As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 1, 2018
Registration No. 333-__________
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.
20549
______________
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION
STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT
OF 1933
______________
TWELVE SEAS INVESTMENT COMPANY
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its constitutional documents)
______________
Cayman Islands |
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6770 |
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n/a |
(State or other jurisdiction of
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(Primary Standard Industrial
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(I.R.S. Employer
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25/28 Old Burlington
Street
Mayfair, London, W1S 3AN
+44 203 096 2150
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
______________
Dimitri Elkin
Chief Executive
Officer
25/28 Old Burlington
Street
Mayfair, London, W1S 3AN
+44 203 096 2150
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
______________
Copies to:
Douglas S. Ellenoff
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|
David
Alan Miller
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______________
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box. x
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer ¨ |
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Accelerated filer ¨ |
Non-accelerated filer x |
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Smaller reporting company ¨ |
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company) |
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Emerging growth company x |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ¨
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of each Class of Security being registered |
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Amount to be
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Proposed
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Proposed
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Amount of
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||||
Units, each consisting of one Ordinary Share, $.0001 par value, one Redeemable Warrant to acquire an Ordinary Share and one Right to receive one-tenth of an Ordinary Share (2) |
|
11,500,000 |
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$ |
10.00 |
|
$ |
115,000,000 |
|
$ |
14,317.50 |
|
Ordinary Shares included as part of the Units (2) |
|
11,500,000 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
(3) |
Redeemable Warrants included as part of the
|
|
11,500,000 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
(3) |
Rights included as part of the Units (2) |
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11,500,000 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
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Shares underlying Rights included as part of Units |
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1,150,000 |
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$ |
10.00 |
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$ |
11,500,000 |
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$ |
1,431.75 |
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Representative’s Ordinary Shares |
|
250,000 |
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$ |
10.00 |
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$ |
2,500,000 |
|
|
311.25 |
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Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
129,000,000 |
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$ |
16,060.50 |
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____________
(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o).
(2) Includes (i) Units, (ii) Ordinary Shares underlying such Units, (iii) Redeemable Warrants underlying such Units and ( iv) Rig hts underlying such Units, which may be issued on exercise of a 45-day option granted to the Underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any.
(3) No fee pursuant to Rule 457(g).
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS |
|
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JUNE 1, 2018 |
$100,000,000
TWELVE SEAS INVESTMENT COMPANY
10,000,000 UNITS
T welve Seas Investment Company is a Cayman Islands exempted company incorporated as a blank check company for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. Our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region.
This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit that we are offering has a price of $10.00 and consists of one ordinary share, one redeemable warrant, exercisable at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus, and one right to receive one-tenth (1/10) of an ordinary share upon the consummation of an initial business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus. Each redeemable warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one ordinary share, and each ten rights entitle the holder thereof to receive one ordinary share at the closing of a business combination. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of 10 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a business combination. Each warrant will become exercisable on the later of the completion of an initial business combination and 12 months from the date of this prospectus, and will expire five years after the completion of an initial business combination, or earlier upon redemption.
We have granted EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters, a 45-day option to purchase up to 1,500,000 units (over and above the 10,000,000 units referred to above) solely to cover over-allotments, if any.
Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC, our sponsor, has committed to purchase from us an aggregate of 315,000 units, or “private units,” at $10.00 per private unit (for a total purchase price of $3,150,000). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. All of the proceeds we receive from these purchases will be placed in the trust account described below. Our sponsor has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, it will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per private unit an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 30,000 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.00 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option.
There is presently no public market for our units, ordinary shares, warrants or rights. We have applied to have our units listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “TWLVU” on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. The ordinary shares, warrants and rights comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 90 th day after the date of this prospectus unless EarlyBirdCapital determines that an earlier date is acceptable, subject to our filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, containing an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering and issuing a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the ordinary shares, warrants and rights will be traded on Nasdaq under the symbols “TWLV,” “TWLVW,” and “TWLVR” respectively. We cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq after this offering.
We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 19 of this prospectus for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
No offer or invitation to subscribe for units may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands.
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Public
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Underwriting
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Proceeds,
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Per unit |
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$ |
10.00 |
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$ |
0.20 |
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$ |
9.80 |
Total |
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$ |
100,000,000 |
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$ |
2,000,000 |
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$ |
98,000,000 |
____________
(1) Please see the section titled “Underwriting” for further information relating to the underwriting arrangements agreed to between us and the underwriters in this offering.
Upon consummation of the offering, $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering (whether or not the over-allotment option has been exercised in full or part) will be deposited into a United States-based account at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee. Pursuant to the investment management trust agreement that will govern the investment of such funds, the trustee, upon our written instructions, will direct JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. to invest the funds as set forth in such written instructions and to custody the funds while invested and until otherwise instructed in accordance with the investment management trust agreement. Except as described in this prospectus, these funds will not be released to us until the earlier of the completion of our initial business combination and our liquidation upon our failure to consummate a business combination within the required time period.
We are offering the units for sale on a firm-commitment basis. EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., acting as representative of the underwriters, expects to deliver our securities to investors in the offering on or about __________, 2018.
Sole Book-Running Manager
EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.
_______________,
2018
TWELVE SEAS INVESTMENT COMPANY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page |
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY |
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1 |
SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA |
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18 |
RISK FACTORS |
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19 |
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS |
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39 |
USE OF PROCEEDS |
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40 |
DIVIDEND POLICY |
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44 |
DILUTION |
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45 |
CAPITALIZATION |
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47 |
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS |
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48 |
PROPOSED BUSINESS |
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52 |
MANAGEMENT |
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69 |
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS |
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78 |
CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS |
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81 |
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES |
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84 |
SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE |
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94 |
TAXATION |
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96 |
UNDERWRITING |
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106 |
LEGAL MATTERS |
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111 |
EXPERTS |
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111 |
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
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111 |
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
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F-1 |
i
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights certain information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. For a more complete understanding of this offering, you should read the entire prospectus carefully, including the risk factors and the financial statements. Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus:
• “we,” “us” or “our company” refers to Twelve Seas Investment Company;
• “initial shareholders” refers to all of our shareholders immediately prior to the date of this prospectus, including all of our officers and directors to the extent they hold such shares;
• “insider shares” refers to the 2,875,000 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders immediately prior to this offering (including up to an aggregate of 375,000 ordinary shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part);
• “private units” refer to the units we are selling privately to our sponsor upon consummation of this offering;
• “sponsor” refers to Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC, an entity affiliated with certain of our officers and directors;
• “Private rights” refer to the rights underlying the private units;
• “Private shares” refer to the shares underlying the private units;
• “Private warrants” refer to the warrants underlying the private units;
• “US Dollars” and “$” refer to the legal currency of the United States;
• “Companies Law” refers to the Companies Law (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands as the same may be amended from time to time;
• the term “public shareholders” means the holders of the ordinary shares which are being sold as part of the units in this public offering, or “public shares,” whether they are purchased in the public offering or in the aftermarket, including any of our initial shareholders to the extent that they purchase such public shares (except that our initial shareholders will not have conversion or tender rights with respect to any public shares they own); and
• the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option.
All references in this prospectus to shares of the Company being forfeited shall take effect as surrenders for no consideration of such shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law.
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.
We are a Cayman Islands company incorporated on November 30, 2017 as an exempted company with limited liability. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies wishing to conduct business outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Law. As an exempted company, we have applied for and received a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with section 6 of the Tax Concessions Law (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 20 years from the date of the undertaking, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations shall apply to us or our operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax shall be payable (i) on or in respect of our shares, debentures or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of dividend or other distribution of income or capital by us to our shareholders or a payment of principal or interest or other sums due under a debenture or other obligation of us.
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We were formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to as a “target business.” Our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic location. We do not have any specific business combination under consideration and we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf), directly or indirectly, contacted any prospective target business or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to such a transaction.
We intend to focus our initial business combination search efforts on private companies in the Pan-Eurasian region with positive operating cash flow, significant assets, and successful management teams that are seeking access to the US capital markets. The Pan-Eurasian region stretches from Western Europe through Eastern Europe to Central Asia, including countries such as Turkey and India. However, our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to any specific geographic region or industry.
We believe that our management team is well-positioned to identify companies in the market that will produce attractive risk-adjusted returns. We also believe that our contacts and transaction sources, ranging from industry executives, private owners, private equity funds, the legal community and investment bankers, will enable us to pursue a broad range of opportunities. We will seek to capitalize on our management team’s extensive network of contacts and sources across the Pan-Eurasian region, which uniquely positions us to source attractive acquisition opportunities within the region. We believe there are many potential target companies that have operations or ownership interests that cross over between developed markets and developing markets within the Pan-Eurasian region, and we believe our team’s unique experiences are well suited to source and consummate a transaction with such a company. For example, we believe that a number of Middle Eastern, Russian, and Chinese industrial groups are considering divesting their assets acquired in the U.S. and Western Europe due to the rising political and trade tensions with the US. We believe our strategy is a very practical one with a high degree of success. We believe that the following benefits of our management team and structure of our company will assist us in consummating an initial business combination:
• Extensive Network and Experience of Transactions within Pan-Eurasian Region. Our management team has significant private equity investing experience in cross-border businesses throughout Europe, Middle-East, and Central Asia. Our management team and board members collectively possesses deep understandings of the cultural, business and economic distinctions across regions to assist us in identifying acquisition targets and successfully completing a transaction.
• A Well-Known Management Team within the Region. Our Chairman and CEO collectively have over 50 years of private equity experience within the Pan-Eurasian region. In addition, our COO has had extensive experience in a broad array of corporate finance and strategic transactions as legal counsel in transactions across this region.
Our Chairman, Neil Richardson, was a General Partner in Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), one of the world’s leading private equity firms, having helped create its European predecessor in 1994. After establishing KKR’s European business, Mr. Richardson was one of the Founding Partners of Lion Capital, a leading private equity investment firm specializing in investments in the consumer sector in both Europe and the U.S.
Our CEO, Dimitri Elkin, worked with Mr. Richardson at KKR and headed up activities in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Mr. Elkin was a General Partner at UFG Private Equity, which has been recognized by Cbonds, a financial news agency, as one of the top professional private equity firms in the markets of the former Soviet Union.
Our COO, Bryant Edwards, played an important role as a leading lawyer in the development of capital markets across Europe, Middle East and Asia, especially the high yield markets that served as a source of financing for many private equity investments in these markets. Among other things, Mr. Edwards served as Chair of the European High Yield Association and helped establish the Gulf Bond & Sukuk Association. Additionally, he served as Vice-Chair of the Credit Markets Committee of the Asia Secu rities & Financial Markets Committee.
Mr. Richardson, Mr. Elkin and Mr. Edwards possess intimate knowledge and connections within the Pan-Eurasian market that we believe will allow us to identify and access a wide range of high-quality acquisition targets.
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• Prior SPAC experience. Our President and CFO both possess strong understanding of the SPAC structure and market.
Our President, Stephen Vogel, was Executive Chairman of Forum Merger Corporation, or “Forum,” a NASDAQ listed SPAC that raised $172.5 million in April 2017, and successfully completed its business combination in February 2018 with ConvergeOne, a special IT service provider that currently has a market capitalization of over $600 million. Our CFO, Stephen Cannon, has served as a member of management for four SPACs, three of which have completed initial public offerings, two of which have also consummated a business combination and one SPAC that failed to consummate its initial public offering.
Furthermore, Messrs. Vogel and Cannon bring considerable business and financial experience. Mr. Vogel has over 40 years of operating and private equity experience, and Mr. Cannon has over 2 5 ye ars of investment banking and capital markets experience. We believe that their experience will help us to both access high quality targets, and successfully consummate a proposed business combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the past performance of such individuals is not a guarantee that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of such individuals’ performance as indicative of our future performance.
• Reduced Competition From Other Sources of Capital. Despite progress in the capital markets in certain countries within the Pan-Eurasia region, many financial sectors, such as public markets and private equity, are still in preliminary stages of development. For many companies in these countries, being publicly listed locally is less attractive and access to capital markets generally remains relatively restrictive as compared to companies with access to the capital markets in the United States. We believe private equity also remains relatively limited in terms of both the number of potential investors and the attractiveness of the terms of their capital. As a result, we expect to operate in a less competitive environment than other blank check companies with stated objectives to seek targets solely within the U.S.
• Increasing Availability of Potential Targets. Continued volatility in some financial markets has affected initial public offering plans for many companies, including some within the Pan-Eurasian Region. We believe any reduction in global liquidity due to this continued volatility will likely make debt refinancing more difficult and increase the costs of both debt and equity capital raising. This would make our capital more attractive as well as reduce potential competition for targets. Thus, we believe this trend may lead to a significant increase in the number of potential candidates for a business combination.
• Alternative Path to Becoming Public. We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to prospective target businesses that desires to become a publicly listed company. A merger with us will offer a target business an alternative process to a public listing rather than the traditional initial public offering process. We believe that target businesses may favor this alternative, which we believe is less expensive, while offering greater certainty of execution than the traditional initial public offering. Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is approved by our shareholders and the transaction is consummated, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions that could prevent the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business would have greater access to capital and additional means of creating management incentives that are better aligned with shareholders’ interests than it would as a private company. It can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented management. With public company corporate governance standards, a target business may become attractive to the public investors.
• Opportunity to Acquire Non-core Assets of Industrial Conglomerates. In the late 1990s, countries in the Pan-Eurasian region saw the emergence of many diversified industrial conglomerates that had assembled a wide collection of often unrelated businesses across regions. This process is currently undergoing a reversal, as many of those conglomerates are under pressure from their shareholders to focus on core activities. We believe this trend will continue into the foreseeable future, creating attractive opportunities for us to acquire non-core assets shed by such industrial conglomerates as they increase their operating focus. This includes potential U.S. assets owned by non-U.S. conglomerates that are now maybe under pressure to sell due to current geopolitical reasons.
3
• Strong and Stable Financial Position with Flexibility. With proceeds of $100 million initially held in trust, and a public market for our securities, we can offer a target business a variety of options to facilitate a business combination and fund future expansion and growth of its business. Because we can consummate a business combination using cash, our share capital, debt or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use an efficient structure allowing us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to address the needs of the parties.
We believe certain non-public companies and their shareholders can benefit from a transaction with us. Acquisition candidates are entities that may need stable, permanent equity financing, but may currently have limited access to the public markets. While targets may be either independent entities or divisions of larger organizations, we believe there is an opportunity for us to provide value to current owners of targets that fall into four main categories.
1) Private Equity Fund Portfolio Companies — Substantial amounts of capital have been invested by private equity and similar firms. According to Pitchbook Data, Inc., U.S. private equity funds raised more than $1.8 trillion from 2006 through 2016 in more than 2,700 different funds. From 2006 through 2015, the median hold time of companies that were held globally by U.S. private equity funds and which exited via initial public offerings increased from approximately 2.7 years to approximately 6.8 years. Therefore, we believe that there should be a considerable number of portfolio companies available for sale from private equity firms in the coming years as they seek liquidity. These funds have an ongoing need for investment realizations, particularly in older portfolios. Additionally, private equity-backed firms may need to divest non-core assets in order to reduce and refinance debt.
2) Entities Struggling with Complex or Failed Transactions — Failed auctions and failed IPO’s occur for a variety of reasons. Public or strategic investors may have previously judged these transactions to be too complicated to close in a timely manner. There may have been generally unreceptive market conditions at the time the transaction was prepared to begin. A business combination with us can be a solution for investors in firms that have experienced these types of failed transactions.
3) Entities Held by Non-Traditional Investors — Financial institutions, banks, non-bank lenders, hedge funds, or any other investor who does not typically hold and manage operating assets, may be anxious to divest their holdings. In the event that those types of investors are experiencing liquidation or other pressures in their core businesses, they may need to divest certain holdings to maximize the return on their portfolios or from their other assets.
4) Divestiture of Non-Core Assets by Large Conglomerates — Certain multi-unit companies may face the need to rationalize their business by sale or spin-off of operating units due to pressures from lenders, customers, suppliers, or shareholders.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may complete a business combination with a target business that is not in one of the above-referenced categories.
Effecting a Business Combination
We will either (1) seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which public shareholders may seek to convert their public shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable and amounts released for working capital purposes) or (2) provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to sell their public shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a shareholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable and amounts released for working capital purposes), in each case subject to the limitations described herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our initial shareholders have agreed, pursuant to written letter agreements with us, not to convert any public shares held by them into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of our proposed business combination or allow shareholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to seek shareholder approval. If we so choose and we are legally permitted to do so, we will have
4
the flexibility to avoid a shareholder vote and allow our shareholders to sell their shares pursuant to the tender offer rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. In that case, we will file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. We will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and, solely if we seek shareholder approval, a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination.
We will have until 18 months from the consummation of this offering to consummate our initial business combination. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within this time period, we will liquidate the trust account and distribute the proceeds held therein to our public shareholders and dissolve. If we are forced to liquidate, we anticipate that we would distribute to our public shareholders the amount in the trust account calculated as of the date that is two days prior to the distribution date (including any accrued interest, net of taxes payable and amounts released for working capital purposes). Prior to such distribution, we would be required to assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us by our creditors for amounts they are actually owed and make provision for such amounts, as creditors take priority over our public shareholders with respect to amounts that are owed to them. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. As such, our shareholders could potentially be liable for any claims of creditors to the extent of distributions received by them as an unlawful payment in the event we enter an insolvent liquidation.
Pursuant to the Nasdaq listing rules, our initial business combination must be with a target business or businesses whose collective fair market value is at least equal to 80% of the balance in the trust account (net of taxes payable) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for such business combination, although this may entail simultaneous acquisitions of several target businesses. The fair market value of the target will be determined by our board of directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community (such as actual and potential sales, earnings, cash flow and/or book value). Our board of directors will have broad discretion in choosing the standard used to establish the fair market value of any prospective target business. The target business or businesses that we acquire may have a collective fair market value substantially in excess of 80% of the trust account balance.
We are not required to obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated third party that the target business we select has a fair market value in excess of at least 80% of the balance of the trust account unless our board of directors cannot make such determination on its own. We are also not required to obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated third party indicating that the price we are paying is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view unless the target is affiliated with our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates.
We currently anticipate structuring our initial business combination to acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination where we merge directly with the target business or where we acquire less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we could acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target; however, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, only the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% fair market value test.
Management Operating and Investing Experience
We believe that our executive officers possess the experience, skills and contacts necessary to source, evaluate, and execute an attractive business combination. See the sections titled “Business — Management Operating and Investment Experience” and “Management” for complete information on the experience of our officers and directors.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, our officers and directors are not required to commit their full time to our affairs and will allocate their time to other businesses. We presently expect each of our employees to devote such amount of time as they reasonably believe is necessary to our business (which could range from only a few hours a week while we are trying to locate a potential target business to a majority of their time as we move into serious negotiations with a target business for a business combination). The past successes of our executive officers and directors do not guarantee that we will successfully consummate an initial business combination.
As more fully discussed in “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he has pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations, he may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Most of our officers and directors currently have pre-existing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations. Specifically, Stephen Cannon, our President and Chief Financial Officer, is President, Chief Financial Officer and a director of CM Seven Star Acquisition Corporation, a blank check company that went public in October 2017 and is currently seeking a target business with which to consummate an initial business combination. In order to minimize potential conflicts of interest which may arise from multiple affiliations, Mr. Cannon will be required to present all suitable target businesses to CM Seven prior to presenting them to us, unless such opportunity is expressly offered to Mr. Cannon solely in his capacity as an officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent Mr. Cannon is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
Emerging Growth Company Status
We are an emerging growth company as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (which we refer to herein as the JOBS Act). We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three year period. As an emerging growth company, we have elected, under Section 107(b) of the JOBS Act, to take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, for complying with new or revised accounting standards.
Private Placements
In December 2017, our initial shareholders purchased an aggregate of 4,312,500 ordinary shares, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as the “insider shares,” for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.006 per share. In December 2017, our sponsor transferred 50,000 of such insider shares to each of Messrs. Stoupnitzky and Kaji at cost. In May 2018, our sponsor returned 1,437,500 ordinary shares to us for cancellation resulting in an aggregate of 2,875,000 founder shares being outstanding and held by our initial shareholders. The insider shares held by our initial shareholders include an aggregate of up to 375,000 shares subject to forfeiture by the sponsor to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that our initial shareholders will collectively own 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (excluding the sale of the private units and the 250,000 shares issuable to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in this offering, upon the consummation of this offering, and assuming our initial shareholders do not purchase units in this offering). None of our initial shareholders has indicated any intention to purchase units in this offering.
The insider shares are identical to the ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering. However, our initial shareholders have agreed, pursuant to written letter agreements with us, (A) to vote their insider shares (as well as any public shares acquired in or after this offering) in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that would stop our public shareholders from converting or selling their shares to us in connection with a business combination or affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete a business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering unless we provide public shareholders with the opportunity to convert their public shares into the right to receive cash from the trust account in connection with any such vote, (C) not to convert any insider shares (as well as any other shares acquired in or after this offering) into the right to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve our proposed initial
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business combination (or sell any shares they hold to us in a tender offer in connection with a proposed initial business combination) or a vote to amend the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity and (D) that the insider shares shall not participate in any liquidating distribution upon winding up if a business combination is not consummated. Additionally, our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the insider shares (except to certain permitted transferees) until (1) with respect to 50% of the insider shares, the earlier of one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination and the date on which the closing price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.50 pe r share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination and (2) with respect to the remaining 50% of the insider shares, one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we consummate a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.
In addition, Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC, our sponsor, has committed to purchase from us an aggregate of 315,000 private units at $10.00 per private unit (for a total purchase price of $3,150,000). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. All of the proceeds we receive from these purchases will be placed in the trust account described below. Our sponsor has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, it will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per private unit an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 30,000 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.00 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The proceeds from the private placement of the private units will be added to the proceeds of this offering and placed in an account in the United States maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee.
The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering except that the private warrants will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees. Additionally, because the private units will be issued in a private transaction, our sponsor and its permitted transferees will be allowed to exercise the private warrants for cash even if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants is not effective and receive unregistered ordinary shares. Furthermore, our sponsor has agreed (A) to vote the ordinary shares underlying the private units, or “private shares,” in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that would stop our public shareholders from converting or selling their shares to us in connection with a business combination or affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete a business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering unless we provide public shareholders with the opportunity to convert their public shares in connection with any such vote, (C) not to convert any private shares for cash from the trust account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination or a vote to amend the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity and (D) that the private shares shall not participate in any liquidating distribution upon winding up if a business combination is not consummated. Our sponsor has also agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private units or underlying securities (except to the same permitted transferees as the insider shares and provided the transferees agree to the same terms and restrictions as the permitted transferees of the insider shares must agree to, each as described above) until the completion of our initial business combination.
Our principal executive offices are located at 25/28 Old Burlington Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 3AN and our telephone number is +44 203 096 2150.
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The Offering
In making your decision on whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the backgrounds of the members of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company and the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section below entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 19 of this prospectus.
Securities offered |
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10,000,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of one ordinary share, one redeemable warrant and one right. Each redeemable warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one ordinary share. Each right entitles the holder thereof to receive one-tenth (1/10) of one ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination. |
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Listing of our securities and proposed symbols |
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Each of the ordinary shares , warrants and rights may trade separately on the 90 th day after the date of this prospectus unless EarlyBirdCapital determines that an earlier date is acceptable (based upon, among other things, its assessment of the relative strengths of the securities markets and small capitalization and blank check companies in general, and the trading pattern of, and demand for, our securities in particular). In no event will EarlyBirdCapital allow separate trading of the ordinary shares, warrants and rights until we file an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering. |
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Once the ordinary shares, warrants and rights commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component pieces. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into separately trading ordinary shares, warrants and rights. |
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We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC, including an audited balance sheet, promptly upon the consummation of this offering, which is anticipated to take place two business days from the date the units commence trading. The audited balance sheet will reflect our receipt of the proceeds from the exercise of the over-allotment option if the over-allotment option is exercised on the date of this prospectus. If the over-allotment option is exercised after the date of this prospectus, we will file an amendment to the Form 8-K or a new Form 8-K to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. We will also include in the Form 8-K, or amendment thereto, or in a subsequent Form 8-K, information indicating if EarlyBirdCapital has allowed separate trading of the ordinary shares, warrants and rights prior to the 90 th day after the date of this prospectus. |
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Ordinary shares: |
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Number issued and outstanding before this offering and the private placement |
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Number to be issued and outstanding after this offering and sale of private units |
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Redeemable Warrants: |
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Number issued and outstanding before this offering and the private placement |
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Number to be issued and outstanding after this offering and sale of private units |
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Exercisability |
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Each redeemable warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. |
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Exercise price |
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$11.50 per share. No public warrants will be exercisable for cash unless we have an effective and current registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to such ordinary shares. It is our current intention to have an effective and current registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to such ordinary shares in effect promptly following consummation of an initial business combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the public warrants is not effective within 90 days following the consummation of our initial business combination, public warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to an available exemption from registration under the Securities Act. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrant for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the day prior to the date of exercise. For example, if a holder held 150 warrants to purchase 150 shares and the fair market value on the date prior to exercise was $15.00, that holder would receive 35 shares without the payment of any additional cash consideration. If an exemption from registration is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. |
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(1) This number includes an aggregate of up to 375,000 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters in full.
(2) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 375,000 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders have been forfeited. If the over-allotment option is exercised in full, there will be a total of 14,970,000 ordinary shares issued and outstanding.
(3) Includes 250,000 shares issuable to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in this offering, upon the consummation of this offering.
(4) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised. If the over-allotment option is exercised in full, there will be a total of 11,845,000 warrants, including an aggregate of 345,000 private warrants.
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Exercise period |
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The warrants will become exercisable on the later of the completion of an initial business combination and 12 months from the date of this prospectus. The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the fifth anniversary of our completion of an initial business combination, or earlier upon redemption. |
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Redemption |
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We may redeem the outstanding warrants (excluding the private warrants), in whole and not in part, at a price of $0.01 per warrant: |
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• at any time while the warrants are exercisable, |
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• upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, |
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• if, and only if, the last sales price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending three business days before we send the notice of redemption, and |
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• if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the ordinary shares underlying such warrants at the time of redemption and for the entire 30-day trading period referred to above and continuing each day thereafter until the date of redemption. |
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If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption, each warrant holder can exercise his, her or its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the ordinary shares may fall below the $18.00 trigger price as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued and not limit our ability to complete the redemption. |
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The redemption criteria for our warrants have been established at a price which is intended to provide warrant holders a reasonable premium to the initial exercise price and provide a sufficient differential between the then-prevailing share price and the warrant exercise price so that if the share price declines as a result of our redemption call, the redemption will not cause the share price to drop below the exercise price of the warrants. |
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If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. Whether we will exercise our option to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis” will depend on a variety of factors including the price of our ordinary shares at the time the warrants are called for redemption, our cash needs at such time and concerns regarding dilutive share issuances. |
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Rights: |
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Number issued and outstanding before this offering and the
private
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Number to be issued and outstanding after this offering and sale of private units |
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Terms of Rights |
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Except in cases where we are not the surviving company in a business combination, each holder of a right will automatically receive one-tenth (1/10) of an ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination. We will not issue fractional shares in connection with an exchange of rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with the applicable provisions of Cayman Islands law. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of 10 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a business combination. In the event we will not be the surviving company upon completion of our initial business combination, each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert his, her or its rights in order to receive the one-tenth (1/10) of a share underlying each right upon consummation of the business combination. If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we redeem the public shares for the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds for their rights and the rights will expire worthless. |
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Offering proceeds to be held in trust |
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$96,850,000 of the net proceeds of this offering (or $111,550,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), plus $3,150,000 we will receive from the sale of the private units (or $3,450,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), for an aggregate of $100,000,000 (or an aggregate of $115,000,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), or $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering (regardless of whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part) will be placed in a trust account at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in the United States, maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee pursuant to an agreement to be signed on the date of this prospectus. Pursuant to the investment management trust agreement that will govern the investment of such funds, the trustee, upon our written instructions, will direct JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. to invest the funds as set forth in such written instructions and to custody the funds while invested and until otherwise instructed in accordance with the investment management trust agreement. The remaining $500,000 of net proceeds of this offering will not be held in the trust account. |
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Except as set forth below, the proceeds in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of the completion of an initial business combination within the required time period or our entry into liquidation if we have not completed a business combination in the required time period. Therefore, unless and until an initial business combination is consummated, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be available for our use for any expenses related to this offering or expenses which we may incur related to the investigation and selection of a target business and the negotiation of an agreement to acquire a target business. |
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(5) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised. If the over-allotment option is exercised in full, there will be a total of 11,845,000 rights, including an aggregate of 345,000 private rights.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, there can be released to us from the trust account (i) any interest earned on the funds in the trust account that we need to pay our income or other tax obligations and (ii) any remaining interest earned on the funds in the trust account that we need for our working capital requirements. With these exceptions, expenses incurred by us may be paid prior to a business combination only from the net proceeds of this offering not held in the trust account (estimated to initially be $500,000); provided, however, that in order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering if the funds not held in the trust account and interest earned on the funds held in the trust account available to us are insufficient, our initial shareholders, officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued units to acquire 55,000 ordinary shares (which includes 5,000 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of rights) and warrants to purchase 50,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted). If we do not complete a business combination, the loans would not be repaid. |
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Limited payments to insiders |
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Prior to the consummation of a business combination, there will be no fees, reimbursements or other cash payments paid to our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of a business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is) other than: |
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• repayment at the closing of this offering of an aggregate of up to $300,000 of loans made by our sponsor; |
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• payment of an aggregate of $10,000 per month to Twelve Seas Capital, Inc., an affiliate of our Chief Executive Officer, for office space and related services; |
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• repayment of loans which may be made by our insiders, officers, directors or any of its or their affiliates to finance transaction costs in connection with an initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined; and |
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• reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets and business combinations. |
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There is no limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us; provided, however, that to the extent such expenses exceed the available proceeds not deposited in the trust account and the interest income earned on the amounts held in the trust account available to us, such expenses would not be reimbursed by us unless we consummate an initial business combination. Our audit committee will review and approve all reimbursements and payments made to any initial shareholder or member of our management team, or their respective affiliates, and any reimbursements and payments made to members of our audit committee will be reviewed and approved by our Board of Directors, with any interested director abstaining from such review and approval. |
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Shareholder approval of, or tender offer in connection with, initial business combination |
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We have determined not to consummate any business combination unless we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation in order to avoid being subject to Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. The $5,000,001 net tangible asset value would be determined once a target business is located and we can assess all of the assets and liabilities of the combined company. |
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However, if we seek to consummate a business combination with a target business that imposes any type of working capital closing condition or requires us to have a minimum amount of funds available from the trust account upon consummation of such business combination, the net tangible asset requirement may limit our ability to consummate such a business combination and may force us to seek third party financing which may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all. As a result, we may not be able to consummate such business combination and we may not be able to locate another suitable target within the applicable time period, if at all. |
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Our initial shareholders, including our sponsor, have agreed (i) to vote their insider shares, private shares and any public shares purchased in or after this offering in favor of any proposed business combination and (ii ) not to convert any shares (including the insider shares) in connection with a shareholder vote to approve, or sell their shares to us in any tender offer in connection with, a proposed initial business combination. As a result, if we sought shareholder approval of a proposed transaction we could need as little as 3,467,501 of our public shares (or approximately 34.7% of our public shares) to be voted in favor of the transaction in order to have such transaction approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised, that the initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market and that the 250,000 shares to be issued to the representative of the underwriters upon the consummation of this offering are voted in favor of the transaction). None of our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates has indicated any intention to purchase units in this offering or any units or ordinary shares in the open market or in private transactions (other than the private units). However, if a significant number of shareholders vote, or indicate an intention to vote, against a proposed business combination, our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates could make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions in order to influence the vote. There is no limit on the amount of shares that may be purchased by the insiders. Any purchases would be made in compliance with federal securities laws, including the fact that all material information will be made public prior to such purchase, and no purchases would be made if such purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act, which are rules designed to stop potential manipulation of a company’s stock. |
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Conversion rights |
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In connection with any meeting called to approve a proposed initial business combination, each public shareholder will have the right, regardless of whether he is voting for or against such proposed business combination, to demand that we convert his public shares into a pro rata share of the trust account upon consummation of the business combination. |
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We may require public shareholders wishing to exercise conversion rights, whether they are a record holder or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender the certificates (if any) they are seeking to convert to our transfer agent or to deliver the shares they are seeking to convert to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, at any time at or prior to the vote on the business combination. There is a nominal cost associated with this tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker $45 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the converting holder. The foregoing is different from the procedures used by traditional blank check |
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companies. In order to perfect conversion rights in connection with their business combinations, many traditional blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the shareholders’ vote on an initial business combination, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking to exercise its conversion rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such shareholder to arrange for it to deliver its certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the shareholder then had an “option window” after the consummation of the business combination during which it could monitor the price of the company’s shares in the market. If the price rose above the conversion price, it could sell its shares in the open market before actually delivering his shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the conversion rights, to which shareholders were aware they needed to commit before the shareholder meeting, would become an “option” right surviving past the consummation of the business combination until the converting holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the closing of the shareholder meeting ensures that a holder’s election to convert is irrevocable once the business combination is completed. |
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Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, we are required to give a minimum of only ten days’ notice for each meeting. As a result, if we require public shareholders who wish to convert their ordinary shares into the right to receive a pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account to comply with the foregoing delivery requirements, holders may not have sufficient time to receive the notice and deliver their shares for conversion. Accordingly, investors may not be able to exercise their conversion rights and may be forced to retain our securities when they otherwise would not want to. |
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If we require public shareholders who wish to convert their ordinary shares to comply with specific delivery requirements for conversion described above and such proposed business combination is not consummated, we will promptly return such certificates to the tendering public shareholders. |
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Please see the risk factors titled “In connection with any meeting called to approve a proposed initial business combination, we may require shareholders who wish to convert their shares in connection with a proposed business combination to comply with specific requirements for conversion that may make it more difficult for them to exercise their conversion rights prior to the deadline for exercising their rights” and “If we require public shareholders who wish to convert their ordinary shares to comply with the delivery requirements for conversion, such converting shareholders may be unable to sell their securities when they wish to in the event that the proposed business combination is not approved.” |
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Once the shares are converted by the legal holder, and effectively redeemed by us under Cayman Islands law, the transfer agent will then update our Register of Members to reflect all conversions. |
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Automatic liquidation if no business combination |
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The amount in the trust account (less $1,000 representing the aggregate nominal par value of the shares of our public shareholders) under the Companies Law will be treated as share premium which is distributable under the Companies Law provided that immediately following the date on which the proposed distribution is to be made, we are able to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. If we are forced to liquidate, we anticipate that we would distribute to our public shareholders the amount in the trust account calculated as of the date that is two days prior to the distribution date (including any accrued interest, net of taxes payable and amounts released for working capital purposes). |
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Prior to such distribution, we would be required to assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us by our creditors for amounts they are actually owed and make provision for such amounts, as creditors take priority over our public shareholders with respect to amounts that are owed to them. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. As such, our shareholders could potentially be liable for any claims of creditors to the extent of distributions received by them as an unlawful payment in the event we enter an insolvent liquidation. Furthermore, while we will seek to have all vendors and service providers (which would include any third parties we engaged to assist us in any way in connection with our search for a target business) and prospective target businesses execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in or to any monies held in the trust account, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements. Nor is there any guarantee that, even if such entities execute such agreements with us, they will not seek recourse against the trust account or that a court would conclude that such agreements are legally enforceable. |
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The holders of the insider shares and private units will not participate in any liquidation distribution with respect to such securities. |
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Indemnity |
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Dimitri Elkin has contractually agreed pursuant to a written agreement with us that, if we liquidate the trust account prior to the consummation of a business combination, he will be liable to ensure that the proceeds in the trust account are not reduced by the claims of target businesses or claims of vendors or other entities that are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to us. Accordingly, if a claim brought by a target business or vendor did not exceed the amount of funds available to us outside of the trust account or available to be released to us from interest earned on the trust account balance, Dimitri Elkin would not have any obligation to indemnify such claims as they would be paid from such available funds. However, if a claim exceeded such amounts, the only exceptions to Dimitri Elkin’s obligations to pay such claim would be if the party executed an agreement waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they have in or to any monies held in the trust account. We cannot assure you that Dimitri Elkin will be able to satisfy these obligations if he is required to do so. Therefore, we cannot assure you that the per-share distribution from the trust account, if we liquidate the trust account because we have not completed a business combination within the required time period, will not be less than $10.00. |
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We will pay the costs of liquidating the trust account from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, Bryant Edwards has contractually agreed to advance us the funds necessary to complete such liquidation (currently anticipated to be no more than approximately $20,000) and has contractually agreed not to seek repayment for such expenses. |
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RISKS
In making your decision on whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account the special risks we face as a blank check company, as well as the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act and, therefore, you will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. For additional information concerning how Rule 419 blank check offerings differ from this offering, please see “Proposed Business — Comparison to offerings of blank check companies subject to Rule 419.” You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 19 of this prospectus.
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SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA
The following table summarizes the relevant financial data for our business and should be read with our financial statements, which are included in this prospectus. We have not had any significant operations to date, so only balance sheet data are presented.
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March 31, 2018 |
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Actual |
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As Adjusted (1) |
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Balance Sheet Data: |
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Working capital (deficiency) (2) |
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(185,746 |
) |
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100,495,713 |
Total assets |
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181,713 |
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100,495,713 |
Total liabilities |
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186,000 |
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|
— |
Value of ordinary shares subject to possible conversion/tender |
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|
|
|
95,495,710 |
Shareholders’ equity (deficit) |
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(4,287 |
) |
|
5,000,003 |
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(1) Includes the $3,150,000 we will receive from the sale of the private units.
(2) Excluding prepaid assets and deferred offering costs.
The “as adjusted” information gives effect to the sale of the units we are offering, including the application of the related gross proceeds and the payment of the estimated remaining costs from such sale and the repayment of the accrued and other liabilities required to be repaid.
The “as adjusted” working capital and total assets amounts include the $100,000,000 to be held in the trust account, which, except for limited situations described in this prospectus, will be available to us only upon the consummation of a business combination within the time period described in this prospectus. If a business combination is not so consummated, the trust account, less amounts we are permitted to withdraw as described in this prospectus, will be distributed solely to our public shareholders (subject to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors).
We will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and, solely if we seek shareholder approval, a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination.
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RISK FACTORS
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the material risks described below, which we believe represent the material risks related to the offering, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, before making a decision to invest in our units. This prospectus also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of specific factors, including the risks described below.
Risks Associated with Our Business
We have no operating history and, accordingly, you will not have any basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
We have no operating results to date. Therefore, our ability to commence operations is dependent upon obtaining financing through the public offering of our securities. Since we do not have an operating history, you will have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective, which is to acquire an operating business. We have not conducted any discussions and we have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective acquisition candidates. We will not generate any revenues until, at the earliest, after the consummation of a business combination.
Our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.”
The report of our independent registered public accountants on our financial statements includes an explanatory paragraph stating that our ability to continue as a going concern is dependent on the consummation of this offering. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to consummate this offering or our ability to continue as a going concern. Moreover, there is no assurance that we will consummate our initial business combination. These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
If we are unable to consummate a business combination, our public shareholders may be forced to wait more than 18 months before receiving liquidation distributions.
We have 18 months from the consummation of this offering in which to complete a business combination. We have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to such date unless we consummate a business combination prior thereto and only then in cases where investors have sought to convert their shares. Only after the expiration of this full time period will public shareholders be entitled to liquidation distributions if we are unable to complete a business combination. Accordingly, investors’ funds may be unavailable to them until after such date and to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your securities potentially at a loss.
The requirement that we complete an initial business combination within a specific period of time may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business transaction.
We have 18 months from the consummation of this offering to complete an initial business combination. Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware of this requirement. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete a business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete a business combination with any other target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the time limits referenced above.
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of this offering are intended to be used to complete a business combination with a target business that has not been identified, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the United States securities laws. However, since we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 upon the successful consummation of this offering and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors of blank check companies such as R ule 4 19. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules which would, for example, completely restrict the transferability of our securities and restrict the use of interest earned on the funds held in the
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trust account. Because we are not subject to Rule 419, our units will be immediately tradable and we will be entitled to withdraw amounts from the funds held in the trust account prior to the completion of a business combination.
We may issue ordinary or preferred shares or debt securities to complete a business combination, which would reduce the equity interest of our shareholders and likely cause a change in control of our ownership.
Our memorandum and articles of association currently authorize the issuance of up to 200,000,000 ordinary shares, par value $.0001 per share, and 2,000,000 preferred shares, par value $.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering and the purchase of the private units (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), there will be 175,588,500 authorized but unissued ordinary shares available for issuance (after appropriate reservation for the issuance of the shares underlying the private units and public and private warrants and rights). Although we have no commitment as of the date of this offering, we may issue a substantial number of additional ordinary shares or preferred shares, or a combination of ordinary shares and preferred shares, to complete a business combination. The issuance of additional ordinary shares or preferred shares:
• may significantly reduce the equity interest of investors in this offering;
• may subordinate the rights of holders of ordinary shares if we issue preferred shares with rights senior to those afforded to our ordinary shares;
• may cause a change in control if a substantial number of ordinary shares are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and
• may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our ordinary shares.
Similarly, if we issue debt securities, it could result in:
• default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after a business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;
• acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;
• our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand; and
• our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt security is outstanding.
The funds held in the trust account may not earn significant interest and, as a result, we may be limited to the funds held outside of the trust account to fund our search for target businesses, to pay our tax obligations and to complete our initial business combination.
Of the net proceeds of this offering, approximately $500,000 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. We will depend on sufficient interest being earned on the proceeds held in the trust account to provide us with additional working capital we will need to identify one or more target businesses and to complete our initial business combination, as well as to pay any tax obligations that we may owe. Interest rates on permissible investments for us have been at historical lows over the last several years. Accordingly, if we do not earn a sufficient amount of interest on the funds held in the trust account and use all of the funds held outside of the trust account, we may not have sufficient funds available with which to structure, negotiate or close an initial business combination. In such event, we may be forced to cease searching for a target business.
We may be unable to obtain additional financing, if required, to complete a business combination or to fund the operations and growth of the target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.
Since we have not yet identified any prospective target business, we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction. If the net proceeds of this offering prove to be insufficient, either because of the size of the
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business combination, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, or the obligation to convert into cash (or purchase in any tender offer) a significant number of shares from dissenting shareholders, we will be required to seek additional financing. Such financing may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to consummate a particular business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. In addition, if we consummate a business combination, we may require additional financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after a business combination.
If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in trust could be reduced and the per-share liquidation price received by shareholders may be less than $10.00.
Our placing of funds in trust may not protect those funds from third party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors and service providers we engage and prospective target businesses we negotiate with execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, they may not execute such agreements. Furthermore, even if such entities execute such agreements with us, they may seek recourse against the monies held in the trust account. A court may not uphold the validity of such agreements. Accordingly, the proceeds held in trust could be subject to claims which could take priority over those of our public shareholders. If we liquidate the trust account before the completion of a business combination, Dimitri Elkin has agreed that he will be liable to ensure that the proceeds in the trust account are not reduced by the claims of target businesses or claims of vendors or other entities that are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to us and which have not executed a waiver agreement. However, he may not be able to meet such obligation. Therefore, the per-share distribution from the trust account in such a situation may be less than $10.00, plus interest, due to such claims.
Additionally, if we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which is not dismissed, or if we otherwise enter compulsory or court supervised liquidation, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we may not be able to return to our public shareholders at least $10.00 per share.
Our shareholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will continue in existence only until 18 months from the consummation of this offering if a business combination has not been consummated by such time. If we are unable to complete an initial business combination during such time period, it will trigger our automatic winding up, liquidation and dissolution. As such, our shareholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them pursuant to such process and any liability of our shareholders may extend beyond the date of such distribution. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that third parties, or us under the control of an official liquidator, will not seek to recover from our shareholders amounts owed to them by us.
If we are unable to consummate a transaction within the required time period, upon notice from us, the trustee of the trust account will distribute the amount in our trust account to our public shareholders. Concurrently, we shall pay, or reserve for payment, from funds not held in trust, our liabilities and obligations, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. If there are insufficient funds held outside the trust account for such purpose, Dimitri Elkin has agreed that he will be liable to ensure that the proceeds in the trust account are not reduced by the claims of target businesses or claims of vendors or other entities that are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to us and which have not executed a waiver agreement.
If we are forced to enter into an insolvent liquidation, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed as an unlawful payment if it was proved that immediately following the date on which the distribution was made, we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. As a result, a liquidator could seek to recover all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to us or our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, thereby exposing themselves and our company to claims, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors.
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We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons. We and our directors and officers who knowingly and willfully authorized or permitted any distribution to be paid out of our share premium account while we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business would be guilty of an offense and may be liable to pay a fine of US$18,292.68 and subject to imprisonment for five years in the Cayman Islands.
Holders of warrants and rights will not have redemption rights if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period.
If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we redeem the funds held in the trust account, the warrants and rights will expire and holders will not receive any of such proceeds with respect to the warrants and rights.
We have no obligation to net cash settle the warrants or rights.
In no event will we have any obligation to net cash settle the warrants or rights. Accordingly, the warrants and rights may expire worthless.
If we do not maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the redeemable warrants, public holders will only be able to exercise such redeemable warrants on a “cashless basis” which would result in a fewer number of shares being issued to the holder had such holder exercised the redeemable warrants for cash.
Except as set forth below, if we do not maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants at the time that holders wish to exercise such warrants, they will only be able to exercise them on a “cashless basis,” provided that an exemption from registration is available. As a result, the number of ordinary shares that a holder will receive upon exercise of its warrants will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised its warrant for cash. Further, if an exemption from registration is not available, holders would not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis and would only be able to exercise their warrants for cash if a current and effective prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is available. Under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed to use our best efforts to meet these conditions and to maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so. If we are unable to do so, the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in our company may be reduced or the warrants may expire worthless. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the private warrants may be exercisable for unregistered ordinary shares for cash even if the prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not current and effective.
An investor will only be able to exercise a warrant if the issuance of ordinary shares upon such exercise has been registered or qualified or is deemed exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the holder of the warrants.
No warrants will be exercisable for cash and we will not be obligated to issue ordinary shares unless the ordinary shares issuable upon such exercise have been registered or qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the holder of the warrants. At the time that the warrants become exercisable, we expect to continue to be listed on a national securities exchange, which would provide an exemption from registration in every state. However, we cannot assure you of this fact. If the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not qualified or exempt from qualification in the jurisdictions in which the holders of the warrants reside, the warrants may be deprived of any value, the market for the warrants may be limited and they may expire worthless if they cannot be sold.
Our management’s ability to require holders of our redeemable warrants to exercise such redeemable warrants on a cashless basis will cause holders to receive fewer ordinary shares upon their exercise of the redeemable warrants than they would have received had they been able to exercise their redeemable warrants for cash.
If we call our warrants for redemption after the redemption criteria described elsewhere in this prospectus have been satisfied, our management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise his warrants (including any warrants held by our initial shareholders or their permitted transferees) to do so on a “cashless basis.” If our management chooses to require holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, the number of ordinary shares
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received by a holder upon exercise will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised his warrants for cash. This will have the effect of reducing the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in our company.
We may amend the terms of the warrants in a way that may be adverse to holders with the approval by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding warrants.
Our warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision. The warrant agreement requires the approval by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding warrants (including the private warrants) in order to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders.
We may amend the terms of the rights in a way that may be adverse to holders with the approval by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding rights.
Our rights will be issued in registered form under a rights agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as rights agent, and us. The rights agreement provides that the terms of the rights may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision. The rights agreement requires the approval by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding rights (including the private rights) in order to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders.
Since we have not yet selected a particular industry or target business with which to complete a business combination, we are unable to currently ascertain the merits or risks of the industry or business in which we may ultimately operate.
While we intend to focus our search for target businesses on specific locations as described in this prospectus, we are not limited to those locations and may consummate a business combination with a company in any location or industry we choose. Accordingly, there is no current basis for you to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the particular industry in which we may ultimately operate or the target business which we may ultimately acquire. To the extent we complete a business combination with a financially unstable company or an entity in its development stage, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations of those entities. If we complete a business combination with an entity in an industry characterized by a high level of risk, we may be affected by the currently unascertainable risks of that industry. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular industry or target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors in this offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a target business.
The requirement that the target business or businesses that we acquire must collectively have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance of the funds in the trust account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination may limit the type and number of companies that we may complete such a business combination with.
Pursuant to the Nasdaq listing rules, the target business or businesses that we acquire must collectively have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance of the funds in the trust account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination. This restriction may limit the type and number of companies with which we may complete a business combination. If we are unable to locate a target business or businesses that satisfy this fair market value test, we may be forced to liquidate and you will only be entitled to receive your pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account.
If Nasdaq delists our securities from trading on its exchange after this offering, we would not be required to satisfy the fair market value requirement described above and could complete a business combination with a target business having a fair market value substantially below 80% of the balance in the trust account.
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Our ability to successfully effect a business combination and to be successful thereafter will be totally dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following a business combination. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after a business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct.
Our ability to successfully effect a business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our key personnel, at least until we have consummated our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain with us for the immediate or foreseeable future. In addition, none of our officers are required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs and, accordingly, they will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence. We do not have employment agreements with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our officers. The unexpected loss of the services of our key personnel could have a detrimental effect on us.
The role of our key personnel in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory positions following a business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place or be hired after consummation of the business combination. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after a business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a public company which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.
Our officers and directors may not have significant experience or knowledge regarding the jurisdiction or industry of the target business we may seek to acquire.
While we intend to focus our search for target businesses within the locations and industries as described in this prospectus, we may consummate a business combination with a target business in any geographic location or industry we choose. We cannot assure you that our officers and directors will have enough experience or have sufficient knowledge relating to the jurisdiction of the target or its industry to make an informed decision regarding a business combination. If we become aware of a potential business combination outside of the geographic location or industry where our officers and directors have the most experience, our management may retain consultants and advisors with experience in such industries to assist in the evaluation of such business combination and in our determination of whether or not to proceed with such a business combination. However, our management is not required to engage consultants or advisors in any situation. If they do not engage any consultants or advisors to assist them in the evaluation of a particular target business or business combination, our management may not properly analyze the risks attendant with such target business or business combination. Even if our management does engage consultants or advisors to assist in the evaluation of a particular target business or business combination, we cannot assure you that such consultants or advisors will properly analyze the risks attendant with such target business or business combination. As a result, we may enter into a business combination that is not in our shareholders’ best interests.
Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation following a business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is the most advantageous.
Our key personnel will be able to remain with the company after the consummation of a business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements or other arrangements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to the company after the consummation of the business combination. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business.
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Our officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby potentially limiting the amount of time they devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to consummate our initial business combination.
Our officers and directors are not required to commit their full time to our affairs, which could create a conflict of interest when allocating their time between our operations and their other commitments. We presently expect each of our employees to devote such amount of time as they reasonably believe is necessary to our business (which could range from only a few hours a week while we are trying to locate a potential target business to a majority of their time as we move into serious negotiations with a target business for a business combination). We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the consummation of our initial business combination. All of our officers and directors are engaged in several other business endeavors and are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our affairs. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote more substantial amounts of time to such affairs, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs and could have a negative impact on our ability to consummate our initial business combination. We cannot assure you these conflicts will be resolved in our favor.
Our officers and directors have pre-existing fiduciary and contractual obligations and accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Our officers and directors have pre-existing fiduciary and contractual obligations to other companies, including other companies that are engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us. Accordingly, they may participate in transactions and have obligations that may be in conflict or competition with our consummation of our initial business combination. As a result, a potential target business may be presented by our management team to another entity prior to its presentation to us and we may not be afforded the opportunity to engage in a transaction with such target business. For instance, Stephen Cannon, our President and Chief Financial Officer, is President, Chief Financial Officer and a director of CM Seven, a blank check company that went public in October 2017 and is currently seeking a target business with which to consummate an initial business combination. Mr. Cannon will be required to present all suitable target businesses to CM Seven prior to presenting them to us, unless such opportunity is expressly offered to Mr. Cannon solely in his capacity as an officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent Mr. Cannon is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation. For a more detailed description of the pre-existing fiduciary and contractual obligations of our management team, and the potential conflicts of interest that such obligations may present, see the section titled “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
Our officers’ and directors’ personal and financial interests may influence their motivation in determining whether a particular target business is appropriate for a business combination.
Our officers and directors have waived their right to convert (or sell to us in any tender offer) their insider shares or any other ordinary shares acquired in this offering or thereafter (although none of these insiders have indicated any intention to purchase units in this offering or thereafter), or to receive distributions with respect to their insider shares upon our liquidation if we are unable to consummate our initial business combination. Our sponsor, which is affiliated with certain of our officers, has also waived its right to convert (or sell to us in any tender offer) its private shares or any other ordinary shares acquired in this offering or thereafter (although it has not indicated any intention to purchase units in this offering or thereafter), or to receive distributions with respect to their private shares upon our liquidation if we are unable to consummate our initial business combination. Accordingly, these securities will be worthless if we do not consummate our initial business combination. In addition, our officers and directors may loan funds to us after this offering and may be owed reimbursement for expenses incurred in connection with certain activities on our behalf which would only be repaid if we complete an initial business combination. The personal and financial interests of our directors and officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and selecting a target business and completing a business combination. Consequently, our directors’ and officers’ discretion in identifying and selecting a suitable target business may result in a conflict of interest when determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our shareholders’ best interest. If this were the case, it would be a breach of their fiduciary duties to us as a matter of Cayman Islands law and we might have a claim against such individuals. However, we might not ultimately be successful in any claim we may make against them for such reason.
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Nasdaq may delist our securities from trading on its exchange which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
We anticipate that our securities will be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, a national securities exchange, upon consummation of this offering. Although, after giving effect to this offering, we meet on a pro forma basis the minimum initial listing standards of Nasdaq, which generally only requires that we meet certain requirements relating to shareholders’ equity, market capitalization, aggregate market value of publicly held shares and distribution requirements, we cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq in the future prior to an initial business combination. Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, it is likely that Nasdaq will require us to file a new initial listing application and meet its initial listing requirements as opposed to its more lenient continued listing requirements. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.
If Nasdaq delists our securities from trading on its exchange, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
• a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;
• reduced liquidity with respect to our securities;
• a determination that our ordinary shares are “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our ordinary shares to adhere to more stringent rules, possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our ordinary shares;
• a limited amount of news and analyst coverage for our company; and
• a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services.
We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering. By consummating a business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
• solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, or
• dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.
This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to a business combination.
Alternatively, if we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses and such businesses are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete the business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.
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The ability of our public shareholders to exercise their conversion rights or sell their public shares to us in a tender offer may not allow us to effectuate the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.
If our business combination requires us to use substantially all of our cash to pay the purchase price, because we will not know how many public shareholders may exercise conversion rights or seek to sell their public shares to us in a tender offer, we may either need to reserve part of the trust account for possible payment upon such conversion, or we may need to arrange third party financing to help fund our business transaction. In the event that the business combination involves the issuance of our shares as consideration, we may be required to issue a higher percentage of our shares to make up for a shortfall in funds. Raising additional funds to cover any shortfall may involve dilutive equity financing or incurring indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. This may limit our ability to effectuate the most attractive business combination available to us.
We may be unable to consummate a business combination if a target business requires that we have cash in excess of the minimum amount we are required to have at closing and public shareholders may have to remain shareholders of our company and wait until our liquidation to receive a pro rata share of the trust account or attempt to sell their shares in the open market.
A potential target may make it a closing condition to our business combination that we have a certain amount of cash in excess of the $5,000,001 of net tangible assets we are required to have pursuant to our organizational documents available at the time of closing. If the number of our shareholders electing to exercise their conversion rights or sell their shares to us in a tender offer has the effect of reducing the amount of money available to us to consummate a business combination below such minimum amount required by the target business and we are not able to locate an alternative source of funding, we will not be able to consummate such business combination and we may not be able to locate another suitable target within the applicable time period, if at all. In that case, public shareholders may have to remain shareholders of our company and wait the full 18 months in order to be able to receive a pro rata portion of the trust account, or attempt to sell their shares in the open market prior to such time, in which case they may receive less than a pro rata share of the trust account for their shares.
Our public shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination, which means we may consummate our initial business combination even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such a combination.
We intend to hold a shareholder vote before we consummate our initial business combination. However, if a shareholder vote is not required, for business or legal reasons, we may conduct conversions via a tender offer and not offer our shareholders the opportunity to vote on a proposed business combination. Accordingly, we may consummate our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our public shares do not approve of the business combination.
In connection with any meeting held to approve an initial business combination, we will offer each public shareholder the option to vote in favor of a proposed business combination and still seek conversion of his, her or its public shares, which may make it more likely that we will consummate a business combination.
In connection with any meeting held to approve an initial business combination, we will offer each public shareholder the right to have his, her or its public shares converted to cash (subject to the limitations described elsewhere in this prospectus) regardless of whether such shareholder votes for or against such proposed business combination. Furthermore, we will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and a majority of the issued and outstanding shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination. Accordingly, public shareholders owning shares sold in this offering may exercise their conversion rights and we could still consummate a proposed business combination so long as a majority of shares voted at the meeting are voted in favor of the proposed business combination. This is different than other similarly structured blank check companies where shareholders are offered the right to convert their shares only when they vote against a proposed business combination. This is also different than other similarly structured blank check companies where there is a specific number of shares sold in the offering which must not exercise conversion rights for the company to complete a business combination. The lack of such a threshold and the ability to seek conversion while voting in favor of a proposed business combination may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination.
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In connection with any meeting called to approve a proposed initial business combination, we may require shareholders who wish to convert their public shares to comply with specific requirements for conversion that may make it more difficult for them to exercise their conversion rights prior to the deadline for exercising their rights.
In connection with any meeting called to approve a proposed initial business combination, each public shareholder will have the right, regardless of whether it is voting for or against such proposed business combination, to demand that we convert its public shares into a share of the trust account. Such conversion will be effectuated under Cayman Islands law as a redemption of the shares, with the redemption price to be paid being the applicable pro rata portion of the monies held in the trust account. We may require public shareholders who wish to convert their public shares in connection with a proposed business combination to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s (“DTC”) DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, at any time at or prior to the vote taken at the shareholder meeting relating to such business combination. In order to obtain a physical share certificate, a shareholder’s broker and/or clearing broker, DTC and our transfer agent will need to act to facilitate this request. It is our understanding that shareholders should generally allot at least two weeks to obtain physical certificates from the transfer agent. However, because we do not have any control over this process or over the brokers or DTC, it may take significantly longer than two weeks to obtain a physical share certificate. It is also our understanding that it takes a short time to deliver shares through the DWAC System. However, this too may not be the case. Accordingly, if it takes longer than we anticipate for shareholders to deliver their shares, shareholders who wish to convert may be unable to meet the deadline for exercising their conversion rights and thus may be unable to convert their shares.
Investors may not have sufficient time to comply with the delivery requirements for conversion.
Pursuant to our memorandum and articles of association, we are required to give a minimum of only ten days’ notice for each general meeting. As a result, if we require public shareholders who wish to convert their public shares into the right to receive a pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account to comply with specific delivery requirements for conversion, holders may not have sufficient time to receive the notice and deliver their shares for conversion. Accordingly, investors may not be able to exercise their conversion rights and may be forced to retain our securities when they otherwise would not want to.
If we require public shareholders who wish to convert their public shares to comply with the delivery requirements for conversion, such converting shareholders may be unable to sell their securities when they wish to in the event that the proposed business combination is not approved.
If we require public shareholders who wish to convert their public shares to comply with specific delivery requirements for conversion described above and such proposed business combination is not consummated, we will promptly return such certificates to the tendering public shareholders. Accordingly, investors who attempted to convert their shares in such a circumstance will be unable to sell their securities after the failed acquisition until we have returned their securities to them. The market price for our shares may decline during this time and you may not be able to sell your securities when you wish to, even while other shareholders that did not seek conversion may be able to sell their securities.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, a shareholder or a “group” of shareholders holding a substantial portion of our ordinary shares may influence our ability to complete our business combination.
Unlike other blank check companies, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of incorporation will not provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), holding in excess of a certain percentage of shares offered in our initial public offering will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to any shares they hold in excess of such percentage. The ability of any such shareholder to redeem all their shares will increase their influence over our ability to complete our business combination and could make it more difficult for us to complete such business combination.
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Because of our limited resources and structure, other companies may have a competitive advantage and we may not be able to consummate an attractive business combination.
We expect to encounter intense competition from entities other than blank check companies having a business objective similar to ours, including venture capital funds, leveraged buyout funds and operating businesses competing for acquisitions. There are approximately 48 blank check companies that have completed their initial public offerings but have not yet announced a business combination. Based on their stated geographic areas of focus, we believe we could face specific competition in the Pan-Eurasian market with respect to two of such blank check companies. However, since none of these blank check companies are limited to such geographic areas of focus, it is possible we could face competition from any of the foregoing 48 blank check companies. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe that there are numerous potential target businesses that we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering, our ability to compete in acquiring certain sizable target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, seeking shareholder approval of a business combination may delay or prevent the consummation of a transaction, a risk a target business may not be willing to accept. Additionally, our outstanding warrants and rights, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Any of the foregoing may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination.
Our initial shareholders control a substantial interest in us and thus may influence certain actions requiring a shareholder vote.
Upon consummation of our offering, our initial shareholders will collectively own approximately 21.5% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). None of our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates has indicated any intention to purchase units in this offering or any units or ordinary shares from persons in the open market or in private transactions (other than the private units). However, our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates could determine in the future to make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions, to the extent permitted by law, in order to assist us in consummating our initial business combination. In connection with any vote for a proposed business combination, all of our initial shareholders, as well as all of our officers and directors, have agreed to vote the ordinary shares owned by them immediately before this offering as well as any ordinary shares acquired in this offering or in the aftermarket in favor of such proposed business combination.
There is no requirement under the Companies Law for us to hold annual or general meetings to elect directors. Accordingly, shareholders would not have the right to such a meeting or election of directors, unless the holders of not less than 10% in par value capital of our company request such a meeting. As a result, it is unlikely that there will be an annual general meeting to elect new directors prior to the consummation of a business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the consummation of the business combination. Accordingly, you may not be able to exercise your voting rights for up to 18 months. If there is an annual general meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for election and our initial shareholders, because of their ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. Accordingly, our initial shareholders will continue to exert control at least until the consummation of a business combination.
Our initial shareholders paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.006 per share, for the insider shares and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our ordinary shares.
The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the ordinary shares, including the ordinary shares underlying the rights included in the units, and none to the warrants included in the units) and the pro forma net tangible book value per ordinary share after this offering constitutes the dilution to the investors in this offering. Our initial shareholders acquired their insider shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon consummation of this offering, you and the other new investors will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 87.9% or $7.99 per share (the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $1.10, and the effective initial offering price of $9.09 per share). This is because investors in this offering will be contributing approximately 96.9% of the total amount paid to us for our outstanding securities after this
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offering but will only own approximately 78.0% of our outstanding securities. Accordingly, the per-share purchase price you will be paying substantially exceeds our per share net tangible book value.
Our outstanding warrants and rights may have an adverse effect on the market price of our ordinary shares and make it more difficult to effect a business combination.
We will be issuing warrants that will result in the issuance of up to 10,000,000 ordinary shares as part of the units offered by this prospectus and private warrants that will result in the issuance of an additional 315,000 ordinary shares. We will also be issuing rights that will result in the issuance of up to 1,000,000 ordinary shares as part of the units offered by this prospectus and private rights that will result in the issuance of an additional 31,500 ordinary shares. The potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional shares upon exercise of the warrants and conversion of the rights could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle in the eyes of a target business. Such securities, when converted, will increase the number of issued and outstanding ordinary shares and reduce the value of the shares issued to complete the business combination. Accordingly, our warrants and rights may make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business. Additionally, the sale, or even the possibility of sale, of the shares underlying the warrants and rights could have an adverse effect on the market price for our securities or on our ability to obtain future financing. If and to the extent these warrants are exercised, you may experience dilution to your holdings.
If our shareholders exercise their registration rights with respect to their securities, it may have an adverse effect on the market price of our ordinary shares and the existence of these rights may make it more difficult to effect a business combination.
Our initial shareholders are entitled to make a demand that we register the resale of their insider shares at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which their shares may be released from escrow. Additionally, the purchasers of the private units and our initial shareholders, officers and directors are entitled to demand that we register the resale of the shares underlying the private units, private warrants and private rights and any securities our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us at any time after we consummate a business combination. The presence of these additional securities trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities. In addition, the existence of these rights may make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business, as the shareholders of the target business may be discouraged from entering into a business combination with us or will request a higher price for their securities because of the potential effect the exercise of such rights may have on the trading market for our ordinary shares.
EarlyBirdCapital may have a conflict of interest in rendering services to us in connection with our initial business combination.
We have engaged EarlyBirdCapital to assist us in connection with our initial business combination. We will pay EarlyBirdCapital a cash fee for such services upon the consummation of our initial business combination in an amount equal to 3.5% of the total gross proceeds raised in the offering. EarlyBirdCapital is also receiving 250,000 shares upon consummation of this offering. The financial interests may result in EarlyBirdCapital having a conflict of interest when providing the services to us in connection with an initial business combination.
If we are deemed to be an investment company, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete a business combination.
A company that, among other things, is or holds itself out as being engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, trading or holding certain types of securities would be deemed an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Since we will invest the proceeds held in the trust account only in United States government treasury bills, notes or bonds having a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting the applicable conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and that invest solely in United States treasuries, we believe that we will not be considered to be an investment company pursuant to the exemption provided in Rule 3a-1 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
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If we are nevertheless deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, we may be subject to certain restrictions that may make it more difficult for us to complete a business combination, including:
• restrictions on the nature of our investments; and
• restrictions on the issuance of securities.
In addition, we may have imposed upon us certain burdensome requirements, including:
• registration as an investment company;
• adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and
• reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy, compliance policies and procedures and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations.
Compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expense that we have not provided for.
We may not seek an opinion from an unaffiliated third party as to the fair market value of the target business we acquire.
We are not required to obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated third party that the target business we select has a fair market value in excess of at least 80% of the balance of the trust account unless our board of directors cannot make such determination on its own. We are also not required to obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated third party indicating that the price we are paying is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view unless the target is affiliated with our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates. If no opinion is obtained, our shareholders will be relying on the judgment of our board of directors, whose collective experience in business evaluations for blank check companies like ours is not significant. Furthermore, our directors may have a conflict of interest in analyzing the transaction due to their personal and financial interests.
We may acquire a target business that is affiliated with our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates.
While we do not currently intend to pursue an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates, we are not prohibited from pursuing such a transaction, nor are we prohibited from consummating a business combination where any of our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates acquire a minority interest in the target business alongside our acquisition, provided in each case we obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated third party indicating that the price we are paying is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view. These affiliations could cause our officers or directors to have a conflict of interest in analyzing such transactions due to their personal and financial interests.
The determination of the offering price of our units is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities for an operating company in a particular industry.
Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants and rights were negotiated between us and the representative of the underwriters. Factors considered in determining the prices and terms of the units, including the ordinary shares, warrants and rights underlying the units, include:
• the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies;
• prior offerings of those companies;
• our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values;
• our capital structure;
• the per share amount of net proceeds being placed in the trust account;
• an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies; and
• general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering.
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However, although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities for an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results to compare them to.
Because we are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, you may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. Federal courts may be limited.
We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and certain of our officers and directors are residents of jurisdictions outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon our directors or executive officers, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against our directors or officers.
Our corporate affairs will be governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Law (as the same may be supplemented or amended from time to time) or the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English common law, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are different from statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholders derivative action in a Federal court of the United States.
We have been advised by our Cayman Islands legal counsel that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, and or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands (awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.
As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a United States company.
Because we must furnish our shareholders with financial statements of the target business prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP or IFRS as issued by the IASB or reconciled to U.S. GAAP, we may not be able to complete an initial business combination with some prospective target businesses.
We will be required to provide historical and pro forma financial statement disclosure relating to our target business to our shareholders. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, or international financial reporting standards, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB. The financial statements may also be required to be prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for the For m 8 -K announcing the closing of an initial business combination, which would need to be filed within four business days after closing. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire.
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Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 will require substantial financial and management resources and may increase the time and costs of completing an acquisition.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls and may require us to have such system audited by an independent registered public accounting firm. If we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, we could be subject to regulatory scrutiny, civil or criminal penalties and/or shareholder litigation. Any inability to provide reliable financial reports could harm our business. A target business may also not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition. Furthermore, any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in the implementation of adequate controls over our financial processes and reporting in the future, could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. Inferior internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our securities.
We are an “emerging growth company” and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our securities less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. We will remain an “emerging growth company” for up to five years. However, if our non-convertible debt issued within a three-year period exceeds $1.0 billion or revenues exceed $1.07 billion, or the market value of our ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million on the last day of the second fiscal quarter of any given fiscal year, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of the following fiscal year. As an emerging growth company, we are not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we have reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and we are exempt from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. Additionally, as an emerging growth company, we have elected to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until those standards apply to private companies. As such, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates. We cannot predict if investors will find our shares less attractive because we may rely on these provisions. If some investors find our shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our shares and our share price may be more volatile.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, will not adopt the new or revised standard until the time private companies are required to adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accountant standards used.
An investment in this offering may involve adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.
An investment in this offering may involve adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences. For instance, there is a risk that an investor’s entitlement to receive payments in excess of the investor’s initial tax basis in our ordinary shares upon exercise of the investor’s conversion right or upon our liquidation of the trust account will result in constructive income to the investor, which could affect the timing and character of income recognition and result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the investor without the investor’s receipt of cash from us. Furthermore, because there are no authorities that directly address instruments similar to the units we are issuing in this offering, the allocation an investor makes with respect to the purchase price of the unit among the ordinary shares, warrants and rights included in the units could be challenged by the IRS or the courts. See the section titled “Taxation-United States Federal Income Taxation” for a summary of the material United States federal income tax consequences of an investment in our securities.
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Prospective investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to these and other tax consequences when purchasing, holding or disposing of our securities.
We have also not sought a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, as to any U.S. federal income tax consequences described in this prospectus. The IRS may disagree with the descriptions of U.S. federal income tax consequences described herein, and its determination may be upheld by a court. Any such determination could subject an investor or our company to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences that would be different than those described in this prospectus. Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult a tax advisor with respect to the specific tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our securities, including the applicability and effect of state, local, or foreign tax laws, as well as U.S. federal tax laws.
We may qualify as a passive foreign investment company, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors.
In general, we will be treated as a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) for any taxable year in which either (1) at least 75% of our gross income (looking through certain 25% or more-owned corporate subsidiaries) is passive income or (2) at least 50% of the average value of our assets (looking through certain 25% or more-owned corporate subsidiaries) is attributable to assets that produce, or are held for the production of, passive income. Passive income generally includes, without limitation, dividends, interest, rents, royalties, and gains from the disposition of passive assets. If we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. holder of our units, ordinary shares, warrants or rights, the U.S. holder may be subject to increased U.S. federal income tax liability and may be subject to additional reporting requirements. Our actual PFIC status for our current taxable year may depend on whether we qualify for the PFIC start-up exception (see the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation — United States Federal Income Taxation — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules”). Our actual PFIC status for any taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year (or after the end of the start-up period, if later). Accordingly, there can be no assurance with respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year. We urge U.S. investors to consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules.
If our management following a business combination is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws which could lead to various regulatory issues.
Following a business combination, our management will likely resign from their positions as officers of the company and the management of the target business at the time of the business combination will remain in place. We cannot assure you that management of the target business will be familiar with United States securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with our laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.
If restrictions on repatriation of earnings from the target business’ home jurisdiction to foreign entities are instituted, our business following a business combination may be materially negatively affected.
It is possible that following an initial business combination, the home jurisdiction of the target business may have restrictions on repatriations of earnings or additional restrictions may be imposed in the future. If they were, it could have a material adverse effect on our operations.
Risks Associated with Acquiring and Operating a Business Outside of the United States
If we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.
If we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in the target business’ home jurisdiction, including any of the following:
• rules and regulations or currency redemption or corporate withholding taxes on individuals;
• laws governing the manner in which future business combinations may be effected;
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• tariffs and trade barriers;
• regulations related to customs and import/export matters;
• longer payment cycles;
• tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States;
• currency fluctuations and exchange controls;
• rates of inflation;
• challenges in collecting accounts receivable;
• cultural and language differences;
• employment regulations;
• crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks and wars; and
• deterioration of political relations with the United States which could result in any number of difficulties, both normal course such as above or extraordinary such as sanctions being imposed. We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, our operations might suffer.
If we effect a business combination with a company located outside of the United States, the laws applicable to such company will likely govern all of our material agreements and we may not be able to enforce our legal rights.
If we effect a business combination with a company located outside of the United States, the laws of the country in which such company operates will govern almost all of the material agreements relating to its operations. We cannot assure you that the target business will be able to enforce any of its material agreements or that remedies will be available in this new jurisdiction. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital. Additionally, if we acquire a company located outside of the United States, it is likely that substantially all of our assets would be located outside of the United States and some of our officers and directors might reside outside of the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for investors in the United States to enforce their legal rights, to effect service of process upon our directors or officers or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal penalties of our directors and officers under Federal securities laws.
Because of the costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations after we acquire it, our results of operations may be negatively impacted following a business combination.
Managing a business, operations, personnel or assets in another country is challenging and costly. Management of the target business that we may hire (whether based abroad or in the U.S.) may be inexperienced in cross-border business practices and unaware of significant differences in accounting rules, legal regimes and labor practices. Even with a seasoned and experienced management team, the costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations, personnel and assets can be significant (and much higher than in a purely domestic business) and may negatively impact our financial and operational performance.
Many countries, and especially those in emerging markets, have difficult and unpredictable legal systems and underdeveloped laws and regulations that are unclear and subject to corruption and inexperience, which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.
Our ability to seek and enforce legal protections, including with respect to intellectual property and other property rights, or to defend ourselves with regard to legal actions taken against us in a given country, may be difficult or impossible, which could adversely impact our operations, assets or financial condition.
Rules and regulations in many countries, including some of the emerging markets within the regions we will initially focus, are often ambiguous or open to differing interpretation by responsible individuals and agencies at the municipal, state, regional and federal levels. The attitudes and actions of such individuals and agencies are often difficult to predict and inconsistent.
35
Delay with respect to the enforcement of particular rules and regulations, including those relating to customs, tax, environmental and labor, could cause serious disruption to operations abroad and negatively impact our results.
If our management following our initial business combination is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws, which could lead to various regulatory issues.
Following our initial business combination, certain members of our management team will likely resign from their positions as officers or directors of the company and the management of the target business at the time of the business combination will remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with United States securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with our laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues, which may adversely affect our operations.
After our initial business combination, substantially all of our assets may be located in a foreign country and substantially all of our revenue may be derived from our operations in such country. Accordingly, our results of operations and prospects will be subject, to a significant extent, to the economic, political and legal policies, developments and conditions in the country in which we operate.
The economic, political and social conditions, as well as government policies, of the country in which our operations are located could affect our business. The economies in developing markets we will initially focus on, such as some countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and India, differ from the economies of most developed countries in many respects. Such economic growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy and such growth may not be sustained in the future. If in the future such country’s economy experiences a downturn or grows at a slower rate than expected, there may be less demand for spending in certain industries. A decrease in demand for spending in certain industries could materially and adversely affect our ability to find an attractive target business with which to consummate our initial business combination and if we effect our initial business combination, the ability of that target business to become profitable.
Exchange rate fluctuations and currency policies may cause a target business’ ability to succeed in the international markets to be diminished.
In the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, all revenues and income would likely be received in a foreign currency, the dollar equivalent of our net assets and distributions, if any, could be adversely affected by reductions in the value of the local currency. The value of the currencies in our target regions fluctuate and are affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions. Any change in the relative value of such currency against our reporting currency may affect the attractiveness of any target business or, following consummation of our initial business combination, our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, if a currency appreciates in value against the dollar prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, the cost of a target business as measured in dollars will increase, which may make it less likely that we are able to consummate such transaction.
Because our business objective includes the possibility of acquiring one or more operating businesses with primary operations in emerging markets we will focus on, changes in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the currency of any relevant jurisdiction may affect our ability to achieve such objective. For instance, the exchange rates between the Turkish lira or Indian rupee and the U.S. dollar has changed substantially in the last two decades and may fluctuate substantially in the future. If the U.S. dollar declines in value against the relevant currency, any business combination will be more expensive and therefore more difficult to complete. Furthermore, we may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and the relevant currency, which may make it more difficult to consummate a business combination.
Because foreign law could govern almost all of our material agreements, we may not be able to enforce our rights within such jurisdiction or elsewhere, which could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital.
Foreign law could govern almost all of our material agreements. The target business may not be able to enforce any of its material agreements or that remedies will be available outside of such foreign jurisdiction’s legal system. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws and contracts in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in
36
implementation and interpretation as in the United States. The judiciaries in India are relatively inexperienced in enforcing corporate and commercial law, leading to a higher than usual degree of uncertainty as to the outcome of any litigation. As a result, the inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business and business opportunities.
Corporate governance standards in foreign countries may not be as strict or developed as in the United States and such weakness may hide issues and operational practices that are detrimental to a target business.
General corporate governance standards in some countries are weak in that they do not prevent business practices that cause unfavorable related party transactions, over-leveraging, improper accounting, family company interconnectivity and poor management. Local laws often do not go far to prevent improper business practices. Therefore, shareholders may not be treated impartially and equally as a result of poor management practices, asset shifting, conglomerate structures that result in preferential treatment to some parts of the overall company, and cronyism. The lack of transparency and ambiguity in the regulatory process also may result in inadequate credit evaluation and weakness that may precipitate or encourage financial crisis. In our evaluation of a business combination we will have to evaluate the corporate governance of a target and the business environment, and in accordance with United States laws for reporting companies take steps to implement practices that will cause compliance with all applicable rules and accounting practices. Notwithstanding these intended efforts, there may be endemic practices and local laws that could add risk to an investment we ultimately make and that result in an adverse effect on our operations and financial results.
Companies in foreign countries may be subject to accounting, auditing, regulatory and financial standards and requirements that differ, in some cases significantly, from those applicable to public companies in the United States, which may make it more difficult or complex to consummate a business combination. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of a foreign company may not reflect its financial position or results of operations in the way they would be reflected had such financial statements been prepared in accordance with U .S. GAAP. By way of example, there may be substantially less publicly available information about Indian companies than there is about United States companies. Moreover, foreign companies may not be subject to the same degree of regulation as are United States companies with respect to such matters as insider trading rules, tender offer regulation, shareholder proxy requirements and the timely disclosure of information.
Legal principles relating to corporate affairs and the validity of corporate procedures, directors’ fiduciary duties and liabilities and shareholders’ rights for foreign corporations may differ from those that may apply in the U.S., which may make the consummation of a business combination with a foreign company more difficult. We therefore may have more difficulty in achieving our business objective.
Because a foreign judiciary may determine the scope and enforcement of almost all of our target business’ material agreements under the law of such foreign jurisdiction, we may be unable to enforce our rights inside and outside of such jurisdiction.
The law of a foreign jurisdiction, may govern almost all of our target business’ material agreements, some of which may be with governmental agencies in such jurisdiction. We cannot assure you that the target business or businesses will be able to enforce any of their material agreements or that remedies will be available outside of such jurisdiction. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements may have a material adverse impact on our future operations.
A slowdown in economic growth in the markets that our business target operates in may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, the value of its equity shares and the trading price of our shares following our business combination.
Following the business combination, our results of operations and financial condition may be dependent on, and may be adversely affected by, conditions in financial markets in the global economy, and, particularly in the markets where the business operates. The specific economy could be adversely affected by various factors such as political or regulatory action, including adverse changes in liberalization policies, business corruption, social disturbances, terrorist attacks and other acts of violence or war, natural calamities, interest rates, inflation, commodity and energy prices and various other factors. Any slowdown in the Indian economy may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, value of our equity shares and the trading price of our shares following the business combination.
37
Regional hostilities, terrorist attacks, communal disturbances, civil unrest and other acts of violence or war involving India and other countries may result in a loss of investor confidence and a decline in the value of our equity shares and trading price of our shares following our business combination.
Terrorist attacks, civil unrest and other acts of violence or war may negatively affect the markets in which we may operates our business following our business combination and also adversely affect the worldwide financial markets. In addition, the countries we will focus on, have from time to time experienced instances of civil unrest and hostilities among or between neighboring countries. Any such hostilities and tensions may result in investor concern about stability in the region, which may adversely affect the value of our equity shares and the trading price of our shares following our business combination. Events of this nature in the future, as well as social and civil unrest, could influence the Indian economy and could have an adverse effect on our business, including the value of equity shares and the trading price of our shares following our business combination.
The occurrence of natural disasters may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations following our business combination.
The occurrence of natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, fires and pandemic disease may adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations following our business combination. The potential impact of a natural disaster on our results of operations and financial position is speculative, and would depend on numerous factors. The extent and severity of these natural disasters determines their effect on the Indian economy. Although the long term effect of diseases such as the H5N1 “avian flu,” or H1N1, the swine flu, cannot currently be predicted, previous occurrences of avian flu and swine flu had an adverse effect on the economies of those countries in which they were most prevalent. An outbreak of a communicable disease in our market could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations following our business combination. We cannot assure you that natural disasters will not occur in the future or that its business, financial condition and results of operations will not be adversely affected.
Any downgrade of credit ratings of the country in which the company we acquire does business may adversely affect our ability to raise debt financing following our business combination.
No assurance can be given that any rating organization will not downgrade the credit ratings of India’s sovereign foreign currency long-term debt, which reflect an assessment of the overall financial capacity of the government of India to pay its obligations and its ability to meet its financial commitments as they become due. Any downgrade could cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact both the perception of credit risk associated with our future variable rate debt and our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms in the future. This could have an adverse effect on our financial condition following our business combination.
Returns on investment in foreign companies may be decreased by withholding and other taxes.
Our investments will incur tax risk unique to investment in developing economies. Income that might otherwise not be subject to withholding of local income tax under normal international conventions may be subject to withholding of income tax in a developing economy. For example, under treaties with India and under local Indian income tax law, income is generally sourced in India and subject to Indian tax if paid from India. This is true whether or not the services or the earning of the income would normally be considered as from sources outside India in other contexts. Additionally, proof of payment of withholding taxes may be required as part of the remittance procedure. Any withholding taxes paid by us on income from our investments in India may or may not be creditable on our income tax returns. We intend to seek to minimize any withholding tax or local tax otherwise imposed. However, there is no assurance that the foreign tax authorities will recognize application of such treaties to achieve a minimization of such tax. We may also elect to create foreign subsidiaries to effect the business combinations to attempt to limit the potential tax consequences of a business combination.
38
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The statements contained in this prospectus that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipates,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predicts,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about our:
• ability to identify or complete an initial business combination;
• limited operating history;
• success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination;
• potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete a business combination;
• pool of prospective target businesses;
• the ability of our officers and directors to generate potential investment opportunities;
• potential change in control if we acquire one or more target businesses for shares;
• our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;
• regulatory or operational risks associated with acquiring a target business;
• use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance;
• financial performance following this offering; or
• listing or delisting of our securities from Nasdaq or the ability to have our securities listed on Nasdaq following our initial business combination.
The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
39
USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering, in addition to the funds we will receive from the sale of the private units (all of which will be deposited into the trust account), will be as set forth in the following table:
|
|
Without
|
|
Over-Allotment
|
||||
Gross proceeds |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From offering |
|
$ |
100,000,000 |
|
|
$ |
115,000,000 |
|
From private placement |
|
|
3,150,000 |
|
|
|
3,450,000 |
|
Total gross proceeds |
|
$ |
103,150,000 |
|
|
$ |
118,450,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Offering expenses (1) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underwriting discount |
|
$ |
2,000,000 |
(2) |
|
$ |
2,300,000 |
(2) |
Legal fees and expenses |
|
|
275,000 |
|
|
|
275,000 |
|
Nasdaq listing fee |
|
|
75,000 |
|
|
|
75,000 |
|
Printing and engraving expenses |
|
|
40,000 |
|
|
|
40,000 |
|
Accounting fees and expenses |
|
|
40,000 |
|
|
|
40,000 |
|
FINRA filing fee |
|
|
26,788 |
|
|
|
26,788 |
|
SEC registration fee |
|
|
16,060 |
|
|
|
16,060 |
|
Miscellaneous expenses |
|
|
177,152 |
|
|
|
177,152 |
|
Total offering expenses |
|
$ |
2,650,000 |
|
|
$ |
2,950,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net proceeds of the offering and private placement |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Held in trust |
|
$ |
100,000,000 |
(3) |
|
$ |
115,000,000 |
(3) |
Not held in trust |
|
|
500,000 |
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
Total net proceeds |
|
$ |
100,500,000 |
|
|
$ |
115,500,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Use of net proceeds not held in trust (4)(5) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Legal, accounting and other third party expenses attendant to the search for target businesses and to the due diligence investigation, structuring and negotiation of a business combination |
|
|
135,000 |
|
|
|
27.0 |
% |
Due diligence of prospective target businesses by officers, directors and initial shareholders |
|
|
25,000 |
|
|
|
5.0 |
% |
Legal and accounting fees relating to SEC reporting obligations |
|
|
50,000 |
|
|
|
10.0 |
% |
Payment of administrative fee to our sponsor ($10,000 per month for up to 18 mo nths) |
|
|
180,000 |
|
|
|
36.0 |
% |
Working capital to cover miscellaneous expenses, D&O insurance, general corporate purposes, liquidation obligations and reserves |
|
|
110,000 |
|
|
|
22.0 |
% |
Total |
|
$ |
500,000 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
% |
____________
(1) A portion of the offering expenses, including the SEC registration fee, the FINRA filing fee, the non-refundable portion of the Nasdaq listing fee and a portion of the legal and audit fees, have been paid from the funds we borrowed from our sponsor, Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC described below. These funds will be repaid out of the proceeds of this offering available to us. If we determine not to proceed with the offering, such amounts would not be repaid.
(2) No discounts or commissions will be paid with respect to the purchase of the private units.
(3) The funds held in the trust account will be used to acquire a target business, to pay holders who wish to convert or sell their shares for a portion of the funds held in the trust account and potentially to pay our expenses relating thereto, including a fee payable to the representative of the underwriters equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds raised in this offering upon consummation of our initial business combination for assisting us in connection with our initial business combination, as described under the section titled “Underwriting — Business Combination Marketing Agreement.” Our expenses relating to the acquisition of a target business would either come from the funds held in the trust account or additional funds otherwise available to us outside of the trust account, including cash held by the target business. Any remaining funds will be disbursed to the combined company and be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business.
40
(4) The amount of proceeds not held in trust will remain constant at $500,000 even if the over-allotment is exercised. In addition, interest income earned on the amounts held in the trust account (after payment of taxes owed on such interest income) will be available to us to pay for our working capital requirements. We estimate the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $1,500,000 over a 18-month period assuming an interest rate of approximately 1.0% per year.
(5) These are estimates only. Our actual expenditures for some or all of these items may differ from the estimates set forth herein. For example, we may incur greater legal and accounting expenses than our current estimates in connection with negotiating and structuring our initial business combination based upon the level of complexity of that business combination. We do not anticipate any change in our intended use of proceeds, other than fluctuations among the current categories of allocated expenses, which fluctuations, to the extent they exceed current estimates for any specific category of expenses, would be deducted from our excess working capital.
Our sponsor has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 315,000 private units at a price of $10.00 per private unit ($3,150,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. It has further agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, it will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per private unit an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 30,000 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.00 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. All of the proceeds we receive from these purchases will be placed in the trust account described below.
$100,000,000, or $115,000,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units will be placed in an account at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in the United States, maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, New York, New York, as trustee. Pursuant to the investment management trust agreement that will govern the investment of such funds, the trustee, upon our written instructions, will direct JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. to invest the funds as set forth in such written instructions and to custody the funds while invested and until otherwise instructed in accordance with the investment management trust agreement. The funds held in trust will be invested only in United States government treasury bills, bonds or notes having a maturity of 180 days or less, or in money market funds meeting the applicable conditions under Ru le 2 a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and that invest solely in United States government treasuries, so that we are not deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Except with respect to (i) interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our income or other tax obligations and (ii) any remaining interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us for our working capital requirements, the proceeds will not be released from the trust account until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or our liquidation. The proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we complete a business combination. Any amounts not paid as consideration to the sellers of the target business may be used to finance operations of the target business.
We will be obligated, commencing on the date of this prospectus, to pay Twelve Seas Capital, Inc., an affiliate of our Chief Executive Officer, a monthly fee of an aggregate of $10,000 for general and administrative services including office space, utilities and secretarial support. This arrangement will terminate upon completion of our initial business combination or the distribution of the trust account to our public shareholders. Other than the $10,000 per month fee and the repayment of loans from our sponsor (none of which payments will be made from the proceeds of this offering held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination), no compensation of any kind (including finder’s, consulting or other similar fees) will be paid to any of our existing officers, directors, shareholders, or any of their affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of the business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, such individuals will receive reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with activities on our behalf, such as identifying potential target businesses, performing business due diligence on suitable target businesses and business combinations as well as traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses to examine their operations. Since the role of present management after a business combination is uncertain, we have no ability to determine what remuneration, if any, will be paid to those persons after a business combination.
Regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full, the net proceeds from this offering available to us out of trust for our working capital requirements in searching for a business combination will be approximately $500,000. In addition, the interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (after payment of taxes owed on such interest income) may be released to us to fund our working capital requirements in searching for a business combination. We intend to use the excess working capital available for miscellaneous expenses such as paying fees to
41
consultants to assist us with our search for a target business and for director and officer liability insurance premiums, with the balance being held in reserve in the event due diligence, legal, accounting and other expenses of structuring and negotiating business combinations exceed our estimates, as well as for reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by our initial shareholders, officers and directors in connection with activities on our behalf as described above. We will also be entitled to have interest earned on the funds held in the trust account released to us to pay any tax obligations that we may owe. We intend to use the after-tax interest earned for miscellaneous expenses such as paying fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business and for director and officer liability insurance premiums, with the balance being held in reserve in the event due diligence, legal, accounting and other expenses of structuring and negotiating business combinations exceed our estimates, as well as for reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by our initial shareholders, officers and directors in connection with activities on our behalf as described below.
The allocation of the net proceeds available to us outside of the trust account, along with the available interest earned on the funds held in the trust account, represents our best estimate of the intended uses of these funds. In the event that our assumptions prove to be inaccurate, we may reallocate some of such proceeds within the above described categories. If our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating our initial business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, or the amount of interest available from the trust account is insufficient as a result of the current low interest rate environment, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. In this event, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from members of our management team, but such members of our management team are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.
We will likely use a substantial portion of the net proceeds of this offering, including the funds held in the trust account, to acquire a target business, to pay holders who wish to convert or sell their shares to us for a portion of the funds held in the trust account and to pay our expenses relating thereto. If the payment of our liabilities, including the fee payable to EarlyBirdCapital equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds raised in this offering (exclusive of any applicable finders’ fees which might become payable), were to reduce the amount available to us in trust necessary to pay all holders who wish to convert or sell their shares to us for a portion of the funds held in the trust account, we would not be able to consummate such transaction. To the extent that our share capital is used in whole or in part as consideration to effect a business combination, the proceeds held in the trust account which are not used to consummate a business combination, to pay holders who wish to convert their shares into a portion of the funds held in the trust account or pay our expenses relating thereto (which could include the up to $4,025,000 payable to EarlyBirdCapital described above if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be disbursed to the combined company and will, along with any other net proceeds not expended, be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business. Such working capital funds could be used in a variety of ways including continuing or expanding the target business’ operations, for strategic acquisitions and for marketing, research and development of existing or new products.
To the extent we are unable to consummate a business combination, we will pay the costs of liquidating our trust account from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, Bryant Edwards has agreed to advance us the funds necessary to complete such liquidation (currently anticipated to be no more than $20,000) and has agreed not to seek repayment of such expenses.
As of May 22, 2018, our sponsor had loaned to us an aggregate of $196,500 to be used to pay formation and a portion of the expenses of this offering. The loan is payable without interest on the date on which we consummate our initial public offering. If we determine not to proceed with the offering, such amounts would not be repaid.
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering until completion of an initial business combination, our initial shareholders, officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued units to acquire 55,000 ordinary shares (which includes 5,000 shares issuable upon conversion of rights) and warrants to purchase 50,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted). If we do not complete our initial business combination, the loans would not be repaid.
42
A public shareholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account (including interest earned on his, her or its portion of the trust account to the extent not previously released to us) only in the event of (i) our liquidation if we have not completed a business combination within the required time period or (ii) if that public shareholder converts such public shares or sells them to us in a tender offer in each case in connection with a business combination which we consummate or in connection with an amendment to our memorandum and articles of association prior to the consummation of an initial business combination. In no other circumstances will a public shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
43
DIVIDEND POLICY
We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of an initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of a business combination. The payment of any dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. It is the present intention of our board of directors to retain all earnings, if any, for use in our business operations and, accordingly, our board of directors does not anticipate declaring any dividends in the foreseeable future. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any capitalization of shares in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of the offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, in which case we will effect a capitalization of shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain our initial shareholders’ ownership at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (excluding the sale of the private units and the 250,000 shares issuable to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in this offering, upon the consummation of this offering, and assuming our initial shareholders do not purchase units in this offering). Further, if we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
44
DILUTION
The difference between the public offering price per share, assuming no value is attributed to the redeemable warrants included in the units we are offering by this prospectus and included in the private units, and the pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with the sale and exercise of warrants, including the private warrants. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities by the number of issued and outstanding ordinary shares.
At March 31, 2018, our net tangible book value was a deficit of $185,746 or approximately $(0.04) per share. For purposes of the dilution calculation, in order to present the maximum estimated dilution as a result of this offering, we have assumed (i) the issuance of 0.10 of a share for each right outstanding, as such issuance will occur upon a business combination without the payment of additional consideration and (ii) the number of shares included in the units offered hereby will be deemed to be 11,000,000 (consisting of 10,000,000 shares included in the units we are offering by this prospectus and 1,000,000 shares for the outstanding rights), and the price per share in this offering will be deemed to be $10.00. After giving effect to the sale of 10,000,000 ordinary shares included in the units we are offering by this prospectus, the deduction of underwriting discounts and estimated expenses of this offering, the sale of 315,000 ordinary shares included in the private units, our pro forma net tangible book value at March 31, 2018 would have been $5,000,003 or $1.10 per share, representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $1.14 per share to the initial shareholders and an immediate dilution of 87.9% per share or $7.99 to new investors not exercising their conversion/tender rights. For purposes of presentation, our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering is $5,000,003 less than it otherwise would have been because if we effect a business combination, the ability of public shareholders to exercise conversion rights or sell their shares to us in any tender offer may result in the conversion or tender of up to 9,549,571 shares sold in this offering.
The following table illustrates the dilution to the new investors on a per-share basis, assuming no value is attributed to the redeemable warrants, including the private warrants:
Public offering price |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
9.09 |
|
Net tangible book value before this offering |
|
$ |
(0.04 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Increase attributable to new investors and private sales |
|
$ |
1.14 |
|
|
|
|
|
Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
1.10 |
|
Dilution to new investors |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
7.99 |
|
Percentage of dilution to new investors |
|
|
|
|
|
|
87.9 |
% |
The following table sets forth information with respect to our initial shareholders and the new investors:
|
|
Shares Purchased |
|
Total Consideration |
|
Average
|
||||||||
|
|
Number |
|
Percentage |
|
Amount |
|
Percentage |
|
Per Share |
||||
Initial shareholders (1) |
|
2,500,000 |
|
17.73 |
% |
|
$ |
25,000 |
|
0.03 |
% |
|
$ |
0.01 |
Shares underlying private
|
|
346,500 |
|
2.46 |
% |
|
|
3,150,000 |
|
3.05 |
% |
|
$ |
9.09 |
Representative’s shares |
|
250,000 |
|
1.77 |
% |
|
|
— |
|
0.0 |
% |
|
$ |
0.00 |
New investors |
|
11,000,000 |
|
78.03 |
% |
|
|
100,000,000 |
|
96.92 |
% |
|
$ |
9.09 |
|
|
14,096,500 |
|
100 |
% |
|
$ |
103,175,000 |
|
100 |
% |
|
|
|
____________
(1) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 375,000 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders have been forfeited as a result thereof.
(2) Includes the issuance of an additional 31,500 shares underlying the rights contained in the private unit holders.
(3) Includes the issuance of an additional 1,000,000 shares underlying the rights contained in the new investors.
45
The pro forma net tangible book value after the offering is calculated as follows:
Numerator: (1) |
|
|
|
|
Net tangible book value before this offering |
|
$ |
(185,746 |
) |
Net proceeds from this offering and private placement of private units |
|
|
100,500,000 |
|
Plus: Offering costs accrued for and paid in advance, excluded from tangible book value |
|
|
181,459 |
|
Less: Proceeds held in trust subject to conversion/tender |
|
(95,495,710 |
) |
|
|
|
$ |
5,000,003 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Denominator: |
|
|
|
|
Ordinary shares issued and outstanding prior to this offering (1) |
|
|
2,500,000 |
|
Ordinary shares to be sold in this offering |
|
|
10,000,000 |
|
Ordinary shares underlying the rights to be included in the public units |
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
Ordinary shares included in the private units |
|
|
315,000 |
|
Ordinary shares underlying the rights to be included in the private units |
|
|
31,500 |
|
Representative shares |
|
|
250,000 |
|
Less: Shares subject to conversion/tender |
|
|
(9,549,571 |
) |
|
|
|
4,546,929 |
|
____________
(1) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 375,000 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholder have been forfeited by us as a result thereof.
46
CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our capitalization at March 31, 2018 and as adjusted to give effect to the sale of our units and the private units and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities.
|
|
March 31, 2018 |
||||||
|
|
Actual |
|
As Adjusted (1) |
||||
Due to related parties (2) |
|
$ |
46,500 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, -0- and 9,549,571 shares are subject to possible conversion/tender |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
95,495,710 |
|
Preferred shares, $0.0001 par value, 2,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized, 4,312,500 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 4,546,929 shares issued and outstanding (3) (excluding 9,549,571 shares subject to possible conversion/tender), as adjusted |
|
|
431 |
|
|
|
1,306 |
|
Additional paid-in capital |
|
|
24,569 |
|
|
|
5,027,984 |
|
Accumulated deficit |
|
|
(29,287 |
) |
|
|
(29,287 |
) |
Total shareholders’ equity (deficit) |
|
$ |
(4,287 |
) |
|
$ |
5,000,003 |
|
Total capitalization |
|
$ |
(4,287 |
) |
|
$ |
100,495,713 |
|
____________
(1) Includes the $3,150,000 we will receive from the sale of the private units.
(2) As of May 22, 2018, our sponsor had loaned to us an aggregate of $196,500 to be used to pay formation and a portion of the expenses of this offering. The loan is payable without interest on the date on which we consummate our initial public offering.
(3) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 375,000 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders have been forfeited as a result thereof. Includes 315,000 shares underlying the private units purchased by our sponsor concurrent with this offering and 250,000 shares issuable to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in this offering, upon consummation of this offering.
47
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
We were incorporated on November 30, 2017 as a Cayman Islands exempted company to serve as a vehicle to effect a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more target businesses. Our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic location. We intend to utilize cash derived from the proceeds of this offering, our securities, debt or a combination of cash, securities and debt, in effecting a business combination. The issuance of additional ordinary shares or preferred shares:
• may significantly reduce the equity interest of our shareholders;
• may subordinate the rights of holders of ordinary shares if we issue preferred shares with rights senior to those afforded to our ordinary shares;
• will likely cause a change in control if a substantial number of our ordinary shares are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and most likely will also result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and
• may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our securities.
Similarly, if we issue debt securities, it could result in:
• default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after a business combination are insufficient to pay our debt obligations;
• acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we have made all principal and interest payments when due if the debt security contains covenants that required the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves and we breach any such covenant without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;
• our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand; and
• our inability to obtain additional financing, if necessary, if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain additional financing while such security is outstanding.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, at March 31, 2018, we had $254 in cash and a working capital deficiency of $185,746 (excluding prepaid assets and deferred offering costs). Further, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of our financing and acquisition plans. Management’s plans to address this uncertainty through this offering are discussed above. Our plans to raise capital or to consummate our initial business combination may not be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our liquidity needs have been satisfied to date through receipt of $25,000 from the sale of the insider shares and advances from our sponsor in an aggregate amount of $196,500 as of May 22, 2018 that is more fully described below. We estimate that the net proceeds from (1) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $650,000 and underwriting discounts and commissions of $2,000,000 (or $2,300,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) and (2) the sale of the private units for a purchase price of $3,150,000 (or $3,450,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be $100,500,000 (or $115,500,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). Of this amount, $100,000,000 (or $115,000,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be held in the trust account. The remaining $500,000 (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised in full) will not be held in the trust account.
We intend to use substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering, including the funds held in the trust account, to acquire a target business or businesses and to pay our expenses relating thereto, including a cash fee equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering payable to the representative of the underwriters upon consummation of our initial business combination for assisting us in connection with such business combination. To the extent that our share capital is used in whole or in part as consideration to effect our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds
48
held in the trust account as well as any other net proceeds not expended will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business. Such working capital funds could be used in a variety of ways including continuing or expanding the target business’ operations, for strategic acquisitions and for marketing, research and development of existing or new products. Such funds could also be used to repay any operating expenses or finders’ fees which we had incurred prior to the completion of our initial business combination if the funds available to us outside of the trust account were insufficient to cover such expenses.
Over the next 18 months (assuming a business combination is not consummated prior thereto), we will be using the funds held outside of the trust account, plus any interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and released to us as described in this prospectus, for identifying and evaluating prospective acquisition candidates, performing business due diligence on prospective target businesses, traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses, reviewing corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, selecting the target business to acquire and structuring, negotiating and consummating the business combination. Out of the funds available outside the trust account, we anticipate that we will incur approximately:
• $135,000 of expenses for the search for target businesses and for the legal, accounting and other third-party expenses attendant to the due diligence investigations, structuring and negotiating of a business combination;
• $25,000 of expenses for the due diligence and investigation of a target business by our officers, directors and initial shareholders;
• $50,000 of expenses in legal and accounting fees relating to our SEC reporting obligations;
• $180,000 for the payment of the administrative fee to Twelve Seas Capital, Inc., an affiliate of our Chief Executive Officer. (of an aggregate of $10,000 per month for up to 18 months); and
• $110,000 for general working capital that will be used for miscellaneous expenses, including director and officer liability insurance premiums.
If our estimates of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating our initial business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, or the amount of interest available to us from the trust account is less than we expect as a result of the current interest rate environment, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to consummate our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon consummation of our initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only consummate such financing simultaneously with the consummation of our initial business combination. Following our initial business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.
Related Party Transactions
As of March 31, 2018, our sponsor loaned to us an aggregate of $46,500 on a non-interest bearing basis for payment of offering expenses on our behalf. The loan will be repaid out of the proceeds of this offering not being placed in the trust account.
We are obligated, commencing on the date of this prospectus, to pay Twelve Seas Capital, Inc., an affiliate of our Chief Executive Officer, a monthly fee of an aggregate of $10,000 for general and administrative services including office space, utilities and secretarial support.
Our sponsor has committed to purchase from us an aggregate of 315,000 private units at $10.00 per private unit (for a total purchase price of $3,150,000). Our sponsor has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, it will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per private unit an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 30,000 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.00 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option.
49
If needed to finance transaction costs in connection with searching for a target business or consummating an intended initial business combination, our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts, but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Such loans would be evidenced by promissory notes. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued units to acquire 55,000 ordinary shares (which includes 5,000 shares issuable upon conversion of rights) and warrants to purchase 50,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted). We believe the purchase price of these units will approximate the fair value of such units when issued. However, if it is determined, at the time of issuance, that the fair value of such units exceeds the purchase price, we would record compensation expense for the excess of the fair value of the units on the day of issuance over the purchase price in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718 — Compensation — Stock Compensation.
Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to maintain an effective system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2019. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not completed an assessment, nor have our auditors tested our systems, of internal controls. We expect to assess the internal controls of our target business or businesses prior to the completion of our initial business combination and, if necessary, to implement and test additional controls as we may determine are necessary in order to state that we maintain an effective system of internal controls. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. Target businesses we may consider for our initial business combination may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:
• staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties;
• reconciliation of accounts;
• proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate;
• evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions;
• documentation of processes, assumptions and conclusions underlying significant estimates; and
• documentation of accounting policies and procedures.
Because it will take time, management involvement and perhaps outside resources to determine what internal control improvements are necessary for us to meet regulatory requirements and market expectations for our operation of a target business, we may incur significant expense in meeting our public reporting responsibilities, particularly in the areas of designing, enhancing, or remediating internal and disclosure controls. Doing so effectively may also take longer than we expect, thus increasing our exposure to financial fraud or erroneous financing reporting.
Once our management’s report on internal controls is complete, we will retain our independent auditors to audit and render an opinion on such report when, or if, required by Section 404. The independent auditors may identify additional issues concerning a target business’s internal controls while performing their audit of internal control over financial reporting.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The net proceeds of this offering, including amounts in the trust account, will be invested in United States government treasury bills, bonds or notes having a maturity of 180 days or less, or in money market funds meeting the applicable conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and that invest solely in U.S. treasuries. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.
50
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Results
As of the date of this prospectus, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K and did not have any commitments or contractual obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus as we have conducted no operations to date.
JOBS Act
On April 5, 2012, the JOBS Act was signed into law. The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We will qualify as an “emerging growth company” and under the JOBS Act will be allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As such, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates.
51
PROPOSED BUSINESS
Introduction
We are a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability. Our shareholders have no additional liability for the company’s liabilities over and above the amount paid for their shares. We were formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We do not have any specific business combination under consideration or contemplation, and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, contacted any prospective target business or had any discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to such a transaction.
Business Strategy
We intend to focus our initial business combination search efforts on private companies in the Pan-Eurasian region that have positive operating cash flow, significant assets, and successful management teams and are seeking access to the US capital markets. The Pan-Eurasian region stretches from Western Europe through Eastern Europe to Central Asia and include countries such as Turkey and India. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to any specific geographic region or industry.
Competitive Strengths
We believe that our management team is well-positioned to identify companies in the market that will produce attractive risk-adjusted returns. We also believe that our contacts and transaction sources, ranging from industry executives, private owners, private equity funds, the legal community and investment bankers, will enable us to pursue a broad range of opportunities. We will seek to capitalize on our management team’s extensive network of contacts and sources across the Pan-Eurasian region, which uniquely positions us to source attractive acquisition opportunities within the region. We believe there are many potential target companies that have operations or ownership interests that cross over between developed markets and developing markets within the Pan-Eurasian region, and we believe our team’s unique experiences are well suited to source and consummate a transaction with such a company. For example, we believe that a number of Middle Eastern, Russian, and Chinese industrial groups are considering divesting their assets acquired in the U.S. and Western Europe due to the rising political and trade tensions with the U.S. We believe that the following benefits of our management team and structure of our company will assist us in consummating an initial business combination:
• Extensive Network and Experience of Transactions within Pan-Eurasian Region. Our management team has significant private equity investing experience in cross-border businesses throughout Europe, Middle-East, and Central Asia. Our management team and board members collectively possess a deep understanding of the cultural, business and economic distinctions across regions to assist us in identifying acquisition targets and successfully completing a transaction.
• A Well-Known Management Team within the Region. Our Chairman and CEO collectively have over 50 years of private equity experience within the Pan-Eurasian region. In addition, our COO has had extensive experience in a broad array of corporate finance and strategic transactions as legal counsel in transactions across this region.
Our Chairman, Neil Richardson, was a General Partner in Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), one of the world’s leading private equity firms, having helped create its European predecessor in 1994. After establishing KKR’s European business, Mr. Richardson was one of the Founding Partners of Lion Capital, a leading private equity investment firm specializing in investments in the consumer sector in both Europe and the U.S.
Our CEO, Dimitri Elkin, worked with Mr. Richardson at KKR and headed up activities in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Mr. Elkin was a General Partner at UFG Private Equity, which has been recognized by Cbonds, a financial news agency, as one of the top professional private equity firms in the markets of the former Soviet Union.
Our COO, Bryant Edwards, played an important role as a leading lawyer in the development of capital markets across Europe, Middle East and Asia, especially the high yield markets that served as a source
52
of financing for many private equity investments in these markets. Among other things, Mr. Edwards served as Chair of the European High Yield Association and helped establish the Gulf Bond & Sukuk Association. Additionally, he served as Vice-Chair of the Credit Markets Committee of the Asia Securities & Financial Markets Committee.
Mr. Richardson, Mr. Elkin and Mr. Edwards possess intimate knowledge and connections within the Pan-Eurasian market that we believe will allow us to identify and access a wide range of high-quality acquisition targets.
• Prior SPAC experience. Our President and CFO both possess strong understanding of the SPAC structure and market.
Our President, Stephen Vogel, was Executive Chairman of Forum, a NASDAQ listed SPAC that raised $172.5 million in April 2017, and successfully completed its business combination in February 2018 with ConvergeOne, a special IT service provider that currently has a market capitalization of over $600 million. Our CFO, Stephen Cannon, has served as a member of management for four SPACs, three of which have completed initial public offerings, two of which have also consummated a business combination and one SPAC that failed to consummate its initial public offering.
Furthermore, Messrs. Vogel and Cannon bring considerable business and financial experience. Mr. Vogel has over 40 years of operating and private equity experience, and Mr. Cannon has over 2 5 yea rs of investment banking and capital markets experience. We believe that their experience will help us to both access high quality targets, and successfully consummate a proposed business combination.
• Reduced Competition From Other Sources of Capital. Despite progress in the capital markets in certain countries within the Pan-Eurasia region, many financial sectors, such as public markets and private equity, are still in preliminary stages of development. For many companies in these countries, being publicly listed locally is less attractive and access to capital markets generally remains relatively restrictive as compared to companies with access to the capital markets in the United States. We believe private equity also remains relatively limited in terms of both the number of potential investors and the attractiveness of the terms of their capital. As a result, we expect to operate in a less competitive environment than other blank check companies with stated objectives to seek targets solely within the U.S.
• Increasing Availability of Potential Targets. Continued volatility in some financial markets has affected initial public offering plans for many companies, including some within the Pan-Eurasian Region. We believe any reduction in global liquidity due to this continued volatility will likely make debt refinancing more difficult and increase the costs of both debt and equity capital raising. This would make our capital more attractive as well as reduce potential competition for targets. Thus, we believe this trend may lead to a significant increase in the number of potential candidates for a business combination.
• Alternative Path to Becoming Public. We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to prospective target businesses that desires to become a publicly listed company. A merger with us will offer a target business an alternative process to a public listing rather than the traditional initial public offering process. We believe that target businesses may favor this alternative, which we believe is less expensive, while offering greater certainty of execution than the traditional initial public offering. Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is approved by our shareholders and the transaction is consummated, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions that could prevent the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business would have greater access to capital and additional means of creating management incentives that are better aligned with shareholders’ interests than it would as a private company. It can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented management. With public company corporate governance standards, a target business may become attractive to the public investors.
• Opportunity to Acquire Non-core Assets of Industrial Conglomerates. In the late 1990s, countries in the Pan-Eurasian region saw the emergence of many diversified industrial conglomerates that had assembled a wide collection of often unrelated businesses across regions. This process is currently undergoing a reversal, as many of those conglomerates are under pressure from their shareholders to
53
focus on core activities. We believe this trend will continue into the foreseeable future, creating attractive opportunities for us to acquire non-core assets shed by such industrial conglomerates as they increase their operating focus. This includes potential U.S. assets owned by non-U.S. conglomerates that are now maybe under pressure to sell due to current geopolitical reasons.
• Strong and Stable Financial Position with Flexibility. With proceeds of $100 million initially held in trust, and a public market for our securities, we can offer a target business a variety of options to facilitate a business combination and fund future expansion and growth of its business. Because we can consummate a business combination using cash, our share capital, debt or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use an efficient structure allowing us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to address the needs of the parties.
Acquisition Strategy and Investment Criteria
Our acquisition strategy is to identify and acquire a business, and, after our initial business combination, to build a public company. Our selection process will leverage our team’s network of industry and private equity relationships, as well as relationships with company management teams, investment bankers, and lawyers, which we believe should provide us with abundant business combination opportunities.
The focus of our management team is to create shareholder value by leveraging its experience to improve the efficiency of the business while implementing strategies to grow revenue and profits organically and/or through acquisitions. Consistent with our strategy, we have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. While we intend to use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating prospective businesses, we may deviate from these criteria and guidelines should we see fit to do so:
• Operating Stability with Significant Growth Potential. We will generally seek to acquire businesses that have demonstrated operational stability with consistent historical growth in their financial results, and which are expected to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. We intend to pursue businesses with owners who would be interested in a reverse merger, which is a combination effected via an exchange of equity, that could leave most or all our existing cash available as capital to support growth efforts.
• Industry Fundamentals. We will generally seek target businesses in industries that benefit from the continuing economic growth and trends in the Pan-Eurasian Region. For example, we may seek to invest in a company that will benefit from continuing growth in disposable income in certain countries such as in Eastern Europe, Turkey or India. Another example could be a company that is benefiting from the trend of trade between emerging markets, without any intermediation of developed markets. Another example could be a company in Central Asia benefiting from the considerable oil and gas natural resources therein.
• Consumer Brands with Upside Potential. We believe there are many consumer brands that have untapped potential for expansion, either Western brands into emerging markets or the inverse. The ability to recognize and realize such potential is a specialized skill within the financial investing community. Our management team has extensive experience in consumer branded deals.
• Potential Benefits from Intra-Emerging Markets Trade Trends. We believe that companies in certain countries within the Pan-Eurasian region will benefit from an increasing amount of direct foreign trade that no longer passes through a Western country. This is lowering costs and increasing competitiveness for companies focused on such trade opportunities. We believe such companies are likely being misevaluated by the mergers and acquisition marketplace. We intend to leverage the operational experience of our team combined with an understanding of Western capital markets to unlock the value potential of this intra-emerging markets trade trend.
• Potential Benefits from Fundamental Demographic Changes. We may also focus on candidates that benefit from emerging market demographic trends such as significantly younger populations and growing consumer middle classes. While these trends provide opportunities for broad market growth of sales and profits, we believe that certain companies are better prepared for such trends and will exhibit higher superior financial performance. If we acquire such a company, we intend to support its strategies to benefit from these fundamental economic changes.
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• Valuation Arbitrage. We believe certain merger and acquisition markets within the Pan-Eurasian region are attractively priced because of continuing bias that does not fully reflect the changing nature of the regions and global trade. Although many markets still lack the efficiency and transparency of U.S. and Western European markets, in other cases valuations still reflect a valuation hierarchy that is Western markets centric. As a result, opportunities exist to identify attractively priced assets among privately held companies in the region. .
• Competitive Advantages. Companies in certain countries within the Pan-Eurasian region possess competitive advantages that increase their long-term investment attractiveness. Examples of such competitive advantages include access to relatively cheap and plentiful raw materials or labor, favorable geographic locations, established brands and distribution channels, regulatory restrictions and large established capital asset bases. In many cases, these competitive advantages are inherited through history and would be difficult or cost-prohibitive to replicate elsewhere.
• Unrealized Potential for Shareholder Value Creation. We will seek target businesses that are both initially attractive investment candidates and that possess the potential for ongoing shareholder value creation in the long term. Examples of post-acquisition value creating activities include operational improvements in sales and marketing, increasing operating efficiency and reducing costs. Other examples include value created through add-on acquisitions or divestitures, or new access to additional and/or different capital sources, such as lowering the cost of capital.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may complete a business combination with a target business that is not in one of the above-referenced categories.
The Pan-Eurasian Region and Selected Emerging Markets
The Pan-Eurasian region stretches from Western Europe through Eastern Europe to Central Asia, including countries such as Turkey and India. We intend to identify prospective target businesses with significant operations in Pan-Eurasian region and have noted several regions of particular interest due to changing political, business, and social environments. For instance, certain emerging markets are experiencing an increasing amount of direct trade that no longer passes through a Western country. This is lowering costs and increasing competitiveness for companies focused on such trade opportunities. We intend to focus on businesses in certain of these emerging markets within the Pan-Eurasian region.
• Eastern Europe. The countries of Eastern Europe are experiencing a period of high economic growth and low unemployment. Poland especially has grown to having one of the largest populations and economies within the EU with a population exceeding 38 million that ranks sixth in the EU and a GDP that exceeds $1 trillion (PPP) that ranks eighth in the EU. The IMF forecasts that emerging and developing European economies grew 4.5% in 2017. Most of the region’s economies are focused on manufacturing and exports of much of their production to the rest of the EU. We believe that the labor cost advantage of the region will persist for the foreseeable future and remain a competitive advantage that will be difficult to duplicate elsewhere. Additionally, we believe that the high employment rate in the region will spur increased consumer activities and benefit certain well-positioned consumer companies in the region.
• Turkey. Turkey has made great economic strides in the past two decades, becoming a trusted country of origin of high-quality consumer goods and is now Europe’s largest manufacturer of television sets and light commercial vehicles. Turkey is also the world’s eighth largest food producer and sixth most popular tourist destination. Twenty percent of the 250 largest international construction firms are headquartered in Turkey. However, recent political instability in Turkey, at both the international and domestic level, combined with a decline in value of the Turkish currency, is creating a difficult climate for private equity funds to raise and invest capital, even though the fundamentals of Turkish businesses remain strong. Although foreign investors have recently returned to the Turkey market, we believe that there are ample attractive target opportunities that we can pursue with competitive advantages.
• Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is approximately the size of Western Europe and within its large land mass lie significant oil and gas reserves and minerals and metals deposits. Kazakhstan’s industrial activity is heavily focused on the extraction and processing of these natural resources. Kazakhstan has 39.8 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, according to BP, which is approximately 3.3% of the world reserves and almost half those of Russia. Kazakhstan’s oil reserves-to-current production ratio is among the highest in
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the world, at 76 years’ worth of production, as compared to 72 years for the Oil and Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and only 22 years for Russia. We believe that the country’s industrial policy is designed to diversify the economy away from present overdependence on the oil and gas sector by developing other manufacturing sectors. Kazakhstan’s land mass and geography also support a large agricultural sector, featuring livestock rearing and grain harvesting.
• India. Since the election of the Modi government in 2013 and subsequent economic and investment reforms, India has become one of the fastest growing economy in the world. With over $1 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2015 according to the World Bank, India’s economy is the world’s seventh largest in terms of GDP as reflected in U.S. dollars. Aided by the implementation of several regulatory reforms, including tax reform, a new bankruptcy code, and amendments to foreign investment regulations, among others, India is expected to remain the fastest growing BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) economy in 2018 as per the International Monetary Fund. Indian stock indices have delivered strong returns compared to other BRIC stock indices over the last three years. However, U.S. investors have limited access to India’s growth story, with only 13 Indian companies listed on U.S. exchanges as of November 2017. This, combined with Indian companies’ appetite for additional investments to drive further growth, leads us to believe that there are significant target opportunities in India.
We believe certain non-public companies and their shareholders can benefit from a transaction with us. Acquisition candidates are entities that may need stable, permanent equity financing, but may currently have limited access to the public markets. While targets may be either independent entities or divisions of larger organizations, we believe there is an opportunity for us to provide value to current owners of targets that fall into four main categories.
1) Private Equity Fund Portfolio Companies — Substantial amounts of capital have been invested by private equity and similar firms. According to Pitchbook Data, Inc., U.S. private equity funds raised more than $1.8 trillion from 2006 through 2016 in more than 2,700 different funds. From 2006 through 2015, the median hold time of companies that were held globally by U.S. private equity funds and which exited via initial public offerings increased from approximately 2.7 years to approximately 6.8 years. Therefore, we believe that there should be a considerable number of portfolio companies available for sale from private equity firms in the coming years as they seek liquidity. These funds have an ongoing need for investment realizations, particularly in older vintage portfolios. Additionally, private equity-backed firms may need to divest non-core assets in order to reduce and refinance debt.
2) Entities Struggling with Complex or Failed Transactions — Failed auctions and failed IPO’s occur for a variety of reasons. Public or strategic investors may have previously judged these transactions to be too complicated to close in a timely manner. There may have been generally unreceptive market conditions at the time the transaction was prepared to begin. A business combination with us can be a solution for investors in firms that have experienced these types of failed transactions.
3) Entities Held by Non-Traditional Investors — Financial institutions, banks, non-bank lenders, hedge funds, or any other investor who does not typically hold and manage operating assets, may be anxious to divest their holdings. In the event that those types of investors are experiencing liquidation or other pressures in their core businesses, they may need to divest certain holdings to maximize the return on their portfolios or from their other assets.
4) Divestiture of Non-Core Assets by Large Conglomerates — Certain multi-unit companies may face the need to rationalize their business by sale or spin-off of operating units due to pressures from lenders, customers, suppliers, or shareholders.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may complete a business combination that is not in one of the above-referenced categories.
Effecting a Business Combination
General
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any substantive commercial business for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to utilize cash derived from the proceeds of this offering and the
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private placement of private units, our share capital, debt or a combination of these in effecting a business combination. Although substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering and the private placement of private units are intended to be applied generally toward effecting a business combination as described in this prospectus, the proceeds are not otherwise being designated for any more specific purposes. Accordingly, investors in this offering are investing without first having an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of any one or more business combinations. A business combination may involve the acquisition of, or merger with, a company which does not need substantial additional capital but which desires to establish a public trading market for its shares, while avoiding what it may deem to be adverse consequences of undertaking a public offering itself. These include time delays, significant expense, loss of voting control and compliance with various Federal and state securities laws. In the alternative, we may seek to consummate a business combination with a company that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth. While we may seek to effect simultaneous business combinations with more than one target business, we will probably have the ability, as a result of our limited resources, to effect only a single business combination.
We Have Not Identified a Target Business
To date, we have not selected any target business on which to concentrate our search for a business combination. None of our officers, directors, initial shareholders and other affiliates has engaged in discussions on our behalf with representatives of other companies regarding the possibility of a potential merger, share exchange, asset acquisition or other similar business combination with us, nor have we, nor any of our agents or affiliates, been approached by any candidates (or representatives of any candidates) with respect to a possible business combination with our company.
Subject to the limitations that a target business have a fair market value of at least 80% of the balance in the trust account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination, as described below in more detail, we will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective acquisition candidate. We have not established any other specific attributes or criteria (financial or otherwise) for prospective target businesses. Accordingly, there is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete a business combination. To the extent we effect a business combination with a financially unstable company or an entity in its early stage of development or growth, including entities without established records of sales or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business and operations of financially unstable and early stage or potential emerging growth companies. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.
Additionally, we have not contacted any of the prospective target businesses that any blank check companies that our officers and directors were previously, or are currently, involved with had considered and rejected. We do not currently intend to contact any of such targets; however, we may do so in the future if we become aware that the valuations, operations, profits or prospects of such target business, or the benefits of any potential transaction with such target business, would be attractive.
Sources of Target Businesses
We anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers, venture capital funds, private equity funds, leveraged buyout funds, management buyout funds and other members of the financial community. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us through calls or mailings which will not commence until after the completion of this offering. These sources may also introduce us to target businesses they think we may be interested in on an unsolicited basis, since many of these sources will have read this prospectus and know what types of businesses we are targeting. Our officers and directors, as well as their respective affiliates, may also bring to our attention target business candidates that they become aware of through their business contacts as a result of formal or informal inquiries or discussions they may have, as well as attending trade shows or conventions. While we do not presently anticipate engaging the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions on any formal basis, we may engage these firms or other individuals in the future, in which event we may pay a finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction. In no event, however, will any of our existing officers, directors, special advisors or initial shareholders, or any entity with which they are affiliated, be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of a business combination (regardless
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of the type of transaction) other than the $10,000 administrative services fee, the repayment of any loans from our sponsor, officers and directors for working capital purposes and reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses. If we decide to enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our officers, directors or initial shareholders, we will do so only if we have obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated shareholders from a financial point of view. However, as of the date of this prospectus, there is no affiliated entity that we consider a business combination target.
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of a Business Combination
Subject to the limitations that a target business have a fair market value of at least 80% of the balance in the trust account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination, as described below in more detail, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective target business. In evaluating a prospective target business, our management may consider a variety of factors in addition to those listed in “Acquisition Strategy and Investment Criteria,” above, including one or more of the following:
• financial condition and results of operation;
• growth potential;
• experience and skill of management and availability of additional personnel;
• capital requirements;
• competitive position;
• barriers to entry;
• stage of development of its products, processes or services;
• degree of current or potential market acceptance of the products, processes or services;
• proprietary features and degree of intellectual property or other protection for its products, processes or services;
• regulatory environment of the industry; and
• costs associated with effecting the business combination.
We believe such factors will be important in evaluating prospective target businesses, regardless of the location or industry in which such target business operates. However, this list is not intended to be exhaustive. Furthermore, we may decide to enter into a business combination with a target business that does not meet these criteria and guidelines.
Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular business combination will be based, to the extent relevant, on the above factors as well as other considerations deemed relevant by our management in effecting a business combination consistent with our business objective. In evaluating a prospective target business, we will conduct an extensive due diligence review which will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and inspection of facilities, as well as review of financial and other information which is made available to us. This due diligence review will be conducted either by our management or by unaffiliated third parties we may engage, although we have no current intention to engage any such third parties.
The time and costs required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete the business combination cannot presently be ascertained with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which a business combination is not ultimately completed will result in a loss to us and reduce the amount of capital available to otherwise complete a business combination.
Fair Market Value of Target Business
Pursuant to Nasdaq listing rules, the target business or businesses that we acquire must collectively have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance of the funds in the trust account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination, although we may acquire a target business whose fair market value
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significantly exceeds 80% of the trust account balance. We currently anticipate structuring a business combination to acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure a business combination where we merge directly with the target business or where we acquire less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital of a target. In this case, we could acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, only the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. In order to consummate such an acquisition, we may issue a significant amount of our debt or equity securities to the sellers of such businesses and/or seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities. Since we have no specific business combination under consideration, we have not entered into any such fund raising arrangement and have no current intention of doing so. The fair market value of the target will be determined by our board of directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community (such as actual and potential sales, earnings, cash flow and/or book value). If our board is not able to independently determine that the target business has a sufficient fair market value, we will obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated, independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of target business we are seeking to acquire, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We will not be required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of target business we are seeking to acquire, as to the fair market value if our board of directors independently determines that the target business complies with the 80% threshold.
If Nasdaq delists our securities from trading on its exchange after this offering, we would not be required to satisfy the fair market value requirement described above and could complete a business combination with a target business having a fair market value substantially below 80% of the balance in the trust account.
Lack of Business Diversification
Our business combination must be with a target business or businesses that collectively satisfy the minimum valuation standard at the time of such acquisition, as discussed above, although this process may entail the simultaneous acquisitions of several operating businesses at the same time. Therefore, at least initially, the prospects for our success may be entirely dependent upon the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations of entities operating in multiple industries or multiple areas of a single industry, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses. By consummating a business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
• subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to a business combination, and
• result in our dependency upon the performance of a single operating business or the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.
If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses and such businesses are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other acquisitions, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete the business combination. With multiple acquisitions, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the
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additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business.
Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target Business’ Management
Although we intend to scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting a business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of the target business’ management will prove to be correct. In addition, we cannot assure you that the future management will have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of our officers and directors, if any, in the target business following a business combination cannot presently be stated with any certainty. While it is possible that some of our key personnel will remain associated in senior management or advisory positions with us following a business combination, it is unlikely that they will devote their full time efforts to our affairs subsequent to a business combination. Moreover, they would only be able to remain with the company after the consummation of a business combination if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for them to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to the company after the consummation of the business combination. While the personal and financial interests of our key personnel may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business, their ability to remain with the company after the consummation of a business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination. Additionally, our officers and directors may not have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
Following a business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that any such additional managers we do recruit will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve an Initial Business Combination
In connection with any proposed business combination, we will either (1) seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which public shareholders may seek to convert their public shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable and amounts released for working capital purposes) or (2) provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to sell their public shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a shareholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable and amounts released for working capital purposes), in each case subject to the limitations described herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our initial shareholders have agreed, pursuant to written letter agreements with us, not to convert any public shares held by them into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account. If we determine to engage in a tender offer, such tender offer will be structured so that each shareholder may tender any or all of his, her or its public shares rather than some pro rata portion of his, her or its shares. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow shareholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction, whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to seek shareholder approval or whether we were deemed to be a foreign private issuer (which would require us to conduct a tender offer rather than seeking shareholder approval under SEC rules). If we so choose and we are legally permitted to do so, we have the flexibility to avoid a shareholder vote and allow our shareholders to sell their shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act which regulate issuer tender offers. In that case, we will file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. We will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and, solely if we seek shareholder approval, a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination.
We chose our net tangible asset threshold of $5,000,001 to ensure that we would avoid being subject to Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. However, if we seek to consummate an initial business combination with a target business that imposes any type of working capital closing condition or requires us to have a minimum amount
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of funds available from the trust account upon consummation of such initial business combination, our net tangible asset threshold may limit our ability to consummate such initial business combination (as we may be required to have a lesser number of shares converted or sold to us) and may force us to seek third party financing which may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all. As a result, we may not be able to consummate such initial business combination and we may not be able to locate another suitable target within the applicable time period, if at all. Public shareholders may therefore have to wait 18 months from the closing of this offering in order to be able to receive a pro rata share of the trust account.
Our initial shareholders and our officers and directors have agreed (1) to vote any ordinary shares owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination, (2) not to convert any ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination and (3) not sell any ordinary shares in any tender in connection with a proposed initial business combination. As a result, if we sought shareholder approval of a proposed transaction, we would need only 3,467,501 of our public shares (or approximately 34.7% of our public shares) to be voted in favor of the transaction in order to have such transaction approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised, that the initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market and that the 250,000 shares to be issued to the representative of the underwriters upon the consummation of this offering are voted in favor of the transaction).
None of our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates has indicated any intention to purchase units or ordinary shares in this offering or from persons in the open market or in private transactions (other than the private units). However, if we hold a meeting to approve a proposed business combination and a significant number of shareholders vote, or indicate an intention to vote, against such proposed business combination, our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates could make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions in order to influence the vote. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our officers, directors, initial shareholders and their affiliates will not make purchases of ordinary shares if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act, which are rules designed to stop potential manipulation of a company’s stock.
Conversion/Tender Rights
At any meeting called to approve an initial business combination, public shareholders may seek to convert their public shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, less any taxes then due but not yet paid. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our initial shareholders have agreed, pursuant to written letter agreements with us, not to convert any public shares held by them into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account. The conversion rights will be effected under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and Cayman Islands law as redemptions. If we hold a meeting to approve an initial business combination, a holder will always have the ability to vote against a proposed business combination and not seek conversion of his shares.
Alternatively, if we engage in a tender offer, each public shareholder will be provided the opportunity to sell his public shares to us in such tender offer. The tender offer rules require us to hold the tender offer open for at least 20 business days. Accordingly, this is the minimum amount of time we would need to provide holders to determine whether they want to sell their public shares to us in the tender offer or remain an investor in our company.
Our initial shareholders, officers and directors will not have conversion rights with respect to any ordinary shares owned by them, directly or indirectly, whether acquired prior to this offering or purchased by them in this offering or in the aftermarket.
We may also require public shareholders, whether they are a record holder or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, at any time at or prior to the vote on the business combination. Once the shares are converted by the legal holder, and effectively redeemed by us under Cayman Islands law, the transfer agent will then update our Register of Members to reflect all conversions. The proxy solicitation materials that we will furnish to shareholders in connection with the vote for any proposed business combination will indicate whether we are requiring shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a shareholder would have from the time our proxy statement is mailed through the vote on the business combination to deliver his shares if he wishes to seek to exercise his conversion rights. Under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, we are required to provide at least 10 days’
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advance notice of any general meeting, which would be the minimum amount of time a shareholder would have to determine whether to exercise conversion rights. As a result, if we require public shareholders who wish to convert their ordinary shares into the right to receive a pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account to comply with the foregoing delivery requirements, holders may not have sufficient time to receive the notice and deliver their shares for conversion. Accordingly, investors may not be able to exercise their conversion rights and may be forced to retain our securities when they otherwise would not want to.
There is a nominal cost associated with this tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker $45 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the converting holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise conversion rights. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising conversion rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated. However, in the event we require shareholders seeking to exercise conversion rights to deliver their shares prior to the consummation of the proposed business combination and the proposed business combination is not consummated, this may result in an increased cost to shareholders.
Any request to convert or tender such shares once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the vote on the proposed business combination or expiration of the tender offer. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered his certificate in connection with an election of their conversion or tender and subsequently decides prior to the vote on the business combination or the expiration of the tender offer not to elect to exercise such rights, he may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically).
If the initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public shareholders who elected to exercise their conversion or tender rights would not be entitled to convert their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any shares delivered by public holders.
Automatic Liquidation of Trust Account if No Business Combination
If we do not complete a business combination within 18 months from the consummation of this offering, it will trigger our automatic winding up, liquidation and dissolution pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. As a result, this has the same effect as if we had formally gone through a voluntary liquidation procedure under the Companies Law. Accordingly, no vote would be required from our shareholders to commence such a voluntary winding up, liquidation and dissolution.
The amount in the trust account (less approximately $1,000 representing the aggregate nominal par value of the shares of our public shareholders) under the Companies Law will be treated as share premium which is distributable under the Companies Law provided that immediately following the date on which the proposed distribution is proposed to be made, we are able to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. If we are forced to liquidate the trust account, we anticipate that we would distribute to our public shareholders the amount in the trust account calculated as of the date that is two days prior to the distribution date (including any accrued interest, net of taxes payable and amounts released for working capital purposes). Prior to such distribution, we would be required to assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us by our creditors for amounts they are actually owed and make provision for such amounts, as creditors take priority over our public shareholders with respect to amounts that are owed to them. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. As such, our shareholders could potentially be liable for any claims of creditors to the extent of distributions received by them as an unlawful payment in the event we enter an insolvent liquidation. Furthermore, while we will seek to have all vendors and service providers (which would include any third parties we engaged to assist us in any way in connection with our search for a target business) and prospective target businesses execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in or to any monies held in the trust account, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements. Nor is there any guarantee that, even if such entities execute such agreements with us, they will not seek recourse against the trust account or that a court would conclude that such agreements are legally enforceable.
Each of our initial shareholders and our sponsor has agreed to waive its rights to participate in any liquidation of our trust account or other assets with respect to the insider shares and private units and to vote their insider shares, private shares in favor of any dissolution and plan of distribution which we submit to a vote of shareholders. There will be no distribution from the trust account with respect to our warrants or rights, which will expire worthless.
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If we are unable to complete an initial business combination and expend all of the net proceeds of this offering, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the initial per-share distribution from the trust account would be $10.00.
The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would be prior to the claims of our public shareholders. Although we will seek to have all vendors, including lenders for money borrowed, prospective target businesses or other entities we engage execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account, including but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refused to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, we would perform an analysis of the alternatives available to us if we chose not to engage such third party and evaluate if such engagement would be in the best interest of our shareholders if such third party refused to waive such claims. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refused 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 provider of required services willing to provide the waiver. In any event, our management would perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and would only enter into an agreement with a third party that did not execute a waiver if management believed that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. 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.
Dimitri Elkin has agreed that, if we liquidate the trust account prior to the consummation of a business combination, he will be liable to pay debts and obligations to target businesses or vendors or other entities that are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to us in excess of the net proceeds of this offering not held in the trust account, but only to the extent necessary to ensure that such debts or obligations do not reduce the amounts in the trust account and only if such parties have not executed a waiver agreement. However, we cannot assure you that he will be able to satisfy those obligations if he is required to do so. Accordingly, the actual per-share distribution could be less than $10.00 due to claims of creditors. Additionally, if we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return to our public shareholders at least $10.00 per share.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources than us and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. There are approximately 48 blank check companies that have completed their initial public offerings but have not yet announced a business combination. Based on their stated geographic areas of focus, we believe we could face specific competition in the Pan-Eurasian market with respect to two of such blank check companies. However, since none of these blank check companies are limited to such geographic areas of focus, it is possible we could face competition from any of the foregoing 48 blank check companies. While we believe there may be numerous potential target businesses that we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering, our ability to compete in acquiring certain sizable target businesses may be limited by our available financial resources.
The following also may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses:
• our obligation to seek shareholder approval of a business combination or obtain the necessary financial information to be sent to shareholders in connection with such business combination may delay or prevent the completion of a transaction;
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• our obligation to convert public shares held by our public shareholders may reduce the resources available to us for a business combination;
• Nasdaq may require us to file a new listing application and meet its initial listing requirements to maintain the listing of our securities following a business combination;
• our outstanding warrants and rights and the potential future dilution they represent;
• our obligation to pay EarlyBirdCapital a fee of 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering upon consummation of our initial business combination pursuant to the business combination marketing agreement, as described under the section titled “Underwriting — Business Combination Marketing Agreement”;
• our obligation to either repay or issue units upon conversion of up to $500,000 of working capital loans that may be made to us by our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates;
• our obligation to register the resale of the insider shares, as well as the private units (and underlying securities) and any securities issued to our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates upon conversion of working capital loans; and
• the impact on the target business’ assets as a result of unknown liabilities under the securities laws or otherwise depending on developments involving us prior to the consummation of a business combination.
Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. Our management believes, however, that our status as a public entity and potential access to the United States public equity markets may give us a competitive advantage over privately-held entities having a similar business objective as ours in acquiring a target business with significant growth potential on favorable terms.
If we succeed in effecting a business combination, there will be, in all likelihood, intense competition from competitors of the target business. We cannot assure you that, subsequent to a business combination, we will have the resources or ability to compete effectively.
Facilities
We maintain our principal executive offices at 25/28 Old Burlington Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 3AN. The cost for this space is included in the $10,000 per-month aggregate fee that Twelve Seas Capital, Inc., an affiliate of our Chief Executive Officer, will charge us for general and administrative services commencing on the date of this prospectus pursuant to a letter agreement between us and Twelve Seas Capital, Inc. We believe, based on rents and fees for similar services in the London area, that the fee charged by Twelve Seas Capital, Inc. is at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an unaffiliated person. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We have four executive officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters and intend to devote only as much time as they deem necessary to our affairs. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for the business combination and the stage of the business combination process the company is in. Accordingly, once management locates a suitable target business to acquire, they will spend more time investigating such target business and negotiating and processing the business combination (and consequently spend more time to our affairs) than they would prior to locating a suitable target business. We presently expect our executive officers to devote such amount of time as they reasonably believe is necessary to our business (which could range from only a few hours a week while we are trying to locate a potential target business to a majority of their time as we move into serious negotiations with a target business for a business combination). We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the consummation of a business combination.
Periodic Reporting and Audited Financial Statements
We have registered our units, ordinary shares, warrants and rights under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual report will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accountants.
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We will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of any proxy solicitation sent to shareholders to assist them in assessing the target business. In all likelihood, the financial information included in the proxy solicitation materials will need to be prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. The financial statements may also be required to be prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for the Form 8-K announcing the closing of an initial business combination, which would need to be filed within four business days thereafter. We cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential acquisition candidate will have the necessary financial information. To the extent that this requirement cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business.
We will be required to comply with the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act beginning for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2019. A target company may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
We are an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act and will remain such for up to five years. However, if our non-convertible debt issued within a three-year period or our total revenues exceed $1.0 billion or revenues exceed $1.07 billion, or the market value of our ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million on the last day of the second fiscal quarter of any given fiscal year, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of the following fiscal year. As an emerging growth company, we have elected, under Section 107(b) of the JOBS Act, to take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards.
Legal Proceedings
There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any of our officers or directors in their capacity as such, and we and our officers and directors have not been subject to any such proceeding in the 12 months preceding the date of this prospectus.
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Comparison to Offerings of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419
The following table compares and contrasts the terms of our offering and the terms of an offering of blank check companies under Rule 419 promulgated by the SEC assuming that the gross proceeds, underwriting discounts and underwriting expenses for the Rule 419 offering are the same as this offering and that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option. None of the terms of a Rule 419 offering will apply to this offering because we will be listed on a national securities exchange, we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,001 upon the successful consummation of this offering and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact.
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Terms of the Offering |
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Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
Escrow of offering proceeds |
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$100,000,000 of the net offering proceeds and proceeds from the sale of the private units will be deposited into a trust account in the United States, maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee. |
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$88,200,000 of the offering proceeds would be required to be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker-dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in the account. |
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Investment of net proceeds |
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The $100,000,000 of the net offering proceeds and proceeds from the sale of the private units held in trust will only be invested in United States government treasury bills, bonds or notes with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting the applicable conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and that invest solely in United States government treasuries. |
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Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 or in securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal or interest by, the United States. |
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Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business |
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The initial target business that we acquire must have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in our trust account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination. |
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We would be restricted from acquiring a target business unless the fair value of such business or net assets to be acquired represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds. |
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Trading of securities issued |
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The units may commence trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The ordinary shares, warrants and rights comprising the units will begin to trade separately on the 90 th day after the date of this prospectus unless EarlyBirdCapital informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading (based upon its assessment of the relative strengths of the securities markets and small capitalization and blank check companies in general, and the trading pattern of, and demand for, our securities in particular), provided we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K, which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the proceeds of this offering. |
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No trading of the units or the underlying securities would be permitted until the completion of a business combination. During this period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account. |
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Terms of the Offering |
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Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
Exercise of the warrants |
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The warrants cannot be exercised until the completion of a business combination and, accordingly, will be exercised only after the trust account has been terminated and distributed. |
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The warrants could be exercised prior to the completion of a business combination, but securities received and cash paid in connection with the exercise would be deposited in the escrow or trust account. |
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Election to remain an investor |
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We will either (1) give our shareholders the opportunity to vote on the business combination or (2) provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to sell their public shares to us in a tender offer for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, less taxes. If we hold a meeting to approve a proposed business combination, we will send each shareholder a proxy statement containing information required by the SEC. Under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, we must provide at least 10 days advance notice of any meeting of shareholders. Accordingly, this is the minimum amount of time we would need to provide holders to determine whether to exercise their rights to convert their shares into cash at such a meeting or to remain an investor in our company. Alternatively, if we do not hold a meeting and instead conduct a tender offer, we will conduct such tender offer in accordance with the tender offer rules of the SEC and file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination as we would have included in a proxy statement. The tender offer rules require us to hold the tender offer open for at least 20 business days. Accordingly, this is the minimum amount of time we would need to provide holders to determine whether they want to sell their shares to us in the tender offer or remain an investor in our company. |
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A prospectus containing information required by the SEC would be sent to each investor. Each investor would be given the opportunity to notify the company, in writing, within a period of no less than 20 business days and no more than 45 bu siness days from the effective date of the post-effective amendment, to decide whether he or she elects to remain a shareholder of the company or require the return of his or her investment. If the company has not received the notification by the end of the 45 th business day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow account would automatically be returned to the shareholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all of the deposited funds in the escrow account must be returned to all investors and none of the securities will be issued. |
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Business combination deadline |
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Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, if we do not complete an initial business combination within 18 months from the consummation of this offering, it will trigger our automatic winding up, liquidation and dissolution. |
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If an acquisition has not been consummated within 18 months after the effective date of the initial registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account would be returned to investors. |
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Terms of the Offering |
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Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
Interest earned on the funds in the trust account |
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There can be released to us, from time to time, (i) any interest earned on the funds in the trust account that we may need to pay our tax obligations and (ii) any remaining interest earned on the funds in the trust account that we need for our working capital requirements. The remaining interest earned on the funds in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination and our entry into liquidation upon failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. |
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All interest earned on the funds in the trust account will be held in trust for the benefit of public shareholders until the earlier of the completion of a business combination and our liquidation upon failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. |
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Release of funds |
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Except for (i) interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our tax obligations and (ii) any remaining interest that we may need for our working capital requirements that may be released to us from the interest earned on the trust account balance described above, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination (in which case, the proceeds released to us will be net of the funds used to pay converting or tendering shareholders, as the trustee will directly send the appropriate portion of the amount held in trust to the converting or tendering shareholders at the time of the business combination) and the liquidation of our trust account upon failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. |
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The proceeds held in the escrow account would not be released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or the failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. |
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MANAGEMENT
Directors and Executive Officers
Our current directors and executive officers are as follows:
Name |
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Position |
Neil Richardson |
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Chairman |
Dimitri Elkin |
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Chief Executive Officer |
Stephen A. Vogel |
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President and Director Nominee |
Bryant B. Edwards |
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Chief Operating Officer and Director Nominee |
Stephen N. Cannon |
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Chief Financial Officer |
Gregory A. Stoupnitzky |
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Director Nominee |
Suneel G. Kaji |
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Director Nominee |
Mr. Neil Richardson , 61, has been our Chairman since December 2017. Since January 2012, Mr. Richardson has been the Chairman of North Sea Capital, an independent family office involved in private equity and other investments. From 2004 to 2012, Mr. Richardson was a Founding Partner for Lion Capital, a London-based private equity firm specializing in consumer industry investments globally. From 1994 to 2004, Mr. Richardson was with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, a leading global private equity firm, where he was a General Partner. From 1986 to 1994, Mr. Richardson was a Managing Director with Credit Suisse First Boston, an investment banking firm. From 1980 to 1986, Mr. Richardson was a manager with Bain & Company, a consulting firm. Mr. Richardson previously served as director of multiple corporate entities including Newsquest, Wincorp Nixdorf, Tenovis, Aurum, and American Apparel. He is an investor in Twelve Seas Limited, a private equity advisory company, and currently serves as a director of that company. Mr. Richardson graduated from Oxford University. We believe Mr. Richardson is well-qualified to serve as the Chairman of the board given his significant directorship experience, in-depth knowledge of the capital markets and lengthy investing experience.
Mr. Dimitri Elkin , 49, has been our Chief Executive Officer since inception and was a director from inception until May 2018. Since April 2013, Mr. Elkin has been a Founding Partner of Twelve Seas Limited. From 2007 to April 2013, Mr. Elkin served as General Partner of UFG Private Equity, a mid-market regional buyout firm based in Moscow. From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Elkin was a Founding Partner at GIC Capital, a U.S. private equity firm. From 1998 to 2003, Mr. Elkin served as an investment executive at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., heading its activities in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Elkin served as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc., an investment banking firm. Mr. Elkin previously served as director of multiple corporate entities, including Kamaz Imperial Porcelain Company, and Russian Alcohol. Mr. Elkin graduated from Moscow State University and received an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Mr. Stephen A. Vogel , 69, has been our President since May 2018 and will serve as a director upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Vogel has over 40 years of operating and private equity experience. He has served as General Partner of Vogel Partners, LLP, a private investment firm, since 1996. Most recently, Mr. Vogel was Executive Chairman of Forum, a SPAC that completed its IPO in April 2017 and then merged with ConvergeOne (NASDAQ: CVON) in February 2018. Mr. Vogel began his career in 1971 as President, CEO and Co-Founder of Synergy Gas Corp., a retail propane distribution company. During his 25-year tenure, Mr. Vogel grew Synergy to more than 250,000 customers, 2,700 employees and more than $300 million in annual revenue. Synergy Gas Corp. successfully completed 50 acquisitions during this time and increased its distribution base to 330 retail locations. After selling Synergy Gas Corp. to Northwestern Corp. in 1995, Mr. Vogel co-founded EntreCapital Partners, a private equity firm that focused on companies facing operational or management challenges, and served until 1999. Additionally, he was a venture partner at EnerTech Capital Partners, an energy focused venture capital firm, from 1999 to 2002, and an operating partner at Tri-Artisan Capital Partners, LLC, an investment bank, from 2004 to 2006. Mr. Vogel also served as CEO of Grameen America, a not-for-profit organization that provides microloans to low-income borrowers in the United States, from 2008 to 2013. He was on the board of Netspend (NASDAQ: NTSP), a leader for prepaid stored value platforms, from 2011 to 2013. Mr. Vogel was a member of the Board of Trustees at Montefiore Medical Center and Children’s Hospital for over 20 years and served on the Board of
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Trustees at Lighthouse International, a non-profit organization. Mr. Vogel is a past Trustee of the Horace Mann School and previously served on the Board of Directors of the National Propane Gas Association. Mr. Vogel received a BS degree from Syracuse University School of Management. We believe Mr. Vogel is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors due to his extensive business experience in strategic planning and corporate development as well as his vast operational experience.
Mr. Bryant B. Edwards , 63, has been our Chief Operating Officer since June 2018 and will serve as a director upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Edwards retired from Latham & Watkins a premier global law firm and the world’s largest law firm by revenue, in 2016, after a 35-year legal career. From 1981 to 2016, Mr. Edwards gained extensive experience throughout the Pan-Eurasian region, as both a practicing corporate and securities attorney, as well as in various management roles building the firm’s practices in Europe (from 2000 to 2008), the Middle East (from 2008 to 2012) and then East Asia (from 2012 to 2016). He served as Chair of the European High Yield Association (EHYA) from 2004 to 2008, and helped establish the Gulf Bond & Sukuk Association (GBSA) and served on its Steering Committee and as Chair of its Regulatory Committee, from 2008 to 2012. Additionally, Mr. Edwards served as Vice-Chair of the Credit Markets Committee of the Asia Securities & Financial Markets Committee (ASIFMA) from 2012 to 2016. Mr. Edwards graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA and received his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School. We believe Mr. Edwards is well-qualified to serve as a director of the company given his in-depth knowledge of corporate, securities and regulatory law, as well as his leadership in the capital markets across the Pan-Eurasian region.
Mr. Stephen N. Cannon , 50, has been our Chief Financial Officer since December 2017 and was our President from inception until May 2018. Since October 2014, Mr. Cannon has been President of Everest Partners Limited, a privately-owned investment firm, focused on Asian private investments. Since July 2017, Mr. Cannon has been the President, CFO and a director of CM Seven (NASD: CMSS), a Nasdaq-listed SPAC sponsored by a leading Chinese private investment firm that raised approximately $200 million in an initial public offering in October 2017. From June 2014 until July 2016, Mr. Cannon was CEO and a director of DT Asia Acquisition Corp, a Nasdaq-listed SPAC, which consummated its business combination with China Direct Lending Corp. in July 2016. From 2010 until October 2014, Mr. Cannon was a Partner and Head of China for RedBridge Group Ltd., a boutique merchant banking firm focused on Chinese and Arabian Gulf cross-border investments. From 2009 until October 2014, Mr. Cannon was a senior advisor at Ackrell & Co, a U.S. broker-dealer. From 2007 until 2010, Mr. Cannon served in various capacities with Hambrecht Asia Acquisition Corp., a Nasdaq-listed SPAC, as a co-founder, initial CFO and a director, and then VP of Acquisitions. Hambrecht Asia Acquisition Corp. merged with SGOCO Ltd, a Chinese company, in April 2010. From 2005 until 2008, Mr. Cannon served as a Managing Director of Asian investment banking for WR Hambrecht & Co. Prior to WR Hambrecht & Co, Mr. Cannon worked at the following investment banking firms: Ackrell & Co (2003-2005); ABN-Amro Securities (2000-2002); Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette (1994-2000); Smith Barney (1993-1994); and Salomon Brothers (1991-1993). Mr. Cannon graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor’s degree. Mr. Cannon is currently an advisor to the Royal family of Cambodia, and serves on the board of the Cambodian Hotel Association.
Mr. Gregory A. Stoupnitzky , 61, will serve as an independent director commencing upon the effectiveness of the registration of which this prospectus forms a part. Since October 2017, Mr. Stoupnitzky has been a Senior Advisor with Barclay Investments LLC, a financial services firm. He is the Senior Independent Director and a member of the Audit and Nominating Committees for Eland Oil & Gas Plc. (AIM: ELA) which he joined in January 2016. From January 2014 to October 2015, Mr. Stoupnitzky served as CEO and Executive Director of Azonto Petroleum Limited (ASX: APY) (now known as Calima Energy Limited), a gas-to-power developer in West Africa, where he led the company’s transformation efforts. From 2011 to June 2014, he served as a London-based Managing Director and then Consultant with Renaissance Capital, a Moscow-based Merchant Bank, where he was the senior banker for energy-related investment banking activities. From 2008 to 2011, Mr. Stoupnitzky founded CIS Capital LLC, a consultancy practice focused on the energy and power sectors. From 2010 to 2011, he advised BCP Securities Inc., a U.S.-based broker dealer, solely focused on emerging markets. From 1998 through 2008, Mr. Stoupnitzky was a Managing Director of Global Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley & Co, based out of New York, London and Moscow. He was co-head of emerging capital markets from 2002 to 2005 and was a member of Morgan Stanley’s Capital Commitment Committee from 2006 to 2008. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Stoupnitzky was a partner at Imag Gmbh, a private equity firm focusing on Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States region. From 1986 to 1996, he worked at Bear Stearns Companies, Inc. Mr. Stoupnitzky has served on the board of the U.S.-Russia Business Council and of several corporate entities including Rialto Energy Limited and Vioco Petroleum. Mr. Stoupnitzky graduated from Columbia University with a BA and an MA as well as a certificate from Moscow State University.
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He is currently an Advisory Board Member of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. We believe Mr. Stoupnitzky is well-qualified to serve as a director of the company given his lengthy investment banking and corporate activities in various international markets.
Mr. Suneel G. Kaji , 49, will serve as an independent director upon the effectiveness of the registration of which this prospectus forms a part. Since October 2016, Mr. Kaji has been serving as an employee director of the University of Texas and Texas A&M System Management Company (UTIMCO) and advising on co- and direct principal investments globally as well as emerging markets’ fund selection. Since June 2014, Mr. Kaji has served as a Managing Director of Accordion Partners LLC, a private equity consultancy with three offices globally. He established and led the firm’s investment affiliate (established in 2014) that co-invests with the firm’s consultancy clientele. From 2008 to June 2014, Mr. Kaji had been a Managing Director and Senior Investment Manager-Private Investments at TRG Management (an affiliate of the Rohatyn Group). He managed non-real estate private investment activity across Asia, including cross-border investments with the US and Australia. He was responsible for origination, evaluation, and structuring of private equity and distressed credits across diverse industries such as natural resource services, chemicals, logistics, and consumer services. Mr. Kaji also sat on the boards of two joint venture real estate and infrastructure funds in Asia. From 2003 to 2008, Mr. Kaji was a Managing Director at the GEM-Kinderhook Funds in New York, focused on mid-cap control investments, structured minority equity and hybrid credit transactions in the US, as well as opportunistic pursuits in China, the Middle East North Africa region, and India. From 1999 to 2003, Mr. Kaji was a Principal at Crown Capital Group, a mid-cap private equity group established by DLJ Merchant Banking, Apollo Management and former employees thereof. Previously he was a Vice President at DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (1996 to 1999), based in New York and Hong Kong. Mr. Kaji started his career in finance with Salomon Brothers (1991 to 1994) and entered the principal investment business at Goldman Sachs (1995). He graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelors of Science in Economics, magna cum laude, and Stanford University with an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. We believe Mr. Kaji is well-qualified to serve as a director of the company given his significant experience and knowledge of the capital markets and lengthy investing experience.
Prior Experience with Blank Check Companies
Mr. Vogel, our President, and Mr. Cannon, our Chief Financial Officer, have been or are a founder, officer and director of multiple blank check companies. Mr. Vogel was previously the founder and executive Chairman of the Board of Forum, a $172,500,000 blank check company that completed its initial public offering in April 2017 and then successfully merged with ConvergeOne (NASDAQ: CVON) in February 2018. In connection with this transaction, Mr. Vogel was part of the management team in the initial public offering, its search for suitable acquisition targets, was involved in sourcing the ultimate target, the acquisition negotiations, and raising a private placement at closing of the merger.
Mr. Cannon, our Chief Financial Officer, has been or is a founder, officer and director of previous blank check companies. Two of these companies consummated business combinations, one is still seeking to consummate a business combination and one failed to conduct an initial public offering. DT Asia Investment Company, or DT Asia, conducted an initial public offering in October 2014 and consummated a business combination in July 2016 with China Direct Lending Company, and trades on the Nasdaq Stock Market as China Direct Lending Company (Nasdaq:CLDC). DT Asia’s stock price traded above its initial public offering price for the first year after its business combination in 2016, but thereafter declined below the initial public offering price, and presently has little trading volume and no public equity research coverage. Hambrecht Asia Acquisition Corp., or Hambrecht, conducted an initial public offering in March 2008, consummated a business combination in April 2010 with SGOCO Ltd, and trades on the Nasdaq Stock Market as SGOCO Limited (Nasdaq:SGOC). Hambrecht’s stock price traded above its initial public offering price for the first few years after its business combination in 2010, but thereafter declined below the initial public offering price, and presently has little trading volume and no equity research coverage. In connection with each of these two companies, Mr. Cannon played a leading role throughout the initial public offerings, search for suitable acquisition targets and the acquisition negotiations, including identifying the ultimate target for Hambrecht. Mr. Cannon’s involvement with these two companies ceased at the time of their respective business combinations. In addition to DT Asia and Hambrecht, Mr. Cannon is currently the President, Chief Financial Officer and Director of CM Seven Star Investment Company, a blank check company which conducted its initial public offering in October 2016 and is still seeking a suitable acquisition target. In addition to the foregoing, Mr. Cannon was also a founder, officer and director of Ruslan Investment Company, or Ruslan, which failed to consummate its initial public offering in July 2008 due to market conditions affecting the blank check industry. Mr. Stoupntizky was the Chief Executive Officer and a director of Ruslan and Mr. Elkin held an advisory role with such company. Past performance by Mr. Vogel,
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Mr. Cannon, or any other member of our management team, is not a guarantee of any future performance. Accordingly, there is no assurance that we will be able to locate a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or that any business combination we ultimately may consummate will be successful.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
Our board of directors is divided into two classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual meeting of shareholders) serving a two-year term. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Messrs. Stoupnitzky and Kaji, will expire at our first annual meeting of shareholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Messrs. Vogel, Richardson and Edwards will expire at the second annual meeting of shareholders. We may not hold an annual meeting of shareholders until after we consummate our initial business combination.
Our officers are elected by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our memorandum and articles of association as it deems appropriate. Our memorandum and articles of association provide that our officers may consist of a Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Assistant Secretaries, Treasurer and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.
Executive Compensation
No executive officer has received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Commencing on the date of this prospectus through the acquisition of a target business, we will pay Twelve Seas Capital, Inc., an affiliate of our Chief Executive Officer, an aggregate fee of $10,000 per month for providing us with office space, utilities and secretarial services.
Other than the $10,000 per month administrative fee and the repayment of any loans made by our sponsor to us, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our existing shareholders, including our directors, or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of a business combination. However, such individuals will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. There is no limit on the amount of these out-of-pocket expenses and there will be no review of the reasonableness of the expenses by anyone other than our board of directors and audit committee, which includes persons who may seek reimbursement, or a court of competent jurisdiction if such reimbursement is challenged.
Director Independence
Currently, Messrs. Richardson, Stoupnitzky and Kaji would each be considered an “independent director” under the Nasdaq listing rules, which is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship, which, in the opinion of the company’s board of directors would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
We will only enter into a business combination if it is approved by a majority of our independent directors. Additionally, we will only enter into transactions with our officers and directors and their respective affiliates that are on terms no less favorable to us than could be obtained from independent parties. Any related-party transactions must also be approved by our audit committee and a majority of disinterested independent directors.
Audit Committee
Effective as of the date of this prospectus, we have established an audit committee of the board of directors, which will consist of Messrs. Richardson, Stoupnitzky and Kaji, each of whom is an independent director under Nasdaq’s listing standards. Mr. Kaji is the Chairperson of the audit committee. The audit committee’s duties, which are specified in our Audit Committee Charter, include, but are not limited to:
• reviewing and discussing with management and the independent auditor the annual audited financial statements, and recommending to the board whether the audited financial statements should be included in our Form 10-K;
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• discussing with management and the independent auditor significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of our financial statements;
• discussing with management major risk assessment and risk management policies;
• monitoring the independence of the independent auditor;
• verifying the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law;
• reviewing and approving all related-party transactions;
• inquiring and discussing with management our compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
• pre-approving all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent auditor, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed;
• appointing or replacing the independent auditor;
• determining the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent auditor (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditor regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work;
• establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies; and
• approving reimbursement of expenses incurred by our management team in identifying potential target businesses.
Financial Experts on Audit Committee
The audit committee will at all times be composed exclusively of “independent directors” who are “financially literate” as defined under Nasdaq listing standards. Nasdaq listing standards define “financially literate” as being able to read and understand fundamental financial statements, including a company’s balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement.
In addition, we must certify to Nasdaq that the committee has, and will continue to have, at least one member who has past employment experience in finance or accounting, requisite professional certification in accounting, or other comparable experience or background that results in the individual’s financial sophistication. The board of directors has determined that Messrs. Kaji and Stoupnitzky each qualify as an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined under rules and regulations of the SEC.
Nominating Committee
Effective as of the date of this prospectus, we have established a nominating committee of the board of directors, which will consist of Messrs. Richardson, Stoupnitzky and Kaji, each of whom is an independent director under Nasdaq’s listing standards. Mr. Kaji is the Chairperson of the nominating committee. The nominating committee is responsible for overseeing the selection of persons to be nominated to serve on our board of directors. The nominating committee considers persons identified by its members, management, shareholders, investment bankers and others.
Guidelines for Selecting Director Nominees
The guidelines for selecting nominees, which are specified in the Nominating Committee Charter, generally provide that persons to be nominated:
• should have demonstrated notable or significant achievements in business, education or public service;
• should possess the requisite intelligence, education and experience to make a significant contribution to the board of directors and bring a range of skills, diverse perspectives and backgrounds to its deliberations; and
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• should have the highest ethical standards, a strong sense of professionalism and intense dedication to serving the interests of the shareholders.
The nominating committee will consider a number of qualifications relating to management and leadership experience, background and integrity and professionalism in evaluating a person’s candidacy for membership on the board of directors. The nominating committee may require certain skills or attributes, such as financial or accounting experience, to meet specific board needs that arise from time to time and will also consider the overall experience and makeup of its members to obtain a broad and diverse mix of board members. The nominating committee does not distinguish among nominees recommended by shareholders and other persons.
Compensation Committee
Effective as of the date of this prospectus, we will establish a compensation committee of the board of directors, which will consist of Suneel G. Kaji and Gregory A. Stoupnitzky, each of whom is an independent director under Nasdaq’s listing standards. Mr. Kaji is the Chairperson of the compensation committee. The compensation committee’s duties, which are specified in our Compensation Committee Charter, include, but are not limited to:
• reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer’s based on such evaluation;
• reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other executive officers;
• reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans;
• implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;
• assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;
• approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our executive officers and employees;
• if required, producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and
• reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, as indicated above, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our existing shareholders, including our directors, or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of a business combination. Accordingly, it is likely that prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, the compensation committee will only be responsible for the review and recommendation of any compensation arrangements to be entered into in connection with such initial business combination.
Code of Ethics
Upon consummation of this offering, we will adopt a code of ethics that applies to all of our executive officers, directors and employees. The code of ethics codifies the business and ethical principles that govern all aspects of our business.
Conflicts of Interest
Potential investors should be aware of the following potential conflicts of interest:
• None of our officers and directors is required to commit their full time to our affairs and, accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time among various business activities.
• In the course of their other business activities, our officers and directors may become aware of investment and business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to our company as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated. Our management has pre-existing fiduciary duties and contractual obligations and may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
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• Our officers and directors may in the future become affiliated with entities, including other blank check companies, engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by our company. Specifically, Stephen N. Cannon, our Chief Financial Officer, is President, Chief Financial Officer and a director of CM Seven, a blank check company that went public in October 2017 and is currently searching for a business combination partner.
• The insider shares owned by our officers and directors will be released from escrow only if a business combination is successfully completed and subject to certain other limitations. Additionally, our officers and directors will not receive distributions from the trust account with respect to any of their insider shares if we do not complete a business combination. Furthermore, our initial shareholders have agreed that the private units will not be sold or transferred by them until after we have completed our initial business combination. In addition, our officers and directors may loan funds to us after this offering and may be owed reimbursement for expenses incurred in connection with certain activities on our behalf which would only be repaid if we complete an initial business combination. For the foregoing reasons, the personal and financial interests of our directors and executive officers may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business, completing a business combination in a timely manner and securing the release of their shares.
Under Cayman Islands law, directors and officers owe the following fiduciary duties:
(i) duty to act in good faith in what the director believes to be in the best interests of the company as a whole;
(ii) duty to exercise powers for the purposes for which those powers were conferred and not for a collateral purpose;
(iii) directors should not properly fetter the exercise of future discretion;
(iv) duty not to put themselves in a position in which there is a conflict between their duty to the company and their personal interests; and
(v) duty to exercise independent judgment.
In addition to the above, directors also owe a duty of care which is not fiduciary in nature. This duty has been defined as a requirement to act as a reasonably diligent person having both the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person carrying out the same functions as are carried out by that director in relation to the company and the general knowledge skill and experience which that director has.
As set out above, directors have a duty not to put themselves in a position of conflict and this includes a duty not to engage in self-dealing, or to otherwise benefit as a result of their position. However, in some instances what would otherwise be a breach of this duty can be forgiven and/or authorized in advance by the shareholders provided that there is full disclosure by the directors. This can be done by way of permission granted in the memorandum and articles of association or alternatively by shareholder approval at general meetings.
Accordingly, as a result of multiple business affiliations, our officers and directors may have similar legal obligations relating to presenting business opportunities meeting the above-listed criteria to multiple entities. In addition, conflicts of interest may arise when our board evaluates a particular business opportunity with respect to the above-listed criteria. We cannot assure you that any of the above mentioned conflicts will be resolved in our favor. Furthermore, most of our officers and directors have pre-existing fiduciary obligations to other businesses of which they are officers or directors. To the extent they identify business opportunities which may be suitable for the entities to which they owe pre-existing fiduciary obligations, our officers and directors will honor those fiduciary obligations. Accordingly, it is possible they may not present opportunities to us that otherwise may be attractive to us unless the entities to which they owe pre-existing fiduciary obligations and any successors to such entities have declined to accept such opportunities unless such opportunities are expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunities are ones we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
In order to minimize potential conflicts of interest which may arise from multiple corporate affiliations, each of our officers and directors has contractually agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, until the earliest of a business
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combination, our liquidation or such time as he ceases to be an officer or director, to present to our company for our consideration, prior to presentation to any other entity, any suitable business opportunity which may reasonably be required to be presented to us, subject to any pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations he might have.
The following table summarizes the other relevant pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations of our officers and directors:
Name of Affiliated Company |
|
Name of Individual |
|
Priority/Preference relative to Twelve Seas
|
North Sea Capital |
|
Neil Richardson |
|
North Sea Capital will have priority over us. However, North Sea Capital is a personal investment holding company and generally seeks smaller investments of less than $10 million in companies that will remain privately held. As a result, we anticipate being given the opportunity to review all suitable targets for our company which Mr. Richardson becomes aware of. |
|
|
|
|
|
Twelve Seas Limited |
|
Neil Richardson & Dimitri Elkin |
|
Twelve Seas Limited will have priority over us. However, Twelve Seas Limited is a personal investment holding company and generally seeks smaller investments of less than $10 million in companies that will remain privately held. As a result, we anticipate being given the opportunity to review all suitable targets for our company which Messrs. Richardson and Elkin become aware of. |
|
|
|
|
|
Vogel Partners LLP |
|
Stephen A. Vogel |
|
Vogel Partners LLP will have priority over us. However, Vogel Partners LLP is a personal investment holding company and generally seeks smaller investments of less than $10 million in companies that will remain privately held. As a result, we anticipate being given the opportunity to review all suitable targets for our company which Mr. Vogel becomes aware of. |
|
|
|
|
|
CM Seven Star Acquisition Corp. |
|
Stephen N. Cannon |
|
CM Seven Star Acquisition Corporation will have priority over us unless a potential target was presented to Mr. Cannon in his capacity as an officer of our company, with the expressed intention to be shown to our company. CM Seven Star Acquisition Corporation is a blank check company similar in size and structure to us, that went public in October 2017, and is sponsored by a Chinese private equity firm. |
|
|
|
|
|
Everest Partners Limited |
|
Stephen N. Cannon |
|
Everest Partners Limited will have priority over us. However, Everest Partners Limited is a personal investment holding company and generally seeks smaller investments of less than $10 million in companies that will remain privately held. As a result, we anticipate being given the opportunity to review all suitable targets for our company which Mr Cannon becomes aware of. |
|
|
|
|
|
Barclay Investments LLC |
|
Gregory A. Stoupnitzky |
|
Barclay Investments LLC will have priority over us. |
|
|
|
|
|
CIS Capital LLC |
|
Gregory A. Stoupnitzky |
|
CIS Capital LLC will have priority over us. However, CIS Capital LLC is a personal investment holding company and generally seeks smaller investments of less than $10 million in companies that will remain privately held. As a result, we anticipate being given the opportunity to review all suitable targets for our company that Mr Stoupnitzky becomes aware of. |
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Name of Affiliated Company |
|
Name of Individual |
|
Priority/Preference relative to Twelve Seas
|
Eland Oil & Gas PLC |
|
Gregory A. Stoupnitzky |
|
Eland Oil & Gas PLC will have priority over us. However, Eland Oil & Gas PLC is a Nigeria-focused oil and natural gas exploration and production company. As a result, we do not anticipate any conflicts over potential targets. |
|
|
|
|
|
University of Texas and Texas A&M System Management Company (UTIMCO) |
|
Suneel G. Kaji |
|
UTIMCO will have priority over us. |
|
|
|
|
|
Accordion Partners LLC |
|
Suneel G. Kaji |
|
Accordion Partners LLC will have priority over us. |
In connection with the vote required for any business combination, all of our existing shareholders, including all of our officers and directors, have agreed to vote their respective insider shares and private shares in favor of any proposed business combination. In addition, they have agreed to waive their respective rights to participate in any liquidation distribution with respect to those ordinary shares acquired by them prior to this offering. If they purchase ordinary shares in this offering or in the open market, however, they would be entitled to participate in any liquidation distribution in respect of such shares but have agreed not to convert such shares (or sell their shares in any tender offer) in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination or an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to pre-business combination activity.
All ongoing and future transactions between us and any of our officers and directors or their respective affiliates will be on terms believed by us to be no less favorable to us than are available from unaffiliated third parties. Such transactions will require prior approval by our audit committee and a majority of our uninterested “independent” directors, or the members of our board who do not have an interest in the transaction, in either case who had access, at our expense, to our attorneys or independent legal counsel. We will not enter into any such transaction unless our audit committee and a majority of our disinterested “independent” directors determine that the terms of such transaction are no less favorable to us than those that would be available to us with respect to such a transaction from unaffiliated third parties.
To further minimize conflicts of interest, we have agreed not to consummate our initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our officers, directors or initial shareholders, unless we have obtained (i) an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated shareholders from a financial point of view and (ii) the approval of a majority of our disinterested and independent directors (if we have any at that time). Furthermore, in no event will any of our initial shareholders, officers, directors, special advisors or their respective affiliates be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other similar compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination.
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PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of the date of this prospectus and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our ordinary shares included in the units offered by this prospectus (assuming none of the individuals listed purchase units in this offering), by:
• each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares;
• each of our officers and directors; and
• all of our officers and directors as a group.
Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all ordinary shares beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record of beneficial ownership of any ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of warrants or conversion of rights as the warrants and rights are not exercisable or convertible within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
|
|
Prior to Offering |
|
After Offering (2) |
||||||
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner (1) |
|
Amount and
|
|
Approximate
|
|
Amount and
|
|
Approximate
|
||
Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC (3) |
|
2,775,000 |
|
96.52 |
% |
|
2,715,000 |
|
20.78 |
% |
Neil Richardson (3) |
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
Dimitri Elkin (3) |
|
2,775,000 |
|
96.52 |
% |
|
2,715,000 |
|
20.78 |
% |
Stephen A. Vogel (3) |
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
Bryant B. Edwards (3) |
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
Stephen N. Cannon (3) |
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
Gregory Stoupnitzky (4) |
|
50,000 |
|
1.74 |
% |
|
50,000 |
|
* |
|
Suneel G. Kaji |
|
50,000 |
|
1.74 |
% |
|
50,000 |
|
* |
|
All directors and executive officers as a group (7 individuals) (3) |
|
2,875,000 |
|
100.00 |
% |
|
2,815,000 |
|
21.55 |
% |
____________
* Less than 1%.
(1) Unless otherwise indicated, the business address of each of the individuals is 25/28 Old Burlington Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 3AN.
(2) Assumes no exercise of the over-allotment option and, therefore, an aggregate of 375,000 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders are forfeited. Includes (i) the 315,000 units to be purchased by our sponsor simultaneously with the consummation of this offering and (ii) the 250,000 shares issuable to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. upon the consummation of this offering.
(3) These shares represent the shares held by our sponsor. Currently, Dimitri Elkin, our Chief Executive Officer, is the sole managing member of our sponsor. Consequently, he may be deemed the beneficial owner of the shares held by our sponsor and has sole voting and dispositive control over such securities. Mr. Elkin disclaims beneficial ownership of any shares other than to the extent he may have a pecuniary interest therein, directly or indirectly. In addition, each of Neil Richardson, Stephen A. Vogel, Bryant B. Edwards and Stephen N. Cannon is a member of sponsor.
(4) Gregory A. Stoupnitzky, one of our director nominees, holds such interests through CIS Capital LLC for which he is the sole managing member and has sole voting and dispositive power over the shares held thereby.
Immediately after this offering, our initial shareholders will beneficially own approximately 20.0% of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares (excluding the sale of the private units and the 250,000 shares issuable to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in this offering, upon the consummation of this offering, and assuming our initial shareholders do not purchase units in this offering). None of our initial shareholders, officers and directors has indicated to us that he intends to purchase securities in this offering. Because of the ownership block held by our initial shareholders, such individuals may be able to effectively exercise control over all matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions other than approval of our initial business combination.
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If the underwriters do not exercise all or a portion of the over-allotment option, our initial shareholders will have up to an aggregate of 375,000 ordinary shares subject to forfeiture as required by Cayman Islands law. Our initial shareholders will be required to have redeemed by us only a number of shares necessary to maintain their collective 20% ownership interest in our ordinary shares (excluding the sale of the private units and the 250,000 shares issuable to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in this offering, upon the consummation of this offering, and assuming our initial shareholders do not purchase units in this offering) after giving effect to the offering and the exercise, if any, of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
All of the insider shares issued and outstanding prior to the date of this prospectus will be placed in escrow with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as escrow agent, until (1) with respect to 50% of the insider shares, the earlier of one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination and the date on which the closing price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination and (2) with respect to the remaining 50% of the insider shares, one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we consummate a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their shares for cash, securities or other property. Up to 375,000 of the insider shares may also be released from escrow earlier than this date for forfeiture and cancellation if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full as described above.
During the escrow period, the holders of these shares will not be able to sell or transfer their securities except (i) for transfers to our officers, directors or their respective affiliates (including for transfers to an entity’s members upon its liquidation), (ii) to relatives and trusts for estate planning purposes, (iii) by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death, (iv) pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, (v) by certain pledges to secure obligations incurred in connection with purchases of our securities, (vi) by private sales made at or prior to the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the shares were originally purchased or (vii) to us for no value for cancellation in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination, in each case (except for clause (vii)) where the transferee agrees to the terms of the escrow agreement, but will retain all other rights as our shareholders, including, without limitation, the right to vote their ordinary shares and the right to receive cash dividends, if declared. If dividends are declared and payable in ordinary shares, such dividends will also be placed in escrow. If we are unable to effect a business combination and liquidate the trust account, none of our initial shareholders will receive any portion of the liquidation proceeds with respect to their insider shares.
Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC, our sponsor, has committed to purchase from us an aggregate of 315,000 private units at $10.00 per private unit (for a total purchase price of $3,150,000). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. All of the proceeds we receive from these purchases will be placed in the trust account described below. Our sponsor has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, it will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per private unit an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 30,000 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.00 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering except the private warrants will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees. Additionally, because the private units will be issued in a private transaction, the holders of the private warrants and their transferees will be allowed to exercise such warrants for cash even if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants is not effective and receive unregistered ordinary shares. Furthermore, our sponsor has agreed (A) to vote the ordinary shares underlying the private units, or “private shares,” in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that would stop our public shareholders from converting or selling their shares to us in connection with a business combination or affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete a business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering unless we provide public shareholders with the opportunity to convert their public shares in connection with any such vote, (C) not to convert any private shares for cash from the trust account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination or a vote to amend the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to shareholders’ rights or
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pre-business combination activity and (D) that the private shares shall not participate in any liquidating distribution upon winding up if a business combination is not consummated. The purchasers of the private units have also agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private units or underlying securities (except to the same permitted transferees as the insider shares) until the completion of our initial business combination.
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our initial shareholders, officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued units to acquire 55,000 ordinary shares (which includes 5,000 shares issuable upon conversion of rights) and warrants to purchase 50,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted). Our shareholders have approved the issuance of the units and underlying securities upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert them at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. If we do not complete a business combination, the loans will not be repaid.
Each of Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC, Dimitri Elkin, Stephen N. Cannon and Neil Richardson is our “promoter,” as that term is defined under the Federal securities laws.
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CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS
In December 2017, we issued an aggregate of 4,312,500 ordinary shares to our sponsor for $25,000 in cash, at a purchase price of $0.006 share. In December 2017, our sponsor transferred 50,000 of such insider shares to each of Messrs. Stoupnitzky and Kaji at cost. In May 2018, our sponsor returned 1,437,500 of our ordinary shares to us for cancellation resulting in an aggregate of 2,875,000 founder shares outstanding and held by our initial shareholders. If the underwriters do not exercise all or a portion of their over-allotment option, our sponsor has agreed that up to an aggregate of 375,000 ordinary shares in proportion to the portion of the over-allotment option that was not exercised are subject to forfeiture and would be immediately cancelled.
If the underwriters determine the size of the offering should be increased (including pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act) or decreased, a capitalization of shares or a contribution back to capital, as applicable, would be effectuated in order to maintain our initial shareholder’s ownership at a percentage of the number of shares to be sold in this offering.
Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC, our sponsor, has committed to purchase from us an aggregate of 315,000 private units at $10.00 per private unit (for a total purchase price of $3,150,000). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. All of the proceeds we receive from these purchases will be placed in the trust account described below. Our sponsor has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, it will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per private unit an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 30,000 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.00 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering except as otherwise described in this prospectus. The purchasers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private units or the underlying securities (except to the same permitted transferees as the insider shares) until the completion of our initial business combination.
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our initial shareholders, officers and directors and their respective affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued units to acquire 55,000 ordinary shares (which includes 5,000 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of rights) and warrants to purchase 50,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted). Our shareholders have approved the issuance of the units and underlying securities upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert them at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. If we do not complete a business combination, the loans would not be repaid.
The holders of our insider shares issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private units (and all underlying securities) and any securities our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us, will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the insider shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these ordinary shares are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the private units or securities issued in payment of working capital loans made to us can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time after we consummate a business combination. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of a business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
As of May 22, 2018, our sponsor had loaned to us an aggregate of $196,500 to be used to pay formation expenses and a portion of the expenses of this offering. The loan is payable without interest on the date on which we consummate our initial public offering. We intend to repay this loan from the proceeds of this offering not being placed in the trust account. If we determine not to proceed with the offering, such amounts would not be repaid.
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We will reimburse our officers and directors for any reasonable out-of-pocket business expenses incurred by them in connection with certain activities on our behalf such as identifying and investigating possible target businesses and business combinations. There is no limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us; provided, however, that to the extent such expenses exceed the available proceeds not deposited in the trust account and the interest income earned on the amounts held in the trust account, such expenses would not be reimbursed by us unless we consummate an initial business combination. Our audit committee will review and approve all reimbursements and payments made to any initial shareholder or member of our management team, or our or their respective affiliates, and any reimbursements and payments made to members of our audit committee will be reviewed and approved by our Board of Directors, with any interested director abstaining from such review and approval.
Twelve Seas Capital, Inc., an affiliate of our Chief Executive Officer has agreed that, commencing on the effective date of this prospectus through the earlier of our consummation of our initial business combination or our liquidation, it will make available to us certain general and administrative services, including office space, utilities and secretarial support, as we may require from time to time. We have agreed to pay Twelve Seas Capital, Inc. an aggregate of $10,000 per month for these services.
Other than the $10,000 per month administrative fee, no compensation or fees of any kind, including finder’s fees, consulting fees or other similar compensation, will be paid to any of our initial shareholders, officers or directors who owned our ordinary shares prior to this offering, or to any of their respective affiliates, prior to or with respect to the business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is).
All ongoing and future transactions between us and any of our officers and directors or their respective affiliates will be on terms believed by us to be no less favorable to us than are available from unaffiliated third parties. Such transactions, including the payment of any compensation, will require prior approval by a majority of our uninterested “independent” directors (to the extent we have any) or the members of our board who do not have an interest in the transaction, in either case who had access, at our expense, to our attorneys or independent legal counsel. We will not enter into any such transaction unless our disinterested “independent” directors (or, if there are no “independent” directors, our disinterested directors) determine that the terms of such transaction are no less favorable to us than those that would be available to us with respect to such a transaction from unaffiliated third parties.
Related Party Policy
Our Code of Ethics, which we will adopt upon consummation of this offering, will require us to avoid, wherever possible, all related party transactions that could result in actual or potential conflicts of interests, except under guidelines approved by the board of directors (or the audit committee). Related-party transactions are defined as transactions in which (1) the aggregate amount involved will or may be expected to exceed $120,000 in any calendar year, (2) we or any of our subsidiaries is a participant, and (3) any (a) executive officer, director or nominee for election as a director, (b) greater than 5% beneficial owner of our ordinary shares, or (c) immediate family member, of the persons referred to in clauses (a) and (b), has or will have a direct or indirect material interest (other than solely as a result of being a director or a less than 10% beneficial owner of another entity). A conflict of interest situation can arise when a person takes actions or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her work objectively and effectively. Conflicts of interest may also arise if a person, or a member of his or her family, receives improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position.
We also require each of our directors and executive officers to annually complete a directors’ and officers’ questionnaire that elicits information about related party transactions.
Our audit committee, pursuant to its written charter, will be responsible for reviewing and approving related-party transactions to the extent we enter into such transactions. All ongoing and future transactions between us and any of our officers and directors or their respective affiliates will be on terms believed by us to be no less favorable to us than are available from unaffiliated third parties. Such transactions will require prior approval by our audit committee and a majority of our uninterested “independent” directors, or the members of our board who do not have an interest in the transaction, in either case who had access, at our expense, to our attorneys or independent legal counsel. We will not enter into any such transaction unless our audit committee and a majority of our disinterested “independent” directors
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determine that the terms of such transaction are no less favorable to us than those that would be available to us with respect to such a transaction from unaffiliated third parties. Additionally, we require each of our directors and executive officers to complete a directors’ and officers’ questionnaire that elicits information about related party transactions.
These procedures are intended to determine whether any such related party transaction impairs the independence of a director or presents a conflict of interest on the part of a director, employee or officer.
To further minimize potential conflicts of interest, we have agreed not to consummate a business combination with an entity which is affiliated with any of our initial shareholders unless we obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated shareholders from a financial point of view. Furthermore, in no event will any of our existing officers, directors or initial shareholders, or any entity with which they are affiliated, be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of a business combination.
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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
General
We are currently authorized to issue 200,000,000 ordinary shares, par value $0.0001, and 2,000,000 preferred shares, par value $0.0001. As of the date of this prospectus, 2,875,000 ordinary shares are issued and outstanding, held by our initial shareholders. No preferred shares are issued or outstanding.
Units
Each unit consists of one ordinary share, one redeemable warrant and one right. Each redeemable warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one ordinary share. Each right entitles the holder thereof to receive one-tenth (1/10) of an ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination. We will not issue fractional shares in connection with an exchange of rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with the applicable provisions of Cayman Islands Law. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of 10 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a business combination.
The ordinary shares, warrants and rights will begin to trade separately on the 90 th day after the date of this prospectus unless EarlyBirdCapital determines that an earlier date is acceptable (based upon, among other things, its assessment of the relative strengths of the securities markets and small capitalization companies in general, and the trading pattern of, and demand for, our securities in particular). In no event will EarlyBirdCapital allow separate trading of the ordinary shares, warrants and rights until we file an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering.
We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet promptly upon the consummation of this offering. The audited balance sheet will reflect proceeds we receive from the exercise of the over-allotment option, if the over-allotment option is exercised on the date of this prospectus. If the over-allotment option is exercised after the date of this prospectus, we will file an amendment to the Form 8-K, or a new Form 8-K, to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. We will also include in this Form 8-K, an amendment thereto, or in a subsequent Form 8-K information indicating when separate trading of the ordinary shares, warrants and rights has commenced.
Ordinary Shares
Our shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. In connection with any vote held to approve our initial business combination, all of our initial shareholders, as well as all of our officers and directors, have agreed to vote their respective ordinary shares owned by them immediately prior to this offering and any shares purchased in this offering or following this offering in the open market in favor of the proposed business combination.
We will proceed with the business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon consummation of such business combination and a majority of the ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination. At least five days’ notice must be given for each general meeting (although we will provide whatever minimum number of days are required under Federal securities laws). Shareholders may vote at meetings in person or by proxy.
The members of our Board of Directors serve until the next annual general meeting. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares eligible to vote for the election of directors can elect all of the directors.
Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, if we do not consummate a business combination by 18 months from the consummation of this offering, it will trigger our automatic winding up, liquidation and dissolution. Our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their rights to share in any distribution from the trust account with respect to their insider shares upon our winding up, liquidation and dissolution.
Our shareholders have no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights and there are no sinking fund or redemption provisions applicable to the ordinary shares, except that public shareholders have the right to have their public shares
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converted to cash equal to their pro rata share of the trust account if they vote on the proposed business combination and the business combination is completed. Public shareholders who convert their public shares into their portion of the trust account still have the right to exercise the redeemable warrants that they received as part of the units.
Register of Members
Under Cayman Islands law, we must keep a register of members and there shall be entered therein:
(a) the names and addresses of the members, a statement of the shares held by each member, and of the amount paid or agreed to be considered as paid, on the shares of each member;
(b) the date on which the name of any person was entered on the register as a member; and
(c) the date on which any person ceased to be a member.
Under Cayman Islands law, the register of members of our company is prima facie evidence of the matters set out therein (i.e. the register of members will raise a presumption of fact on the matters referred to above unless rebutted) and a member registered in the register of members shall be deemed as a matter of Cayman Islands law to have legal title to the shares as set against its name in the register of members. Upon the closing of this public offering, the register of members shall be immediately updated to reflect the issue of shares by us. Once our register of members has been updated, the shareholders recorded in the register of members shall be deemed to have legal title to the shares set against their name.
However, there are certain limited circumstances where an application may be made to a Cayman Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct legal position. Further, the Cayman Islands court has the power to order that the register of members maintained by a company should be rectified where it considers that the register of members does not reflect the correct legal position. If an application for an order for rectification of the register of members were made in respect of our ordinary shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a Cayman Islands court.
Preferred Shares
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association authorizes the issuance of 2,000,000 preferred shares with such designation, rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by our board of directors. No preferred shares are being issued or registered in this offering. Accordingly, our board of directors is empowered, without shareholder approval, to issue preferred shares with dividend, liquidation, redemption, voting or other rights which could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of ordinary shares. However, the underwriting agreement prohibits us, prior to a business combination, from issuing preferred shares which participate in any manner in the proceeds of the trust account, or which votes as a class with the ordinary shares on a business combination. We may issue some or all of the preferred shares to effect a business combination. In addition, the preferred shares could be utilized as a method of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control of us. Although we do not currently intend to issue any preferred shares, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future.
Redeemable Warrants
No warrants are currently outstanding. Each redeemable warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of the completion of an initial business combination and 12 months from the date of this prospectus. Except as set forth below, no warrants will be exercisable for cash unless we have an effective and current registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to such ordinary shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective within 90 days from the consummation of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act provided that such exemption is available. If an exemption from registration is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. The warrants will expire five years from the consummation of our initial business combination at 5:00 p.m., New York City time.
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We may call the warrants for redemption (excluding the private warrants), in whole and not in part, at a price of $.01 per warrant:
• at any time while the warrants are exercisable,
• upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder,
• if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share, for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending on the third business day prior to the notice of redemption to warrant holders, and
• if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the ordinary shares underlying such warrants at the time of redemption and for the entire 30-day trading period referred to above and continuing each day thereafter until the date of redemption.
The right to exercise will be forfeited unless the warrants are exercised prior to the date specified in the notice of redemption. On and after the redemption date, a record holder of a warrant will have no further rights except to receive the redemption price for such holder’s warrant upon surrender of such warrant.
The redemption criteria for our warrants have been established at a price which is intended to provide warrant holders a reasonable premium to the initial exercise price and provide a sufficient differential between the then-prevailing share price and the warrant exercise price so that if the share price declines as a result of our redemption call, the redemption will not cause the share price to drop below the exercise price of the warrants.
If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the volume weighted average price of the ordinary shares for the 20 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. Whether we will exercise our option to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis” will depend on a variety of factors including the price of our ordinary shares at the time the warrants are called for redemption, our cash needs at such time and concerns regarding dilutive share issuances.
The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval, by written consent or vote, of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding warrants in order to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders.
The exercise price and number of ordinary shares issuable on exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a capitalization of shares, extraordinary dividend or our recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the warrants will not be adjusted for issuances of ordinary shares at a price below their respective exercise prices.
The warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price, by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of ordinary shares and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive ordinary shares. After the issuance of ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.
Except as described above, no warrants will be exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue ordinary shares unless at the time a holder seeks to exercise such warrant, a prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is current and the ordinary shares have been registered or qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the holder of the warrants. Under the terms of the warrant agreement,
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we have agreed to use our best efforts to meet these conditions and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so and, if we do not maintain a current prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, holders will be unable to exercise their warrants and we will not be required to settle any such warrant exercise. If the prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the warrants is not current or if the ordinary shares is not qualified or exempt from qualification in the jurisdictions in which the holders of the warrants reside, we will not be required to net cash settle or cash settle the warrant exercise, the warrants may have no value, the market for the warrants may be limited and the warrants may expire worthless.
Warrant holders may elect to be subject to a restriction on the exercise of their warrants such that an electing warrant holder (and his, her or its affiliates) would not be able to exercise their warrants to the extent that, after giving effect to such exercise, such holder (and his, her or its affiliates) would beneficially own in excess of 9.8% of the ordinary shares issued and outstanding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any person who acquires a warrant with the purpose or effect of changing or influencing the control of our company, or in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having such purpose or effect, immediately upon such acquisition will be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the underlying ordinary shares and not be able to take advantage of this provision.
No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share (as a result of a subsequent capitalization of shares payable in ordinary shares, or by a split up of the ordinary shares or other similar event), we will, upon exercise, round up or down to the nearest whole number the number of ordinary shares to be issued to the warrant holder.
Contractual Arrangements with respect to the Certain Warrants
We have agreed that so long as the private warrants are still held by the initial purchasers or their affiliates, we will not redeem such warrants and we will allow the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis (even if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants is not effective). However, once any of the foregoing warrants are transferred from the initial purchasers or their affiliates, these arrangements will no longer apply. Furthermore, because the private warrants will be issued in a private transaction, the holders and their transferees will be allowed to exercise the private warrants for cash even if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants is not effective and receive unregistered ordinary shares.
Rights
Except in cases where we are not the surviving company in a business combination, each holder of a right will automatically receive one-tenth (1/10) of an ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination, even if the holder of a public right converted all ordinary shares held by him, her or it in connection with the initial business combination or an amendment to our memorandum and articles of association with respect to our pre-business combination activities. In the event we will not be the surviving company upon completion of our initial business combination, each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert his, her or its rights in order to receive the one-tenth (1/10) of a share underlying each right upon consummation of the business combination. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive his, her or its additional ordinary shares upon consummation of an initial business combination. The shares issuable upon exchange of the rights will be freely tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of ours). If we enter into a definitive agreement for a business combination in which we will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the ordinary shares will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into ordinary shares basis. We will not issue fractional shares in connection with an exchange of rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with the applicable provisions of Cayman Islands Law. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of 10 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a business combination. If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we liquidate the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from our assets held outside of the trust account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination. Additionally, in no event will we be required to net cash settle the rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.
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Representative’s Ordinary Shares
We have agreed to issue to EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) 250,000 ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any such shares without our prior consent until the completion of our initial business combination. In addition, EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) has agreed (i) to waive its redemption rights with respect to such shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of a business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of a business combination. The payment of any dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our then board of directors. It is the present intention of our board of directors to retain all earnings, if any, for use in our business operations and, accordingly, our board does not anticipate declaring any dividends in the foreseeable future.
Our Transfer Agent, Warrant Agent and Rights Agent
The transfer agent for our ordinary shares, warrant agent for our warrants and rights agent for our rights is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, One State Street Plaza, 30 th Floor, New York, New York 10004.
Listing of our Securities
There is presently no public market for our units, ordinary shares, warrants or rights. We have applied to have the units, and the ordinary shares, warrants and rights once they begin separate trading, listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “TWLVU,” “TWLV,” “TWLVW,” and “TWLVR” respectively. Although, after giving effect to this offering, we meet on a pro forma basis the minimum initial listing standards of Nasdaq, which generally only requires that we meet certain requirements relating to shareholders’ equity, market capitalization, aggregate market value of publicly held shares and distribution requirements, we cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq as we might not meet certain continued listing standards.
Certain Differences in Corporate Law
Cayman Islands companies are governed by the Companies Law. The Companies Law is modeled on English Law but does not follow recent English Law statutory enactments, and differs from laws applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of the material differences between the provisions of the Companies Law applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.
Mergers and Similar Arrangements. In certain circumstances, the Companies Law allows for mergers or consolidations between two Cayman Islands companies, or between a Cayman Islands company and a company incorporated in another jurisdiction (provided that is facilitated by the laws of that other jurisdiction).
Where the merger or consolidation is between two Cayman Islands companies, the directors of each company must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation containing certain prescribed information. That plan or merger or consolidation must then be authorized by either (a) a special resolution (usually a majority of 66.6% in value) of the shareholders of each company; or (b) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company’s articles of association. No shareholder resolution is required for a merger between a parent company (i.e., a company that owns at least 90% of the issued shares of each class in a subsidiary company) and its subsidiary company. The consent of each holder of a fixed or floating security interest of a constituent company must be obtained, unless the court waives such requirement. If the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies is satisfied that the requirements of the Companies Law (which includes certain other formalities) have been complied with, the Registrar of Companies will register the plan of merger or consolidation.
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Where the merger or consolidation involves a foreign company, the procedure is similar, save that with respect to the foreign company, the director of the Cayman Islands company is required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, he is of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (i) that the merger or consolidation is permitted or not prohibited by the constitutional documents of the foreign company and by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the foreign company is incorporated, and that those laws and any requirements of those constitutional documents have been or will be complied with; (ii) that no petition or other similar proceeding has been filed and remains outstanding or order made or resolution adopted to wind up or liquidate the foreign company in any jurisdictions; (iii) that no receiver, trustee, administrator or other similar person has been appointed in any jurisdiction and is acting in respect of the foreign company, its affairs or its property or any part thereof; (iv) that no scheme, order, compromise or other similar arrangement has been entered into or made in any jurisdiction whereby the rights of creditors of the foreign company are and continue to be suspended or restricted.
Where the surviving company is the Cayman Islands company, the director of the Cayman Islands company is further required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, he is of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (i) that the foreign company is able to pay its debts as they fall due and that the merger or consolidated is bona fide and not intended to defraud unsecured creditors of the foreign company; (ii) that in respect of the transfer of any security interest granted by the foreign company to the surviving or consolidated company (a) co nsent or approval to the transfer has been obtained, released or waived; (b) the transfer is permitted by and has been approved in accordance with the constitutional documents of the foreign company; and (c) the laws of the jurisdiction of the foreign company with respect to the transfer have been or will be complied with; (iii) that the foreign company will, upon the merger or consolidation becoming effective, cease to be incorporated, registered or exist under the laws of the relevant foreign jurisdiction; and (iv) that there is no other reason why it would be against the public interest to permit the merger or consolidation.
Where the above procedures are adopted, the Companies Law provides for a right of dissenting shareholders to be paid a payment of the fair value of his shares upon their dissenting to the merger or consolidation if they follow a prescribed procedure. In essence, that procedure is as follows (a) the shareholder must give his written objection to the merger or consolidation to the constituent company before the vote on the merger or consolidation, including a statement that the shareholder proposes to demand payment for his shares if the merger or consolidation is authorized by the vote; (b ) w ithin 20 days following the date on which the merger or consolidation is approved by the shareholders, the constituent company must give written notice to each shareholder who made a written objection; (c) a shareholder must within 20 days following receipt of such notice from the constituent company, give the constituent company a written notice of his intention to dissent including, among other details, a demand for payment of the fair value of his shares; (d) within seven days following the date of the expiration of the period set out in paragraph (b) above or seven days following the date on which the plan of merger or consolidation is filed, whichever is later, the constituent company, the surviving company or the consolidated company must make a written offer to each dissenting shareholder to purchase his shares at a price that the company determines is the fair value and if the company and the shareholder agree the price within 30 days following the date on which the offer was made, the company must pay the shareholder such amount; (e) if the company and the shareholder fail to agree a price within such 30 day period, within 20 days following the date on which such 30 day period expires, the company (and any dissenting shareholder) must file a petition with the Cayman Islands Grand Court to determine the fair value and such petition must be accompanied by a list of the names and addresses of the dissenting shareholders with whom agreements as to the fair value of their shares have not been reached by the company. At the hearing of that petition, the court has the power to determine the fair value of the shares together with a fair rate of interest, if any, to be paid by the company upon the amount determined to be the fair value. Any dissenting shareholder whose name appears on the list filed by the company may participate fully in all proceedings until the determination of fair value is reached. These rights of a dissenting shareholder are not be available in certain circumstances, for example, to dissenters holding shares of any class in respect of which an open market exists on a recognized stock exchange or recognized interdealer quotation system at the relevant date or where the consideration for such shares to be contributed are shares of any company listed on a national securities exchange or shares of the surviving or consolidated company.
Moreover, Cayman Islands law also has separate statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction or amalgamation of companies in certain circumstances, schemes of arrangement will generally be more suited for complex mergers or other transactions involving widely held companies, commonly referred to in the Cayman Islands as a “scheme of arrangement” which may be tantamount to a merger. In the event that a merger was sought pursuant to a scheme of arrangement (the procedure of which are more rigorous and take longer to complete than the procedures typically
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required to consummate a merger in the United States), the arrangement in question must be approved by a majority in number of each class of shareholders and creditors with whom the arrangement is to be made and who must in addition represent three-fourths in value of each such class of shareholders or creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, or meeting summoned for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the terms of the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder would have the right to express to the court the view that the transaction should not be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it satisfies itself that:
• we are not proposing to act illegally or beyond the scope of our corporate authority and the statutory provisions as to majority vote have been complied with;
• the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question;
• the arrangement is such as a businessman would reasonably approve; and
• the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Companies Law or that would amount to a “fraud on the minority.”
If a scheme of arrangement or takeover offer (as described below) is approved, any dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights, which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of United States corporations, providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares.
Squeeze-out Provisions . When a takeover offer is made and accepted by holders of 90% of the shares to whom the offer relates within four months, the offeror may, within a two-month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands but this is unlikely to succeed unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith, collusion or inequitable treatment of the shareholders.
Further, transactions similar to a merger, reconstruction and/or an amalgamation may in some circumstances be achieved through other means to these statutory provisions, such as a share capital exchange, asset acquisition or control, through contractual arrangements, of an operating business.
Shareholders’ Suits . Our Cayman Islands counsel is not aware of any reported class action having been brought in a Cayman Islands court. Derivative actions have been brought in the Cayman Islands courts, and the Cayman Islands courts have confirmed the availability for such actions. In most cases, we will be the proper plaintiff in any claim based on a breach of duty owed to us, and a claim against (for example) our officers or directors usually may not be brought by a shareholder. However, based both on Cayman Islands authorities and on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority and be applied by a court in the Cayman Islands, exceptions to the foregoing principle apply in circumstances in which:
• a company is acting, or proposing to act, illegally or beyond the scope of its authority;
• the act complained of, although not beyond the scope of the authority, could be effected if duly authorized by more than the number of votes which have actually been obtained; or
• those who control the company are perpetrating a “fraud on the minority.”
A shareholder may have a direct right of action against us where the individual rights of that shareholder have been infringed or are about to be infringed.
Enforcement of civil liabilities . The Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States and may provide less protection to investors. Additionally, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the Federal courts of the United States.
We have been advised by our Cayman Islands legal counsel that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances,
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although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the U nited Stat es, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, and or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands (awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.
Special Considerations for Exempted Companies . We are an exempted company with limited liability under the Companies Law. The Companies Law distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except for the exemptions and privileges listed below:
• annual reporting requirements are minimal and consist mainly of a statement that the company has conducted its operations mainly outside of the Cayman Islands and has complied with the provisions of the Companies Law;
• an exempted company’s register of members is not open to inspection;
• an exempted company does not have to hold an annual general meeting;
• an exempted company may issue negotiable or bearer shares or shares with no par value;
• an exempted company may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation (such undertakings are usually given for 20 years in the first instance);
• an exempted company may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands;
• an exempted company may register as a limited duration company; and
• an exempted company may register as a segregated portfolio company.
Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association filed under the laws of the Cayman Islands contain provisions designed to provide certain rights and protections to our shareholders prior to the consummation of a business combination. The following are the material rights and protections contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:
• the right of public shareholders to exercise conversion rights and have their public shares redeemed in lieu of participating in a proposed business combination;
• a prohibition against completing a business combination unless we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon consummation of such business combination;
• a requirement that if we seek shareholder approval of any business combination, a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares voted must be voted in favor of such business combination;
• the separation of our board of directors into two classes and the establishment of related procedures regarding the standing and election of such directors;
• a requirement that directors may call general meetings on their own accord and are required to call an extraordinary general meeting if holders of not less than 10% in par value of the issued shares request such a meeting;
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• a prohibition, prior to a business combination, against our issuing (i) any ordinary shares or any securities convertible into ordinary shares or (ii) any other securities (including preferred shares) which participate in or are otherwise entitled in any manner to any of the proceeds in the trust account or which vote as a class with the ordinary shares on a business combination;
• a requirement that our management take all actions necessary to liquidate our trust account in the event we do not consummate a business combination by 18 months from the consummation of this offering;
• a prohibition, prior to a business combination, against our issuing (i) any ordinary shares or any securities convertible into ordinary shares or (ii) any other securities (including preferred shares) which participate in or are otherwise entitled in any manner to any of the proceeds in the trust account or which vote as a class with the ordinary shares on a business combination; and
• the limitation on shareholders’ rights to receive a portion of the trust account.
The Companies Law permits a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands to amend its memorandum and articles of association with the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of such company’s issued and outstanding ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting. A company’s articles of association may specify that the approval of a higher majority is required but, provided the approval of the required majority is obtained, any Cayman Islands company may amend its memorandum and articles of association regardless of whether its memorandum and articles of association provides otherwise. Accordingly, although we could amend any of the provisions relating to our proposed offering, structure and business plan which are contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, we view all of these provisions as binding obligations to our shareholders and neither we, nor our officers or directors, will take any action to amend or waive any of these provisions unless we provide public shareholders with the opportunity to convert their public shares in connection with any such vote. The foregoing is set forth in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and cannot be amended.
Anti-Money Laundering — Cayman Islands
In order to comply with legislation or regulations aimed at the prevention of money laundering, we are required to adopt and maintain anti-money laundering procedures, and may require subscribers to provide evidence to verify their identity and source of funds. Where permitted, and subject to certain conditions, we may also delegate the maintenance of our anti-money laundering procedures (including the acquisition of due diligence information) to a suitable person.
We reserve the right to request such information as is necessary to verify the identity of a subscriber. In some cases the directors may be satisfied that no further information is required since an exemption applies under the Money Laundering Regulations (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, as amended and revised from time to time (the “Regulations”). Depending on the circumstances of each application, a detailed verification of identity might not be required where:
(a) the subscriber makes the payment for their investment from an account held in the subscriber’s name at a recognized financial institution; or
(b) the subscriber is regulated by a recognized regulatory authority and is based or incorporated in, or formed under the law of, a recognized jurisdiction; or
(c) the application is made through an intermediary which is regulated by a recognized regulatory authority and is based in or incorporated in, or formed under the law of a recognized jurisdiction and an assurance is provided in relation to the procedures undertaken on the underlying investors.
For the purposes of these exceptions, recognition of a financial institution, regulatory authority or jurisdiction will be determined in accordance with the Regulations by reference to those jurisdictions recognized by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority as having equivalent anti-money laundering regulations.
In the event of delay or failure on the part of the subscriber in producing any information required for verification purposes, we may refuse to accept the application, in which case any funds received will be returned without interest to the account from which they were originally debited.
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We also reserve the right to refuse to make any payment to a shareholder if our directors or officers suspect or are advised that the payment to such shareholder might result in a breach of applicable anti-money laundering or other laws or regulations by any person in any relevant jurisdiction, or if such refusal is considered necessary or appropriate to ensure our compliance with any such laws or regulations in any applicable jurisdiction.
If any person in the Cayman Islands knows or suspects or has reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting that another person is engaged in criminal conduct or money laundering or is involved with terrorism or terrorist property and the information for that knowledge or suspicion came to their attention in the course of business in the regulated sector, or other trade, profession, business or employment, the person will be required to report such knowledge or suspicion to (i) the Financial Reporting Authority of the Cayman Islands, pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Law (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands if the disclosure relates to criminal conduct or money laundering, or (ii) a police officer of the rank of constable or higher, or the Financial Reporting Authority, pursuant to the Terrorism Law (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, if the disclosure relates to involvement with terrorism or terrorist financing and property. Such a report shall not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by any enactment or otherwise.
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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
Immediately after this offering, we will have 13,065,000 ordinary shares issued and outstanding, or 14,970,000 shares if the over-allotment option is exercised in full (including 250,000 shares to be issued to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in this offering, upon the consummation of this offering). Of these shares, the 10,000,000 shares sold in this offering, or 11,500,000 shares if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the remaining shares are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering. All of those shares will not be transferable except in limited circumstances described elsewhere in this prospectus.
Rule 144
A person who has beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares or warrants for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale. Persons who have beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of either of the following:
• 1% of the number of ordinary shares then issued and outstanding, which will equal 130,650 shares immediately after this offering (or 149,700 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full); and
• the average weekly trading volume of the ordinary shares during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.
Sales under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies
Historically, the SEC staff had taken the position that Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by companies that are, or previously were, blank check companies, like us. The SEC has codified and expanded this position in the amendments discussed above by prohibiting the use of Rule 144 for resale of securities issued by any shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or any issuer that has been at any time previously a shell company. The SEC has provided an important exception to this prohibition, however, if the following conditions are met:
• the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;
• the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;
• the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Form 8-K reports; and
• at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.
As a result, it is likely that pursuant to Rule 144, our initial shareholders will be able to sell their insider shares freely without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination assuming they are not an affiliate of ours at that time.
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Registration Rights
The holders of our insider shares issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private units (and underlying securities), any securities issued to our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates in payment of working capital loans made to us, and the holders of the 250,000 shares we have agreed to issue to EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) upon the consummation of this offering will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the insider shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these ordinary shares are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the private units (and underlying securities) and securities issued in payment of working capital loans (or underlying securities) can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time after we consummate a business combination. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of a business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. and/or its designees may only make a demand registration (i) on one occasion and (ii) during the five year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The holders of the majority of the founders’ shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these shares are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the founders’ units or units issued to our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates in payment of working capital loans made to us (in each case, including the underlying securities) can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time after we consummate a business combination. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of a business combination. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. and/or its designees may participate in a “piggy-back” registration only during the seven year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
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TAXATION
The following summary of the material Cayman Islands and U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in our units, ordinary shares, warrants and rights to acquire our ordinary shares, sometimes referred to, individually or collectively, in this summary as our “securities,” is based upon laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this prospectus, all of which are subject to change. This summary does not deal with all possible tax consequences relating to an investment in our securities, such as the tax consequences under state, local and other tax laws.
Cayman Islands Tax Considerations
The following is a discussion on certain Cayman Islands income tax consequences of an investment in the securities of the Company. The discussion is a general summary of present law, which is subject to prospective and retroactive change. It is not intended as tax advice, does not consider any investor’s particular circumstances, and does not consider tax consequences other than those arising under Cayman Islands law.
Under Existing Cayman Islands Laws:
Payments of dividends and capital in respect of our securities will not be subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands and no withholding will be required on the payment of a dividend or capital to any holder of the securities nor will gains derived from the disposal of the securities be subject to Cayman Islands income or corporation tax. The Cayman Islands currently have no income, corporation or capital gains tax and no estate duty, inheritance tax or gift tax.
No stamp duty is payable in respect of the issue of the warrants. An instrument of transfer in respect of a warrant is stampable if executed in or brought into the Cayman Islands.
No stamp duty is payable in respect of the issue of our ordinary shares or on an instrument of transfer in respect of such shares.
The Company has been incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability and, as such, has applied for and expects to obtain after the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part an undertaking from the Financial Secretary of the Cayman Islands in the following form:
The Tax Concessions Law
(2018 Revision)
Undertaking as to Tax Concessions
In accordance with the provision of Section 6 of The Tax Concessions Law (2018 Revision), the Financial Secretary undertakes with Twelve Seas Investment Company (“the Company”):
1. That no law which is hereafter enacted in the Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations shall apply to the Company or its operations; and
2. In addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax shall be payable:
2.1 On or in respect of the shares, debentures or other obligations of the Company; or
2.2 by way of the withholding in whole or part, of any relevant payment as defined in Section 6(3) of the Tax Concessions Law (2018 Revision).
These concessions shall be for a period of twenty years from the date hereof.
United States Federal Income Taxation
General
This section is a general summary of the material U.S. federal income tax provisions relating to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our securities issued pursuant to this offering. This section does not address any aspect of U.S. federal
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gift or estate tax, or the state, local or non-U.S. tax consequences of an investment in our securities, nor does it provide any actual representations as to any tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership or disposition of our securities.
Because the components of a unit are separable at the option of the holder, the holder of a unit generally should be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as the owner of the underlying ordinary share, redeemable warrant and right components of the unit, as the case may be. As a result, the discussion below of the U.S. federal income tax consequences with respect to actual holders of ordinary shares and, warrants and rights should also apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying ordinary shares and, warrants and rights that comprise the units).
The discussion below of the U.S. federal income tax consequences to “U.S. Holders” will apply to a beneficial owner of our securities that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
• an individual citizen or resident of the United States;
• a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation) that is created or organized (or treated as created or organized) in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;
• an estate whose income is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or
• a trust if (i) a U.S. court can exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more U.S. persons are authorized to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (ii) it has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.
If a beneficial owner of our securities is not described as a U.S. Holder and is not an entity treated as a partnership or other pass-through entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such owner will be considered a “Non-U.S. Holder.” The material U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable specifically to Non-U.S. Holders are described below under the heading “Non-U.S. Holders.”
This discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), its legislative history, Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, published rulings and court decisions, all as currently in effect. These authorities are subject to change or differing interpretations, possibly on a retroactive basis.
This discussion assumes that the ordinary shares, warrants and rights will trade separately and does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to any particular holder based on such holder’s individual circumstances. In particular, this discussion considers only holders purchase units pursuant to this offering and own and hold our securities as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code, and does not address the potential application of the alternative minimum tax. In addition, this discussion does not address the U.S. federal income tax consequences to holders that are subject to special rules, including:
• financial institutions or financial services entities;
• broker-dealers;
• taxpayers that are subject to the mark-to-market accounting rules under Section 475 of the Code;
• tax-exempt entities;
• governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof;
• insurance companies;
• regulated investment companies;
• real estate investment trusts;
• expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States;
• persons that actually or constructively own 5 percent or more of our voting shares;
• persons that acquired our securities pursuant to an exercise of employee share options, in connection with employee share incentive plans or otherwise as compensation;
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• persons that hold our securities as part of a straddle, constructive sale, hedging, conversion or other integrated transaction;
• persons whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;
• controlled foreign corporations; or
• passive foreign investment companies.
This discussion does not address any aspect of U.S. federal non-income tax laws, such as gift or estate tax laws, state, local or non-U.S. tax laws or, except as discussed herein, any tax reporting obligations of a holder of our securities. Additionally, this discussion does not consider the tax treatment of partnerships or other pass-through entities or persons who hold our securities through such entities. If a partnership (or other entity classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is the beneficial owner of our securities, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. This discussion also assumes that any distributions made (or deemed made) by us on our securities shares and any consideration received (or deemed received) by a holder in consideration for the sale or other disposition of our securities will be in U.S. dollars. In addition, this discussion assumes that a holder will own a sufficient number of rights (in multiples of 10) such that upon conversion of the rights, the holder will acquire only a whole number of ordinary shares and will not forfeit any fractional shares.
We have not sought, and will not seek, a ruling from the IRS as to any U.S. federal income tax consequence described herein. The IRS may disagree with the descriptions herein, and its determination may be upheld by a court. Moreover, there can be no assurance that future legislation, regulations, administrative rulings or court decisions will not adversely affect the accuracy of the statements in this discussion.
THIS DISCUSSION IS ONLY A SUMMARY OF THE MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES. IT DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY ACTUAL REPRESENTATIONS AS TO ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES AND WE HAVE NOT OBTAINED ANY OPINION OF COUNSEL WITH RESPECT TO SUCH TAX CONSEQUENCES. AS A RESULT, EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IN OUR SECURITIES IS URGED TO CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO SUCH INVESTOR OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES, INCLUDING THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF ANY STATE, LOCAL, AND NON-U.S. TAX LAWS, AS WELL AS U.S. FEDERAL TAX LAWS AND ANY APPLICABLE TAX TREATIES.
Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit
There is no authority addressing the treatment, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, of securities with terms substantially the same as the units, and, therefore, that treatment is not entirely clear. Each unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as an investment unit consisting of one ordinary share, one warrant to acquire one ordinary share and one right to receive one-tenth (1/10) of one ordinary share. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each holder of a unit generally must allocate the purchase price of a unit among the ordinary share, warrant and right that comprise the unit based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. The price allocated to each ordinary share and warrant generally will be the holder’s tax basis in such share or warrant or right, as the case may be.
In addition, although we intend to treat the rights for U.S. federal income tax purposes in a manner similar to options to acquire our ordinary shares in the future, there is a risk that alternate characterizations of the rights could result in U.S. federal income tax consequences to the holders of the rights that differ from those described below.
The foregoing treatment of our ordinary shares, warrants and rights and a holder’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts. Because there are no authorities that directly address instruments that are similar to the units, no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below. Accordingly, each holder is advised to consult its own tax advisor regarding the risks associated with an investment in a unit (including alternative characterizations of a unit) and regarding an allocation of the purchase price among the ordinary share, warrant and right that comprise a unit. The balance of this discussion assumes that the characterization of the units described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
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U.S. Holders
Tax Reporting
Certain U.S. Holders may be required to file an IRS Form 926 (Return of a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation) to report a transfer of property (including cash) to us. Substantial penalties may be imposed on a U.S. Holder that fails to comply with this reporting requirement. Each U.S. Holder is urged to consult with its own tax advisor regarding this reporting obligation.
Taxation of Distributions Paid on Ordinary Shares
Subject to the passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will be required to include in gross income as dividends the amount of any cash distribution paid on our ordinary shares. A cash distribution on such shares generally will be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent the distribution is paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Such dividends paid by us will be taxable to a corporate U.S. holder at regular rates and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally allowed to domestic corporations in respect of dividends received from other domestic corporations. Distributions in excess of such earnings and profits generally will be applied against and reduce the U.S. Holder’s basis in its ordinary shares (but not below zero) and, to the extent in excess of such basis, will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of such ordinary shares. With respect to non-corporate U.S. Holders, dividends may be taken at the lower applicable long-term capital gains tax rate (see “— Taxation on the Disposition of Securities”) if our ordinary shares are readily tradeable on an established securities market in the United States and certain other requirements are met. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability of the lower rate and dividends paid with respect to our ordinary shares.
Possible Constructive Distributions
The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events. An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. However, the U.S. Holders of the warrants would be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the warrant holders’ proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of ordinary shares that would be obtained upon exercise) as a result of a distribution of cash to the holders of our ordinary shares which is taxable to the U.S. Holders of such ordinary shares as described under “— Taxation of Distributions Paid on Ordinary Shares” above. Such constructive distribution would be subject to tax as described under that section in the same manner as if the U.S. Holders of the warrants received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased interest.
Taxation on the Disposition of Securities
Upon a sale or other taxable disposition of our securities (which, in general, would include a redemption of ordinary shares, as discussed below, and including as a result of a liquidation and dissolution in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time), and subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the securities.
The regular U.S. federal income tax rate on capital gains recognized by U.S. Holders generally is the same as the regular U.S. federal income tax rate on ordinary income, except that under tax law currently in effect long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate U.S. Holders are generally subject to U.S. federal income tax at reduced rates. Capital gain or loss will constitute long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ordinary shares or warrants and rights exceeds one year. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to various limitations. U.S. Holders who recognize losses with respect to a disposition of our securities should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax treatment of such losses.
Redemption of Ordinary Shares
Subject to the PFIC rules described below, if a U.S. Holder converts ordinary shares into the right to receive cash pursuant to the exercise of a shareholder conversion right or sells its ordinary shares to us pursuant to a tender offer, for
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U.S. federal income tax purposes, such conversion or sale generally will be treated as a redemption and will be subject to the following rules. If the redemption qualifies as a sale of the ordinary shares under Section 302 of the Code, the tax treatment of such redemption will be as described under “— Taxation on the Disposition of Securities” above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of ordinary shares under Section 302 of the Code, a U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a distribution with the tax consequences described below. Whether redemption of our shares qualifies for sale treatment will depend largely on the total number of our ordinary shares treated as held by such U.S. Holder. The redemption of ordinary shares generally will be treated as a sale or exchange of the ordinary shares (rather than as a distribution) if the receipt of cash upon the conversion (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to a U.S. Holder, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of such holder’s interest in us or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to such holder. These tests are explained more fully below.
In determining whether any of the foregoing tests are satisfied, a U.S. Holder must take into account not only our ordinary shares actually owned by such holder, but also our ordinary shares that are constructively owned by such holder. A U.S. Holder may constructively own, in addition to our ordinary shares owned directly, ordinary shares owned by related individuals and entities in which such holder has an interest or that have an interest in such holder, as well as any ordinary shares such holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include ordinary shares which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of warrants. In order to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of our issued and outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by a U.S. Holder immediately following the redemption of our ordinary shares must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our issued and outstanding voting and ordinary shares actually and constructively owned by such holder immediately before the redemption. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. Holder’s interest if either (i) all of our ordinary shares actually and constructively owned by such U.S. Holder are redeemed or (ii) all of our ordinary shares actually owned by such U.S. Holder are redeemed and such holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives, in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of shares owned by family members and such holder does not constructively own any other shares. The redemption of the ordinary shares will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if such redemption results in a “meaningful reduction” of a U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us will depend on the particular facts and circumstances. However, the IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority shareholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.” U.S. Holders should consult with their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of any such redemption.
If none of the foregoing tests are satisfied, then the redemption may be treated as a distribution and the tax effects will be as described under “— Taxation of Distributions Paid on Ordinary Shares,” above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis a U.S. Holder has in the redeemed ordinary shares will be added to the adjusted tax basis in such holder’s remaining ordinary shares. If there are no remaining ordinary shares, a U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisors as to the allocation of any remaining basis.
Certain U.S. Holders may be subject to special reporting requirements with respect to a redemption of ordinary shares, and such holders should consult with their own tax advisors with respect to their reporting requirements.
Exercise or Lapse of a Warrant
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will not recognize gain or loss upon the acquisition of an ordinary share from the exercise of a warrant for cash. An ordinary share acquired pursuant to the exercise of a warrant for cash generally will have a tax basis equal to the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrant, increased by the amount paid to exercise the warrant. The holding period of such ordinary share generally would begin on the day after the date of exercise of the warrant and will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrant. If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holder’s tax basis in the warrant.
The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of warrants are not clear under current tax law. A cashless exercise may be tax-free, either because the exercise is not a realization event (i.e., not a transaction in which gain or loss is realized) or because the exercise is treated as a recapitalization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In either tax-free situation, a U.S. Holder’s basis in the ordinary shares received would equal the holder’s basis in the warrants. If the cashless exercise were treated as not being a realization event, a U.S. Holder’s holding period in the ordinary shares would be treated as commencing on the date following the date of exercise of the warrants. If the cashless exercise were
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treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the ordinary shares received would include the holding period of the warrants. It is also possible that a cashless exercise could be treated as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. In such event, a U.S. Holder could be deemed to have surrendered a number of warrants with a fair market value equal to the exercise price for the number of warrants deemed exercised. For this purpose, the number of warrants deemed exercised would be equal to the amount needed to receive or exercise the number of ordinary shares issued pursuant to the cashless exercise. In this situation, the U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the warrants deemed surrendered to pay the exercise price and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants deemed surrendered. Such gain or loss would be long-term or short-term depending on the U.S. Holder’s holding period in the warrants. In this case, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the ordinary shares received would equal the sum of the fair market value of the warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants deemed exercised. A U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ordinary shares should commence on the date following the date of exercise of the warrants. There may also be alternative characterizations of any such taxable exchange that would result in similar tax consequences, except that a U.S. Holder’s gain or loss would be short-term. Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise of the warrants.
Conversion or Lapse of Rights
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally should not recognize gain or loss upon the acquisition of ordinary shares on the conversion of the rights, such ordinary shares should have a tax basis equal to such holder’s tax basis in the rights, and the holding period of such shares should begin on the day after such conversion. In addition, a U.S. Holder generally should recognize a capital loss on the lapse of the rights equal to such holder’s tax basis in the rights.
Unearned Income Medicare Tax
Under current tax law, U.S. Holders that are individual, estates or trusts and whose income exceeds certain thresholds generally will be subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on unearned income, including, among other things, dividends on, and capital gains from the sale or other disposition of, our securities, subject to certain limitations and exceptions. Under current regulations, in the absence of a special election, such unearned income generally would not include income inclusions under the qualified election fund (“QEF”) rules discussed below under “— Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules,” but would include distributions of earnings and profits from a QEF. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the effect, if any, of such tax on their ownership and disposition or our securities.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules
A foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) corporation will be a PFIC for U.S. tax purposes if at least 75% of its gross income in a taxable year of such foreign corporation, including its pro rata share of the gross income of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, is passive income. Alternatively, a foreign corporation will be a PFIC if at least 50% of its assets in a taxable year, ordinarily determined based on fair market value and averaged quarterly over the year, including its pro rata share of the assets of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, are held for the production of, or produce, passive income. Passive income generally includes dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other than certain rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of passive assets.
Because we are a blank check company, with no current active business, we believe that it is likely that we will meet the PFIC asset or income test for our current taxable year. However, pursuant to a start-up exception, a corporation will not be a PFIC for the first taxable year the corporation has gross income, if (1) no predecessor of the corporation was a PFIC; (2) the corporation satisfies the IRS that it will not be a PFIC for either of the first two taxable years following the start-up year; and (3) the corporation is not in fact a PFIC for either of those years. The applicability of the start-up exception to us is uncertain. After the acquisition of a company or assets in a business combination, we may still meet one of the PFIC tests depending on the timing of the acquisition and the amount of our passive income and assets as well as the passive income and assets of the acquired business. If the company that we acquire in a business combination is a PFIC, then we will likely not qualify for the start-up exception and will be a PFIC for our
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current taxable year. Our actual PFIC status for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. Accordingly, there can be no assurance with respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year or any future taxable year.
If we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. Holder of our securities and, in the case of our ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder did not make a timely QEF election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder held (or was deemed to hold) such ordinary shares, a QEF election along with a deemed sale (or purging) election, or a “mark-to-market” election, each as described below, such holder generally will be subject to special rules for regular U.S. federal income tax purposes with respect to:
• any gain recognized by the U.S. Holder on the sale or other disposition of our securities; and
• any “excess distribution” made to the U.S. Holder (generally, any distributions to such U.S. Holder during a taxable year of the U.S. Holder that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received by such U.S. Holder in respect of our securities during the three preceding taxable years of such U.S. Holder or, if shorter, such U.S. Holder’s holding period for our securities).
Under these rules,
• the U.S. Holder’s gain or excess distribution will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for our securities;
• the amount allocated to the U.S. Holder’s taxable year in which the U.S. Holder recognized the gain or received the excess distribution, or to the period in the U.S. Holder’s holding period before the first day of our first taxable year in which we are a PFIC, will be taxed as ordinary income;
• the amount allocated to other taxable years (or portions thereof) of the U.S. Holder and included in its holding period will be taxed at the highest tax rate in effect for that year and applicable to the U.S. Holder; and
• the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed in respect of the tax attributable to each such other taxable year of the U.S. Holder.
In general, if we are determined to be a PFIC, a U.S. Holder may avoid the PFIC tax consequences described above in respect to our ordinary shares by making a timely QEF election (or a QEF election along with a purging election). Pursuant to the QEF election, a U.S. Holder generally will be required to include in income its pro rata share of our net capital gains (as long-term capital gain) and other earnings and profits (as ordinary income), on a current basis, in each case whether or not distributed, in the taxable year of the U.S. Holder in which or with which our taxable year ends if we are treated as a PFIC for that taxable year. A U.S. Holder may make a separate election to defer the payment of taxes on undistributed income inclusions under the QEF rules, but if deferred, any such taxes will be subject to an interest charge.
A U.S. Holder may not make a QEF election with respect to its warrants or rights to acquire our ordinary shares. As a result, if a U.S. Holder sells or otherwise disposes of such warrants or rights (other than upon exchange of warrants or conversion of such rights), any gain recognized generally will be subject to the special tax and interest charge rules treating the gain as an excess distribution, as described above, if we were a PFIC at any time during the period the U.S. Holder held the warrants or rights. If a U.S. Holder that exercises such warrants or rights properly makes a QEF election with respect to the newly acquired ordinary shares (or has previously made a QEF election will continue to apply with respect to our ordinary shares), the QEF election will apply to the newly acquired ordinary shares, but the adverse tax consequences relating to PFIC shares, adjusted to take into account the current income inclusions resulting from the QEF election, will continue to apply with respect to such newly acquired ordinary shares (which generally will be deemed to have a holding period for purposes of the PFIC rules that includes the period the U.S. Holder held the warrants or rights), unless the U.S. Holder makes a purging election under the PFIC rules. The purging election creates a deemed sale of such shares at their fair market value. The gain recognized by the purging election will be subject to the special tax and interest charge rules treating the gain as an excess distribution, as described above. As a result of the purging election, the U.S. Holder will have a new basis and holding period in the ordinary shares acquired upon the exercise of the warrants or the conversion of the rights by the gain recognized and will also have a new holding period in such ordinary shares for purposes of the PFIC rules.
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The QEF election is made on a shareholder-by-shareholder basis and, once made, can be revoked only with the consent of the IRS. A U.S. Holder generally makes a QEF election by attaching a completed IRS Form 8621 (Information Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund), including the information provided in a PFIC annual information statement, to a timely filed U.S. federal income tax return for the tax year to which the election relates. Retroactive QEF elections generally may be made only by filing a protective statement with such return and if certain other conditions are met or with the consent of the IRS. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a retroactive QEF election under their particular circumstances.
In order to comply with the requirements of a QEF election, a U.S. Holder must receive a PFIC annual information statement from us. If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, we will endeavor to provide to a U.S. Holder upon request such information as the IRS may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable the U.S. Holder to make and maintain a QEF election. However, there is no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of our status as a PFIC in the future or of the required information to be provided.
If a U.S. Holder has made a QEF election with respect to our ordinary shares, and the special tax and interest charge rules do not apply to such shares (because of a timely QEF election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) such shares or a purge of the PFIC taint pursuant to a purging election, as described above), any gain recognized on the sale of our ordinary shares generally will be taxable as capital gain and no interest charge will be imposed. As discussed above, for regular U.S. federal income tax purposes, U.S. Holders of a QEF generally are currently taxed on their pro rata shares of its earnings and profits, whether or not distributed. In such case, a subsequent distribution of such earnings and profits that were previously included in income generally should not be taxable as a dividend to such U.S. Holders. The adjusted tax basis of a U.S. Holder’s shares in a QEF will be increased by amounts that are included in income, and decreased by amounts distributed but not taxed as dividends, under the above rules. Similar basis adjustments apply to property if by reason of holding such property the U.S. Holder is treated under the applicable attribution rules as owning shares in a QEF.
Although a determination as to our PFIC status will be made annually, an initial determination we are a PFIC will generally apply for subsequent years to a U.S. Holder who held our securities while we were a PFIC, whether or not we meet the test for PFIC status in those subsequent years. A U.S. Holder who makes the QEF election discussed above for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) our ordinary shares, however, will not be subject to the PFIC tax and interest charge rules discussed above in respect to such shares. In addition, such U.S. Holder will not be subject to the QEF inclusion regime with respect to such shares for any or our taxable years that end within or with a taxable year of the U.S. Holder and in which we are not a PFIC. On the other hand, if the QEF election is not effective for each of our taxable years in which we are a PFIC and the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) our ordinary shares, the PFIC rules discussed above will continue to apply to such shares unless the holder files on a timely filed U.S. federal income tax return (including extensions) a QEF election and a purging election to recognize under the rules of Section 1291 of the Code any gain that the U.S. Holder would otherwise recognize if the U.S. Holder had sold our shares for their fair market value on the “qualification date.” The qualification date is the first day of our tax year in which we qualify as a QEF with respect to such U.S. Holder. The purging election can only be made if such U.S. Holder held our shares on the qualification date. The gain recognized by the purging election will be subject to the special tax and interest charge rules treating the gain as an excess distribution, as described above. As a result of the purging election, the U.S. Holder will increase the adjusted tax basis in our shares by the amount of the gain recognized and will also have a new holding period in the shares for purposes of the PFIC rules.
Alternatively, if a U.S. Holder, at the close of its taxable year, owns (or is deemed to own) shares in a PFIC that are treated as marketable shares, the U.S. Holder may make a mark-to-market election with respect to such shares for such taxable year. If the U.S. Holder makes a valid mark-to-market election for the first taxable year of the U.S. Holder in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) our ordinary shares and for which we are determined to be a PFIC, such holder generally will not be subject to the PFIC rules described above in respect to its ordinary shares as long as such shares continue to be treated as marketable shares. Instead, in general, the U.S. Holder will include as ordinary income each year that we are treated as a PFIC the excess, if any, of the fair market value of its ordinary shares at the end of its taxable year over the adjusted basis in its ordinary shares. The U.S. Holder also will be allowed to take an ordinary loss in respect of the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of its ordinary shares over the fair market value of its ordinary shares at the end of its taxable year (but only to the extent of the net amount of previously included income as a result of the mark-to-market election). The U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its ordinary shares will be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss amounts, and any further gain recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition of the
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ordinary shares in a taxable year in which we are treated as a PFIC will be treated as ordinary income. Special tax rules may also apply if a U.S. Holder makes a mark-to-market election for a taxable year after the first taxable year in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) its ordinary shares and for which we are treated as a PFIC. Currently, a mark-to-market election may not be made with respect to our warrants or rights.
The mark-to-market election is available only for stock that is regularly traded on a national securities exchange that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Nasdaq Capital Market, or on a foreign exchange or market that the IRS determines has rules sufficient to ensure that the market price represents a legitimate and sound fair market value. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a mark-to-market election in respect to our ordinary shares under their particular circumstances.
If we are a PFIC and, at any time, have a foreign subsidiary that is classified as a PFIC, U.S. Holders generally would be deemed to own a portion of the shares of such lower-tier PFIC, and generally could incur liability for the deferred tax and interest charge described above if we receive a distribution from, or dispose of all or part of our interest in, the lower-tier PFIC or the U.S. Holders otherwise were deemed to have disposed of an interest in the lower-tier PFIC. Upon request, we will endeavor to cause any lower-tier PFIC to provide to a U.S. Holder the information that may be required to make or maintain a QEF election with respect to the lower-tier PFIC. However, there is no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of the status of any such lower-tier PFIC. In addition, we may not hold a controlling interest in any such lower-tier PFIC and thus there can be no assurance we will be able to cause the lower-tier PFIC to provide the required information. A mark-to-market election generally would not be available with respect to such lower-tier PFIC. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax issues raised by lower-tier PFICs.
A U.S. Holder that owns (or is deemed to own) shares in a PFIC during any taxable year of the U.S. Holder, may have to file an IRS Form 8621 (whether or not a QEF or market-to-market election is or has been made) with such U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax return and provide such other information as may be required by the U.S. Treasury Department.
The rules dealing with PFICs and with the QEF and mark-to-market elections are very complex and are affected by various factors in addition to those described above. Accordingly, U.S. Holders of our securities should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of the PFIC rules to our securities under their particular circumstances.
Non-U.S. Holders
Dividends (including constructive dividends) paid or deemed paid to a Non-U.S. Holder in respect to our securities generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, unless the dividends are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such holder maintains or maintained in the United States).
In addition, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any gain attributable to a sale or other disposition of our securities unless such gain is effectively connected with its conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such holder maintains or maintained in the United States) or the Non-U.S. Holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of sale or other disposition and certain other conditions are met (in which case, such gain from United States sources generally is subject to tax at a 30% rate or a lower applicable tax treaty rate).
Dividends and gains that are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such holder maintains or maintained in the United States) generally will be subject to regular U.S. federal income tax at the same regular U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to a comparable U.S. Holder and, in the case of a Non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, may also be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate or a lower applicable tax treaty rate.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
In general, information reporting for U.S. federal income tax purposes should apply to distributions made on our ordinary shares within the United States to a U.S. Holder (other than an exempt recipient) and to the proceeds from
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sales and other dispositions of our securities by a U.S. Holder (other than an exempt recipient) to or through a U.S. office of a broker. Payments made (and sales and other dispositions effected at an office) outside the United States will be subject to information reporting in limited circumstances. In addition, certain information concerning a U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its securities and whether any gain or loss with respect to such securities in long-term or short-term may be required to be reported to the IRS, and certain holders may be required to file an IRS Form 8938 (Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets) to report their interest in our securities.
Moreover, backup withholding of U.S. federal income tax, currently at a rate of 24%, generally will apply to dividends paid on our securities to a U.S. Holder (other than an exempt recipient) and the proceeds from sales and other dispositions of our securities by a U.S. Holder (other than an exempt recipient), in each case who:
• fails to provide an accurate taxpayer identification number;
• is notified by the IRS that backup withholding is required; or
• fails to comply with applicable certification requirements.
A Non-U.S. Holder generally may eliminate the requirement for information reporting and backup withholding by providing certification of its foreign status, under penalties of perjury, on a duly executed applicable IRS Form W-8 or by otherwise establishing an exemption.
We will withhold all taxes required to be withheld by law from any amounts otherwise payable to any holder of our securities, including tax withholding required by the backup withholding rules. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the amount of any backup withholding will be allowed as a credit against a U.S. Holder’s or a Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such holder to a refund, provided that the requisite information is timely furnished to the IRS. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of backup withholding and the availability of and procedure for obtaining an exemption from backup withholding in their particular circumstances.
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UNDERWRITING
We intend to offer our securities described in this prospectus through the underwriters named below. EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. is the representative for the underwriters. We have entered into an underwriting agreement with the representative. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, each of the underwriters has severally agreed to purchase from us the number of units listed next to its name in the following table:
Underwriter |
|
Number of
|
EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. |
|
|
Total |
|
10,000,000 |
A copy of the underwriting agreement has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters must purchase all of the units if they purchase any of them. However, the underwriters are not required to take or pay for the units covered by the over-allotment option described below.
Our units are offered subject to a number of conditions, including:
• receipt and acceptance of the units by the underwriters; and
• the underwriters’ right to reject orders in whole or in part.
In connection with this offering, certain of the underwriters or securities dealers may distribute prospectuses electronically.
Upon the execution of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase the units at the prices and upon the terms stated therein, and, as a result, will thereafter bear any risk associated with changing the offering price to the public or other selling terms after completion of this offering.
Over-allotment Option
We have granted the underwriters an option to buy up to 1,500,000 additional units. The underwriters may exercise this option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, made in connection with this offering. The underwriters have 45 days from the date of this prospectus to exercise this option. If the underwriters exercise this option, they will each purchase additional units approximately in proportion to the amounts specified in the table above.
Commissions and Discounts
Units sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any units sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $_____ per unit from the public offering price. Any of these securities dealers may resell any units purchased from the underwriters to other brokers or dealers at a discount of up to $_____ per unit from the public offering price. If all of the units are not sold at the initial public offering price, the representative may change the offering price and the other selling terms. Upon execution of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase the units at the prices and upon the terms stated therein, and, as a result, will thereafter bear any risk associated with changing the offering price to the public or other selling terms. No offer or invitation to subscribe for units may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands.
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The following table shows the per unit and total underwriting discounts and commissions we will pay to the underwriters assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 1,500,000 units.
|
|
Per Unit |
|
Without
|
|
With
|
|||
Public offering price |
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
$ |
100,000,000 |
|
$ |
115,000,000 |
Discount |
|
$ |
0.20 |
|
$ |
2,000,000 |
|
$ |
2,300,000 |
Proceeds before expenses (1) |
|
$ |
9.80 |
|
$ |
98,000,000 |
|
$ |
112,700,000 |
____________
(1) The offering expenses are estimated at $650,000.
No discounts or commissions will be paid on the sale of the private units.
Business Combination Marketing Agreement
We have engaged EarlyBirdCapital to assist us in connection with our initial business combination. Pursuant to this arrangement, EarlyBirdCapital will assist us in holding meetings with our shareholders to discuss the potential business combination and the target business’s attributes, introduce us to potential investors that may be interested in purchasing our securities in connection with our proposed business combination, assist us in obtaining shareholder approval for the business combination and assist us with our press releases and certain public filings in connection with the business combination. Pursuant to this arrangement, we will pay EarlyBirdCapital a cash fee equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds received in this offering for such services upon the consummation of our initial business combination (exclusive of any applicable finders’ fees which might become payable); provided that up to 1.0% of the gross proceeds of this offering may be allocated at our sole discretion to one or more advisors that assist us in identifying and consummating an initial business combination. We will also reimburse EarlyBirdCapital for up to $______ of its reasonable costs and expenses incurred by it (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) in connection with the performance of its services pursuant to the agreement; provided, however, all expenses in excess of $5,000 in the aggregate shall be subject to our prior written approval, which approval will not be unreasonably withheld.
Representative’s Ordinary Shares
We have agreed to issue to EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) 250,000 ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any such shares without our prior consent until the completion of our initial business combination. In addition, EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) has agreed (i) to waive its redemption rights with respect to such shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering.
The shares have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the date of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part pursuant to Rule 5110(g)(1) of FINRA’s NASD Conduct Rules. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(g)(1), these securities will not be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, nor may they be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the offering and their bona fide officers or partners.
We have granted the holders of these shares certain registration rights, as described under the heading “Shares Eligible for Future Sale — Registration Rights.”
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Listing of our Securities
There is presently no public market for our units, ordinary shares, warrants or rights. We have applied to have the units, and the ordinary shares, warrants and rights once they begin separate trading, listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “TWLVU,” “TWLV,” “TWLVW,” and “TWLVR” respectively. Although, after giving effect to this offering, we meet on a pro forma basis the minimum initial listing standards of Nasdaq, which generally only requires that we meet certain requirements relating to shareholders’ equity, market capitalization, aggregate market value of publicly held shares and distribution requirements, we cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq as we might not meet certain continued listing standards.
Pricing of Securities
We have been advised by the representative that the underwriters propose to offer the units to the public at the offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants and rights were negotiated between us and the representative. Factors considered in determining the prices and terms of the units, including the ordinary shares, warrants and rights underlying the units, include:
• the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies;
• prior offerings of those companies;
• our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values;
• our capital structure;
• the per share amount of net proceeds being placed into the trust account;
• an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies;
• general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering; and
• other factors as were deemed relevant.
However, although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities for an operating company in a particular industry since the underwriters are unable to compare our financial results and prospects with those of public companies operating in the same industry.
Regulatory Restrictions on Purchase of Securities
Rules of the SEC may limit the ability of the underwriters to bid for or purchase our units before the distribution of the units is completed. However, the underwriters may engage in the following activities in accordance with the rules:
• Stabilizing Transactions. The underwriters may make bids or purchases for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the price of our units, as long as stabilizing bids do not exceed the offering price of $10.00 and the underwriters comply with all other applicable rules.
• Over-Allotments and Syndicate Coverage Transactions. The underwriters may create a short position in our units by selling more of our units than are set forth on the cover page of this prospectus up to the amount of the over-allotment option. This is known as a covered short position. The underwriters may also create a short position in our units by selling more of our units than are set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and the units allowed by the over-allotment option. This is known as a naked short position. If the underwriters create a short position during the offering, the representative may engage in syndicate covering transactions by purchasing our units in the open market. The representative may also elect to reduce any short position by exercising all or part of the over-allotment option. Determining what method to use in reducing the short position depends on how the units trade in the aftermarket following the offering. If the unit price drops following the offering, the short position is usually covered with shares purchased by the underwriters in the aftermarket. However, the underwriters may cover a short position by exercising the over-allotment option even if the unit price drops following the offering. If the unit price rises after the offering, then the over-allotment option is used to cover the short position. If the short
108
position is more than the over-allotment option, the naked short must be covered by purchases in the aftermarket, which could be at prices above the offering price.
• Penalty Bids. The representative may reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the units originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions.
Stabilization and syndicate covering transactions may cause the price of our securities to be higher than they would be in the absence of these transactions. The imposition of a penalty bid might also have an effect on the prices of our securities if it discourages resales of our securities.
Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our securities. These transactions may occur on Nasdaq, in the over-the-counter market or on any trading market. If any of these transactions are commenced, they may be discontinued without notice at any time.
Other Terms
We are obligated to reimburse the underwriters up to $43,000 for (i) filing fees, costs and expenses (including fees and disbursements of underwriters’ counsel not to exceed $15,000) incurred in registering the offering with FINRA; (ii) preparation of transaction “bibles” and lucite cube “mementos” (with expenses not to exceed $3,000 for such transaction “bibles” and lucite cube “mementos”); and (iii) the costs of an investigative search firm to conduct background checks on our principals, up to a maximum of $25,000 in the aggregate. We have paid EarlyBirdCapital $25,000 as an advance against its actual out-of-pocket expenses. To the extent that the out-of-pocket expenses are less than this advance, EarlyBirdCapital will refund the excess to us.
Except as set forth above, we are not under any contractual obligation to engage any of the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering, and have no present intent to do so. However, any of the underwriters may, among other things, introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital, as needs may arise in the future. If any underwriter provides services to us after this offering, we may pay the underwriter fair and reasonable fees that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with the underwriter and no fees for such services will be paid to the underwriter prior to the date which is 90 da ys after the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriter’s compensation in connection with this offering.
Indemnification
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against some liabilities, including civil liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in this respect.
Selling Restrictions
Canada
Resale Restrictions
We intend to distribute our securities in the Province of Ontario, Canada (the “Canadian Offering Jurisdiction”) by way of a private placement and exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in such Canadian Offering Jurisdiction. Any resale of our securities in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws that will vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Canadian resale restrictions in some circumstances may apply to resales of interests made outside of Canada. Canadian purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of our securities. We may never be a “reporting issuer,” as such term is defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation, in any province or territory of Canada in which our securities will be offered and there currently is no public market for any of the securities in Canada, and one may never develop. Canadian investors are advised that we have no intention to file a prospectus or similar document with any securities regulatory authority in Canada qualifying the resale of the securities to the public in any province or territory in Canada.
109
Representations of Purchasers
A Canadian purchaser will be required to represent to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:
• the purchaser is entitled under applicable provincial securities laws to purchase our securities without the benefit of a prospectus qualified under those securities laws;
• where required by law, that the purchaser is purchasing as principal and not as agent;
• the purchaser has reviewed the text above under Resale Restrictions; and
• the purchaser acknowledges and consents to the provision of specified information concerning its purchase of our securities to the regulatory authority that by law is entitled to collect the information.
Rights of Action — Ontario Purchasers Only
Under Ontario securities legislation, certain purchasers who purchase a security offered by this prospectus during the period of distribution will have a statutory right of action for damages, or while still the owner of our securities, for rescission against us in the event that this prospectus contains a misrepresentation without regard to whether the purchaser relied on the misrepresentation. The right of action for damages is exercisable not later than the earlier of 180 days from the date the purchaser first had knowledge of the facts giving rise to the cause of action and three years from the date on which payment is made for our securities. The right of action for rescission is exercisable not later than 180 days from the date on which payment is made for our securities. If a purchaser elects to exercise the right of action for rescission, the purchaser will have no right of action for damages against us. In no case will the amount recoverable in any action exceed the price at which our securities were offered to the purchaser and if the purchaser is shown to have purchased the securities with knowledge of the misrepresentation, we will have no liability. In the case of an action for damages, we will not be liable for all or any portion of the damages that are proven to not represent the depreciation in value of our securities as a result of the misrepresentation relied upon. These rights are in addition to, and without derogation from, any other rights or remedies available at law to an Ontario purchaser. The foregoing is a summary of the rights available to an Ontario purchaser. Ontario purchasers should refer to the complete text of the relevant statutory provisions.
Enforcement of Legal Rights
All of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein are located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All of our assets and the assets of those persons are located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.
Collection of Personal Information
If a Canadian purchaser is resident in or otherwise subject to the securities laws of the Province of Ontario, the Purchaser authorizes the indirect collection of personal information pertaining to the Canadian purchaser by the Ontario Securities Commission (the “OSC”) and each Canadian purchaser will be required to acknowledge and agree that the Canadian purchaser has been notified by us (i) of the delivery to the OSC of personal information pertaining to the Canadian purchaser, including, without limitation, the full name, residential address and telephone number of the Canadian purchaser, the number and type of securities purchased and the total purchase price paid in respect of the securities, (ii) that this information is being collected indirectly by the OSC under the authority granted to it in securities legislation, (iii) that this information is being collected for the purposes of the administration and enforcement of the securities legislation of Ontario, and (iv) that the title, business address and business telephone number of the public official in Ontario who can answer questions about the OSC’s indirect collection of the information is the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Corporate Finance, the Ontario Securities Commission, Suite 1903, Bo x 55 20, Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3S8, Telephone: (416) 593-8086, Facsimile: (416) 593-8252.
Cayman Islands
No offer or invitation to subscribe for shares may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands.
110
LEGAL MATTERS
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, is acting as United States counsel in connection with the registration of our securities under the Securities Act and will pass on the validity of the units, warrants and rights offered in the prospectus. Legal matters as to Cayman Islands’ law, as well as the validity of the issuance of the shares offered in this prospectus, will be passed upon for us by Maples and Calder, Cayman Islands. Graubard Miller is acting as counsel for the underwriters in this offering.
EXPERTS
The financial statements of Twelve Seas Investment Company as of December 31, 2017 and for the period from November 30, 2017 (inception) through December 31, 2017 appearing in this prospectus have been audited by UHY LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report, thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to substantial doubt about the ability of Twelve Seas Investment Company to continue as a going concern as described in Note 1 to the financial statements), appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, and are included in reliance on such report given on the authority of such firm as an experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1, which includes exhibits, schedules and amendments, under the Securities Act, with respect to this offering of our securities. Although this prospectus, which forms a part of the registration statement, contains all material information included in the registration statement, parts of the registration statement have been omitted as permitted by rules and regulations of the SEC. We refer you to the registration statement and its exhibits for further information about us, our securities and this offering. The registration statement and its exhibits, as well as our other reports filed with the SEC, can be inspected and copied at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. The public may obtain information about the operation of the public reference room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains a web site at http://www.sec.gov which contains the Form S-1 and other reports, proxy and information statements and information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
111
Twelve Seas Investment Company
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
|
|
Page |
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
|
F-2 |
Financial Statements: |
|
|
Balance Sheet |
|
F-3 |
Statement of Operations |
|
F-4 |
Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Deficit |
|
F-5 |
Statement of Cash Flows |
|
F-6 |
Notes to Financial Statements |
|
F-7 |
F-1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and
Shareholders of Twelve Seas Investment Company
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Twelve Seas Investment Company (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2017, and the related statements of operations, changes in shareholders’ deficit, and cash flows for the period from November 30, 2017 to December 31, 2017, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the financial statements). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from November 30, 2017 to December 31, 2017, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Substantial Doubt about the Company’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has no present revenue, its business plan is dependent on the completion of a financing transaction and the Company’s cash and working capital as of December 31, 2017 are not sufficient to complete its planned activities for the upcoming year. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans regarding these matters are also described in Notes 1 and 3. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ UHY LLP |
|
|
|
|
|
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2017. |
|
|
|
|
|
New York, New York |
|
|
|
|
|
June 1, 2018 |
|
|
F-2
Twelve Seas Investment Company
BALANCE SHEET
December 31, 2017
ASSETS |
|
|
|
|
Cash |
|
$ |
1,500 |
|
Deferred offering costs |
|
|
173,437 |
|
TOTAL ASSETS |
|
$ |
174,937 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT |
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities |
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable and accrued expense |
|
$ |
131,950 |
|
Due to sponsor |
|
|
46,500 |
|
Total Liabilities |
|
|
178,450 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commitments |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shareholders’ Deficit |
|
|
|
|
Preferred shares, $0.0001 par value; 2,000,000
shares authorized; none issued and
|
|
|
— |
|
Ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; 4,312,500 shares issued and outstanding |
|
|
431 |
|
Additional paid-in capital |
|
|
24,569 |
|
Accumulated deficit |
|
|
(28,513 |
) |
Total Shareholders’ Deficit |
|
|
(3,513 |
) |
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT |
|
$ |
174,937 |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-3
Twelve Seas Investment Company
STATEMENT OF
OPERATIONS
For the period from November 30, 2017 through December 31,
2017
Formation and operating costs |
|
$ |
28,513 |
|
Net Loss |
|
$ |
(28,513 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted |
|
|
2,540,323 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share |
|
$ |
(0.01 |
) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-4
Twelve Seas Investment Company
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN
SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
For the period from November 30, 2017 through December 31,
2017
|
|
Ordinary Shares |
|
Additional
|
|
Accumulated |
|
Total
|
|||||||||
|
|
Shares |
|
Par Value |
|
Capital |
|
Deficit |
|
Deficit |
|||||||
Issuance of ordinary shares to director upon formation |
|
1 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cancellation of ordinary shares to
|
|
(1 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issuance of ordinary shares to Initial Shareholders |
|
4,312,500 |
|
|
|
431 |
|
|
24,569 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
25,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(28,513 |
) |
|
|
(28,513 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance as of December 31, 2017 |
|
4,312,500 |
|
|
$ |
431 |
|
$ |
24,569 |
|
$ |
(28,513 |
) |
|
$ |
(3,513 |
) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-5
Twelve Seas Investment Company
STATEMENT OF CASH
FLOWS
For the Period from November 30, 2017 through December 31,
2017
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: |
|
|
|
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(28,513 |
) |
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
|
|
|
|
Formation costs paid by sponsor |
|
|
5,000 |
|
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable |
|
|
23,513 |
|
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash Flows from Financing Activities: |
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from sale of ordinary shares to Initial Shareholders |
|
|
25,000 |
|
Payment of deferred offering costs |
|
|
(25,000 |
) |
Proceeds from sponsor loan |
|
|
1,500 |
|
Net cash provided by financing activities |
|
|
1,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Change in Cash |
|
|
1,500 |
|
Cash – Beginning |
|
|
— |
|
Cash – Ending |
|
$ |
1,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental Disclosure of Non-cash Financing Activities: |
|
|
|
|
Increase in accrued expenses for deferred offering costs |
|
$ |
108,437 |
|
Payments of deferred offering cost made by sponsor |
|
$ |
40,000 |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-6
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations
Twelve Seas Investment Company (the “Company”) is a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated on November 30, 2017, under the laws of the Cayman Islands for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”). The Company’s efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic location.
As of December 31, 2017, the Company had not yet commenced any operations. All activity through December 31, 2017 relates to the Company’s formation and the Proposed Public Offering (as defined below). The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed public offering of 10,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit (“Units”) (or 11,500,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), which is discussed in Note 3 (the “Proposed Public Offering”) and the sale of 315,000 units (or up to 345,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the “Private Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Unit in a private placement to the Company’s sponsor, that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering. The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering and the Private Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be generally applied toward consummating a Business Combination.
The Company’s Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the Trust Account (as defined below) (net of taxes payable) at the time of the signing an agreement to enter into a Business Combination. However, the Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-Business Combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination. Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed at least $10.00 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering and the proceeds from the sale of the Private Units will be held in a trust account (“Trust Account”) and invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 180 days or less or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund meeting the conditions of Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the consummation of a Business Combination or (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account as described below, except that interest earned on the Trust Account can be released to pay the Company’s income tax obligations.
The Company will provide its shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares included in the Units sold in the Proposed Public Offering (the “Public Shares”) upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The shareholders will be entitled to redeem their shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then on deposit in the Trust Account (initially approximately $10.00 per share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company for working capital purposes or to pay its tax obligations).
The warrants (excluding the warrants contained in the Private Units, as defined in Note 7) can be redeemed i) at any time while the warrants are exercisable; ii) upon a minimum of 30 days prior written notice of redemption; iii) if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share, for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending on the third business day prior to the notice of redemption to warrant holders and iv) if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the ordinary shares underlying such warrants at the time of redemption and for the entire 30-day trading period referred to above and continuing each day thereafter until the date of redemption. As long as the Private Warrants are still held by the initial purchaser or their affiliates, the Company will not redeem such warrants and allow the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis even if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants is not effective.
F-7
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations (cont.)
Each holder of a right will automatically receive one-tenth (1/10) of an ordinary share upon consummation of the initial Business Combination, even if the holder of a Public Right converted all shares of common stock held by him, her or it in connection with the initial Business Combination or an amendment to the Company’s memorandum and articles of association with respect to its pre-business combination activities. In the event that the Company will not be the surviving company upon completion of the initial Business Combination, each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert his, her or its rights in order to receive the one-tenth (1/10) of a share underlying each right upon consummation of the Business Combination.
If the Company is unable to complete an initial Business Combination within the required time period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the trust account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.
The ordinary shares subject to redemption will be recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” In such case, the Company will proceed with a Business Combination if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation of a Business Combination and a majority of the issued and outstanding shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination. If a shareholder vote is not required by law and the Company does not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, the Company will, pursuant to its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If, however, a shareholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or the Company decides to obtain shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If the Company seeks shareholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the Initial Shareholders have agreed to vote their initial shares and private shares, as well as any public shares acquired in or after this offering, in favor of any proposed business combination. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.
The Company will have 18 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering to consummate a Business Combination (the “Combination Period”). However, if the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, it will trigger the automatic winding up, dissolution and liquidation pursuant to the terms of the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association. The amount in the Trust Account (less the aggregate nominal par value of the shares of the Company’s public shareholders) under the Companies Law will be treated as share premium which is distributable under the Companies Law provided that immediately following the date on which the proposed distribution is proposed to be made, the Company is able to pay the debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. If the Company is forced to liquidate the Trust Account, the public shareholders would be distributed the amount in the Trust Account calculated as of the date that is two days prior to the distribution date (including any accrued interest).
The Initial Shareholders have agreed to (i) waive their conversion rights with respect to their initial shares and Public Shares in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination, (ii) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to their initial shares if the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within the Combination Period and (iii) not to propose an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of its Public Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination, unless the Company provides the public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares in conjunction with any such amendment.
However, the holders of the initial shares will not participate in any liquidation distribution with respect to such securities. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the residual assets remaining
F-8
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations (cont.)
available for distribution (including Trust Account assets) will be less than the $10.00 per Unit in the Proposed Public Offering. In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, Dimitri Elkin, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, has contractually agreed, pursuant to a written agreement to the Company, that if the Company liquidates the Trust Account prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, he will be liable to ensure that the proceeds in the Trust Account are not reduced by the claims of target businesses or claims of vendors or other entities that are owed money by the Company for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to the Company. This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, Dimitri Elkin will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that Dimitri Elkin will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than the Company’s independent auditors), prospective target businesses or other entities with which the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account.
The Company will pay the costs of liquidating the trust account from the remaining assets outside of the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, Bryant Edwards has contractually agreed to advance the Company the funds necessary to complete such liquidation (currently anticipated to be no more than approximately $20,000) and has contractually agreed not to seek repayment for such expenses.
Going Concern Consideration
At December 31, 2017, the Company had $1,500 in cash and working capital deficit of $176,950 (excluding deferred offering costs). The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed Public Offering as discussed in Note 3. There is no assurance that the Company’s plans to raise capital or to consummate a Business Combination will be successful within the Combination Period. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Emerging Growth Company Status
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart our Business Startups Act of 2012, (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended
F-9
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Company’s financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have any cash equivalents as of December 31, 2017.
Deferred Offering Costs
The Company complies with the requirement of the ASC 340-10-S99-1 and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) Topic 5A — “Expenses of Offering”. Deferred offering costs consist of underwriting, legal, accounting and other expenses incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering and that will be charged to shareholders’ equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to operations.
Net Loss Per Ordinary Share
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” Net loss per ordinary share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding for the period, excluding ordinary shares subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 562,500 ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture by the Company if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters (see Note 7). At December 31, 2017, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into ordinary shares and then share in the earnings (loss) of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per ordinary share is the same as basic loss per ordinary share for the period.
|
|
For the period
|
||
Numerator: |
|
|
|
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(28,513 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
Denominator: |
|
|
|
|
Denominator for basic earnings per share – Weighted-average ordinary shares issued and outstanding during the period |
|
|
2,540,323 |
|
Denominator for diluted earnings per share |
|
|
2,540,323 |
|
Basic loss per share |
|
$ |
(0.01 |
) |
Diluted loss per share |
|
$ |
(0.01 |
) |
F-10
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash accounts in a financial institution, which at times, may exceed the Federal depository insurance coverage of $250,000 per depositor. The Company has not experienced losses on these accounts and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such accounts.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under ASC 740 Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). ASC 740 requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for both the expected impact of differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for the expected future tax benefit to be derived from tax loss and tax credit carry forwards. ASC 740 additionally requires a valuation allowance to be established when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized.
ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. ASC 740 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim period, disclosure and transition. The Company has identified the Cayman Islands as its only “major” tax jurisdiction, as defined. Based on the Company’s evaluation, it has been concluded that there are no significant uncertain tax positions requiring recognition in the Company’s financial statements. Since the Company was incorporated on November 30, 2017, the evaluation was performed for upcoming 2018 tax year which will be the only period subject to examination. The Company believes that its income tax positions and deductions would be sustained on audit and does not anticipate any adjustments that would result in a material changes to its financial position. The Company’s policy for recording interest and penalties associated with audits is to record such items as a component of income tax expense.
The provision for income taxes was deemed to be immaterial for the period from November 30, 2017 through December 31, 2017.
Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to June 1, 2018, the date that the financial statements were available to be issued. Based upon this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
Note 3 — Proposed Public Offering
In the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will offer for sale 10,000,000 Units, (or 11,500,000 Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one ordinary share, one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”), and one right (“Public Right”). Each redeemable
F-11
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 3 — Proposed Public Offering (cont.)
warrant entitles the holder to purchase one ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50 and each ten rights entitle the holder to receive one ordinary share at the closing of a Business Combination (see Note 7).
Note 4 — Private Placement
The Company’s sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 315,000 Private Units at $10.00 per unit (for a total purchase price of $3,150,000). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering. All of the proceeds the Company receives will be placed in the Trust Account. The sponsor has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised in full by the underwriters, it will purchase from the Company at a price of $10.00 per unit, an additional number of units (up to a maximum of 30,000 units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.00 per share sold to the public in the Proposed Public Offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part. These additional Private Units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The Private Units are identical to the units sold in the Proposed Public Offering except the Private Warrant contained in the Private Units will be non-redeemable. The purchasers of the Private Units have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Private Units or underlying securities (except to the same permitted transferees as the insider shares) until the completion of the Business Combination.
If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the proceeds of the sale of the Private Units will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law).
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions
Insider Shares
As of December 31, 2017, 4,312,500 shares of the Company were issued to the shareholders prior to the date of the prospectus (“Initial Shareholders”) for an aggregate amount of $25,000. On June 1, 2018, the Initial Shareholders returned 1,437,500 ordinary shares to the Company for cancellation. The remaining 2,875,000 Insider Shares include an aggregate of up to 375,000 shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part, so that the Initial Shareholders will own 20% (not including the private placement shares and the 250,000 shares to be issued to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in the offering, upon the consummation of the offering) of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering.
The Initial Shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Insider Shares (except to certain permitted transferees) until (1) with respect to 50% of the Insider Shares, the earlier of one year after the date of the consummation of the Business Combination and the date on which the closing price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after the Business Combination and (2) with respect to the remaining 50% of the Insider Shares, one year after the date of the consummation of the Business Combination, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to the Business Combination, the Company consummates a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.
Sponsor Advances
The sponsor has agreed to lend to the Company up to $300,000 to pay certain pre-offering expenses. The loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and due on demand. For the period from November 30, 2017 through December 31, 2017, a related party, on behalf of the sponsor, had advanced to the Company an aggregate of $46,500 in regards to the formation costs and costs associated with the Proposed Public Offering. On May 22, 2018, a related party, on behalf of the sponsor, advanced to the Company an additional $150,000. The Company intends to repay the loan from the proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering not being placed in the Trust Account.
F-12
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions (cont.)
Related Party Loans
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, Initial Shareholders, the Company’s officers and directors, or their respective affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds from time to time or at any time (“Working Capital Loans”). Each Working Capital Loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The Working Capital Loans would either be paid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the holder’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the Working Capital Loans may be converted upon consummation of a Business Combination into Private Units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued units to acquire 55,000 ordinary shares (which includes 5,000 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of rights) and warrants to purchase 50,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted). If the Company does not complete the Business Combination, the loans would not be repaid.
Administrative Service Fee
The Company has agreed, commencing on the date of the prospectus, to pay an affiliate of the sponsor, a monthly fee of an aggregate of $10,000 for general and administrative services including office space, utilities and secretarial support. This arrangement will terminate upon completion of a Business Combination or the distribution of the trust account to the public shareholders.
Note 6 — Commitments & Contingencies
Registration Rights
The holders of the Insider Shares, Private Units (and their underlying securities), Representative Shares (as a defined below) and any Units that may be issued upon conversion of the Working Capital Loans (and their underlying securities) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering. The holders of a majority of these securities will be entitled to make up to two demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders will have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of a Business Combination. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriters Agreement
The Company has agreed to grant the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 1,500,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments at the Proposed Public Offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriters will be entitled to a cash underwriting discount of two percent (2.0%) of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, or $2,000,000 (or up to $2,300,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised in full).
In addition, the Company has agreed to issue the underwriter (and/or its designees) 250,000 Ordinary Shares (the “Representative Shares”) upon the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering. The Company intends to account for the Representative Shares as an expense of the Proposed Public Offering resulting in a charge directly to stockholders’ equity. The Company estimates that the fair value of Representative Shares is $2,500,000 based upon the offering price of the Units of $10.00 per Unit. The underwriter has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any such shares until the completion of a Business Combination. In addition, the underwriter (and/or its designees) has agreed (i) to waive its redemption rights with respect to such shares in connection with the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period.
Business Combination Marketing Agreement
The Company has engaged EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. (“EBC”) as an advisor in connection with a Business Combination to assist the Company in holding meetings with its shareholders to discuss a potential Business Combination and the target business’ attributes, introduce the Company to potential investors that are interested in purchasing securities,
F-13
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 6 — Commitments & Contingencies (cont.)
assist the Company in obtaining shareholder approval for the Business Combination and assist the Company with its press releases and public filings in connection with an Business Combination. The Company will pay EBC a cash fee equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds raised in the offering for such services upon the consummation of the Business Combination (exclusive of any applicable finders’ fees which might become payable). The Company may allocate up to 1% of the 3.5% fee to other firms who assist in connection with the Business Combination.
Note 7 — Shareholders’ Deficit
Preferred Shares — The Company is authorized to issue a total of 2,000,000 preferred shares of a par value of $0.0001 each. At December 31, 2017, there were no shares of preferred shares issued or outstanding.
Ordinary Shares — The Company is authorized to issue a total of 200,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US $0.0001 each. As of December 31, 2017, 4,312,500 shares were issued and outstanding, of which 562,500 shares held by the Initial Shareholders are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that the Company’s Initial Shareholders will own 20% (not including the private placement shares and the 250,000 shares to be issued to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in the offering, upon the consummation of the offering) of the issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering. On June 1, 2018, the Initial Shareholders returned 1,437,500 ordinary shares to the Company for cancellation resulting in an aggregate of 2,875,000 founder shares outstanding and held by the Initial Shareholders.
Warrants — Each Public Warrant is at $11.50 per share and exercisable for one ordinary share. The warrants will become exercisable on the later of the completion of a Business Combination and 12 months from the date of the prospectus. If a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the public warrants is not effective within 90 days following the consummation of the Business Combination, public warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to an available exemption from registration under the Securities Act. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the day prior to the date of exercise.
The warrants issued in the Private Units (“Private Warrants”) are identical to the Public Warrants sold in this offering except the Private Warrants will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees.
The Company may redeem the outstanding warrants (excluding the Private Warrants), in whole and not in part, at a price of $0.01 per warrant:
• at any time while the warrants are exercisable,
• upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption,
• if, and only if, the last sales price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending three business days before we send the notice of redemption, and
• if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the ordinary shares underlying such warrants at the time of redemption and for the entire 30-day trading period referred to above and continuing each day thereafter until the date of redemption.
If the Company calls the warrants for redemption as described above, the management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.”
F-14
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 7 — Shareholders’ Deficit (cont.)
Rights — Except in cases where the Company is not the surviving company in a Business Combination, each holder of a right will automatically receive one-tenth (1/10) of an ordinary share upon consummation of the initial Business Combination, even if the holder of a Public Right converted all ordinary shares held by him, her or it in connection with the initial Business Combination or an amendment to the Company’s memorandum and articles of association with respect to its pre-business combination activities. In the event that the Company will not be the surviving company upon completion of the initial Business Combination, each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert his, her or its rights in order to receive the one-tenth (1/10) of a share underlying each right upon consummation of the Business Combination. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive his, her or its additional ordinary shares upon consummation of an initial Business Combination. The shares issuable upon exchange of the rights will be freely tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of the Company). If the Company enters into a definitive agreement for a Business Combination in which the Company will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of ordinary shares will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into ordinary shares basis.
The Company will not issue fractional shares in connection with an exchange of rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Cayman Islands law. As a result, the holders of the rights must hold rights in multiples of 10 in order to receive shares for all of the holders’ rights upon closing of a Business Combination. If the Company is unable to complete an initial Business Combination within the required time period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the trust account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.
Note 8 — Subsequent Events
On May 22, 2018, a related party, on behalf of the sponsor, advanced to the Company an additional $150,000. After giving effect to this advance, the total outstanding amounts owed to sponsor was $196,500.
On June 1, 2018, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a decrease in the Proposed Public Offering to 10,000,000 Units, (or 11,500,000 Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), and the addition of a Public Right (as described herein). On June 1, 2018, the Initial Shareholders returned 1,437,500 ordinary shares to the Company for cancellation in order that the Initial Shareholders will own 20% (not including the private placement shares and the 250,000 shares to be issued to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in the offering, upon the consummation of the offering) of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering. As a result, there were 2,875,000 Insider Shares, which include an aggregate of up to 375,000 shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part.
F-15
Twelve Seas Investment
Company
CONDENSED BALANCE
SHEETS
|
|
March 31, |
|
December 31, |
||||
|
|
2018 |
|
2017 |
||||
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
|
||||
ASSETS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash |
|
$ |
254 |
|
|
$ |
1,500 |
|
Prepaid assets |
|
|
1,222 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Deferred offering costs |
|
|
180,237 |
|
|
|
173,437 |
|
TOTAL ASSETS |
|
$ |
181,713 |
|
|
$ |
174,937 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable and accrued expense |
|
$ |
139,500 |
|
|
$ |
131,950 |
|
Due to sponsor |
|
|
46,500 |
|
|
|
46,500 |
|
Total Liabilities |
|
|
186,000 |
|
|
|
178,450 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commitments |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shareholders’ Deficit |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred shares, $0.0001 par value; 2,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; 4,312,500 shares issued and outstanding |
|
|
431 |
|
|
|
431 |
|
Additional paid-in capital |
|
|
24,569 |
|
|
|
24,569 |
|
Accumulated deficit |
|
|
(29,287 |
) |
|
|
(28,513 |
) |
Total Shareholders’ Deficit |
|
|
(4,287 |
) |
|
|
(3,513 |
) |
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT |
|
$ |
181,713 |
|
|
$ |
174,937 |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
F-16
Twelve Seas Investment
Company
CONDENSED STATEMENT OF
OPERATIONS
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2018
(Unaudited)
Formation and operating costs |
|
$ |
774 |
|
Net Loss |
|
$ |
(774 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted |
|
|
3,750,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share |
|
$ |
(0.00 |
) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
F-17
Twelve Seas Investment
Company
CONDENSED STATEMENT OF
CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2018
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Additional |
|
|
|
Total |
||||||
|
|
Ordinary Shares |
|
Paid-in |
|
Accumulated |
|
Shareholders’ |
||||||||
|
|
Shares |
|
Par Value |
|
Capital |
|
Deficit |
|
Deficit |
||||||
Balance as of December 31, 2017 |
|
4,312,500 |
|
$ |
431 |
|
$ |
24,569 |
|
$ |
(28,513 |
) |
|
$ |
(3,513 |
) |
Net loss |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(774 |
) |
|
|
(774 |
) |
Balance as of March 31, 2018 |
|
4,312,500 |
|
$ |
431 |
|
$ |
24,569 |
|
$ |
(29,287 |
) |
|
$ |
(4,287 |
) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
F-18
Twelve Seas Investment
Company
CONDENSED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2018
(Unaudited)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: |
|
|
|
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(774 |
) |
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
Prepaid assets |
|
|
(1,222 |
) |
Accounts payable |
|
|
750 |
|
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
|
(1,246 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
Net Decrease in Cash |
|
|
(1,246 |
) |
Cash – Beginning |
|
|
1,500 |
|
Cash – Ending |
|
$ |
254 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental Disclosure of Non-cash Financing Activities: |
|
|
|
|
Increase in accounts payable for deferred offering costs |
|
$ |
6,800 |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
F-19
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2018
(Unaudited)
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations
Twelve Seas Investment Company (the “Company”) is a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated on November 30, 2017, under the laws of the Cayman Islands for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”). The Company’s efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic location.
As of March 31, 2018, the Company had not yet commenced any operations. All activity through March 31, 2018 relates to the Company’s formation and the Proposed Public Offering (as defined below). The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed public offering of 10,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit (“Units”) (or 11,500,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), which is discussed in Note 3 (the “Proposed Public Offering”) and the sale of 315,000 units (or up to 345,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the “Private Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Unit in a private placement to the Company’s sponsor, that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering. The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering and the Private Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be generally applied toward consummating a Business Combination.
The Company’s Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the Trust Account (as defined below) (net of taxes payable) at the time of the signing an agreement to enter into a Business Combination. However, the Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-Business Combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination. Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed at least $10.00 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering and the proceeds from the sale of the Private Units will be held in a trust account (“Trust Account”) and invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 180 days or less or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund meeting the conditions of Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the consummation of a Business Combination or (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account as described below, except that interest earned on the Trust Account can be released to pay the Company’s income tax obligations.
The Company will provide its shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares included in the Units sold in the Proposed Public Offering (the “Public Shares”) upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The shareholders will be entitled to redeem their shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then on deposit in the Trust Account (initially approximately $10.00 per share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company for working capital purposes or to pay its tax obligations).
The warrants (excluding the warrants contained in the Private Units, as defined in Note 7) can be redeemed i) at any time while the warrants are exercisable; ii) upon a minimum of 30 days prior written notice of redemption; iii) if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share, for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending on the third business day prior to the notice of redemption to warrant holders and iv) if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the ordinary shares underlying such warrants at the time of redemption and for the entire 30-day trading period referred to above and continuing each day thereafter until the date of redemption. As long as the Private Warrants are still held by the initial purchaser
F-20
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2018
(Unaudited)
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations (cont.)
or their affiliates, the Company will not redeem such warrants and allow the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis even if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants is not effective.
Each holder of a right will automatically receive one-tenth (1/10) of an ordinary share upon consummation of the initial Business Combination, even if the holder of a Public Right converted all shares of common stock held by him, her or it in connection with the initial Business Combination or an amendment to the Company’s memorandum and articles of association with respect to its pre-business combination activities. In the event that the Company will not be the surviving company upon completion of the initial Business Combination, each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert his, her or its rights in order to receive the one-tenth (1/10) of a share underlying each right upon consummation of the Business Combination.
If the Company is unable to complete an initial Business Combination within the required time period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the trust account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.
The ordinary shares subject to redemption will be recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” In such case, the Company will proceed with a Business Combination if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation of a Business Combination and a majority of the issued and outstanding shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination. If a shareholder vote is not required by law and the Company does not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, the Company will, pursuant to its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If, however, a shareholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or the Company decides to obtain shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If the Company seeks shareholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the Initial Shareholders have agreed to vote their initial shares and private shares, as well as any public shares acquired in or after this offering, in favor of any proposed business combination. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.
The Company will have 18 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering to consummate a Business Combination (the “Combination Period”). However, if the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, it will trigger the automatic winding up, dissolution and liquidation pursuant to the terms of the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association. The amount in the Trust Account (less the aggregate nominal par value of the shares of the Company’s public shareholders) under the Companies Law will be treated as share premium which is distributable under the Companies Law provided that immediately following the date on which the proposed distribution is proposed to be made, the Company is able to pay the debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. If the Company is forced to liquidate the Trust Account, the public shareholders would be distributed the amount in the Trust Account calculated as of the date that is two days prior to the distribution date (including any accrued interest).
The Initial Shareholders have agreed to (i) waive their conversion rights with respect to their initial shares and Public Shares in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination, (ii) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to their initial shares if the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within the Combination Period and (iii) not to propose an amendment to the Company’s Amended and
F-21
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2018
(Unaudited)
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations (cont.)
Restated Certificate of Incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of its Public Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination, unless the Company provides the public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares in conjunction with any such amendment.
However, the holders of the initial shares will not participate in any liquidation distribution with respect to such securities. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the residual assets remaining available for distribution (including Trust Account assets) will be less than the $10.00 per Unit in the Proposed Public Offering. In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, Dimitri Elkin, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, has contractually agreed, pursuant to a written agreement to the Company, that if the Company liquidates the Trust Account prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, he will be liable to ensure that the proceeds in the Trust Account are not reduced by the claims of target businesses or claims of vendors or other entities that are owed money by the Company for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to the Company. This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, then Dimitri Elkin will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that Dimitri Elkin will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than the Company’s independent auditors), prospective target businesses or other entities with which the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account. The Company will pay the costs of liquidating the trust account from the remaining assets outside of the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, Bryant Edwards has contractually agreed to advance the Company the funds necessary to complete such liquidation (currently anticipated to be no more than approximately $20,000) and has contractually agreed not to seek repayment for such expenses.
Going Concern Consideration
At March 31, 2018, the Company had $254 in cash and working capital deficit of $185,746 (excluding prepaid assets and deferred offering costs). The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed Public Offering as discussed in Note 3. There is no assurance that the Company’s plans to raise capital or to consummate a Business Combination will be successful within the Combination Period. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements of the Company are presented in U.S. dollars in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and pursuant to the accounting and disclosure rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) have been made that are necessary to present fairly the financial position, and the results of its operations and its cash flows. Operating results as presented are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for a full year.
Emerging Growth Company Status
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart our Business Startups Act of 2012, (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public
F-22
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2018
(Unaudited)
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Company’s financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have any cash equivalents as of March 31, 2018.
Deferred Offering Costs
The Company complies with the requirement of the ASC 340-10-S99-1 and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) Topic 5A — “Expenses of Offering”. Deferred offering costs consist of underwriting, legal, accounting and other expenses incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering and that will be charged to shareholders’ equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to operations.
Net Loss Per Ordinary Share
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” Net loss per ordinary share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding for the period, excluding ordinary shares subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 562,500 ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture by the Company if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters (see Note 7). At March 31, 2018, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into ordinary shares and then share in the earnings (loss) of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per ordinary share is the same as basic loss per ordinary share for the period.
F-23
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2018
(Unaudited)
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
|
|
For the three months ended March 31, 2018 (Unaudited) |
||
Numerator: |
|
|
|
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(774 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
Denominator: |
|
|
|
|
Denominator for basic earnings per share – Weighted-average ordinary shares issued and outstanding during the period |
|
|
3,750,000 |
|
Denominator for diluted earnings per share |
|
|
3,750,000 |
|
Basic loss per share |
|
$ |
(0.00 |
) |
Diluted loss per share |
|
$ |
(0.00 |
) |
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash accounts in a financial institution, which at times, may exceed the Federal depository insurance coverage of $250,000 per depositor. The Company has not experienced losses on these accounts and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such accounts.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under ASC 740 Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). ASC 740 requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for both the expected impact of differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for the expected future tax benefit to be derived from tax loss and tax credit carry forwards. ASC 740 additionally requires a valuation allowance to be established when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized.
ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. ASC 740 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim period, disclosure and transition. The Company has identified the Cayman Islands as its only “major” tax jurisdiction, as defined. Based on the Company’s evaluation, it has been concluded that there are no significant uncertain tax positions requiring recognition in the Company’s financial statements. Since the Company was incorporated on November 30, 2017, the evaluation was performed for upcoming 2018 tax year which will be the only period subject to examination. The Company believes that its income tax positions and deductions would be sustained on audit and does not anticipate any adjustments that would result in a material changes to its financial position. The Company’s policy for recording interest and penalties associated with audits is to record such items as a component of income tax expense.
The provision for income taxes was deemed to be immaterial for the three months ended March 31, 2018.
F-24
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2018
(Unaudited)
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to June 1, 2018, the date that the financial statements were available to be issued. Based upon this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
Note 3 — Proposed Public Offering
In the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will offer for sale 10,000,000 Units, (or 11,500,000 Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one ordinary share, one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”), and one right (“Public Right”). Each redeemable warrant entitles the holder to purchase one ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50 and each ten rights entitle the holder to receive one ordinary share at the closing of a Business Combination (see Note 7).
Note 4 — Private Placement
The Company’s sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 315,000 Private Units at $10.00 per unit (for a total purchase price of $3,150,000). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering. All of the proceeds the Company receives will be placed in the Trust Account. The sponsor has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised in full by the underwriters, it will purchase from the Company at a price of $10.00 per unit, an additional number of units (up to a maximum of 30,000 units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.00 per share sold to the public in the Proposed Public Offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part. These additional Private Units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The Private Units are identical to the units sold in the Proposed Public Offering except the Private Warrant contained in the Private Units will be non-redeemable. The purchasers of the Private Units have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Private Units or underlying securities (except to the same permitted transferees as the insider shares) until the completion of the Business Combination.
If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the proceeds of the sale of the Private Units will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law).
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions
Insider Shares
As of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, 4,312,500 shares of the Company were issued to the shareholders prior to the date of the prospectus (“Initial Shareholders”) for an aggregate amount of $25,000. On June 1, 2018, the Initial Shareholders returned 1,437,500 ordinary shares to the Company for cancellation. The remaining 2,875,000 Insider Shares include an aggregate of up to 375,000 shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part, so that the Initial Shareholders will own 20% (not including the private placement shares and the 250,000 shares to be issued to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in the offering, upon the consummation of the offering) of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering.
F-25
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2018
(Unaudited)
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions (cont.)
The Initial Shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Insider Shares (except to certain permitted transferees) until (1) with respect to 50% of the Insider Shares, the earlier of one year after the date of the consummation of the Business Combination and the date on which the closing price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after the Business Combination and (2) with respect to the remaining 50% of the Insider Shares, one year after the date of the consummation of the Business Combination, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to the Business Combination, the Company consummates a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.
Sponsor Advances
The sponsor has agreed to lend to the Company up to $300,000 to pay certain pre-offering expenses. The loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and due on demand. For the period from November 30, 2017 through December 31, 2017, a related party, on behalf of the sponsor, had advanced to the Company an aggregate of $46,500 in regards to the formation costs and costs associated with the Proposed Public Offering. As of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the amount due to sponsor was $46,500, respectively. On May 22, 2018, the sponsor advanced to the Company an additional $150,000. The Company intends to repay the loans from the proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering not being placed in the Trust Account.
Related Party Loans
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, Initial Shareholders, the Company’s officers and directors, or their respective affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds from time to time or at any time (“Working Capital Loans”). Each Working Capital Loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The Working Capital Loans would either be paid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the holder’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the Working Capital Loans may be converted upon consummation of a Business Combination into Private Units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued units to acquire 55,000 ordinary shares (which includes 5,000 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of rights) and warrants to purchase 50,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted). If the Company does not complete the Business Combination, the loans would not be repaid.
Administrative Service Fee
The Company has agreed, commencing on the date of the prospectus, to pay an affiliate of the sponsor, a monthly fee of an aggregate of $10,000 for general and administrative services including office space, utilities and secretarial support. This arrangement will terminate upon completion of a Business Combination or the distribution of the trust account to the public shareholders.
Note 6 — Commitments & Contingencies
Registration Rights
The holders of the Insider Shares, Private Units (and their underlying securities), Representative Shares (as a defined below) and any Units that may be issued upon conversion of the Working Capital Loans (and their underlying securities) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering. The holders of a majority of these securities will be entitled to make up to two demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders will have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of a Business Combination. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
F-26
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2018
(Unaudited)
Note 6 — Commitments & Contingencies (cont.)
Underwriters Agreement
The Company has agreed to grant the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 1,500,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments at the Proposed Public Offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriters will be entitled to a cash underwriting discount of two percent (2.0%) of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, or $2,000,000 (or up to $2,300,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised in full).
In addition, the Company has agreed to issue the underwriter (and/or its designees) 250,000 Ordinary Shares (the “Representative Shares”) upon the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering. The Company intends to account for the Representative Shares as an expense of the Proposed Public Offering resulting in a charge directly to stockholders’ equity. The Company estimates that the fair value of Representative Shares is $2,500,000 based upon the offering price of the Units of $10.00 per Unit. The underwriter has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any such shares until the completion of a Business Combination. In addition, the underwriter (and/or its designees) has agreed (i) to waive its redemption rights with respect to such shares in connection with the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period.
Business Combination Marketing Agreement
The Company has engaged EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. (“EBC”) as an advisor in connection with a Business Combination to assist the Company in holding meetings with its shareholders to discuss a potential Business Combination and the target business’ attributes, introduce the Company to potential investors that are interested in purchasing securities, assist the Company in obtaining shareholder approval for the Business Combination and assist the Company with its press releases and public filings in connection with an Business Combination. The Company will pay EBC a cash fee equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds raised in the offering for such services upon the consummation of the Business Combination (exclusive of any applicable finders’ fees which might become payable). The Company may allocate up to 1% of the 3.5% fee to other firms who assist in connection with the Business Combination.
Note 7 — Shareholders’ Deficit
Preferred Shares — The Company is authorized to issue a total of 2,000,000 preferred shares of a par value of $0.0001 each. At March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, there were no shares of preferred shares issued or outstanding.
Ordinary Shares — The Company is authorized to issue a total of 200,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US $0.0001 each. As of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, 4,312,500 shares were issued and outstanding, of which 562,500 shares held by the Initial Shareholders are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that the Company’s Initial Shareholders will own 20% (not including the private placement shares and the 250,000 shares to be issued to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in the offering, upon the consummation of the offering) of the issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering. On June 1, 2018, the Initial Shareholders returned 1,437,500 ordinary shares to the Company for cancellation resulting in an aggregate of 2,875,000 founder shares outstanding and held by the Initial Shareholders.
Warrants — Each Public Warrant is at $11.50 per share and exercisable for one ordinary share. The warrants will become exercisable on the later of the completion of a Business Combination and 12 months from the date of the prospectus. If a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the public warrants is not effective within 90 days following the consummation of the Business Combination, public warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to an available exemption from registration under the Securities Act. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the
F-27
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2018
(Unaudited)
Note 7 — Shareholders’ Deficit (cont.)
warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the day prior to the date of exercise.
The warrants issued in the Private Units (“Private Warrants”) are identical to the Public Warrants sold in this offering except the Private Warrants will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees.
The Company may redeem the outstanding warrants (excluding the Private Warrants), in whole and not in part, at a price of $0.01 per warrant:
• at any time while the warrants are exercisable,
• upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption,
• if, and only if, the last sales price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share for any 2 0 tr ading days within a 30 trading day period ending three business days before we send the notice of redemption, and
• if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the ordinary shares underlying such warrants at the time of redemption and for the entire 30-day trading period referred to above and continuing each day thereafter until the date of redemption.
If the Company calls the warrants for redemption as described above, the management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.”
Rights — Except in cases where the Company is not the surviving company in a Business Combination, each holder of a right will automatically receive one-tenth (1/10) of an ordinary share upon consummation of the initial Business Combination, even if the holder of a Public Right converted all ordinary shares held by him, her or it in connection with the initial Business Combination or an amendment to the Company’s memorandum and articles of association with respect to its pre-business combination activities. In the event that the Company will not be the surviving company upon completion of the initial Business Combination, each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert his, her or its rights in order to receive the one-tenth (1/10) of a share underlying each right upon consummation of the Business Combination. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive his, her or its additional ordinary shares upon consummation of an initial Business Combination. The shares issuable upon exchange of the rights will be freely tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of the Company). If the Company enters into a definitive agreement for a Business Combination in which the Company will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of ordinary shares will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into ordinary shares basis.
The Company will not issue fractional shares in connection with an exchange of rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Cayman Islands law. As a result, the holders of the rights must hold rights in multiples of 10 in order to receive shares for all of the holders’ rights upon closing of a Business Combination. If the Company is unable to complete an initial Business Combination within the required time period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the trust account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.
F-28
Twelve Seas Investment Company
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2018
(Unaudited)
Note 8 — Subsequent Events
On May 22, 2018, a related party, on behalf of the sponsor, advanced to the Company an additional $150,000. After giving effect to this advance, the total outstanding amounts owed to sponsor was $196,500.
On June 1, 2018, the Company’s board of directors approved a decrease in the Proposed Public Offering to 10,000,000 Units, (or 11,500,000 Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), and the addition of a Public Right (as described herein). On June 1, 2018, the Initial Shareholders returned 1,437,500 ordinary shares to the Company for cancellation, in order that the Initial Shareholders will own 20% (not including the private placement shares and the 250,000 shares to be issued to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in the offering, upon the consummation of the offering) of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering. As a result, there were 2,875,000 Insider Shares, which include an aggregate of up to 375,000 shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part.
F-29
Until __________, 2018, all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.
No dealer, salesperson or any other person is authorized to give any information or make any representations in connection with this offering other than those contained in this prospectus and, if given or made, the information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by us. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security other than the securities offered by this prospectus, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities by anyone in any jurisdiction in which the offer or solicitation is not authorized or is unlawful.
$100,000,000
Twelve Seas Investment Company
10,000,000 Units
__________________
PROSPECTUS
__________________
Sole Book-Running Manager
EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.
____________, 2018
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discount and commissions) will be as follows:
SEC Registration Fee |
|
$ |
16,060 |
|
FINRA filing fee |
|
|
26,788 |
|
Accounting fees and expenses |
|
|
40,000 |
|
Nasdaq listing fees |
|
|
75,000 |
|
Printing and engraving expenses |
|
|
40,000 |
|
Legal fees and expenses |
|
|
275,000 |
|
Miscellaneous |
|
|
177,152 |
(1) |
Total |
|
$ |
650,000 |
|
____________
(1) This amount represents additional expenses that may be incurred by the Company in connection with the offering over and above those specifically listed above, including distribution and mailing costs.
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default, willful neglect, civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our memorandum and articles of association will provide for indemnification of our officers and directors to the maximum extent permitted by law, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud, willful default or willful neglect.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is theretofore unenforceable.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
During the past three years, we sold the following ordinary shares without registration under the Securities Act:
• In December 2017, the Company issued an aggregate of 4,312,500 ordinary shares to its initial shareholders for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.006 per share, in connection with the Company’s organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. In May 2018, our sponsor returned 1,437,500 of our ordinary shares for cancellation in connection with the reduced size of the offering resulting in an aggregate of 2,875,000 founder shares outstanding and held by our initial shareholders. On June 1, 2018, Mr. Edwards transferred 50,000 insider shares back to our sponsor.
• In addition, the initial shareholders have committed to purchase an aggregate of 315,000 private units from the Company on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. The initial shareholders have also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, they will purchase from the Company at a price of $10.00 per private unit up to an additional 30,000 private units. These issuances will be made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.
II-1
Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a) The following exhibits are filed as part of this Registration Statement:
Exhibit
|
|
Description |
1.1 |
|
Form of Underwriting Agreement.* |
1.2 |
|
Form of Business Combination Marketing Agreement between the Registrant and EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.* |
3.1 |
|
|
3.2 |
|
Form of Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association.* |
4.1 |
|
Specimen Unit Certificate.* |
4.2 |
|
Specimen Ordinary Share Certificate.* |
4.3 |
|
Specimen Warrant Certificate.* |
4.4 |
|
Specimen Right Certificate.* |
4.5 |
|
Form of Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.* |
4.6 |
|
Form of Rights Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.* |
5.1 |
|
Opinion of Maples and Calder.* |
5.2 |
|
Opinion of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP.* |
10.1 |
|
Form of Letter Agreement among the Registrant, EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. and the Company’s officers, directors and shareholders.* |
10.2 |
|
Form of Investment Management Trust Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.* |
10.3 |
|
Form of Stock Escrow Agreement between the Registrant, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Initial Shareholders.* |
10.4 |
|
Form of Registration Rights Agreement between the Registrant and the Initial Shareholders.* |
10.5 |
|
|
10.6 |
|
Form of Unit Subscription Agreement between the Registrant and the Initial Shareholder.* |
10.7 |
|
|
10.8 |
|
Form of Administrative Services Agreement between the Registrant and Twelve Seas Capital, Inc.* |
10.9 |
|
Form of Indemnity Agreement.* |
14 |
|
Form of Code of Ethics.* |
23.1 |
|
|
23.2 |
|
Consent of Maples and Calder (included in Exhibit 5.1). |
23.3 |
|
Consent of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP (included in Exhibit 5.2). |
24 |
|
Power of Attorney (included on signature page of this Registration Statement). |
99.1 |
|
Form of Audit Committee Charter.* |
99.2 |
|
Form of Nominating Committee Charter.* |
99.3 |
|
Form of Compensation Committee Charter.* |
99.4 |
|
Consent of Stephen A. Vogel.* |
99.5 |
|
Consent of Gregory A. Stoupnitzky.* |
99.6 |
|
Consent of Suneel G. Kaji.* |
____________
* To be filed by amendment.
** Filed herewith.
Item 17. Undertakings.
(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
i. To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
II-2
ii. To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to R ule 4 24(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;
iii. To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4) That for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933 in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
i. Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
ii. Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
iii. The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and\
iv. Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(5) That for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, if the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.
(b) The undersigned hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.
II-3
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(d) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
II-4
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of London, on the 1 st day of June, 2018.
|
|
TWELVE SEAS INVESTMENT COMPANY |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
|
/s/ Dimitri Elkin |
|
|
Name: |
|
Dimitri Elkin |
|
|
Title: |
|
Chief Executive Officer |
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Dimitri Elkin and Stephen N. Cannon his true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities to sign any and all amendments including post-effective amendments to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact or his substitute, each acting alone, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Name |
|
Position |
|
Date |
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Dimitri Elkin |
|
Chief Executive Officer |
|
June 1, 2018 |
Dimitri Elkin |
|
(Principal Executive Officer) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Stephen N. Cannon |
|
Chief Financial Officer |
|
June 1, 2018 |
Stephen N. Cannon |
|
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Neil Richardson |
|
Chairman |
|
June 1, 2018 |
Neil Richardson |
|
|
|
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|
|
|
/s/ Stephen A. Vogel |
|
President |
|
June 1, 2018 |
Stephen A. Vogel |
|
|
|
|
II-5
Exhibit 3.1
THE COMPANIES LAW (2016 REVISION)
OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
Twelve Seas Investment Company
THE COMPANIES LAW (2016 REVISION)
OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION
OF
Twelve Seas Investment Company
1 | The name of the Company is Twelve Seas Investment Company |
2 | The Registered Office of the Company shall be at the offices of Maples Corporate Services Limited, PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands, or at such other place within the Cayman Islands as the Directors may decide. |
3 | The objects for which the Company is established are unrestricted and the Company shall have full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by the laws of the Cayman Islands. |
4 | The liability of each Member is limited to the amount unpaid on such Member’s shares. |
5 | The share capital of the Company is US$20,200 divided into 200,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each and 2,000,000 preferred shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each. |
6 | The Company has power to register by way of continuation as a body corporate limited by shares under the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and to be deregistered in the Cayman Islands. |
7 | Capitalised terms that are not defined in this Memorandum of Association bear the respective meanings given to them in the Articles of Association of the Company. |
WE, the subscriber to this Memorandum of Association, wish to form a company pursuant to this Memorandum of Association, and we agree to take the number of shares shown opposite our name.
Dated this 30th day of November 2017.
Signature and Address of Subscriber | Number of Shares Taken | |
Maples Corporate Services Limited of PO Box 309, Ugland House Grand Cayman KY1-1104 Cayman Islands
acting by: |
One ordinary share |
|
/s/ Camille Solomon |
||
Camille Solomon
|
||
/s/ Margo Richardson |
||
Margo Richardson
|
||
Witness to the above signature |
2 |
THE COMPANIES LAW (2016 REVISION)
OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
Twelve Seas Investment Company
1 | Interpretation |
1.1 | In the Articles Table A in the First Schedule to the Statute does not apply and, unless there is something in the subject or context inconsistent therewith: |
3 |
“ Ordinary Share ” | means an ordinary share of a par value of US$0.0001 in the share capital of the Company. | |
“ Preferred Share ” | means a preferred share of a par value of US$0.0001 in the share capital of the Company. | |
“ Register of Members ” | means the register of Members maintained in accordance with the Statute and includes (except where otherwise stated) any branch or duplicate register of Members. | |
“ Registered Office ” | means the registered office for the time being of the Company. | |
“ Seal ” | means the common seal of the Company and includes every duplicate seal. | |
“ Share ” | means an Ordinary Share or a Preferred Share in the Company and includes a fraction of a share in the Company. | |
“ Special Resolution ” | has the same meaning as in the Statute, and includes a unanimous written resolution. | |
“ Statute ” | means the Companies Law (2016 Revision) of the Cayman Islands. | |
“ Subscriber ” | means the subscriber to the Memorandum. | |
“ Treasury Share ” | means a Share held in the name of the Company as a treasury share in accordance with the Statute. |
1.2 | In the Articles: |
(a) | words importing the singular number include the plural number and vice versa; |
(b) | words importing the masculine gender include the feminine gender; |
(c) | words importing persons include corporations as well as any other legal or natural person; |
(d) | “written” and “in writing” include all modes of representing or reproducing words in visible form, including in the form of an Electronic Record; |
(e) | “shall” shall be construed as imperative and “may” shall be construed as permissive; |
2 |
(f) | references to provisions of any law or regulation shall be construed as references to those provisions as amended, modified, re-enacted or replaced; |
(g) | any phrase introduced by the terms “including”, “include”, “in particular” or any similar expression shall be construed as illustrative and shall not limit the sense of the words preceding those terms; |
(h) | the term “and/or” is used herein to mean both “and” as well as “or.” The use of “and/or” in certain contexts in no respects qualifies or modifies the use of the terms “and” or “or” in others. The term “or” shall not be interpreted to be exclusive and the term “and” shall not be interpreted to require the conjunctive (in each case, unless the context otherwise requires); |
(i) | headings are inserted for reference only and shall be ignored in construing the Articles; |
(j) | any requirements as to delivery under the Articles include delivery in the form of an Electronic Record; |
(k) | any requirements as to execution or signature under the Articles including the execution of the Articles themselves can be satisfied in the form of an electronic signature as defined in the Electronic Transactions Law; |
(l) | sections 8 and 19(3) of the Electronic Transactions Law shall not apply; |
(m) | the term “clear days” in relation to the period of a notice means that period excluding the day when the notice is received or deemed to be received and the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect; and |
(n) | the term “holder” in relation to a Share means a person whose name is entered in the Register of Members as the holder of such Share. |
2 | Commencement of Business |
2.1 | The business of the Company may be commenced as soon after incorporation of the Company as the Directors shall see fit. |
2.2 | The Directors may pay, out of the capital or any other monies of the Company, all expenses incurred in or about the formation and establishment of the Company, including the expenses of registration. |
3 |
3 | Issue of Shares |
3.1 | Subject to the provisions, if any, in the Memorandum (and to any direction that may be given by the Company in general meeting) and without prejudice to any rights attached to any existing Shares, the Directors may allot, issue, grant options over or otherwise dispose of Shares (including fractions of a Share) with or without preferred, deferred or other rights or restrictions, whether in regard to Dividend or other distribution, voting, return of capital or otherwise and to such persons, at such times and on such other terms as they think proper, and may also (subject to the Statute and the Articles) vary such rights. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Subscriber shall have the power to: |
(a) | issue one Share to itself; |
(b) | transfer that Share by an instrument of transfer to any person; and |
(c) | update the Register of Members in respect of the issue and transfer of that Share. |
3.2 | The Company shall not issue Shares to bearer. |
4 | Register of Members |
4.1 | The Company shall maintain or cause to be maintained the Register of Members in accordance with the Statute. |
4.2 | The Directors may determine that the Company shall maintain one or more branch registers of Members in accordance with the Statute. The Directors may also determine which register of Members shall constitute the principal register and which shall constitute the branch register or registers, and to vary such determination from time to time. |
5 | Closing Register of Members or Fixing Record Date |
5.1 | For the purpose of determining Members entitled to notice of, or to vote at any meeting of Members or any adjournment thereof, or Members entitled to receive payment of any Dividend or other distribution, or in order to make a determination of Members for any other purpose, the Directors may provide that the Register of Members shall be closed for transfers for a stated period which shall not in any case exceed forty days. |
5.2 | In lieu of, or apart from, closing the Register of Members, the Directors may fix in advance or arrears a date as the record date for any such determination of Members entitled to notice of, or to vote at any meeting of the Members or any adjournment thereof, or for the purpose of determining the Members entitled to receive payment of any Dividend or other distribution, or in order to make a determination of Members for any other purpose. |
5.3 | If the Register of Members is not so closed and no record date is fixed for the determination of Members entitled to notice of, or to vote at, a meeting of Members or Members entitled to receive payment of a Dividend or other distribution, the date on which notice of the meeting is sent or the date on which the resolution of the Directors resolving to pay such Dividend or other distribution is passed, as the case may be, shall be the record date for such determination of Members. When a determination of Members entitled to vote at any meeting of Members has been made as provided in this Article, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof. |
4 |
6 | Certificates for Shares |
6.1 | A Member shall only be entitled to a share certificate if the Directors resolve that share certificates shall be issued. Share certificates representing Shares, if any, shall be in such form as the Directors may determine. Share certificates shall be signed by one or more Directors or other person authorised by the Directors. The Directors may authorise certificates to be issued with the authorised signature(s) affixed by mechanical process. All certificates for Shares shall be consecutively numbered or otherwise identified and shall specify the Shares to which they relate. All certificates surrendered to the Company for transfer shall be cancelled and subject to the Articles no new certificate shall be issued until the former certificate representing a like number of relevant Shares shall have been surrendered and cancelled. |
6.2 | The Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate for Shares held jointly by more than one person and delivery of a certificate to one joint holder shall be a sufficient delivery to all of them. |
6.3 | If a share certificate is defaced, worn out, lost or destroyed, it may be renewed on such terms (if any) as to evidence and indemnity and on the payment of such expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in investigating evidence, as the Directors may prescribe, and (in the case of defacement or wearing out) upon delivery of the old certificate. |
6.4 | Every share certificate sent in accordance with the Articles will be sent at the risk of the Member or other person entitled to the certificate. The Company will not be responsible for any share certificate lost or delayed in the course of delivery. |
7 | Transfer of Shares |
7.1 | Subject to Article 3.1, Shares are transferable subject to the approval of the Directors by resolution who may, in their absolute discretion, decline to register any transfer of Shares without giving any reason. If the Directors refuse to register a transfer they shall notify the transferee within two months of such refusal. |
7.2 | The instrument of transfer of any Share shall be in writing and shall be executed by or on behalf of the transferor (and if the Directors so require, signed by or on behalf of the transferee). The transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of a Share until the name of the transferee is entered in the Register of Members. |
8 | Redemption, Repurchase and Surrender of Shares |
8.1 | Subject to the provisions of the Statute the Company may issue Shares that are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Member or the Company. The redemption of such Shares shall be effected in such manner and upon such other terms as the Company may, by Special Resolution, determine before the issue of the Shares. |
5 |
8.2 | Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the Company may purchase its own Shares (including any redeemable Shares) in such manner and on such other terms as the Directors may agree with the relevant Member. |
8.3 | The Company may make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own Shares in any manner permitted by the Statute, including out of capital. |
8.4 | The Directors may accept the surrender for no consideration of any fully paid Share. |
9 | Treasury Shares |
9.1 | The Directors may, prior to the purchase, redemption or surrender of any Share, determine that such Share shall be held as a Treasury Share. |
9.2 | The Directors may determine to cancel a Treasury Share or transfer a Treasury Share on such terms as they think proper (including, without limitation, for nil consideration). |
10 | Variation of Rights of Shares |
10.1 | If at any time the share capital of the Company is divided into different classes of Shares, all or any of the rights attached to any class (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that class) may, whether or not the Company is being wound up, be varied without the consent of the holders of the issued Shares of that class where such variation is considered by the Directors not to have a material adverse effect upon such rights; otherwise, any such variation shall be made only with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than two thirds of the issued Shares of that class, or with the approval of a resolution passed by a majority of not less than two thirds of the votes cast at a separate meeting of the holders of the Shares of that class. For the avoidance of doubt, the Directors reserve the right, notwithstanding that any such variation may not have a material adverse effect, to obtain consent from the holders of Shares of the relevant class. To any such meeting all the provisions of the Articles relating to general meetings shall apply mutatis mutandis , except that the necessary quorum shall be one person holding or representing by proxy at least one third of the issued Shares of the class and that any holder of Shares of the class present in person or by proxy may demand a poll. |
10.2 | For the purposes of a separate class meeting, the Directors may treat two or more or all the classes of Shares as forming one class of Shares if the Directors consider that such class of Shares would be affected in the same way by the proposals under consideration, but in any other case shall treat them as separate classes of Shares. |
10.3 | The rights conferred upon the holders of the Shares of any class issued with preferred or other rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further Shares ranking pari passu therewith. |
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11 | Commission on Sale of Shares |
The Company may, in so far as the Statute permits, pay a commission to any person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe (whether absolutely or conditionally) or procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions (whether absolutely or conditionally) for any Shares. Such commissions may be satisfied by the payment of cash and/or the issue of fully or partly paid-up Shares. The Company may also on any issue of Shares pay such brokerage as may be lawful.
12 | Non Recognition of Trusts |
The Company shall not be bound by or compelled to recognise in any way (even when notified) any equitable, contingent, future or partial interest in any Share, or (except only as is otherwise provided by the Articles or the Statute) any other rights in respect of any Share other than an absolute right to the entirety thereof in the holder.
13 | Lien on Shares |
13.1 | The Company shall have a first and paramount lien on all Shares (whether fully paid-up or not) registered in the name of a Member (whether solely or jointly with others) for all debts, liabilities or engagements to or with the Company (whether presently payable or not) by such Member or his estate, either alone or jointly with any other person, whether a Member or not, but the Directors may at any time declare any Share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The registration of a transfer of any such Share shall operate as a waiver of the Company’s lien thereon. The Company’s lien on a Share shall also extend to any amount payable in respect of that Share. |
13.2 | The Company may sell, in such manner as the Directors think fit, any Shares on which the Company has a lien, if a sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable, and is not paid within fourteen clear days after notice has been received or deemed to have been received by the holder of the Shares, or to the person entitled to it in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of the holder, demanding payment and stating that if the notice is not complied with the Shares may be sold. |
13.3 | To give effect to any such sale the Directors may authorise any person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Shares sold to, or in accordance with the directions of, the purchaser. The purchaser or his nominee shall be registered as the holder of the Shares comprised in any such transfer, and he shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, nor shall his title to the Shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the sale or the exercise of the Company’s power of sale under the Articles. |
13.4 | The net proceeds of such sale after payment of costs, shall be applied in payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable and any balance shall (subject to a like lien for sums not presently payable as existed upon the Shares before the sale) be paid to the person entitled to the Shares at the date of the sale. |
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14 | Call on Shares |
14.1 | Subject to the terms of the allotment and issue of any Shares, the Directors may make calls upon the Members in respect of any monies unpaid on their Shares (whether in respect of par value or premium), and each Member shall (subject to receiving at least fourteen clear days’ notice specifying the time or times of payment) pay to the Company at the time or times so specified the amount called on the Shares. A call may be revoked or postponed, in whole or in part, as the Directors may determine. A call may be required to be paid by instalments. A person upon whom a call is made shall remain liable for calls made upon him notwithstanding the subsequent transfer of the Shares in respect of which the call was made. |
14.2 | A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the Directors authorising such call was passed. |
14.3 | The joint holders of a Share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect thereof. |
14.4 | If a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable, the person from whom it is due shall pay interest on the amount unpaid from the day it became due and payable until it is paid at such rate as the Directors may determine (and in addition all expenses that have been incurred by the Company by reason of such non-payment), but the Directors may waive payment of the interest or expenses wholly or in part. |
14.5 | An amount payable in respect of a Share on issue or allotment or at any fixed date, whether on account of the par value of the Share or premium or otherwise, shall be deemed to be a call and if it is not paid all the provisions of the Articles shall apply as if that amount had become due and payable by virtue of a call. |
14.6 | The Directors may issue Shares with different terms as to the amount and times of payment of calls, or the interest to be paid. |
14.7 | The Directors may, if they think fit, receive an amount from any Member willing to advance all or any part of the monies uncalled and unpaid upon any Shares held by him, and may (until the amount would otherwise become payable) pay interest at such rate as may be agreed upon between the Directors and the Member paying such amount in advance. |
14.8 | No such amount paid in advance of calls shall entitle the Member paying such amount to any portion of a Dividend or other distribution payable in respect of any period prior to the date upon which such amount would, but for such payment, become payable. |
15 | Forfeiture of Shares |
15.1 | If a call or instalment of a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable the Directors may give to the person from whom it is due not less than fourteen clear days’ notice requiring payment of the amount unpaid together with any interest which may have accrued and any expenses incurred by the Company by reason of such non-payment. The notice shall specify where payment is to be made and shall state that if the notice is not complied with the Shares in respect of which the call was made will be liable to be forfeited. |
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15.2 | If the notice is not complied with, any Share in respect of which it was given may, before the payment required by the notice has been made, be forfeited by a resolution of the Directors. Such forfeiture shall include all Dividends, other distributions or other monies payable in respect of the forfeited Share and not paid before the forfeiture. |
15.3 | A forfeited Share may be sold, re-allotted or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the Directors think fit and at any time before a sale, re-allotment or disposition the forfeiture may be cancelled on such terms as the Directors think fit. Where for the purposes of its disposal a forfeited Share is to be transferred to any person the Directors may authorise some person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Share in favour of that person. |
15.4 | A person any of whose Shares have been forfeited shall cease to be a Member in respect of them and shall surrender to the Company for cancellation the certificate for the Shares forfeited and shall remain liable to pay to the Company all monies which at the date of forfeiture were payable by him to the Company in respect of those Shares together with interest at such rate as the Directors may determine, but his liability shall cease if and when the Company shall have received payment in full of all monies due and payable by him in respect of those Shares. |
15.5 | A certificate in writing under the hand of one Director or officer of the Company that a Share has been forfeited on a specified date shall be conclusive evidence of the facts stated in it as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the Share. The certificate shall (subject to the execution of an instrument of transfer) constitute a good title to the Share and the person to whom the Share is sold or otherwise disposed of shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, if any, nor shall his title to the Share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, sale or disposal of the Share. |
15.6 | The provisions of the Articles as to forfeiture shall apply in the case of non payment of any sum which, by the terms of issue of a Share, becomes payable at a fixed time, whether on account of the par value of the Share or by way of premium as if it had been payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified. |
16 | Transmission of Shares |
16.1 | If a Member dies the survivor or survivors (where he was a joint holder) or his legal personal representatives (where he was a sole holder), shall be the only persons recognised by the Company as having any title to his Shares. The estate of a deceased Member is not thereby released from any liability in respect of any Share, for which he was a joint or sole holder. |
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16.2 | Any person becoming entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution of a Member (or in any other way than by transfer) may, upon such evidence being produced as may be required by the Directors, elect, by a notice in writing sent by him to the Company, either to become the holder of such Share or to have some person nominated by him registered as the holder of such Share. If he elects to have another person registered as the holder of such Share he shall sign an instrument of transfer of that Share to that person. The Directors shall, in either case, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the Share by the relevant Member before his death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution, as the case may be. |
16.3 | A person becoming entitled to a Share by reason of the death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution of a Member (or in any other case than by transfer) shall be entitled to the same Dividends, other distributions and other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the holder of such Share. However, he shall not, before becoming a Member in respect of a Share, be entitled in respect of it to exercise any right conferred by membership in relation to general meetings of the Company and the Directors may at any time give notice requiring any such person to elect either to be registered himself or to have some person nominated by him be registered as the holder of the Share (but the Directors shall, in either case, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the Share by the relevant Member before his death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution or any other case than by transfer, as the case may be). If the notice is not complied with within ninety days of being received or deemed to be received (as determined pursuant to the Articles) the Directors may thereafter withhold payment of all Dividends, other distributions, bonuses or other monies payable in respect of the Share until the requirements of the notice have been complied with. |
17 | Amendments of Memorandum and Articles of Association and Alteration of Capital |
17.1 | The Company may by Ordinary Resolution: |
(a) | increase its share capital by such sum as the Ordinary Resolution shall prescribe and with such rights, priorities and privileges annexed thereto, as the Company in general meeting may determine; |
(b) | consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into Shares of larger amount than its existing Shares; |
(c) | convert all or any of its paid-up Shares into stock, and reconvert that stock into paid-up Shares of any denomination; |
(d) | by subdivision of its existing Shares or any of them divide the whole or any part of its share capital into Shares of smaller amount than is fixed by the Memorandum or into Shares without par value; and |
(e) | cancel any Shares that at the date of the passing of the Ordinary Resolution have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person and diminish the amount of its share capital by the amount of the Shares so cancelled. |
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17.2 | All new Shares created in accordance with the provisions of the preceding Article shall be subject to the same provisions of the Articles with reference to the payment of calls, liens, transfer, transmission, forfeiture and otherwise as the Shares in the original share capital. |
17.3 | Subject to the provisions of the Statute and the provisions of the Articles as regards the matters to be dealt with by Ordinary Resolution, the Company may by Special Resolution: |
(a) | change its name; |
(b) | alter or add to the Articles; |
(c) | alter or add to the Memorandum with respect to any objects, powers or other matters specified therein; and |
(d) | reduce its share capital or any capital redemption reserve fund. |
18 | Offices and Places of Business |
Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the Company may by resolution of the Directors change the location of its Registered Office. The Company may, in addition to its Registered Office, maintain such other offices or places of business as the Directors determine.
19 | General Meetings |
19.1 | All general meetings other than annual general meetings shall be called extraordinary general meetings. |
19.2 | The Company may, but shall not (unless required by the Statute) be obliged to, in each year hold a general meeting as its annual general meeting, and shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it. Any annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Directors shall appoint and if no other time and place is prescribed by them, it shall be held at the Registered Office on the second Wednesday in December of each year at ten o’clock in the morning. At these meetings the report of the Directors (if any) shall be presented. |
19.3 | The Directors may call general meetings, and they shall on a Members’ requisition forthwith proceed to convene an extraordinary general meeting of the Company. |
19.4 | A Members’ requisition is a requisition of Members holding at the date of deposit of the requisition not less than ten per cent. in par value of the issued Shares which as at that date carry the right to vote at general meetings of the Company. |
19.5 | The Members’ requisition must state the objects of the meeting and must be signed by the requisitionists and deposited at the Registered Office, and may consist of several documents in like form each signed by one or more requisitionists. |
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19.6 | If there are no Directors as at the date of the deposit of the Members’ requisition or if the Directors do not within twenty-one days from the date of the deposit of the Members’ requisition duly proceed to convene a general meeting to be held within a further twenty-one days, the requisitionists, or any of them representing more than one-half of the total voting rights of all of the requisitionists, may themselves convene a general meeting, but any meeting so convened shall be held no later than the day which falls three months after the expiration of the said twenty-one day period. |
19.7 | A general meeting convened as aforesaid by requisitionists shall be convened in the same manner as nearly as possible as that in which general meetings are to be convened by Directors. |
20 | Notice of General Meetings |
20.1 | At least five clear days’ notice shall be given of any general meeting. Every notice shall specify the place, the day and the hour of the meeting and the general nature of the business to be conducted at the general meeting and shall be given in the manner hereinafter mentioned or in such other manner if any as may be prescribed by the Company, provided that a general meeting of the Company shall, whether or not the notice specified in this Article has been given and whether or not the provisions of the Articles regarding general meetings have been complied with, be deemed to have been duly convened if it is so agreed: |
(a) | in the case of an annual general meeting, by all of the Members entitled to attend and vote thereat; and |
(b) | in the case of an extraordinary general meeting, by a majority in number of the Members having a right to attend and vote at the meeting, together holding not less than ninety five per cent. in par value of the Shares giving that right. |
20.2 | The accidental omission to give notice of a general meeting to, or the non receipt of notice of a general meeting by, any person entitled to receive such notice shall not invalidate the proceedings of that general meeting. |
21 | Proceedings at General Meetings |
21.1 | No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum is present. Two Members being individuals present in person or by proxy or if a corporation or other non-natural person by its duly authorised representative or proxy shall be a quorum unless the Company has only one Member entitled to vote at such general meeting in which case the quorum shall be that one Member present in person or by proxy or (in the case of a corporation or other non-natural person) by its duly authorised representative or proxy. |
21.2 | A person may participate at a general meeting by conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all the persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other. Participation by a person in a general meeting in this manner is treated as presence in person at that meeting. |
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21.3 | A resolution (including a Special Resolution) in writing (in one or more counterparts) signed by or on behalf of all of the Members for the time being entitled to receive notice of and to attend and vote at general meetings (or, being corporations or other non-natural persons, signed by their duly authorised representatives) shall be as valid and effective as if the resolution had been passed at a general meeting of the Company duly convened and held. |
21.4 | If a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting to commence or if during such a meeting a quorum ceases to be present, the meeting, if convened upon a Members’ requisition, shall be dissolved and in any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and/or place or to such other day, time and/or place as the Directors may determine, and if at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting to commence, the Members present shall be a quorum. |
21.5 | The Directors may, at any time prior to the time appointed for the meeting to commence, appoint any person to act as chairman of a general meeting of the Company or, if the Directors do not make any such appointment, the chairman, if any, of the board of Directors shall preside as chairman at such general meeting. If there is no such chairman, or if he shall not be present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for the meeting to commence, or is unwilling to act, the Directors present shall elect one of their number to be chairman of the meeting. |
21.6 | If no Director is willing to act as chairman or if no Director is present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for the meeting to commence, the Members present shall choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting. |
21.7 | The chairman may, with the consent of a meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting) adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. |
21.8 | When a general meeting is adjourned for thirty days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting. Otherwise it shall not be necessary to give any such notice of an adjourned meeting. |
21.9 | A resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless before, or on the declaration of the result of, the show of hands, the chairman demands a poll, or any other Member or Members collectively present in person or by proxy (or in the case of a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorised representative or proxy) and holding at least ten per cent. in par value of the Shares giving a right to attend and vote at the meeting demand a poll. |
21.10 | Unless a poll is duly demanded and the demand is not withdrawn a declaration by the chairman that a resolution has been carried or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or lost or not carried by a particular majority, an entry to that effect in the minutes of the proceedings of the meeting shall be conclusive evidence of that fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against such resolution. |
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21.11 | The demand for a poll may be withdrawn. |
21.12 | Except on a poll demanded on the election of a chairman or on a question of adjournment, a poll shall be taken as the chairman directs, and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the general meeting at which the poll was demanded. |
21.13 | A poll demanded on the election of a chairman or on a question of adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken at such date, time and place as the chairman of the general meeting directs, and any business other than that upon which a poll has been demanded or is contingent thereon may proceed pending the taking of the poll. |
21.14 | In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, the chairman shall be entitled to a second or casting vote. |
22 | Votes of Members |
22.1 | Subject to any rights or restrictions attached to any Shares, on a show of hands every Member who (being an individual) is present in person or by proxy or, if a corporation or other non-natural person is present by its duly authorised representative or by proxy, shall have one vote and on a poll every Member present in any such manner shall have one vote for every Share of which he is the holder. |
22.2 | In the case of joint holders the vote of the senior holder who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy (or, in the case of a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorised representative or proxy), shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders, and seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names of the holders stand in the Register of Members. |
22.3 | A Member of unsound mind, or in respect of whom an order has been made by any court, having jurisdiction in lunacy, may vote, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, by his committee, receiver, curator bonis, or other person on such Member’s behalf appointed by that court, and any such committee, receiver, curator bonis or other person may vote by proxy. |
22.4 | No person shall be entitled to vote at any general meeting unless he is registered as a Member on the record date for such meeting nor unless all calls or other monies then payable by him in respect of Shares have been paid. |
22.5 | No objection shall be raised as to the qualification of any voter except at the general meeting or adjourned general meeting at which the vote objected to is given or tendered and every vote not disallowed at the meeting shall be valid. Any objection made in due time in accordance with this Article shall be referred to the chairman whose decision shall be final and conclusive. |
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22.6 | On a poll or on a show of hands votes may be cast either personally or by proxy (or in the case of a corporation or other non-natural person by its duly authorised representative or proxy). A Member may appoint more than one proxy or the same proxy under one or more instruments to attend and vote at a meeting. Where a Member appoints more than one proxy the instrument of proxy shall state which proxy is entitled to vote on a show of hands and shall specify the number of Shares in respect of which each proxy is entitled to exercise the related votes. |
22.7 | On a poll, a Member holding more than one Share need not cast the votes in respect of his Shares in the same way on any resolution and therefore may vote a Share or some or all such Shares either for or against a resolution and/or abstain from voting a Share or some or all of the Shares and, subject to the terms of the instrument appointing him, a proxy appointed under one or more instruments may vote a Share or some or all of the Shares in respect of which he is appointed either for or against a resolution and/or abstain from voting a Share or some or all of the Shares in respect of which he is appointed. |
23 | Proxies |
23.1 | The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in writing and shall be executed under the hand of the appointor or of his attorney duly authorised in writing, or, if the appointor is a corporation or other non natural person, under the hand of its duly authorised representative. A proxy need not be a Member. |
23.2 | The Directors may, in the notice convening any meeting or adjourned meeting, or in an instrument of proxy sent out by the Company, specify the manner by which the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited and the place and the time (being not later than the time appointed for the commencement of the meeting or adjourned meeting to which the proxy relates) at which the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited. In the absence of any such direction from the Directors in the notice convening any meeting or adjourned meeting or in an instrument of proxy sent out by the Company, the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited physically at the Registered Office not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for the meeting or adjourned meeting to commence at which the person named in the instrument proposes to vote. |
23.3 | The chairman may in any event at his discretion declare that an instrument of proxy shall be deemed to have been duly deposited. An instrument of proxy that is not deposited in the manner permitted, or which has not been declared to have been duly deposited by the chairman, shall be invalid. |
23.4 | The instrument appointing a proxy may be in any usual or common form (or such other form as the Directors may approve) and may be expressed to be for a particular meeting or any adjournment thereof or generally until revoked. An instrument appointing a proxy shall be deemed to include the power to demand or join or concur in demanding a poll. |
23.5 | Votes given in accordance with the terms of an instrument of proxy shall be valid notwithstanding the previous death or insanity of the principal or revocation of the proxy or of the authority under which the proxy was executed, or the transfer of the Share in respect of which the proxy is given unless notice in writing of such death, insanity, revocation or transfer was received by the Company at the Registered Office before the commencement of the general meeting, or adjourned meeting at which it is sought to use the proxy. |
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24 | Corporate Members |
Any corporation or other non-natural person which is a Member may in accordance with its constitutional documents, or in the absence of such provision by resolution of its directors or other governing body, authorise such person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or of any class of Members, and the person so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the corporation which he represents as the corporation could exercise if it were an individual Member.
25 | Shares that May Not be Voted |
Shares in the Company that are beneficially owned by the Company shall not be voted, directly or indirectly, at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding Shares at any given time.
26 | Directors |
There shall be a board of Directors consisting of not less than one person (exclusive of alternate Directors) provided however that the Company may by Ordinary Resolution increase or reduce the limits in the number of Directors. The first Directors of the Company shall be determined in writing by, or appointed by a resolution of, the Subscriber.
27 | Powers of Directors |
27.1 | Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the Memorandum and the Articles and to any directions given by Special Resolution, the business of the Company shall be managed by the Directors who may exercise all the powers of the Company. No alteration of the Memorandum or Articles and no such direction shall invalidate any prior act of the Directors which would have been valid if that alteration had not been made or that direction had not been given. A duly convened meeting of Directors at which a quorum is present may exercise all powers exercisable by the Directors. |
27.2 | All cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable or transferable instruments and all receipts for monies paid to the Company shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed as the case may be in such manner as the Directors shall determine by resolution. |
27.3 | The Directors on behalf of the Company may pay a gratuity or pension or allowance on retirement to any Director who has held any other salaried office or place of profit with the Company or to his widow or dependants and may make contributions to any fund and pay premiums for the purchase or provision of any such gratuity, pension or allowance. |
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27.4 | The Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and assets (present and future) and uncalled capital or any part thereof and to issue debentures, debenture stock, mortgages, bonds and other such securities whether outright or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party. |
28 | Appointment and Removal of Directors |
28.1 | The Company may by Ordinary Resolution appoint any person to be a Director or may by Ordinary Resolution remove any Director. |
28.2 | The Directors may appoint any person to be a Director, either to fill a vacancy or as an additional Director provided that the appointment does not cause the number of Directors to exceed any number fixed by or in accordance with the Articles as the maximum number of Directors. |
29 | Vacation of Office of Director |
The office of a Director shall be vacated if:
(a) | the Director gives notice in writing to the Company that he resigns the office of Director; or |
(b) | the Director absents himself (for the avoidance of doubt, without being represented by proxy or an alternate Director appointed by him) from three consecutive meetings of the board of Directors without special leave of absence from the Directors, and the Directors pass a resolution that he has by reason of such absence vacated office; or |
(c) | the Director dies, becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors generally; or |
(d) | the Director is found to be or becomes of unsound mind; or |
(e) | all of the other Directors (being not less than two in number) determine that he should be removed as a Director, either by a resolution passed by all of the other Directors at a meeting of the Directors duly convened and held in accordance with the Articles or by a resolution in writing signed by all of the other Directors. |
30 | Proceedings of Directors |
30.1 | The quorum for the transaction of the business of the Directors may be fixed by the Directors, and unless so fixed shall be two if there are two or more Directors, and shall be one if there is only one Director. A person who holds office as an alternate Director shall, if his appointor is not present, be counted in the quorum. A Director who also acts as an alternate Director shall, if his appointor is not present, count twice towards the quorum. |
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30.2 | Subject to the provisions of the Articles, the Directors may regulate their proceedings as they think fit. Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes. In the case of an equality of votes, the chairman shall have a second or casting vote. A Director who is also an alternate Director shall be entitled in the absence of his appointor to a separate vote on behalf of his appointor in addition to his own vote. |
30.3 | A person may participate in a meeting of the Directors or any committee of Directors by conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all the persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other at the same time. Participation by a person in a meeting in this manner is treated as presence in person at that meeting. Unless otherwise determined by the Directors the meeting shall be deemed to be held at the place where the chairman is located at the start of the meeting. |
30.4 | A resolution in writing (in one or more counterparts) signed by all the Directors or all the members of a committee of the Directors or, in the case of a resolution in writing relating to the removal of any Director or the vacation of office by any Director, all of the Directors other than the Director who is the subject of such resolution (an alternate Director being entitled to sign such a resolution on behalf of his appointor and if such alternate Director is also a Director, being entitled to sign such resolution both on behalf of his appointer and in his capacity as a Director) shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Directors, or committee of Directors as the case may be, duly convened and held. |
30.5 | A Director or alternate Director may, or other officer of the Company on the direction of a Director or alternate Director shall, call a meeting of the Directors by at least two days’ notice in writing to every Director and alternate Director which notice shall set forth the general nature of the business to be considered unless notice is waived by all the Directors (or their alternates) either at, before or after the meeting is held. To any such notice of a meeting of the Directors all the provisions of the Articles relating to the giving of notices by the Company to the Members shall apply mutatis mutandis. |
30.6 | The continuing Directors (or a sole continuing Director, as the case may be) may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body, but if and so long as their number is reduced below the number fixed by or pursuant to the Articles as the necessary quorum of Directors the continuing Directors or Director may act for the purpose of increasing the number of Directors to be equal to such fixed number, or of summoning a general meeting of the Company, but for no other purpose. |
30.7 | The Directors may elect a chairman of their board and determine the period for which he is to hold office; but if no such chairman is elected, or if at any meeting the chairman is not present within five minutes after the time appointed for the meeting to commence, the Directors present may choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting. |
30.8 | All acts done by any meeting of the Directors or of a committee of the Directors (including any person acting as an alternate Director) shall, notwithstanding that it is afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any Director or alternate Director, and/or that they or any of them were disqualified, and/or had vacated their office and/or were not entitled to vote, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and/or not disqualified to be a Director or alternate Director and/or had not vacated their office and/or had been entitled to vote, as the case may be. |
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30.9 | A Director but not an alternate Director may be represented at any meetings of the board of Directors by a proxy appointed in writing by him. The proxy shall count towards the quorum and the vote of the proxy shall for all purposes be deemed to be that of the appointing Director. |
31 | Presumption of Assent |
A Director or alternate Director who is present at a meeting of the board of Directors at which action on any Company matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless his dissent shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting or unless he shall file his written dissent from such action with the person acting as the chairman or secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or shall forward such dissent by registered post to such person immediately after the adjournment of the meeting. Such right to dissent shall not apply to a Director or alternate Director who voted in favour of such action.
32 | Directors’ Interests |
32.1 | A Director or alternate Director may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company (other than the office of Auditor) in conjunction with his office of Director for such period and on such terms as to remuneration and otherwise as the Directors may determine. |
32.2 | A Director or alternate Director may act by himself or by, through or on behalf of his firm in a professional capacity for the Company and he or his firm shall be entitled to remuneration for professional services as if he were not a Director or alternate Director. |
32.3 | A Director or alternate Director may be or become a director or other officer of or otherwise interested in any company promoted by the Company or in which the Company may be interested as a shareholder, a contracting party or otherwise, and no such Director or alternate Director shall be accountable to the Company for any remuneration or other benefits received by him as a director or officer of, or from his interest in, such other company. |
32.4 | No person shall be disqualified from the office of Director or alternate Director or prevented by such office from contracting with the Company, either as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, nor shall any such contract or any contract or transaction entered into by or on behalf of the Company in which any Director or alternate Director shall be in any way interested be or be liable to be avoided, nor shall any Director or alternate Director so contracting or being so interested be liable to account to the Company for any profit realised by or arising in connection with any such contract or transaction by reason of such Director or alternate Director holding office or of the fiduciary relationship thereby established. A Director (or his alternate Director in his absence) shall be at liberty to vote in respect of any contract or transaction in which he is interested provided that the nature of the interest of any Director or alternate Director in any such contract or transaction shall be disclosed by him at or prior to its consideration and any vote thereon. |
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32.5 | A general notice that a Director or alternate Director is a shareholder, director, officer or employee of any specified firm or company and is to be regarded as interested in any transaction with such firm or company shall be sufficient disclosure for the purposes of voting on a resolution in respect of a contract or transaction in which he has an interest, and after such general notice it shall not be necessary to give special notice relating to any particular transaction. |
33 | Minutes |
The Directors shall cause minutes to be made in books kept for the purpose of recording all appointments of officers made by the Directors, all proceedings at meetings of the Company or the holders of any class of Shares and of the Directors, and of committees of the Directors, including the names of the Directors or alternate Directors present at each meeting.
34 | Delegation of Directors’ Powers |
34.1 | The Directors may delegate any of their powers, authorities and discretions, including the power to sub-delegate, to any committee consisting of one or more Directors. They may also delegate to any managing director or any Director holding any other executive office such of their powers, authorities and discretions as they consider desirable to be exercised by him provided that an alternate Director may not act as managing director and the appointment of a managing director shall be revoked forthwith if he ceases to be a Director. Any such delegation may be made subject to any conditions the Directors may impose and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers and any such delegation may be revoked or altered by the Directors. Subject to any such conditions, the proceedings of a committee of Directors shall be governed by the Articles regulating the proceedings of Directors, so far as they are capable of applying. |
34.2 | The Directors may establish any committees, local boards or agencies or appoint any person to be a manager or agent for managing the affairs of the Company and may appoint any person to be a member of such committees, local boards or agencies. Any such appointment may be made subject to any conditions the Directors may impose, and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers and any such appointment may be revoked or altered by the Directors. Subject to any such conditions, the proceedings of any such committee, local board or agency shall be governed by the Articles regulating the proceedings of Directors, so far as they are capable of applying. |
34.3 | The Directors may by power of attorney or otherwise appoint any person to be the agent of the Company on such conditions as the Directors may determine, provided that the delegation is not to the exclusion of their own powers and may be revoked by the Directors at any time. |
34.4 | The Directors may by power of attorney or otherwise appoint any company, firm, person or body of persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors, to be the attorney or authorised signatory of the Company for such purpose and with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Directors under the Articles) and for such period and subject to such conditions as they may think fit, and any such powers of attorney or other appointment may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such attorneys or authorised signatories as the Directors may think fit and may also authorise any such attorney or authorised signatory to delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in him. |
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34.5 | The Directors may appoint such officers of the Company (including, for the avoidance of doubt and without limitation, any secretary) as they consider necessary on such terms, at such remuneration and to perform such duties, and subject to such provisions as to disqualification and removal as the Directors may think fit. Unless otherwise specified in the terms of his appointment an officer of the Company may be removed by resolution of the Directors or Members. An officer of the Company may vacate his office at any time if he gives notice in writing to the Company that he resigns his office. |
35 | Alternate Directors |
35.1 | Any Director (but not an alternate Director) may by writing appoint any other Director, or any other person willing to act, to be an alternate Director and by writing may remove from office an alternate Director so appointed by him. |
35.2 | An alternate Director shall be entitled to receive notice of all meetings of Directors and of all meetings of committees of Directors of which his appointor is a member, to attend and vote at every such meeting at which the Director appointing him is not personally present, to sign any written resolution of the Directors, and generally to perform all the functions of his appointor as a Director in his absence. |
35.3 | An alternate Director shall cease to be an alternate Director if his appointor ceases to be a Director. |
35.4 | Any appointment or removal of an alternate Director shall be by notice to the Company signed by the Director making or revoking the appointment or in any other manner approved by the Directors. |
35.5 | Subject to the provisions of the Articles, an alternate Director shall be deemed for all purposes to be a Director and shall alone be responsible for his own acts and defaults and shall not be deemed to be the agent of the Director appointing him. |
36 | No Minimum Shareholding |
The Company in general meeting may fix a minimum shareholding required to be held by a Director, but unless and until such a shareholding qualification is fixed a Director is not required to hold Shares.
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37 | Remuneration of Directors |
37.1 | The remuneration to be paid to the Directors, if any, shall be such remuneration as the Directors shall determine. The Directors shall also be entitled to be paid all travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in connection with their attendance at meetings of Directors or committees of Directors, or general meetings of the Company, or separate meetings of the holders of any class of Shares or debentures of the Company, or otherwise in connection with the business of the Company or the discharge of their duties as a Director, or to receive a fixed allowance in respect thereof as may be determined by the Directors, or a combination partly of one such method and partly the other. |
37.2 | The Directors may by resolution approve additional remuneration to any Director for any services which in the opinion of the Directors go beyond his ordinary routine work as a Director. Any fees paid to a Director who is also counsel, attorney or solicitor to the Company, or otherwise serves it in a professional capacity shall be in addition to his remuneration as a Director. |
38 | Seal |
38.1 | The Company may, if the Directors so determine, have a Seal. The Seal shall only be used by the authority of the Directors or of a committee of the Directors authorised by the Directors. Every instrument to which the Seal has been affixed shall be signed by at least one person who shall be either a Director or some officer of the Company or other person appointed by the Directors for the purpose. |
38.2 | The Company may have for use in any place or places outside the Cayman Islands a duplicate Seal or Seals each of which shall be a facsimile of the common Seal of the Company and, if the Directors so determine, with the addition on its face of the name of every place where it is to be used. |
38.3 | A Director or officer, representative or attorney of the Company may without further authority of the Directors affix the Seal over his signature alone to any document of the Company required to be authenticated by him under seal or to be filed with the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere wheresoever. |
39 | Dividends, Distributions and Reserve |
39.1 | Subject to the Statute and this Article and except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to any Shares, the Directors may resolve to pay Dividends and other distributions on Shares in issue and authorise payment of the Dividends or other distributions out of the funds of the Company lawfully available therefor. A Dividend shall be deemed to be an interim Dividend unless the terms of the resolution pursuant to which the Directors resolve to pay such Dividend specifically state that such Dividend shall be a final Dividend. No Dividend or other distribution shall be paid except out of the realised or unrealised profits of the Company, out of the share premium account or as otherwise permitted by law. |
39.2 | Except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to any Shares, all Dividends and other distributions shall be paid according to the par value of the Shares that a Member holds. If any Share is issued on terms providing that it shall rank for Dividend as from a particular date, that Share shall rank for Dividend accordingly. |
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39.3 | The Directors may deduct from any Dividend or other distribution payable to any Member all sums of money (if any) then payable by him to the Company on account of calls or otherwise. |
39.4 | The Directors may resolve that any Dividend or other distribution be paid wholly or partly by the distribution of specific assets and in particular (but without limitation) by the distribution of shares, debentures, or securities of any other company or in any one or more of such ways and where any difficulty arises in regard to such distribution, the Directors may settle the same as they think expedient and in particular may issue fractional Shares and may fix the value for distribution of such specific assets or any part thereof and may determine that cash payments shall be made to any Members upon the basis of the value so fixed in order to adjust the rights of all Members and may vest any such specific assets in trustees in such manner as may seem expedient to the Directors. |
39.5 | Except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to any Shares, Dividends and other distributions may be paid in any currency. The Directors may determine the basis of conversion for any currency conversions that may be required and how any costs involved are to be met. |
39.6 | The Directors may, before resolving to pay any Dividend or other distribution, set aside such sums as they think proper as a reserve or reserves which shall, at the discretion of the Directors, be applicable for any purpose of the Company and pending such application may, at the discretion of the Directors, be employed in the business of the Company. |
39.7 | Any Dividend, other distribution, interest or other monies payable in cash in respect of Shares may be paid by wire transfer to the holder or by cheque or warrant sent through the post directed to the registered address of the holder or, in the case of joint holders, to the registered address of the holder who is first named on the Register of Members or to such person and to such address as such holder or joint holders may in writing direct. Every such cheque or warrant shall be made payable to the order of the person to whom it is sent. Any one of two or more joint holders may give effectual receipts for any Dividends, other distributions, bonuses, or other monies payable in respect of the Share held by them as joint holders. |
39.8 | No Dividend or other distribution shall bear interest against the Company. |
39.9 | Any Dividend or other distribution which cannot be paid to a Member and/or which remains unclaimed after six months from the date on which such Dividend or other distribution becomes payable may, in the discretion of the Directors, be paid into a separate account in the Company’s name, provided that the Company shall not be constituted as a trustee in respect of that account and the Dividend or other distribution shall remain as a debt due to the Member. Any Dividend or other distribution which remains unclaimed after a period of six years from the date on which such Dividend or other distribution becomes payable shall be forfeited and shall revert to the Company. |
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40 | Capitalisation |
The Directors may at any time capitalise any sum standing to the credit of any of the Company’s reserve accounts or funds (including the share premium account and capital redemption reserve fund) or any sum standing to the credit of the profit and loss account or otherwise available for distribution; appropriate such sum to Members in the proportions in which such sum would have been divisible amongst such Members had the same been a distribution of profits by way of Dividend or other distribution; and apply such sum on their behalf in paying up in full unissued Shares for allotment and distribution credited as fully paid-up to and amongst them in the proportion aforesaid. In such event the Directors shall do all acts and things required to give effect to such capitalisation, with full power given to the Directors to make such provisions as they think fit in the case of Shares becoming distributable in fractions (including provisions whereby the benefit of fractional entitlements accrue to the Company rather than to the Members concerned). The Directors may authorise any person to enter on behalf of all of the Members interested into an agreement with the Company providing for such capitalisation and matters incidental or relating thereto and any agreement made under such authority shall be effective and binding on all such Members and the Company.
41 | Books of Account |
41.1 | The Directors shall cause proper books of account (including, where applicable, material underlying documentation including contracts and invoices) to be kept with respect to all sums of money received and expended by the Company and the matters in respect of which the receipt or expenditure takes place, all sales and purchases of goods by the Company and the assets and liabilities of the Company. Such books of account must be retained for a minimum period of five years from the date on which they are prepared. Proper books shall not be deemed to be kept if there are not kept such books of account as are necessary to give a true and fair view of the state of the Company’s affairs and to explain its transactions. |
41.2 | The Directors shall determine whether and to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions or regulations the accounts and books of the Company or any of them shall be open to the inspection of Members not being Directors and no Member (not being a Director) shall have any right of inspecting any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by Statute or authorised by the Directors or by the Company in general meeting. |
41.3 | The Directors may cause to be prepared and to be laid before the Company in general meeting profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, group accounts (if any) and such other reports and accounts as may be required by law. |
42 | Audit |
42.1 | The Directors may appoint an Auditor of the Company who shall hold office on such terms as the Directors determine. |
42.2 | Every Auditor of the Company shall have a right of access at all times to the books and accounts and vouchers of the Company and shall be entitled to require from the Directors and officers of the Company such information and explanation as may be necessary for the performance of the duties of the Auditor. |
42.3 | Auditors shall, if so required by the Directors, make a report on the accounts of the Company during their tenure of office at the next annual general meeting following their appointment in the case of a company which is registered with the Registrar of Companies as an ordinary company, and at the next extraordinary general meeting following their appointment in the case of a company which is registered with the Registrar of Companies as an exempted company, and at any other time during their term of office, upon request of the Directors or any general meeting of the Members. |
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43 | Notices |
43.1 | Notices shall be in writing and may be given by the Company to any Member either personally or by sending it by courier, post, cable, telex, fax or e-mail to him or to his address as shown in the Register of Members (or where the notice is given by e-mail by sending it to the e-mail address provided by such Member). Any notice, if posted from one country to another, is to be sent by airmail. |
43.2 | Where a notice is sent by courier, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by delivery of the notice to a courier company, and shall be deemed to have been received on the third day (not including Saturdays or Sundays or public holidays) following the day on which the notice was delivered to the courier. Where a notice is sent by post, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, pre paying and posting a letter containing the notice, and shall be deemed to have been received on the fifth day (not including Saturdays or Sundays or public holidays in the Cayman Islands) following the day on which the notice was posted. Where a notice is sent by cable, telex or fax, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing and sending such notice and shall be deemed to have been received on the same day that it was transmitted. Where a notice is given by e-mail service shall be deemed to be effected by transmitting the e-mail to the e-mail address provided by the intended recipient and shall be deemed to have been received on the same day that it was sent, and it shall not be necessary for the receipt of the e-mail to be acknowledged by the recipient. |
43.3 | A notice may be given by the Company to the person or persons which the Company has been advised are entitled to a Share or Shares in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member in the same manner as other notices which are required to be given under the Articles and shall be addressed to them by name, or by the title of representatives of the deceased, or trustee of the bankrupt, or by any like description at the address supplied for that purpose by the persons claiming to be so entitled, or at the option of the Company by giving the notice in any manner in which the same might have been given if the death or bankruptcy had not occurred. |
43.4 | Notice of every general meeting shall be given in any manner authorised by the Articles to every holder of Shares carrying an entitlement to receive such notice on the record date for such meeting except that in the case of joint holders the notice shall be sufficient if given to the joint holder first named in the Register of Members and every person upon whom the ownership of a Share devolves by reason of his being a legal personal representative or a trustee in bankruptcy of a Member where the Member but for his death or bankruptcy would be entitled to receive notice of the meeting, and no other person shall be entitled to receive notices of general meetings. |
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44 | Winding Up |
44.1 | If the Company shall be wound up the liquidator shall apply the assets of the Company in satisfaction of creditors’ claims in such manner and order as such liquidator thinks fit. Subject to the rights attaching to any Shares, in a winding up: |
(a) | if the assets available for distribution amongst the Members shall be insufficient to repay the whole of the Company’s issued share capital, such assets shall be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses shall be borne by the Members in proportion to the par value of the Shares held by them; or |
(b) | if the assets available for distribution amongst the Members shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the Company’s issued share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus shall be distributed amongst the Members in proportion to the par value of the Shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up subject to a deduction from those Shares in respect of which there are monies due, of all monies payable to the Company for unpaid calls or otherwise. |
44.2 | If the Company shall be wound up the liquidator may, subject to the rights attaching to any Shares and with the approval of a Special Resolution of the Company and any other approval required by the Statute, divide amongst the Members in kind the whole or any part of the assets of the Company (whether such assets shall consist of property of the same kind or not) and may for that purpose value any assets and determine how the division shall be carried out as between the Members or different classes of Members. The liquidator may, with the like approval, vest the whole or any part of such assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the Members as the liquidator, with the like approval, shall think fit, but so that no Member shall be compelled to accept any asset upon which there is a liability. |
45 | Indemnity and Insurance |
45.1 | Every Director and officer of the Company (which for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include auditors of the Company), together with every former Director and former officer of the Company (each an “ Indemnified Person ”) shall be indemnified out of the assets of the Company against any liability, action, proceeding, claim, demand, costs, damages or expenses, including legal expenses, whatsoever which they or any of them may incur as a result of any act or failure to act in carrying out their functions other than such liability (if any) that they may incur by reason of their own actual fraud or wilful default. No Indemnified Person shall be liable to the Company for any loss or damage incurred by the Company as a result (whether direct or indirect) of the carrying out of their functions unless that liability arises through the actual fraud or wilful default of such Indemnified Person. No person shall be found to have committed actual fraud or wilful default under this Article unless or until a court of competent jurisdiction shall have made a finding to that effect. |
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45.2 | The Company shall advance to each Indemnified Person reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred in connection with the defence of any action, suit, proceeding or investigation involving such Indemnified Person for which indemnity will or could be sought. In connection with any advance of any expenses hereunder, the Indemnified Person shall execute an undertaking to repay the advanced amount to the Company if it shall be determined by final judgment or other final adjudication that such Indemnified Person was not entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Article. If it shall be determined by a final judgment or other final adjudication that such Indemnified Person was not entitled to indemnification with respect to such judgment, costs or expenses, then such party shall not be indemnified with respect to such judgment, costs or expenses and any advancement shall be returned to the Company (without interest) by the Indemnified Person. |
45.3 | The Directors, on behalf of the Company, may purchase and maintain insurance for the benefit of any Director or other officer of the Company against any liability which, by virtue of any rule of law, would otherwise attach to such person in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust of which such person may be guilty in relation to the Company. |
46 | Financial Year |
Unless the Directors otherwise prescribe, the financial year of the Company shall end on 31st December in each year and, following the year of incorporation, shall begin on 1st January in each year.
47 | Transfer by Way of Continuation |
If the Company is exempted as defined in the Statute, it shall, subject to the provisions of the Statute and with the approval of a Special Resolution, have the power to register by way of continuation as a body corporate under the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and to be deregistered in the Cayman Islands.
48 | Mergers and Consolidations |
The Company shall have the power to merge or consolidate with one or more other constituent companies (as defined in the Statute) upon such terms as the Directors may determine and (to the extent required by the Statute) with the approval of a Special Resolution.
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Dated this 30th day of November 2017.
Maples Corporate Services Limited
of PO Box 309, Ugland House
Grand Cayman
KY1-1104
Cayman Islands
acting by:
/s/ Camille Solomon | |
Camille Solomon |
/s/ Margo Richardson | |
Margo Richardson | |
Witness to the above signature |
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Exhibit 10.5
Twelve Seas Investment Company
25/28 Old Burlington Street
Mayfair, London W1S 3AN
United Kingdom
December 11, 2017
Twelve
Seas Sponsors I LLC
25/28 Old Burlington Street
Mayfair, London W1S 3AN
United Kingdom
RE: Securities Subscription Agreement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Twelve Seas Investment Company, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “ Company ”), is pleased to accept the offer Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, (the “ Subscriber ” or “ you ”) has made to subscribe for and purchase 4,312,500 of the Company’s ordinary shares (the “ Shares ”), $0.0001 par value per share (the “ Ordinary Shares ”), up to 562,500 of which are subject to complete or partial forfeiture by you if the underwriters of the Company’s initial public offering (“ IPO ”) of units (“ Units ”) do not fully exercise their over-allotment option (the “ Over-allotment Option ”). The terms (this “ Agreement ”) on which the Company is willing to sell the Shares to the Subscriber, and the Company and the Subscriber’s agreements regarding such Shares, are as follows:
1. Purchase of Shares .
For the sum of $25,000 (the “ Purchase Price ”), which the Company acknowledges receiving in cash, the Company hereby sells and issues the Shares to the Subscriber, and the Subscriber hereby purchases and subscribes for the Shares from the Company, subject to forfeiture, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement. Concurrently with the Subscriber’s execution of this Agreement, the Company shall, at its option, deliver to the Subscriber a certificate registered in the Subscriber’s name representing the Shares (the “ Original Certificate ”) or effect such delivery in book-entry form. All references in this Agreement to shares of the Company being forfeited shall take effect as surrenders for no consideration of such shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law.
2. Representations, Warranties and Agreements .
2.1 Subscriber’s Representations, Warranties and Agreements . To induce the Company to issue the Shares to the Subscriber, the Subscriber hereby represents and warrants to the Company and agrees with the Company as follows:
2.1.1 No Government Recommendation or Approval . The Subscriber understands that no federal or state agency has passed upon or made any recommendation or endorsement of the offering of the Shares.
2.1.2 No Conflicts . The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Subscriber of the transactions contemplated hereby do not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under (i) the formation and governing documents of the Subscriber, (ii) any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Subscriber is a party or (iii) any law, statute, rule or regulation to which the Subscriber is subject, or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Subscriber is subject.
2.1.3 Organization and Authority . The Subscriber is a Delaware limited liability company, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of Delaware and possesses all requisite power and authority necessary to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Upon execution and delivery by you, this Agreement is a legal, valid and binding agreement of Subscriber, enforceable against Subscriber in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).
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2.1.4 Experience, Financial Capability and Suitability . Subscriber is: (i) sophisticated in financial matters and is able to evaluate the risks and benefits of the investment in the Shares and (ii) able to bear the economic risk of its investment in the Shares for an indefinite period of time because the Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act (as defined below) and therefore cannot be sold unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is available. Subscriber is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of its investment in the Company and has the capacity to protect its own interests. Subscriber must bear the economic risk of this investment until the Shares are sold pursuant to: (i) an effective registration statement under the Securities Act or (ii) an exemption from registration available with respect to such sale. Subscriber is able to bear the economic risks of an investment in the Shares and to afford a complete loss of Subscriber’s investment in the Shares.
2.1.5 Access to Information; Independent Investigation . Prior to the execution of this Agreement, the Subscriber has had the opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from representatives of the Company concerning an investment in the Company, as well as the finances, operations, business and prospects of the Company, and the opportunity to obtain additional information to verify the accuracy of all information so obtained. In determining whether to make this investment, Subscriber has relied solely on Subscriber’s own knowledge and understanding of the Company and its business based upon Subscriber’s own due diligence investigation and the information furnished pursuant to this paragraph. Subscriber understands that no person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations which were not furnished pursuant to this Section 2 and Subscriber has not relied on any other representations or information in making its investment decision, whether written or oral, relating to the Company, its operations and/or its prospects.
2.1.6 Regulation D Offering . Subscriber represents that it is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”) and acknowledges the sale contemplated hereby is being made in reliance on a private placement exemption to “accredited investors” within the meaning of Section 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act or similar exemptions under state law.
2.1.7 Investment Purposes . The Subscriber is purchasing the Shares solely for investment purposes, for the Subscriber’s own account and not for the account or benefit of any other person, and not with a view towards the distribution or dissemination thereof. The Subscriber did not decide to enter into this Agreement as a result of any general solicitation or general advertising within the meaning of Rule 502 under the Securities Act.
2.1.8 Restrictions on Transfer; Shell Company . Subscriber understands the Shares are being offered in a transaction not involving a public offering within the meaning of the Securities Act. Subscriber understands the Shares will be “restricted securities” within the meaning of Rule 144(a)(3) under the Securities Act and Subscriber understands that the certificates or book-entries representing the Shares will contain a legend in respect of such restrictions. If in the future the Subscriber decides to offer, resell, pledge or otherwise transfer the Shares, such Shares may be offered, resold, pledged or otherwise transferred only pursuant to: (i) registration under the Securities Act, or (ii) an available exemption from registration. Subscriber agrees that if any transfer of its Shares or any interest therein is proposed to be made, as a condition precedent to any such transfer, Subscriber may be required to deliver to the Company an opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company. Absent registration or an exemption, the Subscriber agrees not to resell the Shares. Subscriber further acknowledges that because the Company is a shell company, Rule 144 may not be available to the Subscriber for the resale of the Shares until one year following consummation of the initial business combination of the Company, despite technical compliance with the requirements of Rule 144 and the release or waiver of any contractual transfer restrictions.
2.1.9 No Governmental Consents . No governmental, administrative or other third party consents or approvals are required, necessary or appropriate on the part of Subscriber in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
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2.2 Company’s Representations, Warranties and Agreements . To induce the Subscriber to purchase the Shares, the Company hereby represents and warrants to the Subscriber and agrees with the Subscriber as follows:
2.2.1 Incorporation and Corporate Power . The Company is a Cayman Islands exempted company and is qualified to do business in every jurisdiction in which the failure to so qualify would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, operating results or assets of the Company. The Company possesses all requisite corporate power and authority necessary to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
2.2.2 No Conflicts . The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby do not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under (i) the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company, (ii) any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company is a party or (iii) any law, statute, rule or regulation to which the Company is subject, or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Company is subject.
2.2.3 Title to Shares . Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof, and registration on the register of members of the Company, the Shares will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof the Subscriber will have or receive good title to the Shares, free and clear of all liens, claims and encumbrances of any kind, other than (a) transfer restrictions hereunder and under the other agreements to which the Shares may be subject, (b) transfer restrictions under federal and state securities laws, and (c) liens, claims or encumbrances imposed due to the actions of the Subscriber.
2.2.4 No Adverse Actions . There are no actions, suits, investigations or proceedings pending, threatened against or affecting the Company which: (i) seek to restrain, enjoin, prevent the consummation of or otherwise affect the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) question the validity or legality of any transactions or seeks to recover damages or to obtain other relief in connection with any transactions.
3. Forfeiture of Shares .
3.1 Partial or No Exercise of the Over-allotment Option . In the event the Over-allotment Option granted to the underwriters of the IPO is not exercised in full, the Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that it (and, if applicable, any transferee of Shares) shall forfeit any and all rights to such number of Shares (up to an aggregate of 562,500 Shares and pro rata based upon the percentage of the Over-allotment Option exercised) such that immediately following such forfeiture, the Subscriber (and any such transferees) will own an aggregate number of Shares (not including Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of any warrants or any securities purchased by Subscriber in the IPO or in the aftermarket) equal to 20% of the issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares immediately following the IPO.
3.2 Termination of Rights as Shareholder . If any of the Shares are forfeited in accordance with this Section 3, then after such time the Subscriber (or successor in interest), shall no longer have any rights as a holder of such forfeited Shares, and the Company shall take such action as is appropriate to cancel such forfeited Shares.
3.3 Share Certificates . In the event an adjustment to the Original Certificate, if any, is required pursuant to this Section 3, then the Subscriber shall return such Original Certificate to the Company or its designated agent as soon as practicable upon its receipt of notice from the Company advising Subscriber of such adjustment, following which a new certificate (the “ New Certificate ”), if any, shall be issued in such amount representing the adjusted number of Shares held by the Subscriber. The New Certificate, if any, shall be returned to the Subscriber as soon as practicable. Any such adjustment for any uncertificated securities held by the Subscriber shall be made in book-entry form.
4. Waiver of Liquidation Distributions; Redemption Rights .
In connection with the Shares purchased pursuant to this Agreement, the Subscriber hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any distributions by the Company from the trust account which will be established for the benefit of the Company’s public shareholders and into which substantially all of the proceeds of the IPO will be deposited (the “Trust Account”), in the event of a liquidation of the Company upon the Company’s failure to timely complete an initial business combination. For purposes of clarity, in the event the Subscriber purchases securities in the IPO or in the aftermarket, any Ordinary Shares so purchased shall be eligible to receive any liquidating distributions by the Company. However, in no event will the Subscriber have the right to redeem any Ordinary Shares held by it into funds held in the Trust Account upon the successful completion of an initial business combination.
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5. Restrictions on Transfer .
5.1 Securities Law Restrictions . In addition to any restrictions to be contained in that certain letter agreement (commonly known as an “ Insider Letter ”) dated on or prior to the closing of the IPO by and between Subscriber and the Company, Subscriber agrees not to sell, transfer, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Shares unless, prior thereto (a) a registration statement on the appropriate form under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws with respect to the Shares proposed to be transferred shall then be effective or (b) the Company has received an opinion from counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Company, that such registration is not required because such transaction is exempt from registration under the Securities Act and the rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder and with all applicable state securities laws.
5.2 Lock-up . Subscriber acknowledges that the Shares will be placed into an escrow account maintained in New York, New York by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“CST”), acting as escrow agent, and shall be subject to lock-up provisions (the “ Lock-up ”) contained in that certain stock escrow agreement (the “ Escrow Agreement ”) to be entered into as of, or prior to, the closing of the IPO by and between Subscriber and CST. Pursuant to the Escrow Agreement, Subscriber will agree not to sell, transfer, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of, except as permitted pursuant to the Escrow Agreement (i) all or any part of 50% of the Shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of the Company’s initial business combination or (B) the date on which the last sale price of the Ordinary Shares equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30 trading day period commencing after the Company’s initial business combination, and (ii) all or any part of the remaining 50% of the Shares until one year after the completion of the Company’s initial business combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company consummates a subsequent liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction after its initial business combination that results in all of its shareholders having the right to exchange their Ordinary Shares for cash, securities or other property, the foregoing restrictions will immediately expire so that the Subscriber may participate in such transaction.
5.3 Restrictive Legends . All certificates representing the Shares shall have endorsed thereon legends substantially as follows:
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND NEITHER THE SECURITIES NOR ANY INTEREST THEREIN MAY BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER SUCH ACT OR SUCH LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER SUCH ACT AND SUCH LAWS WHICH, IN THE OPINION OF COUNSEL, IS AVAILABLE.”
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO AN ESCROW AGREEMENT AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED DURING THE TERM OF THE LOCKUP.”
5.4 Additional Shares or Substituted Securities . In the event of the declaration of a share dividend, the declaration of an extraordinary dividend payable in a form other than Shares, a spin-off, a share split, an adjustment in conversion ratio, a recapitalization or a similar transaction affecting the Company’s outstanding Ordinary Shares without receipt of consideration, any new, substituted or additional securities or other property which are by reason of such transaction distributed with respect to any Shares subject to this Section 5 or into which such Shares thereby become convertible shall immediately be subject to this Section 5 and Section 3. Appropriate adjustments to reflect the distribution of such securities or property shall be made to the number and/or class of Ordinary Shares subject to this Section 5 and Section 3.
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5.5 Registration Rights . Subscriber acknowledges that the Shares are being purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become freely tradable only after certain conditions are met or they are registered pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be entered into with the Company prior to the closing of the IPO (the “Registration Rights Agreement”).
6. Other Agreements .
6.1 Further Assurances . Subscriber agrees to execute such further instruments and to take such further action as may reasonably be necessary to carry out the intent of this Agreement.
6.2 Notices . All notices, statements or other documents which are required or contemplated by this Agreement shall be: (i) in writing and delivered personally or sent by first class registered or certified mail, overnight courier service or facsimile or electronic transmission to the address designated in writing, (ii) by facsimile to the number most recently provided to such party or such other address or fax number as may be designated in writing by such party and (iii) by electronic mail, to the electronic mail address most recently provided to such party or such other electronic mail address as may be designated in writing by such party. Any notice or other communication so transmitted shall be deemed to have been given on the day of delivery, if delivered personally, on the business day following receipt of written confirmation, if sent by facsimile or electronic transmission, one (1) business day after delivery to an overnight courier service or five (5) days after mailing if sent by mail.
6.3 Entire Agreement . This Agreement, together with that certain Insider Letter to be entered into between Subscriber and the Company and the Registration Rights Agreement, each substantially in the form to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the Subscriber and the Company with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior oral or written agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof. No statement, representation, warranty, covenant or agreement of any kind not expressly set forth in this Agreement shall affect, or be used to interpret, change or restrict, the express terms and provisions of this Agreement.
6.4 Modifications and Amendments . The terms and provisions of this Agreement may be modified or amended only by written agreement executed by all parties hereto.
6.5 Waivers and Consents . The terms and provisions of this Agreement may be waived, or consent for the departure therefrom granted, only by written document executed by the party entitled to the benefits of such terms or provisions. No such waiver or consent shall be deemed to be or shall constitute a waiver or consent with respect to any other terms or provisions of this Agreement, whether or not similar. Each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which it was given, and shall not constitute a continuing waiver or consent.
6.6 Assignment . The rights and obligations under this Agreement may not be assigned by either party hereto without the prior written consent of the other party.
6.7 Benefit . All statements, representations, warranties, covenants and agreements in this Agreement shall be binding on the parties hereto and shall inure to the benefit of the respective successors and permitted assigns of each party hereto. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to create any rights or obligations except among the parties hereto, and no person or entity shall be regarded as a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement.
6.8 Governing Law. This Agreement and the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of New York applicable to contracts wholly performed within the borders of such state, without giving effect to the conflict of law principles thereof.
6.9 Severability . In the event that any court of competent jurisdiction shall determine that any provision, or any portion thereof, contained in this Agreement shall be unreasonable or unenforceable in any respect, then such provision shall be deemed limited to the extent that such court deems it reasonable and enforceable, and as so limited shall remain in full force and effect. In the event that such court shall deem any such provision, or portion thereof, wholly unenforceable, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect.
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6.10 No Waiver of Rights, Powers and Remedies . No failure or delay by a party hereto in exercising any right, power or remedy under this Agreement, and no course of dealing between the parties hereto, shall operate as a waiver of any such right, power or remedy of such party. No single or partial exercise of any right, power or remedy under this Agreement by a party hereto, nor any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce any such right, power or remedy, shall preclude such party from any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or remedy hereunder. The election of any remedy by a party hereto shall not constitute a waiver of the right of such party to pursue other available remedies. No notice to or demand on a party not expressly required under this Agreement shall entitle the party receiving such notice or demand to any other or further notice or demand in similar or other circumstances or constitute a waiver of the rights of the party giving such notice or demand to any other or further action in any circumstances without such notice or demand.
6.11 Survival of Representations and Warranties . All representations and warranties made by the parties hereto in this Agreement or in any other agreement, certificate or instrument provided for or contemplated hereby, shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and any investigations made by or on behalf of the parties.
6.12 No Broker or Finder . Each of the parties hereto represents and warrants to the other that no broker, finder or other financial consultant has acted on its behalf in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in such a way as to create any liability on the other. Each of the parties hereto agrees to indemnify and save the other harmless from any claim or demand for commission or other compensation by any broker, finder, financial consultant or similar agent claiming to have been employed by or on behalf of such party and to bear the cost of legal expenses incurred in defending against any such claim.
6.13 Headings and Captions . The headings and captions of the various subdivisions of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall in no way modify or affect the meaning or construction of any of the terms or provisions hereof.
6.14 Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or any other form of electronic delivery, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.
6.15 Construction . The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. If an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement will be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto and no presumption or burden of proof will arise favoring or disfavoring any party hereto because of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement. The words “ include ,” “ includes ,” and “ including ” will be deemed to be followed by “ without limitation .” Pronouns in masculine, feminine, and neuter genders will be construed to include any other gender, and words in the singular form will be construed to include the plural and vice versa, unless the context otherwise requires. The words “ this Agreement ,” “ herein ,” “ hereof ,” “ hereby ,” “ hereunder ,” and words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular subdivision unless expressly so limited. The parties hereto intend that each representation, warranty, and covenant contained herein will have independent significance. If any party hereto has breached any representation, warranty, or covenant contained herein in any respect, the fact that there exists another representation, warranty or covenant relating to the same subject matter (regardless of the relative levels of specificity) which such party hereto has not breached will not detract from or mitigate the fact that such party hereto is in breach of the first representation, warranty, or covenant.
6.16 Mutual Drafting . This Agreement is the joint product of the Subscriber and the Company and each provision hereof has been subject to the mutual consultation, negotiation and agreement of such parties and shall not be construed for or against any party hereto.
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7. Voting and Tender of Shares .
Subscriber agrees to vote the Shares in favor of an initial business combination that the Company negotiates and submits for approval to the Company’s shareholders and shall not seek redemption with respect to any of the Shares. Additionally, the Subscriber agrees not to tender any Shares in connection with a tender offer presented to the Company’s shareholders in connection with an initial business combination negotiated by the Company.
8. Indemnification .
Each party shall indemnify the other against any loss, cost or damages (including reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses) incurred as a result of such party’s breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement in this Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
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If the foregoing accurately sets forth our understanding and agreement, please sign the enclosed copy of the Agreement and return it to us.
Very truly yours, | ||
Twelve Seas Investment Company | ||
By: | /s/ Dimitri Elkin | |
Name: Dimitri Elkin | ||
Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||
Accepted and agreed, December 11, 2017 | ||
Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Dimitri Elkin | |
Name: Dimitri Elkin | ||
Title: Managing Member |
[ Signature page to Subscription Agreement ]
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Exhibit 10.7
THIS PROMISSORY NOTE (“ NOTE ”) HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “ SECURITIES ACT ”). THIS NOTE HAS BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT ONLY AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF REGISTRATION OF THE RESALE THEREOF UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY IN FORM, SCOPE AND SUBSTANCE TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.
PROMISSORY NOTE
Principal Amount: $300,000 | Dated as of December 11, 2017 |
Twelve Seas Investment Company , a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “ Maker ”), promises to pay to the order of Twelve Seas Sponsors I LLC or its registered assigns or successors in interest (the “ Payee ”), or order, the principal sum of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) or such lesser amount as shall have been advanced by Payee to Maker and shall remain unpaid under this Note on the Maturity Date (as defined below) in lawful money of the United States of America, on the terms and conditions described below. All payments on this Note shall be made by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds or as otherwise determined by the Maker to such account as the Payee may from time to time designate by written notice in accordance with the provisions of this Note.
1. Principal. The entire unpaid principal balance of Note shall be payable on the earlier of: (i) December 31, 2018, or (ii) the date on which Maker consummates an initial public offering of its securities (such earlier date, the “ Maturity Date ”). The principal balance may be prepaid at any time. Under no circumstances shall any individual, including but not limited to any officer, director, employee or shareholder of the Maker, be obligated personally for any obligations or liabilities of the Maker hereunder.
2. Drawdown Requests. Maker and Payee agree that Maker may request, from time to time, up to Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) in drawdowns under this Note to be used for costs and expenses related to Maker’s formation and the proposed initial public offering of its securities (the “ IPO ”). Principal of this Note may be drawn down from time to time prior to the Maturity Date upon written request from Maker to Payee (each, a “ Drawdown Request ”). Each Drawdown Request must state the amount to be drawn down, and must not be an amount less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000). Payee shall fund each Drawdown Request no later than three (3) business days after receipt of a Drawdown Request; provided, however, that the maximum amount of drawdowns outstanding under this Note at any time may not exceed Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000). No fees, payments or other amounts shall be due to Payee in connection with, or as a result of, any Drawdown Request by Maker.
3. Interest. No interest shall accrue on the unpaid principal balance of this Note.
4. Application of Payments. All payments shall be applied first to payment in full of any costs incurred in the collection of any sum due under this Note, including (without limitation) reasonable attorney’s fees, then to the payment in full of any late charges and finally to the reduction of the unpaid principal balance of this Note.
5. Events of Default. The following shall constitute an event of default (“ Event of Default ”):
(a) Failure to Make Required Payments. Failure by Maker to pay the principal amount due pursuant to this Note within five (5) business days of the date specified above.
(b) Voluntary Bankruptcy, Etc. The commencement by Maker of a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, rehabilitation or other similar law, or the consent by it to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian, sequestrator (or other similar official) of Maker or for any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of any assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the failure of Maker generally to pay its debts as such debts become due, or the taking of corporate action by Maker in furtherance of any of the foregoing.
(c) Involuntary Bankruptcy, Etc. The entry of a decree or order for relief by a court having jurisdiction in the premises in respect of Maker in an involuntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator (or similar official) of Maker or for any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding-up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days.
6. Remedies.
(a) Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Section 5(a) hereof, Payee may, by written notice to Maker, declare this Note to be due immediately and payable, whereupon the unpaid principal amount of this Note, and all other amounts payable thereunder, shall become immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived, anything contained herein or in the documents evidencing the same to the contrary notwithstanding.
(b) Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Sections 5(b) or 5(c), the unpaid principal balance of this Note, and all other sums payable with regard to this Note, shall automatically and immediately become due and payable, in all cases without any action on the part of Payee.
7. Waivers. Maker and all endorsers and guarantors of, and sureties for, this Note waive presentment for payment, demand, notice of dishonor, protest, and notice of protest with regard to the Note, all errors, defects and imperfections in any proceedings instituted by Payee under the terms of this Note, and all benefits that might accrue to Maker by virtue of any present or future laws exempting any property, real or personal, or any part of the proceeds arising from any sale of any such property, from attachment, levy or sale under execution, or providing for any stay of execution, exemption from civil process, or extension of time for payment; and Maker agrees that any real estate that may be levied upon pursuant to a judgment obtained by virtue hereof, on any writ of execution issued hereon, may be sold upon any such writ in whole or in part in any order desired by Payee.
8. Unconditional Liability. Maker hereby waives all notices in connection with the delivery, acceptance, performance, default, or enforcement of the payment of this Note, and agrees that its liability shall be unconditional, without regard to the liability of any other party, and shall not be affected in any manner by any indulgence, extension of time, renewal, waiver or modification granted or consented to by Payee, and consents to any and all extensions of time, renewals, waivers, or modifications that may be granted by Payee with respect to the payment or other provisions of this Note, and agrees that additional makers, endorsers, guarantors, or sureties may become parties hereto without notice to Maker or affecting Maker’s liability hereunder.
9. Notices. All notices, statements or other documents which are required or contemplated by this Agreement shall be: (i) in writing and delivered personally or sent by first class registered or certified mail, overnight courier service or facsimile or electronic transmission to the address designated in writing, (ii) by facsimile to the number most recently provided to such party or such other address or fax number as may be designated in writing by such party and (iii) by electronic mail, to the electronic mail address most recently provided to such party or such other electronic mail address as may be designated in writing by such party. Any notice or other communication so transmitted shall be deemed to have been given on the day of delivery, if delivered personally, on the business day following receipt of written confirmation, if sent by facsimile or electronic transmission, one (1) business day after delivery to an overnight courier service or five (5) days after mailing if sent by mail.
10. Construction. THIS NOTE SHALL BE CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAW PROVISIONS THEREOF.
11. Severability. Any provision contained in this Note which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.
12. Trust Waiver. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Payee hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“ Claim ”) in or to any distribution of or from the trust account to be established in which the proceeds of the IPO conducted by the Maker (including the deferred underwriters discounts and commissions) and the proceeds of the sale of the warrants issued in a private placement to occur prior to the consummation of the IPO are to be deposited, as described in greater detail in the registration statement and prospectus to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the IPO, and hereby agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction for any Claim against the trust account for any reason whatsoever.
13. Amendment; Waiver. Any amendment hereto or waiver of any provision hereof may be made with, and only with, the written consent of the Maker and the Payee.
14. Assignment. No assignment or transfer of this Note or any rights or obligations hereunder may be made by any party hereto (by operation of law or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the other party hereto and any attempted assignment without the required consent shall be void.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Maker, intending to be legally bound hereby, has caused this Note to be duly executed by the undersigned as of the day and year first above written.
Twelve Seas Investment Company | |||
By: | /s/ Dimitri Elkin | ||
Name: | Dimitri Elkin | ||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
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Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the inclusion in this Registration Statement of Twelve Seas Investment Company (the “Company”) on Form S-1 of our report dated June 1, 2018, with respect to our audit of the Company’s financial statements as of December 31, 2017 and for the period from November 30, 2017 (inception) though December 31, 2017, which appears in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our Firm under the caption “Experts” in such Prospectus.
/S/ UHY LLP | |
New York, New York | |
June 1, 2018 |