses, errors, defects, security vulnerabilities, service interruptions or software bugs in our CaaS platform could result in losses to our customers. Our customers may seek significant compensation from us for any losses they suffer or cease conducting business with us altogether. Further, a customer could share information about bad experiences on social media, which could result in damage to our reputation and loss of future sales. There can be no assurance that provisions typically included in our agreements with our customers that attempt to limit our exposure to claims would be enforceable or adequate or would otherwise protect us from liabilities or damages with respect to any particular claim. Even if not successful, a claim brought against us by any of our customers would likely be time-consuming and costly to defend and could seriously damage our reputation and brand, making it harder for us to sell our solutions.

We store personal information of our employees, business partners, our customers and their shoppers or end-users. If the security of this information is compromised or is otherwise accessed without authorization, our reputation may be harmed and we may be exposed to liability and loss of business.

We collect, transmit, use, disclose, process and store personal information and other confidential information of our customers’ shoppers or end-users. Third-party applications available on our CaaS platform and mobile applications may also store personal information, credit card information, and other confidential information. We generally cannot and do not proactively monitor the content that our customers’ shoppers or end-users upload or the information provided to us through the applications integrated with our ecommerce platform; therefore, we do not control the substance of the content on our servers, which may include personal information.

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We use third-party service providers and subprocessors to help us deliver services to our customers’ shoppers or end-users. These service providers and subprocessors may also collect, transmit, use, disclose, store and process personal information, credit card information and/or other confidential information. Such information, and the information technology systems that store such information, may be the target of unauthorized access or subject to security breaches and other incidents, including as a result of third-party action, employee or contractor error, nation state malfeasance, malware, phishing, computer hackers, system error, software bugs or defects, process failure or otherwise. Many companies that provide these services have reported a significant increase in cyberattack activity since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Any of these could (a) result in the loss of information, litigation, indemnity obligations, damage to our reputation and other liability, or (b) have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or sabotage systems change frequently and generally are not identified until they are launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. Even if such a data breach did not arise out of our action or inaction, or if it were to affect one or more of our competitors or our customers’ competitors, rather than us, the resulting concern could negatively affect our customers, our customers’ shoppers or end-users, and our business. Concerns regarding data privacy and security may cause some of our customers or our customers’ shoppers or end-users to stop using our CaaS platform and fail to renew their subscriptions. In addition, failures to meet our customers’ or shoppers’ or end-users’ expectations with respect to security and confidentiality of their data and information could damage our reputation and affect our ability to retain customers, attract new customers, and grow our business.

Our failure to comply with legal, contractual, or standards-based requirements around the security of personal information could lead to significant fines and penalties, as well as claims by our customers, their shoppers or end-users, or other stakeholders. These proceedings or violations could force us to spend money in defense or settlement of these proceedings, result in the imposition of monetary liability or injunctive relief, divert management’s time and attention, increase our costs of doing business, and materially adversely affect our reputation and the demand for our CaaS platform.

Further, our insurance coverage, including coverage for errors and omissions and cyber liability, may not continue to be available on acceptable terms or may not be available in sufficient amounts to cover one or more large claims. Our insurers could deny coverage as to any future claim and our cyber liability coverage may not adequately protect us against any losses, liabilities and costs that we may incur. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us, or changes in our insurance policies, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We are also subject to federal, state, and foreign laws regarding cybersecurity and the protection of data. Many jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring companies to notify individuals of security breaches involving certain types of personal information. Our agreements with certain customers and partners require us to notify them of certain security incidents. Some jurisdictions and customers require us to safeguard personal information or confidential information using specific measures. If we fail to observe these requirements, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely affected.

A cyberattack, security breach or other unauthorized access or interruption to our information technology systems or those of our third-party service providers could delay or interrupt service to our customers and their customers, harm our reputation or subject us to significant liability.

Cybersecurity threats, privacy breaches, insider threats or other incidents and malicious internet-based activity continue to increase, evolve in nature and become more sophisticated. Information security risks for companies such as ours have significantly increased in recent years in part because of the proliferation of new technologies, the use of internet and telecommunications technologies to conduct financial transactions, and the

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increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists and other external parties, as well as nation-state and nation-state-supported actors.

Many companies that provide services similar to ours have also reported a significant increase in cyberattack activity since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, in the past, some of our customers have been subject to distributed denial of service attacks (“DDoS”), a technique used by hackers to take an internet service offline by overloading its servers. Our CaaS platform may be subject to similar DDoS attacks in the future. In addition, because we leverage third-party partners and service providers, including cloud, software, data center and other critical technology vendors to deliver our solutions, we rely heavily on the data security practices and policies adopted by these third-party service providers. Our ability to monitor our third-party service providers’ data security is limited. A vulnerability in our third-party service providers’ software or systems, a failure of our third-party service providers’ safeguards, policies or procedures, or a breach of a third-party service provider’s software or systems could result in the compromise of the confidentiality, integrity or availability of our systems or the data housed in our third-party solutions. In addition, we may also become liable in the event our third-party service providers and subprocessors are subject to security breaches, privacy breaches or other cybersecurity threats. We cannot guarantee that any similar incidents may not occur again and adversely affect our operations. We and our third-party service providers and partners may be unable to anticipate or prevent techniques used in the future to obtain unauthorized access or to sabotage systems and cannot guarantee that applicable recovery systems, security protocols, network protection mechanisms and other procedures are or will be adequate to prevent network and service interruption, system failure or data loss. Since techniques used to obtain unauthorized access change frequently and the sophistication and size of DDoS and other cybersecurity attacks is increasing, we may be unable to implement adequate preventative measures or stop the attacks while they are occurring. Any actual or perceived DDoS attack or other security breach or incident could delay or interrupt service to our customers and their customers, could result in loss, compromise, corruption or disclosure of confidential information, intellectual property and sensitive and personal data or data we rely on to provide our solutions, may deter consumers from visiting our customers’ shops, damage our reputation and brand, expose us to a risk of litigation, indemnity obligations and damages for breach of contract, cause us to incur significant liability and financial loss and be subject to regulatory scrutiny, investigations, proceedings and penalties, and require us to expend significant capital and other resources to alleviate problems caused by any such DDoS attack or other security breach or incident and implement additional security measures.

In addition, some jurisdictions, including Brazil and all 50 states in the United States, have enacted laws requiring companies to notify individuals of data security breaches involving certain types of personal data, and our agreements with certain customers require us to notify them in the event of a security incident. Such mandatory disclosures could lead to negative publicity and may cause our customers to lose confidence in the effectiveness of our data security measures. Moreover, if a high-profile security breach occurs with respect to another SaaS provider, customers may lose trust in the security of the SaaS business model generally, which could adversely impact our ability to retain existing customers or attract new ones. In addition, if our security measures fail to protect information adequately, we could be liable to our business partners, our customers, their end-consumers and consumers with whom we have a direct relationship. We could be subject to fines and higher transaction fees, we could face regulatory or other legal action, and our customers could end their relationships with us. The limitations of liability in our contracts may not be enforceable or adequate or would otherwise protect us from any such liabilities or damages with respect to any particular claim. Our failure to comply with legal, contractual, or standards-based requirements around the security of personal information could lead to significant fines and penalties, as well as claims by our customers, their end-consumers, or other stakeholders. These proceedings or violations could force us to spend money in defense or settlement of these proceedings, result in the imposition of monetary liability or injunctive relief, divert management’s time and attention, increase our costs of doing business, and materially adversely affect our reputation and the demand for our CaaS platform.

We currently do maintain cybersecurity insurance, and in the event we were to seek to obtain such insurance coverage, it may not be available on acceptable terms or may not be available in sufficient amounts to cover one

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or more large claims in connection with cybersecurity liabilities. Insurers could also deny coverage as to any future claim. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us, or changes in any insurance policies we may enter into, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are also subject to federal, state and foreign laws regarding cybersecurity and the protection of data. See “—Evolving global laws, regulations and standards, privacy regulations, cross-border data transfer restrictions, and data localization requirements may limit the use and adoption of our services, expose us to liability, or otherwise adversely affect our business.”

We depend on third-party data hosting and transmission services. Increases in cost, interruptions in service, latency, or poor service from our third-party data center providers could impair the delivery of our CaaS platform, which could result in customer or shopper dissatisfaction, damage to our reputation, loss of customers, limited growth, and reduction in revenue.

We currently serve the majority of our CaaS platform functions from third-party data center hosting facilities operated by Amazon Web Services, located in Virginia. Our CaaS platform is deployed to multiple data centers within this geography, with additional geographies available for disaster recovery. Our operations depend, in part, on our third-party providers’ protection of these facilities from natural disasters, power or telecommunications failures, criminal acts, or similar events (such as the COVID-19 pandemic). If any third-party facility’s arrangement is terminated, or its service lapses, we could experience interruptions in our CaaS platform, latency, as well as delays and additional expenses in arranging new facilities and services.

A significant portion of our operating cost is from our third-party data hosting and transmission services. If the costs for such services increase due to vendor consolidation, regulation, contract renegotiation or otherwise, we may not be able to increase the fees for our ecommerce platform or professional services to cover the changes. As a result, our operating results may be significantly worse than forecasted. Our servers may be unable to achieve or maintain data transmission capacity sufficient for timely service of increased traffic or order processing. Our failure to achieve or maintain sufficient and performant data transmission capacity could significantly reduce demand for our CaaS platform.

Our customers often draw many shoppers over short periods of time, including from new product releases, holiday shopping seasons and flash sales. These events significantly increase the traffic on our servers and the volume of transactions processed on our CaaS platform. Despite precautions taken at our data centers, spikes in usage volume, or a natural disaster, an act of terrorism, vandalism or sabotage, closure of a facility without adequate notice, or other unanticipated problems (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) could result in lengthy interruptions or performance degradation of our CaaS platform. Any damage to, or failure of, the systems of our third-party providers could result in interruptions to our CaaS platform. Even with current and planned disaster recovery arrangements, our business could be harmed. If we experience damage or interruption, our insurance policies may not adequately compensate us for or protect us against any losses, liabilities and costs that we may incur. These factors in turn could further reduce our revenue, subject us to liability, cause us to issue credits, or cause customers to terminate their subscriptions, any of which could materially adversely affect our business.

We rely on third-party proprietary and open source software for our CaaS platform. Our inability to obtain third-party licenses for such software, or obtain them on favorable terms, or any errors, bugs, defects or failures caused by such software could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Some of our offerings include software or other intellectual property licensed from third parties. It may be necessary in the future to renew licenses relating to various aspects of these applications or to seek new licenses for existing or new applications. Necessary licenses may not be available on acceptable terms or under open source licenses permitting redistribution in commercial offerings, if at all. Our inability to obtain certain licenses

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or other rights or to obtain such licenses or rights on favorable terms could result in delays in product releases until equivalent technology can be identified, licensed or developed, if at all, and integrated into our CaaS platform, which therefore may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, third parties may allege that additional licenses are required for our use of their software or intellectual property. We may be unable to obtain such licenses on commercially reasonable terms or at all. The inclusion in our offerings of software or other intellectual property licensed from third parties on a non-exclusive basis could limit our ability to differentiate our offerings from those of our competitors. To the extent that our CaaS platform depends upon the successful operation of third-party software, any undetected errors, bugs, defects or failures in such third-party software could impair the functionality of our CaaS platform, delay new feature introductions, result in a failure of our CaaS platform, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our use of open source software could subject us to possible litigation or cause us to subject our CaaS platform to unwanted open source license conditions that could negatively impact our sales.

A portion of our CaaS platform incorporates open source software, and we expect to incorporate open source software into other offerings or solutions in the future. Such open source software is generally licensed by its authors or other third parties under open source licenses. Little legal precedent governs the interpretation of these licenses; therefore, the potential impact of these terms on our business is unknown and may result in unanticipated obligations regarding our technologies. If a distributor of open source software were to allege that we had not complied with its license, we could be required to incur significant legal expenses. If we combine our proprietary software with open source software or utilize open source software in a certain manner, we could, under certain open source licenses, be required to disclose part or all of the source code of our proprietary software publicly and to allow further modification and redistribution on potentially unfavorable terms or at no cost, or otherwise be limited in the licensing of our services. This could provide an advantage to our competitors or other entrants to the market, allow them to create similar products with lower development effort and time, and ultimately result in a loss of sales for us.

We rely on computer hardware, purchased or leased, and software licensed from and services rendered by third parties in order to run our business.

We rely on computer hardware, purchased or leased, and software licensed from and services rendered by third parties in order to run our business, which we have incorporated into our products. Third-party hardware, software and services may not continue to be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Some of our agreements with our licensors may be terminated by them for convenience, or otherwise provide for a limited term. Any loss of the right to use or any failures of third-party hardware, software or services could result in delays in our ability to run our business until equivalent hardware, software or services are developed by us or, if available, identified, obtained and integrated, which could be costly and time-consuming and may not result in an equivalent solution, any of which could cause an adverse effect on our business and operating results. Further, customers could assert claims against us in connection with service disruptions or cease conducting business with us altogether. Even if not successful, a claim brought against us by any of our customers would likely be time-consuming and costly to defend and could seriously damage our reputation and brand, making it harder for us to sell our solutions.

Our growth depends in part on the success of our strategic relationships with third parties.

We anticipate that the growth of our business will continue to depend on third-party relationships, including strategic partnerships and relationships with our service providers and suppliers, consultants, app developers, theme designers, referral sources, resellers, payments processors, installation partners and other partners. In addition to growing our third-party partner ecosystem, we have entered into agreements with, and intend to pursue additional relationships with, other third parties, such as shipping partners and technology and content providers. Identifying, negotiating and documenting relationships with third parties requires significant time and

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resources as does integrating third-party technology and content. Some of the third parties that sell our services have direct contractual relationships with the customers, and in these circumstances, we risk the loss of such customers if those third parties fail to perform their contractual obligations, including in the event of any such third party’s business failure. Our agreements with providers of cloud hosting, technology, content and consulting services are typically non-exclusive and do not prohibit such service providers from working with our competitors or from offering competing services. In particular, we have limited providers of cloud hosting services. These third-party providers may choose to terminate their relationship with us or to make material changes to their businesses, products or services in a manner that is adverse to us.

The success of our CaaS platform depends, in part, on our ability to integrate third-party applications, themes and other offerings into our third-party ecosystem. Third-party developers may also change the features of their offering of applications and themes or alter the terms governing the use of their offerings in a manner that is adverse to us. If third-party applications and themes change such that we do not or cannot maintain the compatibility of our CaaS platform with these applications and themes, or if we fail to provide third-party applications and themes that our customers desire to add to their businesses, demand for our CaaS platform could decline. If we are unable to maintain technical interoperation, our customers may not be able to effectively integrate our CaaS platform with other systems and services they use. We may also be unable to maintain our relationships with certain third-party vendors if we are unable to integrate our CaaS platform with their offerings. In addition, third-party developers may refuse to partner with us or limit or restrict our access to their offerings. Partners may also impose additional restrictions on the ability of third parties like us and our customers to access or use data from their consumers. Such changes could functionally limit or terminate our ability to use these third-party offerings with our CaaS platform, which could negatively impact our solution offerings and harm our business. If we fail to integrate our CaaS platform with new third-party offerings that our customers need for their businesses, or to adapt to the data transfer requirements of such third-party offerings, we may not be able to offer the functionality that our customers and their clients expect, which would negatively impact our offerings and, as a result, harm our business.

Further, our competitors may effectively incentivize third-party developers to favor our competitors’ products or services, which could diminish our prospects for collaborations with third-parties and reduce subscriptions to our CaaS platform. In addition, providers of third-party offerings may not perform as expected under our agreements or under their agreements with our customers, and we or our customers may in the future have disagreements or disputes with such providers. If any such disagreements or disputes cause us to lose access to products or services from a particular supplier, or lead us to experience a significant disruption in the supply of products or services from a current supplier, especially a single-source supplier, they could have an adverse effect on our business and operating results.

We could incur substantial costs in protecting or defending our proprietary rights. Failure to adequately protect our rights could impair our competitive position and we could lose valuable assets, experience reduced revenue, and incur costly litigation.

Our success is dependent, in part, upon protecting our proprietary technology. We rely on our confidentiality, non-compete, non-solicitation and nondisclosure agreements and a combination of trade secret laws, contractual provisions, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, and patents in an effort to establish and protect our proprietary rights. However, the steps we take to protect our intellectual property may be inadequate. We make business decisions about when to seek patent protection for a particular technology and when to rely upon trade secret protection. The approach we select may ultimately prove to be inadequate.

Our patents or patents issued in the future may not provide us with competitive advantages, or may be successfully challenged by third parties. Any of our patents, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights may be challenged or circumvented by others or invalidated through administrative process or litigation. Others may independently develop similar products, duplicate any of our solutions or design around our patents, or adopt similar or identical brands for competing platforms. Legal standards relating to the validity, enforceability, and

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scope of protection of intellectual property rights are uncertain. Despite our precautions, it may be possible for unauthorized third parties to copy our CaaS platform and use information that we regard as proprietary to create products and services that compete with ours. Some license provisions restricting unauthorized use, copying, transfer, and disclosure of our intellectual property may be unenforceable under the laws of jurisdictions outside the United States.

To the extent we expand our international activities, our exposure to unauthorized copying and use of our CaaS platform and proprietary information may increase. Moreover, effective trademark, copyright, patent, and trade secret protection may not be available or commercially feasible in every country in which we conduct business. Further, intellectual property law, including statutory and case law, particularly in the United States, is constantly developing. Changes in the law could make it harder for us to enforce our rights.

We enter into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and consultants to protect our proprietary technologies. We enter into confidentiality agreements with strategic and business partners. As such, these agreements may not be effective in controlling access to and distribution of our proprietary information since they do not prevent our competitors or partners from independently developing technologies that are equivalent or superior to our CaaS platform.

We may be required to spend significant resources to monitor, protect, and enforce our intellectual property rights. Litigation may be necessary in the future to enforce our intellectual property rights and protect our trade secrets. Litigation brought to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights could be costly, time-consuming, and distracting to management. Such litigation could result in the impairment or loss of portions of our intellectual property. Enforcement of our intellectual property rights may be met with defenses, counterclaims, and countersuits attacking the validity and enforceability of our intellectual property. An adverse determination of any litigation proceedings could put our intellectual property at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly. An adverse determination could risk the issuance or cancellation of pending patent and trademark filings. Because of the substantial discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, our confidential or sensitive information could be compromised by disclosure in litigation. Litigation could result in public disclosure of results of hearings, motions, or other interim developments. If securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial adverse effect on the price of our common stock.

In addition, our inability to protect our proprietary technology against unauthorized copying or use, as well as any costly litigation or diversion of our management’s attention and resources, could delay further sales or the implementation of our CaaS platform, impair the functionality of our CaaS platform, delay introductions of new functionality to our CaaS platform, result in the substitution of inferior or more costly technologies into our CaaS platform, or injure our reputation. We will not be able to protect our intellectual property if we are unable to enforce our rights or if we do not detect unauthorized use of our intellectual property. Policing unauthorized use of our technologies, trade secrets, and intellectual property may be difficult, expensive, and time-consuming, particularly in foreign countries where the laws may not be as protective of intellectual property rights as those in the United States and where mechanisms for enforcement of intellectual property rights may be weak. If we fail to meaningfully protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely affected.

If we fail to execute invention assignment agreements with our employees and contractors involved in the development of intellectual property or are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, the value of our products and our business and competitive position could be harmed.

We generally enter into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees, consultants and third parties upon their commencement of a relationship with us. However, we may not enter into such agreements with all employees, consultants and third parties who have been involved in the development of our intellectual property. In addition, these agreements may not provide meaningful protection against the

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unauthorized use or disclosure of our trade secrets or other confidential information, and adequate remedies may not exist if unauthorized use or disclosure were to occur. The exposure of our trade secrets and other proprietary information would impair our competitive advantages and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In particular, a failure to protect our proprietary rights may allow competitors to copy our technology, which could adversely affect our pricing and market share. Further, other parties may independently develop substantially equivalent know-how and technology.

In addition to contractual measures, we try to protect the confidential nature of our proprietary information using commonly accepted physical and technological security measures. Such measures may not, for example, in the case of misappropriation of a trade secret by an employee or third party with authorized access, provide adequate protection for our proprietary information. Our security measures may not prevent an employee or consultant from misappropriating our trade secrets and providing them to a competitor, and recourse we take against such misconduct may not provide an adequate remedy to protect our interests fully. Unauthorized parties may also attempt to copy or reverse engineer certain aspects of our products that we consider proprietary. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret can be difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. Even though we use commonly accepted security measures, trade secret violations are often a matter of state law, and the criteria for protection of trade secrets can vary among different jurisdictions. In addition, trade secrets may be independently developed by others in a manner that could prevent legal recourse by us. We also have agreements with our employees, consultants and third parties that obligate them to assign their inventions to us, however these agreements may not be self-executing, not all employees or consultants may enter into such agreements, or employees or consultants may breach or violate the terms of these agreements, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach or violation. If any of our intellectual property or confidential or proprietary information, such as our trade secrets, were to be disclosed or misappropriated, or if any such information was independently developed by a competitor, it could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Evolving global laws, regulations and standards, privacy regulations, cross-border data transfer restrictions, and data localization requirements may limit the use and adoption of our services, expose us to liability, or otherwise adversely affect our business.

Federal, state, or foreign governmental bodies or agencies have in the past adopted, and may in the future adopt, laws and regulations affecting the use of the internet as a commercial medium. These laws and regulations could impact taxation, internet neutrality, tariffs, content, copyrights, distribution, electronic contracts and other communications, consumer protection, and the characteristics and quality of services. Legislators and regulators may make legal and regulatory changes, or apply existing laws, in ways that require us to incur substantial costs, expose us to unanticipated civil or criminal liability, or cause us to change our business practices. These laws and regulations and resulting increased costs could materially harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Our products and services rely heavily on the collection and use of information, including personal information. Because we store, process, and use data, some of which contains personal information, we are subject to complex and evolving federal, state, and foreign laws and regulations regarding privacy and data protection. Both in the United States and abroad, these laws and regulations governing data privacy are constantly evolving. In the United States, in addition to certain regulations at the federal level, each state has its own statutory approach to privacy regulation, and recently states such as California have been very active in pursuing new regulations that are typically more restrictive than other jurisdictions. The application and interpretation of these laws and regulations are often uncertain, particularly in the new and rapidly evolving industry in which we operate. Continually implementing up-to-date data security tools and procedures and maintaining privacy standards that comply with ever-changing privacy regulations in multiple jurisdictions is challenging. If we are found to have breached any consumer protection laws or regulations in any such market, we may be subject to enforcement actions that require us to change our business practices in a manner which may

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negatively impact our revenue, as well as expose ourselves to litigation, fines, civil and/or criminal penalties and adverse publicity that could cause our end customers to lose trust in us, negatively impacting our reputation and business in a manner that harms our financial position.

In recent years, there has been an increase in attention to and regulation of data protection and data privacy across the globe, including the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”)’s increasingly active approach to enforcing data privacy in the United States, as well as the enactment of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which took effect in May 2018, the United Kingdom’s transposition of GDPR into its domestic laws following its withdrawal from the European Union, and the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), which took effect in January 2020.

In the United States, the CCPA, contains detailed requirements regarding collecting and processing personal information, restrict the use and storage of such information, and govern the effectiveness of consumer consent. Further, the CCPA requires covered companies to provide new disclosures to California consumers, provide such consumers new ways to opt-out of certain sales of personal information, and allow for a new cause of action for data breaches. Such laws could restrict our customers’ ability to run their businesses; for example, by limiting their ability to effectively market to interested shoppers. This could reduce our revenue and the general demand for our services. CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for data breaches that is expected to increase data breach litigation. The effects of CCPA are potentially significant and may require us to modify our data collection or processing practices and policies and to incur substantial costs and expenses in an effort to comply. Additionally, a new privacy law, the California Privacy Rights Act (the “CPRA”), amending and expanding CCPA, was approved by California voters in the November 3, 2020 election. The CPRA will create additional obligations relating to consumer data beginning on January 1, 2022, with implementing regulations expected on or before July 1, 2022, and enforcement beginning July 1, 2023. These laws and regulations could restrict our ability to store and process personal data (in particular, our ability to use certain data for purposes such as risk or fraud avoidance, marketing or advertising), to control our costs by using certain vendors or service providers, and to offer certain services in certain jurisdictions.

Such laws and regulations are often inconsistent and may be subject to amendment or re-interpretation, which may cause us to incur significant costs and expend significant effort to ensure compliance. For example, the European Court of Justice recently invalidated the U.S.-EU Privacy Shield as a basis for transfers of personal data from the EU to the U.S. and introduced requirements to carry out risk assessments in relation to use of other data transfer mechanisms. This may increase regulatory and compliance burdens and may lead to uncertainty about or interruptions of personal data transfers from Europe to the United States (and beyond). Use of other data transfer mechanisms now involves additional compliance steps and in the event any court blocks personal data transfers to or from a particular jurisdiction on the basis that certain or all such transfer mechanisms are not legally adequate, this could give rise to operational interruption in the performance of services for customers and internal processing of employee information, greater costs to implement alternative data transfer mechanisms that are still permitted, regulatory liabilities, or reputational harm. Our response to these requirements globally may not meet the expectations of individual customers, their shoppers, or other stakeholders, which could reduce the demand for our services. Some customers or other service providers may respond to these evolving laws and regulations by asking us to make certain privacy or data-related contractual commitments that we are unable or unwilling to make. This could lead to the loss of current or prospective customers or other business relationships.

In Europe, the GDPR introduced stringent requirements (which will continue to be interpreted through guidance and decisions over the coming years) and require organizations to erase an individual’s information upon request, implement mandatory data breach notification requirements, additional new obligations on service providers and strict protections on how data may be transferred outside of the European Economic Area (“EEA”). Recent legal developments in Europe have created complexity and uncertainty regarding transfers of personal data from the EEA to the United States. Because our services are accessible worldwide, certain foreign jurisdictions may claim that we are required to comply with such laws even in jurisdictions where we have no local entity, employees or infrastructure. Some of these laws include strict localization provisions that require

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certain data to be stored within a particular region or jurisdiction. We rely on a globally distributed infrastructure in order to be able to provide our services efficiently, and consequently may not be able to meet the expectations of customers who are located in or otherwise subject to such localization requirements, which may reduce the demand for our services. Further, following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, and the end of the related transition period, as of January 1, 2021, companies may be subject to both GDPR and the United Kingdom GDPR (“UK GDPR”), which, together with the amended UK Data Protection Act 2018, retains the GDPR in UK national law. The UK GDPR mirrors the fines under the GDPR, i.e., fines up to the greater of €20 million (£17.5 million) or 4% of global turnover. The relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union in relation to certain aspects of data protection law remains unclear, and it is unclear how United Kingdom data protection laws and regulations will develop in the medium to longer term, and how data transfers to and from the United Kingdom will be regulated in the long term. These changes will lead to additional costs and increase our overall risk exposure. Currently there is a four to six-month grace period agreed in the European Union and United Kingdom Trade and Cooperation Agreement, ending June 30, 2021 at the latest, whilst the parties discuss an adequacy decision. The European Commission published a draft adequacy decision on February 19, 2021. If adopted, the decision will enable data transfers from European Union member states to the United Kingdom for a four-year period, subject to subsequent extensions.

Our failure to comply with these and additional laws or regulations could expose us to significant fines and penalties imposed by regulators, as well as legal claims by our customers, or their shoppers, or other relevant stakeholders. Similarly, many of these laws require us to maintain an online privacy policy and terms of service that disclose our practices regarding the collection, processing, and disclosure of personal information. If these disclosures contain any information that a court or regulator finds to be inaccurate or inadequate, we could also be exposed to legal or regulatory liability. Any such proceedings or violations could force us to spend money in defense or settlement, result in the imposition of monetary liability or demanding injunctive relief, divert management’s time and attention, increase our costs of doing business, and materially adversely affect our reputation.

We are subject to governmental export and import controls that could impair our ability to compete in international markets and subject us to liability if we violate the controls.

Our CaaS platform is subject to U.S. export controls, including the Export Administration Regulations and economic sanctions administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. We incorporate encryption technology into our CaaS platform. These encryption products and the underlying technology may be exported outside of the United States only with the required export authorizations, including by license, a license exception or other appropriate government authorizations.

Furthermore, our activities are subject to U.S. economic sanctions laws and regulations that prohibit the shipment of certain products and services to countries, governments, and persons targeted by U.S. embargoes or sanctions. The current administration has been critical of existing trade agreements and may impose more stringent export and import controls. Obtaining the necessary export license or other authorization for a particular sale may be time-consuming and may result in the delay or loss of sales opportunities even if the export license ultimately may be granted. While we take precautions to prevent our CaaS platform from being exported in violation of these laws, including obtaining authorizations for our CaaS platform, performing geolocation IP blocking and screenings against U.S. and other lists of restricted and prohibited persons, we cannot guarantee that the precautions we take will prevent violations of export control and sanctions laws. Violations of U.S. sanctions or export control laws can result in significant fines or penalties and possible incarceration for responsible employees and managers could be imposed for criminal violations of these laws.

If our partners fail to obtain appropriate import, export or re-export licenses or permits, we may also be adversely affected, through reputational harm as well as other negative consequences, including government investigations and penalties. We presently incorporate export control compliance requirements into our strategic partner agreements; however, no assurance can be given that our partners will comply with such requirements.

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Various countries regulate the import and export of certain encryption and other technology, including import and export licensing requirements. Some countries have enacted laws that could limit our ability to distribute our CaaS platform or could limit our customers’ ability to implement our CaaS platform in those countries. Changes in our CaaS platform or future changes in export and import regulations may create delays in the introduction of our CaaS platform in international markets, prevent our customers with international operations from launching our CaaS platform globally or, in some cases, prevent the export or import of our CaaS platform to certain countries, governments, or persons altogether. Various governmental agencies have proposed additional regulation of encryption technology, including the escrow and government recovery of private encryption keys. Any change in export or import regulations, economic sanctions, or related legislation, or change in the countries, governments, persons, or technologies targeted by such regulations, could limit our ability to export or sell our CaaS platform to existing or potential customers with international operations. Any decreased use of our CaaS platform or limitation on our ability to export or sell our CaaS platform would adversely affect our business, operating results, and prospects.

We are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, and similar laws. Non-compliance with such laws can subject us to criminal and/or civil liability and harm our business.

We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (“FCPA”), the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, the UK Bribery Act of 2010, the UK Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and other anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws in the countries in which we conduct activities. Anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws have been enforced aggressively in recent years. These laws are interpreted broadly to prohibit companies and their employees and third-party intermediaries from authorizing, promising, offering, or providing, directly or indirectly, improper payments or anything else of value to recipients in the public or private sector. As we increase our international sales and business and sales to the public sector, we may engage with partners and third-party intermediaries to market our services and to obtain necessary permits, licenses, and other regulatory approvals. In addition, we or our third-party intermediaries may have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or state-owned or affiliated entities. We can be held liable for corrupt or other illegal activities of these third-party intermediaries, our employees, representatives, contractors, partners, and agents, even if we do not explicitly authorize such activities.

While we have policies and procedures to address compliance with such laws, our employees and agents could violate our policies and applicable law, for which we may be ultimately held responsible. As we increase our international sales and business, our risks under these laws may increase.

Noncompliance with anti-corruption, anti-bribery, or anti-money laundering laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, investigations, sanctions, settlements, prosecution, other enforcement actions, disgorgement of profits, significant fines, damages, other civil and criminal penalties or injunctions, suspension and/or debarment from contracting with certain persons, the loss of export privileges, reputational harm, adverse media coverage, and other collateral consequences. If any subpoenas or investigations are launched, or governmental or other sanctions are imposed, or if we do not prevail in any possible civil or criminal litigation, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially harmed. Responding to any action will likely result in a materially significant diversion of management’s attention and resources and significant defense costs and other professional fees. Enforcement actions and sanctions could further harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Security breaches, denial of service attacks, or other hacking and phishing attacks on our systems or other security breaches, including internal security failures, could harm our reputation or subject us to significant liability, and adversely affect our business and financial results.

We operate in an industry that is prone to cyber-attacks. Failure to prevent or mitigate security breaches and improper access to or disclosure of our data, customer data, or the data of their consumers, could result in the loss

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or misuse of such data, which could harm our business and reputation. The security measures we have integrated into our internal networks and platforms, which are designed to prevent or minimize security breaches, may not function as expected or may not be sufficient to protect our internal networks and platforms against certain attacks. In addition, techniques used to sabotage or to obtain unauthorized access to networks in which data is stored or through which data is transmitted change frequently. As a result, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures to prevent an electronic intrusion into our networks. While we have established a cyber-attack remediation plan to enable us to assess and respond to such attacks, there can be no assurance that the measures set forth under such plan will be adequate in all circumstances nor that they will be effective in mitigating, or allowing us to recover from, the effects of such attacks. In addition, we have insurance coverage, but this coverage may be insufficient to compensate us for all liabilities that we may incur.

Our customers’ storage and use of data concerning their stores and restaurants and their consumers is essential to their use of our CaaS platform, which stores, transmits and processes our customers’ proprietary information and personal information relating to them and their clients. If a security breach were to occur, as a result of third-party action, employee error, breakdown of our internal security processes and procedures, malfeasance or otherwise, and the confidentiality, integrity or availability of our customers’ data was disrupted, we could incur significant liability to our customers and to individuals whose information was being stored by our customers, and our CaaS platform may be perceived as less desirable, which could negatively affect our business and damage our reputation.

Our CaaS platform and third-party applications available on, or that interface with, our CaaS platform may be subject to DDoS, a technique used by hackers to take an internet service offline by overloading its servers, and we cannot guarantee that applicable recovery systems, security protocols, network protection mechanisms and other procedures are or will be adequate to prevent network and service interruption, system failure or data loss. In addition, computer malware, viruses, and hacking and phishing attacks by third parties are prevalent in our industry. We have experienced such attacks in the past and may experience such attacks in the future. As a result of our increased visibility, we believe that we are increasingly a target for such breaches and attacks.

Moreover, our CaaS platform and third-party applications available on, or that interface with, our CaaS platform could be breached if vulnerabilities in our CaaS platform or third-party applications are exploited by unauthorized third parties or due to employee error, breakdown of our internal security processes and procedures, malfeasance, or otherwise. Further, third parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees or customers into disclosing sensitive information such as usernames, passwords or other information or otherwise compromise the security of our internal networks, electronic systems and/or physical facilities in order to gain access to our data or our customers’ data. Since techniques used to obtain unauthorized access change frequently and the size and severity of DDoS attacks and security breaches are increasing, we may be unable to implement adequate preventative measures or stop DDoS attacks or security breaches while they are occurring. In addition to our own platforms and applications, some of the third parties we work with may receive information provided by us, by our customers, or by our customers’ clients through web or mobile applications integrated with US. If these third parties fail to adhere to adequate data security practices, or in the event of a breach of their networks, our own and our customers’ data may be improperly accessed, used or disclosed.

Any actual or perceived DDoS attack or security breach could damage our reputation and brand, expose us to a risk of litigation and possible liability and require us to expend significant capital and other resources to respond to and/or alleviate problems caused by the DDoS attack or security breach. Some jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring companies to notify individuals and authorities of data security breaches involving certain types of personal or other data and our agreements with certain customers and partners require us to notify them in the event of a security incident. Similarly, if our suppliers experience data breaches and do not notify us or honor their notification obligations to authorities or users, we could be held liable for the breach. We may not be in a position to assess whether a data breach at one of our suppliers would trigger an obligation or liability on our part. Such mandatory disclosures are costly, could lead to negative publicity, and may cause our customers to

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lose confidence in the effectiveness of our data security measures. Moreover, if a high-profile security breach occurs with respect to another SaaS provider, customers may lose trust in the security of the SaaS business model generally, which could adversely impact our ability to retain revenue from existing customers or attract new customers. Similarly, if a high-profile security breach occurs with respect to a retailer, commerce as a service or eCommerce platform, customers may lose trust in eCommerce more generally, which could adversely impact our customers’ businesses. Any of these events could harm our reputation or subject us to significant liability, and materially and adversely affect our business and financial results.

We are exposed to fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which could negatively affect our operating results.

Our customer subscription and partner and services contracts are primarily denominated in U.S. dollars, and therefore substantially all of our revenue is not subject to foreign currency risk. However, a strengthening of the U.S. dollar could increase the real cost of our CaaS platform to our customers outside of the United States, which could adversely affect our operating results. In addition, an increasing portion of our operating expenses is incurred and an increasing portion of our assets is held outside the United States. These operating expenses and assets are denominated in foreign currencies and are subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. If we are not able to successfully hedge against the risks associated with currency fluctuations, our operating results could be adversely affected.

Our insurance costs may increase significantly, we may be unable to obtain the same level of insurance coverage and our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all possible losses we may suffer.

We generally renew our insurance policies annually. If the cost of coverage becomes too high or if we believe certain coverage becomes inapplicable, we may need to reduce our policy limits, increase retention amounts or agree to certain exclusions from our coverage to reduce the premiums to an acceptable amount or to otherwise reduce coverage for certain occurrences. On the other hand, we may determine that we either do not have certain coverage that would be prudent for our business and the risks associated with our business or that our current coverages are too low to adequately cover such risks. In either event, we may incur additional or higher premiums for such coverage than in prior years.

Among other factors, national security concerns, catastrophic events, pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or any changes in any applicable statutory requirement binding insurance carriers to offer certain types of coverage could also adversely affect available insurance coverage and result in, among other things, increased premiums on available coverage (which may cause us to elect to reduce our policy limits or not renew our coverage) and additional exclusions from coverage. As cyber incidents and threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend additional, perhaps significant, resources to continue to update, modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any vulnerability to cyber incidents. Although we maintain and monitor our information technology systems and we have insurance coverage for protecting against cyber security risks, such systems and insurance coverage may not be sufficient to protect against or cover all the losses we may experience as a result of any cyber-attacks.

We may suffer damage due to a casualty loss (such as fire, natural disasters, pandemics and acts of war or terrorism) or other losses, such as those related to labor, professional liability or certain actions or inactions by our management, directors, employees or others, that could severely disrupt its business or subject us to claims by third parties who are injured or harmed. Although we maintain insurance that we believe to be adequate, such insurance may be inadequate or unavailable to cover all the risks to which our business and assets may be exposed, including risks related to certain litigation. Should an uninsured loss (including a loss that is less than the applicable deductible or that is not covered by insurance) or loss in excess of insured limits occur, it could have a significant adverse impact on our business, results of operations or financial condition.

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Our ability to use our net operating losses and certain other attributes may be subject to certain limitations.

As of December 31, 2020, we had approximately $9.6 million of U.S. federal and $9.1 million of state net operating losses. Certain of our U.S. federal and state net operating loss carryforwards may be carried forward indefinitely, while other of these loss carryforwards are subject to expiration (beginning in 2032). It is possible that we will not generate taxable income in time to use these net operating loss carryforwards before their expiration (or that we will not generate taxable income at all). Under legislative changes made in December 2017, as modified by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards generated in taxable periods beginning after December 31, 2017, may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such net operating loss carryforwards in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2020, is limited to 80% of taxable income. It is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to these federal tax laws.

In addition, the federal and state net operating loss carryforwards and certain tax credits may be subject to significant limitations under Section 382 and Section 383 of the Code, respectively, and similar provisions of state law, including limitations that may result from the consummation of the Business Combination. Under those sections of the Internal Revenue Code, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change net operating loss carryforwards and other pre-change attributes, such as research tax credits, to offset its post-change income or tax may be limited. In general, an “ownership change” will occur if there is a cumulative change in our ownership by “5-percent shareholders” that exceeds 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. We have not yet determined whether the Business Combination will give rise to an “ownership change” for purposes of Section 382 and Section 383 of the Code. Furthermore, we may have experienced ownership changes in the past and may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in our stock ownership (some of which shifts are outside our control). As a result, our ability to use our pre-change federal NOLs and other tax attributes to offset future taxable income and taxes could be subject to limitations. For these reasons, we may be unable to use a material portion of our NOLs and other tax attributes, which could adversely affect our future net income and cash flows.

Changes to applicable tax laws and regulations or exposure to additional income tax liabilities could affect our business and future profitability.

Nogin is a U.S. corporation and thus will be subject to U.S. corporate income tax on its worldwide income. Further, since our operations and customers are located throughout the United States, we will be subject to various U.S. state and local taxes. U.S. federal, state, local and non- U.S. tax laws, policies, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be interpreted, changed, modified or applied adversely to us and may have an adverse effect on our business and future profitability. For example, several tax proposals have been set forth that would, if enacted, make significant changes to U.S. tax laws. Such proposals include an increase in the U.S. income tax rate applicable to corporations (such as Nogin). Congress may consider, and could include, some or all of these proposals in connection with tax reform that may be undertaken (including with retroactive effect). We are unable to predict whether these or similar changes will be enacted and, if enacted, how soon any such changes could take effect. The passage of any legislation as a result of these proposals and other similar changes in U.S. federal income tax laws could adversely affect our business and future profitability.

We may be subject to additional obligations to collect and remit sales tax and other taxes. We may be subject to tax liability for past sales, which could harm our business.

State, local and foreign jurisdictions have differing rules and regulations governing sales, use, value added, and other taxes, and these rules and regulations are subject to varying interpretations that may change over time. In particular, the applicability of such taxes to our ecommerce platform in various jurisdictions is unclear. These jurisdictions’ rules regarding tax nexus are complex and vary significantly. As a result, jurisdictions in which we have not historically collected or accrued sales, use, value added, or other taxes could assert our liability for such

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taxes. Our liability for these taxes and associated penalties could exceed our original estimates. This could result in substantial tax liabilities and related penalties for past sales. It could also discourage customers from using our SaaS platform or otherwise harm our business and operating results.

Risks Related to Being a Public Company

The market price of shares of our common stock may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance. You may lose some or all of your investment.

The trading price of our common stock following the Business Combination is likely to be volatile. The stock market recently has experienced extreme volatility. This volatility often has been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of particular companies. You may not be able to resell your shares at an attractive price due to a number of factors such as those listed in “—Risks Related to Nogin’s Operations, Technology and Financial Condition” and the following:

These broad market and industry factors may materially reduce the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance. In addition, price volatility may be greater if the public float and trading volume of our common stock is low. As a result, you may suffer a loss on your investment.

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In the past, following periods of market volatility, stockholders have instituted securities class action litigation. If we were involved in securities litigation, it could have a substantial cost and divert resources and the attention of management from our business regardless of the outcome of such litigation.

We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future.

We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, we do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our business prospects, results of operations, financial condition, cash requirements and availability, certain restrictions related to our indebtedness, industry trends and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. Any such decision will also be subject to compliance with contractual restrictions and covenants in the agreements governing our current and future indebtedness. In addition, we may incur additional indebtedness, the terms of which may further restrict or prevent us from paying dividends on our common stock. As a result, you may have to sell some or all of your common stock after price appreciation in order to generate cash flow from your investment, which you may not be able to do. Our inability or decision not to pay dividends, particularly when others in our industry have elected to do so, could also adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business or publish negative reports, the market price of our common stock could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. We may be unable or slow to attract research coverage and if one or more analysts cease coverage of us, the price and trading volume of our securities would likely be negatively impacted. If any of the analysts that may cover us change their recommendation regarding our securities adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, the price of our securities would likely decline. If any analyst that may cover us ceases covering us or fails to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause the price or trading volume of our securities to decline. Moreover, if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrades our common stock or if our reporting results do not meet their expectations, the market price of our common stock could decline.

Our ability to timely raise capital in the future may be limited, or may be unavailable on acceptable terms, if at all. Our failure to raise capital when needed could harm our business, operating results and financial condition. Debt issued to raise additional capital may reduce the value of our common stock.

We have funded our operations since inception primarily through equity financings, debt, and payments by our customers for use of our CaaS platform and related services. We cannot be certain when or if our operations will generate sufficient cash to fund our ongoing operations or the growth of our business.

We intend to continue to make investments to support our business and may require additional funds. Additional financing may not be available on favorable terms, if at all. If adequate funds are not available on acceptable terms, we may be unable to invest in future growth opportunities, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition. If we incur debt, the debt holders could have rights senior to holders of common stock to make claims on our assets. The terms of any debt could restrict our operations, including our ability to pay dividends on our common stock. As a result, our stockholders bear the risk of future issuances of debt securities reducing the value of our common stock.

Our issuance of additional shares of common stock or convertible securities could make it difficult for another company to acquire us, may dilute your ownership of us and could adversely affect our stock price.

In connection with the proposed Business Combination, we intend to file a registration statement with the SEC on Form S-8 providing for the registration of shares of our common stock issued or reserved for issuance

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under the Prior Plan (as defined herein) and the Incentive Plan. The Incentive Plan will provide for automatic increases in the shares reserved for grant or issuance under the plan which could result in additional dilution to our stockholders. Subject to the satisfaction of vesting conditions and the expiration of any applicable lockup restrictions, shares registered under the registration statement on Form S-8 will generally be available for resale immediately in the public market without restriction. From time to time in the future, we may also issue additional shares of our common stock or securities convertible into common stock pursuant to a variety of transactions, including acquisitions. The issuance by us of additional shares of our common stock or securities convertible into our common stock would dilute your ownership of us and the sale of a significant amount of such shares in the public market could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock.

In the future, we expect to obtain financing or to further increase our capital resources by issuing additional shares of our capital stock or offering debt or other equity securities, including senior or subordinated notes, debt securities convertible into equity, or shares of preferred stock. Issuing additional shares of our capital stock, other equity securities, or securities convertible into equity may dilute the economic and voting rights of our existing stockholders, reduce the market price of our common stock, or both. Debt securities convertible into equity could be subject to adjustments in the conversion ratio pursuant to which certain events may increase the number of equity securities issuable upon conversion. Preferred stock, if issued, could have a preference with respect to liquidating distributions or a preference with respect to dividend payments that could limit our ability to pay dividends to the holders of our common stock. Our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, which may adversely affect the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings. As a result, holders of our common stock bear the risk that our future offerings may reduce the market price of our common stock and dilute their percentage ownership. See “Description of Capital Stock of the Post-Combination Company.”

Future sales, or the perception of future sales, of our common stock by us or our existing stockholders in the public market following the closing of the Business Combination could cause the market price for our common stock to decline.

The sale of substantial amounts of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could harm the prevailing market price of shares of our common stock. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate.

Upon consummation of the Business Combination, we will have a total of 80,612,463 shares of common stock outstanding, consisting of (i) 52,102,628 shares issued to holders of shares of common and preferred stock of Nogin, (ii) 22,807,868 shares held by SWAG’s public stockholders (assuming no redemptions by such public stockholders) and (iii) 5,701,967 shares held by SWAG Sponsor (including 1,710,590 shares subject to earnout requirements pursuant to the Sponsor Agreement). All shares issued as merger consideration in the Business Combination will be freely tradable without registration under the Securities Act and without restriction by persons other than our “affiliates” (as defined under Rule 144 of the Securities Act, referred to herein as “Rule 144”), including our directors, executive officers and other affiliates.

In connection with the Business Combination, pursuant to the amended and restated bylaws, Nogin stockholders will be subject to certain restrictions on transfer with respect to the shares of common stock issued as part of the merger consideration beginning at closing and ending on the date that is six months after the completion of the Business Combination, subject to certain price-based releases. See “Other Agreements—Amended and Restated Bylaws” for a description of the amended and restated bylaws.

Upon the expiration or waiver of the lock-ups described above, shares held by certain of our stockholders will be eligible for resale, subject to, in the case of certain stockholders, volume, manner of sale and other limitations under Rule 144. In addition, pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, certain stockholders will have the right, subject to certain conditions, to require us to register the sale of their shares of our common stock

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under the Securities Act. By exercising their registration rights and selling a large number of shares, these stockholders could cause the prevailing market price of our common stock to decline. Following completion of the Business Combination, the shares covered by registration rights would represent approximately 63.7% of our outstanding common stock. See “Other Agreements—Registration Rights Agreement” for a description of these registration rights.

As restrictions on resale end or if these stockholders exercise their registration rights, the market price of shares of our common stock could drop significantly if the holders of these shares sell them or are perceived by the market as intending to sell them. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to raise additional funds through future offerings of our shares of common stock or other securities.

In addition, the shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our equity incentive plans will become eligible for sale in the public market once those shares are issued, subject to provisions relating to various vesting agreements, lock-up agreements and, in some cases, limitations on volume and manner of sale applicable to affiliates under Rule 144, as applicable. The number of shares to be reserved for future issuance under the Incentive Plan is expected to equal                 . We expect to file one or more registration statements on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register shares of our common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of our common stock issued pursuant to our equity incentive plans. Any such Form S-8 registration statements will automatically become effective upon filing. Accordingly, shares registered under such registration statements will be available for sale in the open market. The initial registration statement on Form S-8 is expected to cover approximately                  shares of our common stock.

The requirements of being a public company, including compliance with the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the requirements of Nasdaq, may strain our resources, increase our costs and distract management, and we may be unable to comply with these requirements in a timely or cost-effective manner.

As a public company, we are subject to laws, regulations and requirements, certain corporate governance provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, related regulations of the SEC and the requirements of Nasdaq, which we were not required to comply as a private company. As a newly public company, complying with these statutes, regulations and requirements occupies a significant amount of time of our board of directors and management and significantly increases our costs and expenses. For example, we have had to institute a more comprehensive compliance function, comply with rules promulgated by Nasdaq, prepare and distribute periodic public reports in compliance with our obligations under the federal securities laws, establish new internal policies, such as those relating to insider trading. We have also had to retain and rely on outside counsel and accountants to a greater degree in these activities. In addition, being subject to these rules and regulations has made it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on our board of directors or as executive officer.

We are an “emerging growth company.” The reduced public company reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We qualify as an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. While we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and plan to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These provisions include: (1) presenting only two years of audited financial statements, (2) presenting only two years of related selected financial data and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” disclosure, (3) an exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley, (4) not being required to comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information

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about the audit and the financial statements, (5) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation arrangements in our periodic reports, registration statements, and proxy statements, and (6) exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, the information we provide will be different than the information that is available with respect to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. Additionally, management has elected to present two years of audited financial statements and selected financial data.

We cannot predict whether investors will find our common stock less attractive if we rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock. The market price of our common stock may be more volatile.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of: (1) December 31, 2025, (2) the first fiscal year after our annual gross revenue exceed $1.07 billion, (3) the date on which we have, during the immediately preceding three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities, and (4) the end of any fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of the second quarter of that fiscal year.

Our management has limited experience in operating a public company.

Our executive officers have limited experience in the management of a publicly traded company. Our management team may not successfully or effectively manage its transition to a public company that will be subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under federal securities laws. Their limited experience in dealing with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies could be a significant disadvantage in that it is likely that an increasing amount of their time may be devoted to these activities which will result in less time being devoted to the management and growth of the Post-Combination Company. We may not have adequate personnel with the appropriate level of knowledge, experience, and training in the accounting policies, practices or internal controls over financial reporting required of public companies in the United States. The development and implementation of the standards and controls necessary for the Post-Combination Company to achieve the level of accounting standards required of a public company in the United States may require costs greater than expected. It is possible that the Post-Combination Company will be required to expand its employee base and hire additional employees to support its operations as a public company which will increase its operating costs in future periods.

Risks Related to the Business Combination

SWAG stockholders will have a reduced ownership and voting interest after the Business Combination and will exercise less influence over management.

Upon the issuance of the shares to Nogin stockholders, current SWAG stockholders’ percentage ownership will be diluted. Assuming no public stockholders exercise their redemption rights and excluding any shares issuable pursuant to SWAG’s outstanding warrants, current SWAG stockholders’ percentage ownership in the Post-Combination Company following the issuance of shares to Nogin stockholders would be approximately 28.3%. Additionally, of the expected members of the Post-Combination Company’s board of directors after the completion of the Business Combination, only one will be a current director of SWAG and                  will be current directors of Nogin. The percentage of the Post-Combination Company’s common stock that will be owned by current SWAG stockholders as a group will vary based on the number of Public Shares for which the holders thereof request redemption in connection with the Business Combination. To illustrate the potential ownership percentages of current SWAG stockholders under different redemption levels, based on the number of issued and outstanding shares of SWAG common stock and Nogin capital stock on February 10, 2022, and based on the merger consideration, current SWAG stockholders (including the Sponsor and directors of SWAG), as a group, will own (1) if there are no redemptions of Public Shares, 28.3% of the Post-Combination Company’s

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common stock expected to be outstanding immediately after the Business Combination or (2) if there are redemptions of the maximum number of outstanding Public Shares, 5.7% of the Post-Combination Company’s common stock expected to be outstanding immediately after the Business Combination. Because of this, current SWAG stockholders, as a group, will have less influence on the board of directors, management and policies of the Post-Combination Company than they now have on the board of directors, management and policies of SWAG.

The market price of shares of the Post-Combination Company’s common stock after the Business Combination may be affected by factors different from those currently affecting the prices of shares of SWAG Class A common stock.

Upon completion of the Business Combination, holders of shares of Nogin common stock and preferred stock will become holders of shares of the Post-Combination Company’s common stock. Prior to the Business Combination, SWAG has had limited operations. Upon completion of the Business Combination, the Post-Combination Company’s results of operations will depend upon the performance of Nogin’s businesses, which are affected by factors that are different from those currently affecting the results of operations of SWAG.

SWAG has not obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, and consequently, there is no assurance from an independent source that the merger consideration is fair to its stockholders from a financial point of view.

SWAG is not required to, and has not, obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the merger consideration it is paying for Nogin is fair to SWAG’s stockholders from a financial point of view. The fair market value of Nogin has been determined by the SWAG Board based upon standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as potential sales and the price for which comparable businesses or assets have been valued. SWAG’s board of directors believes because of the financial skills and background of its directors, it was qualified to conclude that the Business Combination was fair from a financial perspective to its stockholders and that Nogin’s fair market value was at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the Business Combination. SWAG’s stockholders will be relying on the judgment of its board of directors with respect to such matters.

If the Business Combination’s benefits do not meet the expectations of financial analysts, the market price of our common stock may decline.

The market price of our common stock may decline as a result of the Business Combination if we do not achieve the perceived benefits of the Business Combination as rapidly, or to the extent anticipated by, financial analysts or the effect of the Business Combination on our financial results is not consistent with the expectations of financial analysts. Accordingly, holders of our common stock following the consummation of the Business Combination may experience a loss as a result of a decline in the market price of such common stock. In addition, a decline in the market price of our common stock following the consummation of the Business Combination could adversely affect our ability to issue additional securities and to obtain additional financing in the future.

There can be no assurance that the Post-Combination Company’s common stock will be approved for listing on the NASDAQ or that the Post-Combination Company will be able to comply with the continued listing standards of the NASDAQ.

In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, we intend to list the Post-Combination Company’s common stock and warrants on the NASDAQ under the symbols “NOGN” and “NOGNW,” respectively. The Post-Combination Company’s continued eligibility for listing may depend on the number of our shares that are converted. If, after the Business Combination, the NASDAQ delists the Post-Combination

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Company’s shares from trading on its exchange for failure to meet the listing standards, the Post-Combination Company and its stockholders could face significant material adverse consequences including:

The consummation of the Business Combination is subject to a number of conditions and if those conditions are not satisfied or waived, the Merger Agreement may be terminated in accordance with its terms and the Business Combination may not be completed.

The Merger Agreement is subject to a number of conditions which must be fulfilled in order to complete the Business Combination. Those conditions include: approval of the Merger Agreement by Nogin stockholders, approval of the proposals required to effect the Business Combination by SWAG stockholders, as well as receipt of certain requisite regulatory approvals, absence of orders prohibiting completion of the Business Combination, effectiveness of the registration statement of which this proxy statement/prospectus is a part, approval of the shares of Class A common stock to be issued to SWAG stockholders for listing on the NASDAQ, the resignation of specified SWAG executive officers and directors, the accuracy of the representations and warranties by both parties (subject to the materiality standards set forth in the Merger Agreement) and the performance by both parties of their covenants and agreements. These conditions to the closing of the Business Combination may not be fulfilled in a timely manner or at all, and, accordingly, the Business Combination may not be completed. In addition, the parties can mutually decide to terminate the Merger Agreement at any time, before or after stockholder approval, or SWAG or Nogin may elect to terminate the Merger Agreement in certain other circumstances. See “The Merger Agreement—Termination.”

The parties to the Merger Agreement may amend the terms of the Merger Agreement or waive one or more of the conditions to the Business Combination, and the exercise of discretion by our directors and officers in agreeing to changes to the terms of or waivers of closing conditions in the Merger Agreement may result in a conflict of interest when determining whether such changes to the terms of the Merger Agreement or waivers of conditions are appropriate and in the best interests of our stockholders.

In the period leading up to the Closing, other events may occur that, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, would require us to agree to amend the Merger Agreement, to consent to certain actions or to waive certain closing conditions or other rights that we are entitled to under the Merger Agreement. Such events could arise because of changes in the course of Nogin’s business, a request by Nogin to undertake actions that would otherwise be prohibited by the terms of the Merger Agreement or the occurrence of other events that would have a material adverse effect on Nogin’s business and would entitle us to terminate the Merger Agreement. In any of such circumstances, it would be in our discretion, acting through our board of directors, to grant our consent or waive our rights. The existence of the financial and personal interests of the directors and officers described elsewhere in this proxy statement may result in a conflict of interest on the part of one or more of the directors or officers between what he or she may believe is best for SWAG and our stockholders and what he or she may believe is best for himself or herself or his or her affiliates in determining whether or not to take the requested action.

For example, it is a condition to SWAG’s obligation to close the Business Combination that Nogin’s representations and warranties be true and correct as of the Closing in all respects subject to the applicable

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materiality standards as set forth in the Merger Agreement. However, if the SWAG board determines that any such breach is not material to the business of Nogin, then the SWAG board may elect to waive that condition and close the Business Combination. The parties will not waive the condition that SWAG’s stockholders approve the Business Combination.

While certain changes could be made without further stockholder approval, if there is a change to the terms of the Business Combination that would have a material impact on the stockholders, we will be required to circulate a new or amended proxy statement or supplement thereto and resolicit the vote of our stockholders with respect to the Business Combination Proposal.

Termination of the Merger Agreement could negatively impact Nogin and SWAG.

If the Business Combination is not completed for any reason, including as a result of Nogin stockholders declining to adopt the Merger Agreement or SWAG stockholders declining to approve the proposals required to effect the Business Combination, the ongoing businesses of Nogin and SWAG may be adversely impacted and, without realizing any of the anticipated benefits of completing the Business Combination, Nogin and SWAG would be subject to a number of risks, including the following:

If the Merger Agreement is terminated and Nogin’s board of directors seeks another merger or business combination, Nogin stockholders cannot be certain that Nogin will be able to find a party willing to offer equivalent or more attractive consideration than the consideration SWAG has agreed to provide in the Business Combination or that such other merger or business combination is completed. If the Merger Agreement is terminated and the SWAG Board seeks another merger or business combination, SWAG stockholders cannot be certain that SWAG will be able to find another acquisition target that would constitute a business combination that such other merger or business combination will be completed. See “The Merger Agreement—Termination.”

Nogin will be subject to business uncertainties and contractual restrictions while the Business Combination is pending.

Uncertainty about the effect of the Business Combination on employees and customers may have an adverse effect on Nogin and consequently on SWAG. These uncertainties may impair Nogin’s ability to attract, retain and motivate key personnel until the Business Combination is completed and could cause customers and others that deal with Nogin to seek to change existing business relationships with Nogin. Retention of certain employees may be challenging during the pendency of the Business Combination as certain employees may experience uncertainty about their future roles. If key employees depart because of issues relating to the uncertainty and difficulty of integration or a desire not to remain with the business, our business following the Business Combination could be negatively impacted. In addition, the Merger Agreement restricts Nogin from making

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certain expenditures and taking other specified actions without the consent of SWAG until the Business Combination occurs. These restrictions may prevent Nogin from pursuing attractive business opportunities that may arise prior to the completion of the Business Combination. See “The Merger Agreement—Covenants and Agreements.”

SWAG directors and officers may have interests in the Business Combination different from the interests of SWAG stockholders.

Executive officers of SWAG negotiated the terms of the Merger Agreement with their counterparts at Nogin, and the SWAG Board determined that entering into the Merger Agreement was in the best interests of SWAG and its stockholders, declared the Merger Agreement advisable and recommended that SWAG stockholders approve the proposals required to effect the Business Combination. In considering these facts and the other information contained in this proxy statement/prospectus, you should be aware that SWAG’s executive officers and directors may have financial interests in the Business Combination that may be different from, or in addition to, the interests of SWAG stockholders. Specifically, the 5,701,967 Founder Shares held by the Initial Stockholders which were acquired for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 prior to the completion of the SWAG IPO and the 9,982,754 Private Placement Warrants the Sponsor purchased from SWAG for an aggregate purchase price of $9,982,754 (or $1.00 per warrant) purchased concurrently with the closing of the SWAG IPO will expire worthless if SWAG does not consummate a business combination within the Completion Window. The SWAG Board was aware of and considered these interests, among other matters, in reaching the determination to approve the terms of the Business Combination and in recommending to SWAG’s stockholders that they vote to approve the Business Combination. For a detailed discussion of the special interests that SWAG’s directors and executive officers may have in the Business Combination, please see the section entitled “The Business Combination—Interests of SWAG’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination.”

Nogin directors and officers may have interests in the Business Combination different from the interests of Nogin stockholders.

Executive officers of Nogin negotiated the terms of the Merger Agreement with their counterparts at SWAG, and the Nogin board of directors determined that entering into the Merger Agreement was in the best interests of Nogin and its stockholders. In considering these facts and the other information contained in this proxy statement/prospectus, you should be aware that Nogin’s executive officers and directors may have financial interests in the Business Combination that may be different from, or in addition to, the interests of Nogin stockholders. The Nogin board of directors was aware of and considered these interests, among other matters, in reaching the determination to approve the terms of the Business Combination. For a detailed discussion of the special interests that Nogin’s directors and executive officers may have in the Business Combination, please see the section entitled “The Business Combination—Interests of Nogin’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination.”

The Sponsor may have interests in the Business Combination different from the interests of SWAG stockholders.

When considering our board of directors’ recommendation that our stockholders vote in favor of the approval of the Business Combination Proposal and the other Proposals described in this proxy statement, our stockholders should be aware that the Sponsor has interests in the Business Combination that may be different from, in addition to, or conflict with the interests of our stockholders in general. Specifically, the 5,701,967 Founder Shares held by the Initial Stockholders which were acquired for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 prior to the completion of the SWAG IPO and the 9,982,754 Private Placement Warrants the Sponsor purchased from SWAG for an aggregate purchase price of $9,982,754 (or $1.00 per warrant) purchased concurrently with the closing of the SWAG IPO will expire worthless if SWAG does not consummate a business combination within the Completion Window. For a more complete description of these interests, see the section entitled “The Business Combination—Interests of SWAG’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination.”

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Because Nogin will become a publicly traded company through the Business Combination rather than an underwritten initial public offering, the scope of due diligence conducted may be different from that conducted by an underwriter in an underwritten initial public offering.

Nogin will effectively become a publicly listed company upon the completion of the Business Combination. The Business Combination and the transactions described in this proxy statement/prospectus differ from an underwritten initial public offering. In a traditional underwritten initial public offering, underwriters typically conduct a certain amount of due diligence on the company being taken public in order to establish a due diligence defense against liability claims under federal securities laws. Because SWAG is already a publicly listed company, an underwriter has not been engaged. The due diligence conducted by management and the SWAG Board may be different than the due diligence undertaken by an underwriter in a traditional initial public offering. The Sponsor may have an inherent conflict of interest because its shares and warrants will be worthless if an initial business combination is not completed with Nogin or another company before February 2, 2023. Therefore, there could be a heightened risk of an incorrect valuation of Nogin’s business, which could cause potential harm to investors.

The Business Combination will result in changes to the board of directors that may affect our strategy.

If the parties complete the Business Combination and the Director Election Proposal is approved, the composition of the Post-Combination Company’s board of directors will change from the current boards of directors of SWAG and Nogin. The board of directors of the Post-Combination Company will be divided into three classes and will consist of the directors elected pursuant to the Director Election Proposal, each of which will serve an initial term ending in either 2023, 2024 or 2025, and thereafter will serve a three-year term. This new composition of the Post-Combination Company board of directors may affect our business strategy and operating decisions upon the completion of the Business Combination.

The Merger Agreement contains provisions that may discourage other companies from trying to acquire Nogin for greater merger consideration.

The Merger Agreement contains provisions that prohibit Nogin from seeking alternative business combinations during the pendency of the Business Combination. These provisions include a general prohibition on Nogin from soliciting or entering into discussions with any third party regarding any acquisition proposal or offers for competing transactions. Nogin also has an unqualified obligation to submit the proposal to adopt the Merger Agreement to a vote by its stockholders, even if Nogin receives an alternative acquisition proposal that its board of directors believes is superior to the Business Combination, unless the Merger Agreement has been terminated in accordance with its terms. See “The Merger Agreement—Termination.”

The Merger Agreement contains provisions that may discourage SWAG from seeking an alternative business combination.

The Merger Agreement contains provisions that prohibit SWAG from seeking alternative business combinations during the pendency of the Business Combination. Further, if SWAG is unable to obtain the requisite approval of its stockholders, either party may terminate the Merger Agreement. See “The Merger Agreement—Termination.”

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information included in this proxy statement/prospectus is preliminary and the actual financial condition and results of operations after the Business Combination may differ materially.

The unaudited pro forma financial information included in this proxy statement/prospectus is presented for illustrative purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of what our actual financial position or results of operations would have been had the Business Combination been completed on the date(s) indicated. The

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preparation of the pro forma financial information is based upon available information and certain assumptions and estimates that SWAG and Nogin currently believe are reasonable. The unaudited pro forma financial information reflects adjustments, which are based upon preliminary estimates, among other things, to allocate the purchase price to Nogin’s net assets. The purchase price allocation reflected in this proxy statement/prospectus is preliminary, and the final allocation of the purchase price will be based upon the actual purchase price and the fair value of the assets and liabilities of Nogin as of the date of the completion of the Business Combination. In addition, following the completion of the Business Combination, there may be further refinements of the purchase price allocation as additional information becomes available. Accordingly, the final purchase accounting adjustments may differ materially from the pro forma adjustments reflected in this proxy statement/prospectus. See “Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information.”

SWAG and Nogin will incur transaction costs in connection with the Business Combination.

Each of SWAG and Nogin has incurred and expects that it will incur significant, non-recurring costs in connection with consummating the Business Combination. SWAG and Nogin may also incur additional costs to retain key employees. SWAG and Nogin will also incur significant legal, financial advisor, accounting, banking and consulting fees, fees relating to regulatory filings and notices, SEC filing fees, printing and mailing fees and other costs associated with the Business Combination. SWAG and Nogin estimate that they will incur $21.0 million in aggregate transaction costs, inclusive of approximately $8.0 million in deferred underwriting fees. Some of these costs are payable regardless of whether the Business Combination is completed. See “The Business Combination—Terms of the Business Combination.”

SWAG’s stockholders will have their rights as stockholders governed by the Post-Combination Company’s organizational documents.

As a result of the completion of the Business Combination, holders of shares of SWAG common stock will become holders of shares of the Post-Combination Company’s common stock, which are expected to be governed by the Post-Combination Company’s organizational documents. As a result, there will be differences between the rights currently enjoyed by SWAG stockholders and the rights that SWAG stockholders who become stockholders of the Post-Combination Company will have as stockholders of the Post-Combination Company. See “Comparison of Stockholders’ Rights.”

The Sponsor has agreed to vote in favor of each of the proposals presented at the Special Meeting, regardless of how public stockholders vote.

Pursuant to the Sponsor Agreement, the Sponsor has agreed to vote its Founder Shares and any Public Shares it holds in favor of each of the proposals presented at the Special Meeting, regardless of how public stockholders vote. Accordingly, the agreement by the Sponsor to vote in favor of the each of the proposals presented at the Special Meeting will increase the likelihood that SWAG will receive the requisite stockholder approval for the Business Combination and the transactions contemplated thereby. See “Other Agreements—Sponsor Agreement.”

SWAG’s and Nogin’s ability to consummate the Business Combination, and the operations of the Post-Combination Company following the Business Combination, may be materially adversely affected by the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted, and other infectious diseases could result, in a widespread health crisis that has and could continue to adversely affect the economies and financial markets worldwide, which may delay or prevent the consummation of the Business Combination, and the business of Nogin or Post-Combination Company following the Business Combination could be materially and adversely affected. The extent of such impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.

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The parties will be required to consummate the Business Combination even if Nogin, its business, financial condition and results of operations are materially affected by COVID-19. The disruptions posed by COVID-19 have continued, and other matters of global concern may continue, for an extensive period of time, and if Nogin is unable to recover from business disruptions due to COVID-19 or other matters of global concern on a timely basis, Nogin’s ability to consummate the Business Combination and the Post-Combination Company’s financial condition and results of operations following the Business Combination may be materially adversely affected. Each of Nogin and the Post-Combination Company may also incur additional costs due to delays caused by COVID-19, which could adversely affect the Post-Combination Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Class A Common Stock Following the Business Combination

Our Class A common stock price may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance. You may lose some or all of your investment.

The trading price of our Class A common stock following the Business Combination is likely to be volatile. The stock market recently has experienced extreme volatility. This volatility often has been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of particular companies. You may not be able to resell your shares at an attractive price due to a number of factors such as those listed in “—Risks Related to Nogin’s Business and Industry” and the following:

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These broad market and industry factors may materially reduce the market price of our Class A common stock, regardless of our operating performance. In addition, price volatility may be greater if the public float and trading volume of our Class A common stock is low. As a result, you may suffer a loss on your investment.

In the past, following periods of market volatility, stockholders have instituted securities class action litigation. If we were involved in securities litigation, it could have a substantial cost and divert resources and the attention of executive management from our business regardless of the outcome of such litigation.

We do not intend to pay dividends on our Class A common stock for the foreseeable future.

We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, we do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends on our Class A common stock in the foreseeable future. Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our business prospects, results of operations, financial condition, cash requirements and availability, certain restrictions related to our indebtedness, industry trends and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. Any such decision will also be subject to compliance with contractual restrictions and covenants in the agreements governing our current and future indebtedness. In addition, we may incur additional indebtedness, the terms of which may further restrict or prevent us from paying dividends on our common stock. As a result, you may have to sell some or all of your Class A common stock after price appreciation in order to generate cash flow from your investment, which you may not be able to do. Our inability or decision not to pay dividends, particularly when others in our industry have elected to do so, could also adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock.

If securities analysts do not publish research or reports about us, or if they issue unfavorable commentary about us or our industry or downgrade our Class A common stock, the price of our Class A common stock could decline.

The trading market for our Class A common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that third-party securities analysts publish about us and the industries in which we operate. We may be unable or slow to attract research coverage and if one or more analysts cease coverage of us, the price and trading volume of our securities would likely be negatively impacted. If any of the analysts that may cover us change their recommendation regarding our securities adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, the price of our securities would likely decline. If any analyst that may cover us ceases covering us or fails to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause the price or trading volume of our securities to decline. Moreover, if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrades our Class A common stock, or if our reporting results do not meet their expectations, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline.

Our issuance of additional shares of Class A common stock or convertible securities could make it difficult for another company to acquire us, may dilute your ownership of us and could adversely affect our stock price.

In connection with the proposed Business Combination, we intend to file a registration statement with the SEC on Form S-8 providing for the registration of shares of our Class A common stock issued or reserved for issuance under the Incentive Plan. Subject to the satisfaction of vesting conditions and the expiration of lockup agreements, shares registered under the registration statement on Form S-8 will be available for resale immediately in the public market without restriction. From time to time in the future, we may also issue additional shares of our Class A common stock or securities convertible into Class A common stock pursuant to a variety of transactions, including acquisitions. The issuance by us of additional shares of our Class A common stock or securities convertible into our Class A common stock would dilute your ownership of us and the sale of a significant amount of such shares in the public market could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our Class A common stock.

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In the future, we expect to obtain financing or to further increase our capital resources by issuing additional shares of our capital stock or offering debt or other equity securities, including senior or subordinated notes, debt securities convertible into equity, or shares of preferred stock. Issuing additional shares of our capital stock, other equity securities, or securities convertible into equity may dilute the economic and voting rights of our existing stockholders, reduce the market price of our Class A common stock, or both. Debt securities convertible into equity could be subject to adjustments in the conversion ratio pursuant to which certain events may increase the number of equity securities issuable upon conversion. Preferred stock, if issued, could have a preference with respect to liquidating distributions or a preference with respect to dividend payments that could limit our ability to pay dividends to the holders of our common stock. Our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, which may adversely affect the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings. As a result, holders of our Class A common stock bear the risk that our future offerings may reduce the market price of our Class A common stock and dilute their percentage ownership. See “Description of Capital Stock of the Post-Combination Company.”

Future sales, or the perception of future sales, of our common stock by us or our existing stockholders in the public market following the closing of the Business Combination could cause the market price for our common stock to decline.

The sale of substantial amounts of shares of our Class A common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could harm the prevailing market price of shares of our common stock. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate.

Upon consummation of the Business Combination, we expect to have a total of approximately 80,612,463 shares of Class A common stock outstanding, consisting of (i) 52,102,628 shares issued to holders of shares of common and preferred stock of Nogin, (ii) 22,807,868 shares held by SWAG’s public stockholders (assuming no redemptions by such public stockholders) and (iii) 3,991,377 vested shares held by the Initial Stockholders (not including 1,710,590 shares subject to vesting requirements pursuant to the Sponsor Agreement). All shares issued as merger consideration in the Business Combination will be freely tradable without registration under the Securities Act and without restriction by persons other than our “affiliates” (as defined under Rule 144 of the Securities Act, referred to herein as “Rule 144”), including our directors, executive officers and other affiliates.

In connection with the Business Combination, certain Nogin stockholders will be subject to certain restrictions on transfer with respect to the shares of SWAG Class A common stock issued as part of the merger consideration beginning at closing and ending on the date that is six months after the completion of the Business Combination, subject to certain price-based releases. See “Description of Securities of the Post-Combination Company—Transfer Restrictions.”

Upon the expiration or waiver of the lock-ups described above, shares held by certain of our stockholders will be eligible for resale, subject to, in the case of certain stockholders, volume, manner of sale and other limitations under Rule 144. In addition, pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, certain stockholders will have the right, subject to certain conditions, to require us to register the sale of their shares of our Class A common stock under the Securities Act. By exercising their registration rights and selling a large number of shares, these stockholders could cause the prevailing market price of our Class A common stock to decline. Following completion of the Business Combination, the shares covered by registration rights would represent approximately     % of our outstanding common stock. See “Other Agreements—Registration Rights Agreement” for a description of these registration rights.

As restrictions on resale end or if these stockholders exercise their registration rights, the market price of shares of our Class A common stock could drop significantly if the holders of these shares sell them or are perceived by the market as intending to sell them. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to raise additional funds through future offerings of our shares of Class A common stock or other securities.

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In addition, the shares of our Class A common stock reserved for future issuance under the Incentive Plan will become eligible for sale in the public market once those shares are issued, subject to provisions relating to various vesting agreements, lock-up agreements and, in some cases, limitations on volume and manner of sale applicable to affiliates under Rule 144, as applicable. The number of shares to be reserved for future issuance under the Incentive Plan is expected to equal (i)    % of the total number of issued and outstanding shares of SWAG common stock on a fully diluted basis as of the closing of the Business Combination and (ii) an annual increase for ten years on the first day of each calendar year beginning January 1, 2023, equal to the lesser of (A) 5% of the aggregate number of shares of Post-Combination Company common stock outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (B) such smaller number of shares as is determined by the board of directors of the Post-Combination Company. The maximum number of shares of Post-Combination Company common stock that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of incentive stock options (“ISOs”) granted under the Incentive Plan will be equal to 61.5% of the total number of issued and outstanding shares of SWAG common stock on a fully diluted basis as of the closing of the Business Combination. We expect to file one or more registration statements on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register shares of our Class A common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of our Class A common stock issued pursuant to our equity incentive plans. Any such Form S-8 registration statements will automatically become effective upon filing. Accordingly, shares registered under such registration statements will be available for sale in the open market. The initial registration statement on Form S-8 is expected to cover approximately                shares of our Class A common stock.

Subsequent to the consummation of the Business Combination, the Post-Combination Company may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, or the Post-Combination Company may be subject to restructuring, impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on the Post-Combination Company’s financial condition, results of operations and the price of the Post-Combination Company’s securities, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.

Although SWAG has conducted due diligence on Nogin, this diligence may not surface all material issues that may be present with Nogin’s business. Factors outside of SWAG’s and outside of Nogin’s control may, at any time, arise. As a result of these factors, the Post-Combination Company may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure its operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in the Post-Combination Company reporting losses. Even if SWAG’s due diligence successfully identified 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 therefore not have an immediate impact on the Post-Combination Company’s liquidity, the fact that the Post-Combination Company reports charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about the Post-Combination Company or its securities. In addition, charges of this nature may cause the Post-Combination Company to be unable to obtain future financing on favorable terms or at all.

The obligations associated with being a public company will involve significant expenses and will require significant resources and management attention, which may divert from our business operations.

As a result of the Business Combination, we will become subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we establish and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting. As a result, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not previously incur. Our entire management team and many of our other employees will need to devote substantial time to compliance and may not effectively or efficiently manage our transition into a public company.

In addition, the need to establish the corporate infrastructure demanded of a public company may also divert management’s attention from implementing our business strategy, which could prevent us from improving our business, results of operations and financial condition. We have made, and will continue to make, changes to our

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internal control over financial reporting, including IT controls, and procedures for financial reporting and accounting systems to meet our reporting obligations as a public company. However, the measures we take may not be sufficient to satisfy our obligations as a public company. If we do not continue to develop and implement the right processes and tools to manage our changing enterprise and maintain our culture, our ability to compete successfully and achieve our business objectives could be impaired, which could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur to comply with these requirements. We anticipate that these costs will materially increase our general and administrative expenses.

These rules and regulations result in our incurring legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, we expect these rules and regulations to make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified people to serve on our board of directors, our board committees or as executive officers.

Nogin’s management has limited experience in operating a public company.

Nogin’s executive officers have limited experience in the management of a publicly traded company. Nogin’s management team may not successfully or effectively manage its transition to a public company that will be subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under federal securities laws. Their limited experience in dealing with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies could be a significant disadvantage in that it is likely that an increasing amount of their time may be devoted to these activities which will result in less time being devoted to the management and growth of the Post-Combination Company. Nogin may not have adequate personnel with the appropriate level of knowledge, experience, and training in the accounting policies, practices or internal controls over financial reporting required of public companies in the United States. The development and implementation of the standards and controls necessary for the Post-Combination Company to achieve the level of accounting standards required of a public company in the United States may require costs greater than expected. It is possible that the Post-Combination Company will be required to expand its employee base and hire additional employees to support its operations as a public company which will increase its operating costs in future periods.

As a public reporting company, we will be subject to rules and regulations established from time to time by the SEC regarding our internal control over financial reporting.

Upon consummation of the Business Combination, we will become a public reporting company subject to the rules and regulations established from time to time by the SEC and NASDAQ. These rules and regulations will require, among other things that we establish and periodically evaluate procedures with respect to our internal control over financial reporting. Reporting obligations as a public company are likely to place a considerable strain on our financial and management systems, processes and controls, as well as on our personnel.

In addition, as a public company, we will be required to document and test our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act so that our management can certify as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.

Anti-takeover provisions in our governing documents and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of us more difficult, limit attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management and limit the market price of our common stock.

The Proposed Charter, the Amended and Restated Bylaws and Delaware law contain or will contain provisions that could have the effect of rendering more difficult, delaying, or preventing an acquisition deemed

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undesirable by our board of directors. Among other things, the Proposed Charter and/or the Amended and Restated Bylaws will include the following provisions:

These provisions, alone or together, could delay or prevent hostile takeovers and changes in control or changes in our management. As a Delaware corporation, we are also subject to provisions of Delaware law, including Section 203 of the DGCL, which prevents interested stockholders, such as certain stockholders holding more than 15% of our outstanding common stock, from engaging in certain business combinations unless (i) prior to the time such stockholder became an interested stockholder, the board of directors approved the transaction that resulted in such stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, (ii) upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in such stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the common stock, or (iii) following board approval, such business combination receives the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of our outstanding common stock not held by such interested stockholder at an annual or special meeting of stockholders.

Any provision of the Proposed Charter, the Amended and Restated Bylaws or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change in control could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock.

The Proposed Charter and the Amended and Restated Bylaws will provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees.

The Proposed Charter and the Amended and Restated Bylaws, each of which will become effective prior to the completion of the Business Combination, will provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the (a) Court of Chancery (the “Chancery Court”) of the State of Delaware (or, in the event that the Chancery Court does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware or other state courts of the State of Delaware) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action, suit or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, or stockholders to us or to our stockholders; (iii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim arising pursuant to the DGCL, the Proposed Charter or the Amended and Restated Bylaws; or (iv) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine; and (b) subject to the foregoing, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing, such forum selection provisions shall not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the

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federal courts of the United States have exclusive jurisdiction. The choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in the Proposed Charter to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Additionally, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As noted above, the Proposed Charter and the Amended and Restated Bylaws will provide that the federal district courts of the United States of America shall have jurisdiction over any action arising under the Securities Act. Accordingly, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provision. Our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

SWAG has identified a material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2021. If SWAG is unable to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, it may not be able to accurately report its financial results in a timely manner, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and materially and adversely affect our business and operating results.

In connection with SWAG’s initial public offering, it accounted for a portion of the proceeds received from the offering as stockholders’ equity. Following the SEC’s guidance on this issue, management has identified errors made in its historical financial statements and performed a quantitative assessment under SAB 99, concluding a restatement was required of SWAG’s financial statements to classify such amount as Class A common stock subject to possible redemption and a material weakness in its internal controls over financial reporting related to the accounting for complex financial instruments.

A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented, or detected and corrected on a timely basis.

Effective internal controls are necessary to provide reliable financial reports and prevent fraud. SWAG continues to evaluate steps to remediate the material weakness. These remediation measures may be time consuming and costly and there is no assurance that these initiatives will ultimately have the intended effects.

If SWAG identifies any new material weaknesses in the future, any such newly identified material weakness could limit its ability to prevent or detect a misstatement of its accounts or disclosures that could result in a material misstatement of its annual or interim financial statements. In such case, SWAG may be unable to maintain compliance with securities law requirements regarding timely filing of periodic reports in addition to applicable stock exchange listing requirements, investors may lose confidence in SWAG’s financial reporting and SWAG’s stock price may decline as a result. SWAG cannot assure you that the measures it has taken to date, or any measures it may take in the future, will be sufficient to avoid potential future material weaknesses.

Risks Related to Redemption

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

Our placing of funds in the Trust Account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. Although we have sought and will continue to seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses, including Nogin, or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any

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right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account for the benefit of our public stockholders, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements they may not be prevented from bringing claims against the Trust Account, including, but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the Trust Account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the Trust Account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Marcum LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, did not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the Trust Account.

Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason. Upon redemption of our Public Shares, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per share redemption amount received by public stockholders could be less than the $10.15 per share initially held in the Trust Account, due to claims of such creditors. 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 target business, with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below (i) $10.15 per Public Share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes. This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our initial public 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, then our Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. We have not independently verified whether our Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our Sponsor’s only assets are our securities. We have not asked our Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the Trust Account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.15 per Public Share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your Public Shares. None of our officers will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.

Our independent directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our Sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the Trust Account available for distribution to our public stockholders.

In the event that the proceeds in the Trust Account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.15 per Public Share or (ii) such lesser amount per share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our Sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its obligations or that it has no

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indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our Sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations.

While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our Sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the Trust Account available for distribution to our public stockholders may be reduced below $10.15 per share.

There is no guarantee that a SWAG public stockholder’s decision whether to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the Trust Account will put such stockholder in a better future economic position.

No assurance can be given as to the price at which a public stockholder may be able to sell the shares of our Class A common stock in the future following the completion of the Business Combination. Certain events following the consummation of any business combination, including the Business Combination, may cause an increase in our stock price, and may result in a lower value realized now than a SWAG stockholder might realize in the future had the stockholder not elected to redeem such stockholder’s Public Shares. Similarly, if a SWAG public stockholder does not redeem his, her or its shares, such stockholder will bear the risk of ownership of our Class A common stock after the consummation of the Business Combination, and there can be no assurance that a stockholder can sell his, her or its shares of our Class A common stock in the future for a greater amount than the redemption price set forth in this proxy statement/prospectus. A SWAG public stockholder should consult his, her or its own tax and/or financial advisor for assistance on how this may affect its individual situation.

If SWAG public stockholders fail to comply with the redemption requirements specified in this proxy statement/prospectus, they will not be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the Trust Account.

To exercise their redemption rights, holders are required to deliver their stock, either physically or electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC System, to SWAG’s transfer agent two business days prior to the vote at the Special Meeting. If a holder properly seeks redemption as described in this proxy statement/prospectus and the Business Combination with Nogin is consummated, SWAG will redeem these shares for a pro rata portion of funds deposited in the Trust Account and the holder will no longer own such shares following the Business Combination. See the section entitled “SWAG’s Special Meeting of Stockholders—Redemption Rights” for additional information on how to exercise your redemption rights.

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

If, before distributing the proceeds in the Trust Account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the Trust Account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the Trust Account, the per share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.

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If, after we distribute the proceeds in the Trust Account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy court may seek to recover such proceeds, and we and our board may be exposed to claims of punitive damages.

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

If you or a “group” of stockholders of which you are a part are deemed to hold an aggregate of more than 15% of the Public Shares, you (or, if a member of such a group, all of the members of such group in the aggregate) will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of the Public Shares.

A public stockholder, together with any of his, her or its affiliates or any other person with whom it is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming in the aggregate his, her or its Public Shares or, if part of such a group, the group’s Public Shares, in excess of 15% of the Public Shares without the consent of SWAG. Your inability to redeem any such excess Public Shares could resulting in you suffering a material loss on your investment in SWAG if you sell such excess Public Shares in open market transactions. SWAG cannot assure you that the value of such excess Public Shares will appreciate over time following the Business Combination or that the market price of the Public Shares will exceed the per-share redemption price.

However, SWAG’s stockholders’ ability to vote all of their Public Shares (including such excess shares) for or against the Business Combination Proposal is not restricted by this limitation on redemption.

There is uncertainty regarding the federal income tax consequences of the redemption to the holders of SWAG Class A common stock.

There is some uncertainty regarding the federal income tax consequences to holders of SWAG Class A common stock that exercise their redemption rights. The uncertainty of tax consequences relates primarily to the individual circumstances of the taxpayer and include (i) whether the redemption will be treated as a corporate distribution potentially taxable as a dividend, or a sale, that would potentially give rise to capital gain or capital loss, and (ii) whether such capital gain is “long-term” or “short-term.” Whether the redemption qualifies for sale treatment, resulting in taxation as capital gain rather than treatment as a corporate distribution, will depend largely on whether the holder owns (or is deemed to own) any shares of Class A common stock following the redemption, and if so, the total number of shares of SWAG Class A common stock treated as held by the holder both before and after the redemption relative to all shares of SWAG voting stock outstanding both before and after the redemption. The redemption generally will be treated as a sale, rather than a distribution, if the redemption (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the holder, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of the holder’s interest in SWAG or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the holder. Due to the personal and subjective nature of certain of such tests and the absence of clear guidance from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), there is uncertainty as to how a holder who elects to exercise its redemption rights will be taxed in connection with the exercise of redemption rights. See the section entitled “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Material Tax Consequences of a Redemption of Public Shares.”

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Unlike some other blank check companies, SWAG does not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold will make it easier for us to consummate the Business Combination even if a substantial number of our stockholders redeem.

Unlike some other blank check companies, SWAG does not have a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that we will not redeem Public Shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001. Some other blank check companies’ structures disallow the consummation of a business combination if the holders of such companies’ Public Shares elect to redeem or convert more than a specified percentage of the shares sold in such companies’ initial public offering. Because we have no such maximum redemption threshold, we may be able to consummate the Business Combination even though a substantial number of our public stockholders have redeemed their shares.

However, the Merger Agreement provides that the obligation of Nogin to consummate the Business Combination is subject to SWAG having cash on hand and any additional cash received from financing activities equal to or in excess of $50 million (without, for the avoidance of doubt, taking into account any transaction expenses) and after distribution of the Trust Account, deducting all amounts to be paid pursuant to the redemption of Public Shares and after giving effect to any financing. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of Class A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus the required amount of required funds pursuant to the Merger Agreement exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the Business Combination or redeem any shares, all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.

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UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Introduction:

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information is prepared in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X as amended by the final rule, Release No. 33-10786 “Amendments to Financial Disclosures about Acquired and Disposed Businesses”. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information presents the pro forma effects related to the following:

SWAG is a blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. On August 2, 2021, SWAG consummated its initial public offering of its Units, with each Unit consisting of one share of SWAG Class A Common Stock and one-half of one public warrant, which included the underwriters partially exercising their over-allotment option. Simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering, SWAG completed the private sale of 9,000,000 private placement warrants at a price of $1.00 per private placement warrant, to the Sponsor generating gross proceeds of $9.0 million. As part of the underwriters’ partial exercise of their over-allotment option, SWAG consummated the sale of an additional 2,807,868 Units at $10.00 per Unit, and the sale of an additional 982,754 private placement warrants, at $1.00 per private placement warrant, generated gross proceeds of $29.1 million. Following the closing of SWAG’s initial public offering, a total of $231.5 million of the net proceeds from SWAG’s initial public offering, the sale under the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the sale of the private placement warrants were placed into the trust account. As of September 30, 2021, funds in the trust account totaled $231.5 million.

Nogin is an e-commerce, technology and platform provider in the apparel and ancillary industry’s multichannel retailing, business-to-consumer and business-to-business domains. Nogin’s commerce-as-a-service platform delivers full-stack enterprise-level capabilities to online retailers enabling them to compete with larger retailers. Nogin provides the technology for these companies to manage complexities related to customer management, order optimization, returns, and fulfillment. In addition, Nogin is an e-commerce technology platform and distribution partner whose products also include website development, photography, content management, customer service, marketing, warehousing, and fulfillment. Nogin’s business model is based on providing a total e-commerce solution to its partners on a revenue-sharing basis.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information is based upon, and should be read in conjunction with, the historical financial statements and related notes of SWAG and Nogin for the applicable periods included in this proxy statement/prospectus. The pro forma condensed combined financial information has been presented for information purposes only and are not necessarily indicative of what SWAG’s balance sheet or statement of operations actually would have been had the Merger been completed as of the dates indicated, nor do they purport to project the future financial position or operating results of SWAG. The actual financial position and results of operations may differ significantly from the pro forma amounts reflected herein due to a variety of factors. The pro forma financial information is presented for illustrative purposes only and does not reflect the costs of any integration activities or cost savings or synergies that may be achieved as a result of the Merger.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet combines the Nogin unaudited consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2021 and the SWAG unaudited historical consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2021, giving effect to the Merger as if it had been consummated on September 30, 2021. The

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unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020 present the pro forma effect of the Business Combination as if it had been consummated on January 1, 2020.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information is presented in two scenarios: (1) assuming no redemptions and (2) assuming maximum redemptions.

In both scenarios, the Merger will be accounted for as a reverse recapitalization, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded, in accordance with US GAAP. Under this method of accounting, SWAG will be treated as the acquired company for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the Merger will be treated as the equivalent of Nogin issuing shares for the net assets of SWAG, accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of SWAG will be recorded at carrying value, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded.

Nogin has been determined to be the accounting acquirer based on evaluation of the following facts and circumstances:

The following summarizes the pro forma ownership of SWAG following the Merger under the two scenarios (shares are in millions):

The following unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of September 30, 2021 and the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020 are based on the historical financial statements of SWAG and Nogin. The unaudited pro forma adjustments are based on information currently available and assumptions and estimates underlying the unaudited pro forma adjustments are described in the accompanying notes. Actual results may differ materially from the assumptions used to present the accompanying unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information.

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