UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K/A

 

(Mark One)

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

 

OR

 

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from ____________ to ____________

 

Commission File Number: 001-39457

 

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

Delaware

 

84-2308711

(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
     
1615 South Congress Avenue, Suite 103
Delray Beach, FL
  33445
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)

 

(212) 739-7860

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

 

Trading Symbol(s)

 

Name of each exchange on which registered

Units, each consisting of one share of Class A common stock and one-third of one redeemable warrant   FIIIU   The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share   FIII   The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Warrants, each exercisable for one share of Class A common stock   FIIIW   The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ☒  No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).  Yes ☒  No ☐

 

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

 

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

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes ☒  No ☐

 

The registrant was not a public company at June 30, 2020, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, and therefore it cannot calculate the aggregate market value of its voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates at such date. The registrant’s units began trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market on August 20, 2020 and the registrant’s common stock began separate trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on September 21, 2020. The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock outstanding, other than shares held by persons who may be deemed affiliates of the registrant, at December 31, 2020, computed by reference to the closing price for the common stock on such date, as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market, was $348,536,525.

 

As of March 31, 2021, there were 25,741,250 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001, and 6,250,000 shares of Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value, issued and outstanding.

 

Documents Incorporated by Reference: None.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

    Page
PART I   1
Item 1.   Business.   1
Item 1A.   Risk Factors.   6
Item 1B.   Unresolved Staff Comments.   39
Item 2.   Properties.   39
Item 3.   Legal Proceedings.   39
Item 4.   Mine Safety Disclosures.   39
         
PART II   40
Item 5.   Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.   40
Item 6.   Selected Financial Data.   41
Item 7.   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations   41
Item 7A.   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk   44
Item 8.   Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.   44
Item 9.   Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.   44
Item 9A.   Controls and Procedures.   44
Item 9B.   Other Information  
         
PART III   46
Item 10.   Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.   46
Item 11.   Executive Compensation.   53
Item 12.   Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.   54
Item 13.   Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.   55
Item 14.   Principal Accountant Fees and Services.   56
         
PART IV   57
Item 15.   Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.   57

  

i

 

  

EXPLANATORY NOTE

 

Forum Merger III Corporation (the “Company,” “we”, “our” or “us”) is filing this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A (Amendment No. 1), or this Annual Report, to amend our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2020, originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, on March 31, 2021, or the Original Filing, to restate our consolidated financial statements (i) as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020, (ii) as of August 21, 2020 and (ii) as of and for the periods ended September 30, 2020 (collectively, the Original Financial Statements”) in the accompanying financial statements included in this Annual Report, including describing the restatement and its impact on previously reported amounts.

 

The restatement primarily relates to consideration of the factors in determining whether to classify contracts that may be settled in an entity’s own stock as equity of the entity or as an asset or liability in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity. In the Original Financial Statements, the Company classified the public warrants and private placement warrants issued in connection with the Company’s initial public offering (the “Warrants”) as equity instruments. Upon further consideration of the rules and guidance, management of the Company concluded that the Warrants are precluded from equity classification. As a result, the Warrants should be recorded as liabilities on the balance sheet and measured at fair value at inception and on a recurring basis in accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement, with changes in fair value recognized in the statement of operations.

 

As a result, on May 5, 2021, the Company’s board of directors concluded that the Original Financial Statements should no longer be relied upon and are to be restated in order to correct the classification error.

 

The Company’s accounting for the Warrants as components of equity instead of as derivative liabilities did not have any effect on the Company’s previously reported investments held in trust, cash flows or cash.

 

The Company has not amended its Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 27, 2020 or its quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed on November 12, 2020 for the period affected by the restatement. The financial information that has been previously filed or otherwise reported is superseded by the information in this Amendment, and the financial statements and related financial information contained in such previously filed report should no longer be relied upon.

The restatement is more fully described in Note 2 of the notes to the financial statements included herein.

 

In addition, as required by Rule 12b-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, new certifications by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer are filed as exhibits (in Exhibits 31.1 and 32.1) to this Amendment under Item 15 of Part IV hereof.

 

Except as described above, this Amendment does not amend, update or change any other items or disclosures contained in the Original Filing, and accordingly, this Amendment does not reflect or purport to reflect any information or events occurring after the original filing date or modify or update those disclosures affected by subsequent events. Accordingly, this Amendment should be read in conjunction with the Original Filing and the Company’s other filings with the SEC. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Original Filing.

 

Restatement Background

 

On April 12, 2021, the Acting Director of the Division of Corporation Finance and Acting Chief Accountant of the SEC together issued a public statement (the “Public Statement”) on accounting and reporting considerations for warrants issued by special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”). The Public Statement discussed “certain features of warrants issued in SPAC transactions” that “may be common across many entities.” The Public Statement indicated that when one or more of such features is included in a warrant, the warrant “should be classified as a liability measured at fair value, with changes in fair value each period reported in earnings.”

 

This Amendment reflects the correction of the following errors identified in light of the Public Statement, subsequent to the filing of the Original Financial Statements (see Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and Note 2 of the notes to the financial statements included herein for more details on the impact of the restatement errors on our financial statements).

  

ii

 

 

Internal Control and Disclosure Controls Considerations

 

In connection with this restatement, the Company’s management has concluded that in light of the classification error described above, a material weakness exists in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were not effective.

 

Items Amended In This Amendment

 

For the convenience of the reader, this Annual Report Form 10-K/A sets forth the Original Filing in its entirety, as amended to reflect the restatement. No attempt has been made in this Form 10-K/A to update other disclosures presented in the Original Filing, except as required to reflect the effects of the restatement. The following items have been amended as a result of the restatement:

 

    Part I – Item 1A. Risk Factors.

 

    Part II – Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

 

    Part II – Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

 

    Part II – Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

 

    Part IV – Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.

 

This Amendment does not reflect adjustments for events occurring after March 31, 2021, the date of the filing of the Original Filing, except to the extent they are otherwise required to be included and discussed herein and did not substantively modify or update the disclosures herein other than as required to reflect the adjustments described above. This Amendment should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC since the date of filing of the Original Filing and all of the Company’s filings after the date hereof.

 

The Company is also filing a Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm as Exhibit 23.1 and currently dated certifications from our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer as Exhibits 31.1 and 32.1 to this Amendment.

  

iii

 

 

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

Certain statements in this annual report on Form 10-K (this “Form 10-K”) may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this Form 10-K may include, for example, statements about:

 

our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses;

 

our ability to complete our initial business combination;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

our pool of prospective target businesses;

 

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

 

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

 

our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;

 

the lack of a market for our securities;

 

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

 

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

 

our financial performance.

 

The forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K 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 section of this Form 10-K entitled “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.

 

iv

 

 

PART I

 

References in this report to “we,” “us” or the “Company” refer to Forum Merger III Corporation. References to our “management” or our “management team” refer to our officers and directors, and references to the “Sponsor” refer to Forum Investors III LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.

 

Item 1. Business.

 

Introduction

 

We are a blank check company formed as a Delaware corporation for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “business combination”). We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenue to date. Based on our business activities, the Company is a “shell company” as defined under the Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) because we have no operations and nominal assets consisting almost entirely of cash.

 

On August 21, 2020, we consummated our initial public offering (the “initial public offering”) of 25,000,000 units (the “units”). Each unit consists of one share of Class A common stock and one-third of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock for $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The units were sold at a price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $250 million. We granted the underwriters for the initial public offering a 45-day option to purchase up to 3,750,000 additional units to cover over-allotments, if any. On October 5, 2020, the underwriters’ over-allotment option expired unexercised.

 

Simultaneously with the consummation of the initial public offering, we completed the private sale (the “private placement”) of an aggregate of 741,250 units (the “private placement units”) at a price of $10.00 per private placement unit, in a private placement to Forum Investors III LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), and the underwriters of the initial public offering, generating gross proceeds of $7,412,500.

 

Prior to the consummation of the initial public offering, on June 26, 2019, we issued an aggregate of 5,750,000 shares (the “founder shares”) of our Class B common stock to the Sponsor for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash. On July 1, 2020, the Company effected a stock split of 1:1.25 with respect to the Class B common stock, resulting in the Sponsor holding an aggregate of 7,187,500 founder shares. On October 5, 2020, the underwriters’ over-allotment option expired unexercised, and, as a result, the Sponsor forfeited 937,500 founder shares, resulting in the Sponsor holding an aggregate of 6,250,000 founder shares.

 

A total of $250,000,000, comprised of $245,000,000 of the proceeds from the initial public offering (which amount includes $8,750,000 of the underwriters’ deferred discount) and $5,000,000 of the proceeds of the sale of the private placement units, was placed in a U.S.-based trust account (the “trust account”) at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee.

 

The funds held in the trust account are invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (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 selected by us meeting the conditions of Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act, as determined by us, until the earlier of: (i) the consummation of an initial business combination or (ii) the distribution of the trust account, as described below.

 

As of December 31, 2020, there was $250,066,590 in investments and cash held in the trust account, which includes interest income available to us for franchise tax obligations of approximately $66,590 and $1,555,497 of cash held outside the trust account. As of December 31, 2020, we have not withdrawn any interest earned from the trust account to pay taxes.

 

1

 

 

As more fully described in Note 6 to the financial statements contained in Item 8 as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, on December 10, 2020, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with ELMS Merger Corp., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Forum (“Merger Sub”), Electric Last Mile, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ELM”), and Jason Luo, in the capacity as the initial stockholder representative thereto, pursuant to which, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions set forth therein, Merger Sub will merge with and into ELM (the “Merger”), with ELM surviving the merger in accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the related ancillary agreements, the “Business Combination”).

 

For additional information regarding the Merger Agreement, see the Company’s Form 8-K filed by us on December 11, 2021.

 

Other than as specifically discussed, this report does not assume the closing of the Business Combination.

 

Effecting Our Initial Business Combination

 

General

 

We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash held in the trust account, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.

 

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

 

Selection of a target business and structuring of our initial business combination

 

While we may pursue an initial business combination target in any industry or sector, we intend to focus on middle-market businesses, companies which have strong public comparables, established companies with proven track records, companies with proven revenue and earnings growth or potential for revenue and earnings growth, have an experienced management team, in sectors exhibiting secular growth or with potential for cyclical uptick and businesses that will benefit from being publicly-traded. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (as amended on August 18, 2020, our “second amended and restated certificate of incorporation”) prohibits us from effectuating a business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations.

 

Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects.

 

2

 

 

We anticipate structuring our initial business combination either (i) in such a way so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses, or (ii) in such a way so that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders, or for other reasons. However, we will only complete an initial business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the initial business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our stockholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% of net assets test. If the initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the transactions and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for purposes of a tender offer or for seeking stockholder approval, as applicable.

 

In evaluating prospective business combinations, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review process that will encompass, among other things, a review of historical and projected financial and operating data, meetings with management and their advisors (if applicable), on-site inspection of facilities and assets, discussion with customers and suppliers, legal reviews and other reviews as we deem appropriate.

 

The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination.

 

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with the Sponsor or our officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with the Sponsor, our officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

 

Redemption rights for holders of public shares upon consummation of the initial business combination

 

We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is approximately $10.00 per public share as of December 31, 2020. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. The Sponsor, our officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and shares of Class A common stock underlying the private placement units (the “private placement shares”) and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.

 

3

 

 

Conduct of redemptions pursuant to tender offer rules

 

If we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), we will, pursuant to our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation: (a) conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and (b) file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.

 

Submission of our initial business combination to a stockholder vote

 

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

 

If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the then outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the initial business combination. In such case, our initial stockholders have agreed to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares purchased during or after the initial public offering, in favor of our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. In addition, our initial stockholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares they may hold in connection with the consummation of the initial business combination.

 

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares or warrants the Sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and Nasdaq rules. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will be restricted from making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material nonpublic information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. In the event that the Sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public stockholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights or submitted a proxy to vote against our initial business combination, such selling stockholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares and any proxy to vote against our initial business combination. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. We expect that any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or public warrants in such transactions prior to completion of our initial business combination.

 

The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrantholders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our shares of Class A common stock or warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.

 

4

 

 

Limitation on Redemption upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination if we Seek Stockholder Approval

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” Such restriction shall also be applicable to our affiliates. We believe this restriction will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed initial business combination as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering without our prior consent, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with an initial business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.

 

Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if no Initial Business Combination

 

Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will have until August 21, 2022 from the closing of our initial public offering to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination by August 21, 2022, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination by August 21, 2022.

 

Competition

 

In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, and operating businesses seeking strategic business combinations. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than we do. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the initial business combination of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Either of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination.

 

Employees

 

We currently have two officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters, but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the stage of the initial business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination.

 

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Available Information

 

We are required to file Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q with the SEC on a regular basis, and are required to disclose certain material events in a Current Report on Form 8-K. The SEC maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s Internet website is located at www.sec.gov. In addition, the Company will provide copies of these documents without charge upon request from us in writing at 1615 South Congress Avenue, Suite 103, Delray Beach, Florida 33445 or by telephone at (212) 739-7860.

 

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

 

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this Form 10-K, before making a decision to invest in our units. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. For risk factors related to the Business Combination, see the Form PREM14A initially filed by the Company on February 16, 2021.

 

Risk Factor Summary

 

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

 

Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public stockholders do not support such a combination.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating an initial business combination and may limit the time we have in which to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets, in particular as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our initial business combination on terms that would produce value for our stockholders.

 

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

 

We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on our redemption of our public shares, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

If the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement units not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 24 months following the closing of our initial public offering, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from the Sponsor or management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.

 

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

 

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

 

The 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.

 

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

 

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

 

Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public stockholders do not support such a combination.

 

We may choose not to hold a stockholder vote to approve our initial business combination if the business combination would not require stockholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement. Except for as required by applicable law or stock exchange requirement, the decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow stockholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors, such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to seek stockholder approval. Even if we seek stockholder approval, the holders of our founder shares will participate in the vote on such approval. Accordingly, we may complete our initial business combination even if a majority of our public stockholders do not approve of the business combination we complete.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Pursuant to the letter agreement, the Sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares and private placement shares held by them and any public shares they may acquire during or after our initial public offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares and the private placement shares issued to the Sponsor, we would need only 9,004,376, or 36.02%, of the 25,000,000 public shares sold in our initial public offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the private placement shares to be issued to the underwriters are voted in favor of the transaction) in order to have our initial business combination approved. Our initial stockholders own shares representing 20% of our outstanding shares of common stock (not including the shares of Class A common stock underlying the private placement units). Accordingly, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreement by our initial stockholders to vote in favor of our initial business combination will increase the likelihood that we will receive the requisite stockholder approval for such initial business combination.

 

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

 

We may seek to enter into an initial business combination agreement with a prospective target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public stockholders exercise their redemption rights, we would not be able to meet such closing condition and, as a result, would not be able to proceed with the initial business combination. Furthermore, in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions or such greater amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination. Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into an initial business combination with us.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating an initial business combination and may limit the time we have in which to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets, in particular as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our initial business combination on terms that would produce value for our stockholders.

 

Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning an initial business combination will be aware that we must complete our initial business combination by August 21, 2022. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating an initial business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination with any target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the timeframe described above. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our initial business combination on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.

 

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

 

In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China, which has and is continuing to spread throughout China and other parts of the world, including the United States. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” On January 31, 2020, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the U.S. healthcare community in responding to COVID-19, and on March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a “pandemic.” The COVID-19 outbreak has and a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets worldwide, and the business of any potential target business with which we consummate a business combination could be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, we may be unable to complete a business combination if continued concerns relating to COVID-19 continues to restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors or the target company’s personnel, vendors and services providers are unavailable to negotiate and consummate a transaction in a timely manner. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our search for a business combination will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. If the disruptions posed by COVID-19 or other matters of global concern continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate a business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected.

 

In addition, our ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by COVID-19 and other events, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity in third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all.

 

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We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we must complete our initial business combination by August 21, 2022. We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within such time period. Our ability to complete our initial business combination may be negatively impacted by general market conditions, volatility in the capital and debt markets and the other risks described herein. For example, the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to grow both in the U.S. and globally and, while the extent of the impact of the outbreak on us will depend on future developments, it could limit our ability to complete our initial business combination, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all. Additionally, the outbreak of COVID-19 may negatively impact businesses we may seek to acquire.

 

If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less than $10.00 per share, on the redemption of their shares, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

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

 

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants or a combination thereof in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation to do so. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or public warrants in such transactions.

 

In the event that the Sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public stockholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights or submitted a proxy to vote against our initial business combination, such selling stockholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares and any proxy to vote against our initial business combination. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. The purpose of such purchases could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination, or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrantholders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. We expect that any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on our redemption of our public shares, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

We expect to encounter competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess similar or greater technical, human and other resources or more industry knowledge than we do, and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement units, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, we are obligated to offer holders of our public shares the right to redeem their shares for cash at the time of our initial business combination in conjunction with a stockholder vote or via a tender offer. Target companies will be aware that this may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination. Any of these obligations may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating and completing an initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share upon our liquidation.

 

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If the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement units not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 24 months following the closing of our initial public offering, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from the Sponsor or management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.

 

Of the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement units, only $1,662,500 were available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. We believe that the funds available to us outside of the trust account will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 24 months following such closing; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Of the funds available to us, we could use a portion of the funds available to us to pay fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business. We could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision in letters of intent or merger agreements designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed initial business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent or merger agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a target business.

 

In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $750,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $750,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. The amount held in the trust account will not be impacted as a result of such increase or decrease. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from the Sponsor, management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. None of the Sponsor, members of our management team nor any of their affiliates is under any obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Any such advances would be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. Up to $1,200,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account. If we are unable to obtain these loans, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination.

 

If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. Consequently, our public stockholders may only receive an estimated $10.00 per share, or possibly less, on our redemption of our public shares, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share.

 

Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements they may not be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account, including, but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. The underwriters of our initial public offering will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account. Making such a request of potential target businesses may make our acquisition proposal less attractive to them and, to the extent prospective target businesses refuse to execute such a waiver, it may limit the field of potential target businesses that we might pursue.

 

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Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders could be less than the $10.00 per share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Pursuant to the letter agreement, the Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked the Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether the Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that the Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.

 

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

 

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, and the Sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against the Sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations.

 

While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against the Sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment and subject to their fiduciary duties may choose not to do so in any particular instance if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders may be reduced below $10.00 per share.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  restrictions on the nature of our investments; and

 

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

 

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

 

  registration as an investment company with the SEC;

 

  adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and

 

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

 

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

 

We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the trust account may only be invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. Our initial public offering was not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by August 21, 2022 or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) absent an initial business combination by August 21, 2022, our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public stockholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete an initial business combination or may result in our liquidation. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share upon our liquidation.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Under the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination by August 21, 2022 may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If a corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. However, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the 24th month from the closing of our initial public offering in the event we do not complete our initial business combination and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the foregoing procedures.

 

Because we will not be complying with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the 10 years following our dissolution. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. If our plan of distribution complies with Section 281(b) of the DGCL, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would likely be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend beyond the third anniversary of such date. Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination by August 21, 2022 is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful (potentially due to the imposition of legal proceedings that a party may bring or due to other circumstances that are currently unknown), then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution.

 

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

 

In accordance with the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on the Nasdaq. Under Section 211(b) of the DGCL, we are, however, required to hold an annual meeting of stockholders for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with our bylaws unless such election is made by written consent in lieu of such a meeting. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, and thus we may not be in compliance with Section 211(b) of the DGCL, which requires an annual meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 211(c) of the DGCL.

 

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Because we are not limited to evaluating a target business in a particular industry sector, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.

 

We may pursue business combination opportunities in any industry or geographic region, except that we will not, under our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. To the extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any stockholders or warrantholders who choose to remain stockholders or warrantholders following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders or warrantholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

 

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

 

We will consider an initial business combination outside of our management’s areas of expertise if an initial business combination candidate is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive business combination opportunity for our company or we are unable to identify a suitable candidate in these areas of expertise after having expanded a reasonable amount of time and effort in an attempt to do so. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in any particular business combination candidate, we cannot assure you that we will adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors in our initial public offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in an initial business combination candidate.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 100,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 10,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after our initial public offering, there were 65,678,334 and 3,750,000 authorized but unissued shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, respectively, available for issuance, which amount takes into account the shares of Class A common stock reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants but not the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of Class B common stock. Immediately after the consummation of our initial public offering, there were no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding. Shares of Class B common stock are convertible into shares of our Class A common stock initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth herein, including in certain circumstances in which we issue Class A common stock or equity-linked securities related to our initial business combination.

 

We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of Class A common stock or shares of preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue shares of Class A common stock in connection with the redemption of our warrants or shares of Class A common stock upon conversion of the Class B common stock at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions as set forth therein. However, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote as a class with our public shares (a) on any initial business combination or (b) to approve an amendment to our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination beyond 24 months from the closing of our initial public offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions. These provisions of our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, like all provisions of our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, may be amended with a stockholder vote.

 

The issuance of additional shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock:

 

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

 

may subordinate the rights of holders of our common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

We anticipate that the investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys, consultants and others. If we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share upon our liquidation.

 

As the number of special purpose acquisition companies evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive targets. This could increase the cost of our initial business combination and could result in our inability to find a target or to consummate an initial business combination.

 

In recent years, the number of special purpose acquisition companies has increased substantially. A number of potential targets for special purpose acquisition companies have already been acquired, and there are still many special purpose acquisition companies pursuing an initial business combination. As a result, fewer attractive targets may be available to consummate an initial business combination. In addition, because there are more special purpose acquisition companies seeking to enter into an initial business combination with available targets, the competition for targets may increase and, as a result, the terms of business combination transactions with available targets could become less favorable to us. Attractive transactions could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry sector downturns, geopolitical tensions, or increases in the cost of additional capital needed to close business combinations or operate targets post-business combination. This could increase the cost of, delay or otherwise complicate or frustrate our ability to find and consummate an initial business combination, and may result in our inability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to us.

 

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

 

In light of the involvement of the Sponsor, executive officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with the Sponsor, executive officers, directors or existing holders. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. The Sponsor, officers and directors are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our initial business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no substantive discussions concerning a business combination with any such entity or entities. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria for a business combination and such transaction was approved by a majority of our independent and disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or a valuation or appraisal firm regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of a business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with the Sponsor, executive officers, directors or existing holders, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the business combination may not be as advantageous to our public stockholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.

 

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

 

On June 26, 2019, the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 5,750,000 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per share. On July 1, 2020, we effected a 1:1.25 stock split of our Class B common stock, resulting in the Sponsor holding an aggregate of 7,187,500 founder shares. On October 5, 2020, the underwriters’ over-allotment option expired unexercised, and, as a result, the Sponsor forfeited 937,500 founder shares, resulting in the Sponsor holding an aggregate of 6,250,000 founder shares. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after our initial public offering (not including the shares of Class A common stock underlying the private placement units). The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, the Sponsor and the underwriters purchased an aggregate of 741,250 units at a price of $10.00 per unit, consisting of 616,250 units by the Sponsor and 125,000 units by the underwriters for an aggregate purchase price of $7,412,500, or $10.00 per unit, that will also be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. The Sponsor, officers and directors have agreed (A) to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed initial business combination and (B) not to redeem any founder shares or private placement shares held by them in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination or in connection with a tender offer. In addition, we may obtain loans from the Sponsor, affiliates of the Sponsor or an officer or director. The personal and financial interests of our officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination. This risk may become more acute as the 24-month anniversary of the closing of our initial public offering nears, which is the deadline for our completion of an initial business combination.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, and execution of our strategy; and

 

  other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.

 

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

 

Of the net proceeds from our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement units, $250,000,000 were available to complete our initial business combination and pay related fees and expenses (which included up to $8,750,000 for the payment of deferred underwriting commissions).

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. As a result, we may be able to complete our initial business combination even though a substantial majority of our public stockholders or warrantholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to the Sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of Class A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.

 

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

 

In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds and extended the time to consummate an initial business combination and, with respect to their warrants, amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. Amending our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require the approval of holders of at least 65% of our common stock, and amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least 50% of the public warrants and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, 50% of the number of the then outstanding private placement warrants. In addition, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation requires us to provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash if we propose an amendment to our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by August 21, 2022 or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity. To the extent any such amendments would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of any securities offered through this registration statement, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments or extend the time to consummate an initial business combination in order to effectuate our initial business combination.

 

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The provisions of our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation that relate to our pre-initial business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account), including an amendment to permit us to withdraw funds from the trust account such that the per share amount investors will receive upon any redemption or liquidation is substantially reduced or eliminated, may be amended with the approval of holders of at least 65% of our common stock, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the trust agreement to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our stockholders may not support.

 

Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that any of its provisions related to pre-initial business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement units into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public stockholders as described herein and including to permit us to withdraw funds from the trust account such that the per share amount investors will receive upon any redemption or liquidation is substantially reduced or eliminated) may be amended if approved by holders of at least 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of at least 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon. In all other instances, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation may be amended by holders of a majority of our outstanding common stock entitled to vote thereon, subject to applicable provisions of the DGCL or applicable stock exchange rules. We may not issue additional shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote as a class with our public shares (a) on any initial business combination or (b) to approve an amendment to our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination beyond 24 months from the closing our initial public offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions. Our initial stockholders, who collectively beneficially own 20% of our common stock (not including the shares of Class A common stock underlying the private placement units and assuming they did not purchase any units in our initial public offering), may participate in any vote to amend our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation which govern our pre-initial business combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to complete an initial business combination with which you do not agree. Our stockholders may pursue remedies against us for any breach of our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation.

 

The Sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by August 21, 2022 or (ii) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest will be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. These agreements are contained in a letter agreement that we have entered into with the Sponsor, officers and directors. Our stockholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against the Sponsor, officers or directors for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our stockholders would need to pursue a stockholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.

 

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Certain agreements related to our initial public offering may be amended without stockholder approval.

 

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

 

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

 

We have not selected any specific business combination target, but intend to target businesses larger than we could acquire with the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement units. As a result, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. Further, the amount of additional financing we may be required to obtain could increase as a result of future growth capital needs for any particular transaction, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, the obligation to repurchase for cash a significant number of shares from stockholders who elect redemption in connection with our initial business combination and/or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase shares in connection with our initial business combination. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination.

 

If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share upon our liquidation.

 

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

 

Our initial stockholders own shares representing 22.0% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock (including the shares of Class A common stock underlying the private placement units and assuming they did not purchase any units in our initial public offering). Accordingly, they may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and approval of major corporate transactions. If our initial stockholders purchased any units in our initial public offering or if our initial stockholders purchased any additional shares of common stock in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase their control. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our Class A common stock. In addition, our board of directors, whose members were elected by our initial stockholders, is and will be divided into two classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of two years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the completion of the initial business combination. If there is an annual meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for election and our initial stockholders, because of their ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. Accordingly, our initial stockholders will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2021. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on us as compared to other public companies because a target company with which we seek to complete our initial business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such business combination.

 

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Our initial business combination and our structure thereafter may not be tax-efficient to our stockholders and warrant holders. As a result of our business combination, our tax obligations may be more complex, burdensome and uncertain.

 

Although we will attempt to structure our initial business combination in a tax-efficient manner, tax structuring considerations are complex, the relevant facts and law are uncertain and may change, and we may prioritize commercial and other considerations over tax considerations. For example, in connection with our initial business combination and subject to any requisite stockholder approval, we may structure our business combination in a manner that requires stockholders and/or warrant holders to recognize gain or income for tax purposes, effect a business combination with a target company in another jurisdiction, or reincorporate in a different jurisdiction (including, but not limited to, the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located). We do not intend to make any cash distributions to stockholders or warrant holders to pay taxes in connection with our business combination or thereafter. Accordingly, a stockholder or a warrant holder may need to satisfy any liability resulting from our initial business combination with cash from its own funds or by selling all or a portion of the shares received. In addition, stockholders and warrant holders may also be subject to additional income, withholding or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after our initial business combination.

 

In addition, we may effect a business combination with a target company that has business operations outside of the United States, and possibly, business operations in multiple jurisdictions. If we effect such a business combination, we could be subject to significant income, withholding and other tax obligations in a number of jurisdictions with respect to income, operations and subsidiaries related to those jurisdictions. Due to the complexity of tax obligations and filings in other jurisdictions, we may have a heightened risk related to audits or examinations by U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. taxing authorities. This additional complexity and risk could have an adverse effect on our after-tax profitability and financial condition.

 

The Sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per founder share, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our Class B common stock.

 

The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the Class A common stock and none to the warrant included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock after our initial public offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in our initial public offering. The Sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon the closing of our initial public offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units, the public stockholders incurred an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 93.9% (or $9.39 per share), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $0.61 and the initial offering price of $10.00 per unit. This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the founder shares result in the issuance of shares of Class A common stock on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the founder shares at the time of our initial business combination. In addition, because of the anti-dilution protection in the founder shares, any equity or equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination would be disproportionately dilutive to our Class A common stock.

 

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

 

Our warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder for the purpose of curing any ambiguity or to correct any defective provision or mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the warrants and the warrant agreement set forth in this Form 10-K, provided that the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants is required to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of the public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or stock, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of shares of Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.

 

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

 

We may engage one or more of our underwriters or one of their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us, for example, identifying potential targets, providing financial advisory services, acting as a placement agent in a private offering or arranging debt financing. We may pay such underwriter or its affiliate fair and reasonable fees or other compensation that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation. The underwriters are also entitled to receive deferred commissions that are conditioned on the completion of an initial business combination. The underwriters’ or their respective affiliates’ financial interests tied to the consummation of a business combination transaction may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in providing any such additional services to us, including potential conflicts of interest in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination.

 

Risks Relating to the Post Business Combination Company

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Risks Relating to Acquiring and Operating a Business in Foreign Countries

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  rules and regulations regarding currency redemption;

 

  complex corporate withholding taxes on individuals;

 

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

 

  exchange listing and/or delisting requirements;

 

  tariffs and trade barriers;

 

  regulations related to customs and import/export matters;

 

  local or regional economic policies and market conditions;

 

  unexpected changes in regulatory requirements;

 

  challenges in managing and staffing international operations;

 

  longer payment cycles;

 

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

 

  currency fluctuations and exchange controls;

 

  rates of inflation;

 

  challenges in collecting accounts receivable;

 

  cultural and language differences;

 

  employment regulations;

 

  underdeveloped or unpredictable legal or regulatory systems;

 

  corruption;

 

  protection of intellectual property;

 

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

 

  regime changes and political upheaval;

 

  terrorist attacks and wars; and

 

  deterioration of political relations with the United States.

 

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

 

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Risks Relating to The Sponsor and Management Team

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Our officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for an initial business combination and their other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Each of our officers is engaged in other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. Our independent directors may also serve as officers or board members for other entities. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.

 

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Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.

 

Following the completion of our initial public offering and until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us. Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation. In addition, the Sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination. However, we do not believe that any such potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. If any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.

 

In addition, the Sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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Risks Relating to our Securities

 

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

 

Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the occurrence of each of the following: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those shares of Class A common stock that such stockholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by August 21, 2022 or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination by August 21, 2022, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. In addition, if we are unable to complete an initial business combination by August 21, 2022 for any reason, compliance with Delaware law may require that we submit a plan of dissolution to our then-existing stockholders for approval prior to the distribution of the proceeds held in our trust account. In that case, public stockholders may be forced to wait beyond 24 months from the closing of our initial public offering before they receive funds from our trust account. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

 

The securities in which we invest the proceeds held in the trust account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the interest income available for payment of taxes or reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share.

 

The net proceeds of our initial public offering and certain proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants, in the amount of $250,000,000, will be held in an interest-bearing trust account. The proceeds held in the trust account may only be invested in direct U.S. Treasury obligations having a maturity of 185 days or less, or in certain money market funds which invest only in direct U.S. Treasury obligations. While short-term U.S. Treasury obligations currently yield a positive rate of interest, they have briefly yielded negative interest rates in recent years. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the possibility that it may in the future adopt similar policies in the United States. In the event of very low or negative yields, the amount of interest income (which we may withdraw to pay income taxes, if any) would be reduced. In the event that we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders are entitled to receive their pro-rata share of the proceeds held in the trust account, plus any interest income. If the balance of the trust account is reduced below $250,000,000 as a result of negative interest rates, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public shareholders may be reduced below $10.00 per share.

 

Nasdaq may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.

 

We have been approved to have our units listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the date of this Form 10-K. Following the date the shares of our Class A common stock and warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the shares of our Class A common stock and warrants will be separately listed on Nasdaq. Although after giving effect to our initial public offering we expect to meet, on a pro forma basis, the minimum initial listing standards set forth in the Nasdaq listing standards, we cannot assure you that our securities will be, or will continue to be, listed on Nasdaq in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on Nasdaq prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and stock price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum amount in stockholders’ equity (generally $2,500,000) and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 300 public holders). Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with Nasdaq’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on Nasdaq. For instance, our stock price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share, our stockholders’ equity would generally be required to be at least $5.0 million and we would be required to have a minimum of 300 round lot holders of our securities. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.

 

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If Nasdaq delists any of our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect our securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:

 

a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;

 

reduced liquidity for our securities;

 

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

 

a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and

 

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

 

The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because we expect that our units and eventually our Class A common stock and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq, our units, Class A common stock and warrants will qualify as covered securities under the statute. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. While we are not aware of a state having used these powers to prohibit or restrict the sale of securities issued by blank check companies, other than the State of Idaho, certain state securities regulators view blank check companies unfavorably and might use these powers, or threaten to use these powers, to hinder the sale of securities of blank check companies in their states. Further, if we were no longer listed on Nasdaq, our securities would not qualify as covered securities under the statute and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities.

 

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

 

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering without our prior consent, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss..

 

The Sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per founder share, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our Class B common stock.

 

The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the Class A common stock and none to the warrant included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock after our initial public offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in our initial public offering. The Sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon the closing of our initial public offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units, you and the other public stockholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 93.9% (or $9.39 per share), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $0.61 and the initial offering price of $10.00 per unit. This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the founder shares result in the issuance of shares of Class A common stock on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the founder shares at the time of our initial business combination. In addition, because of the anti-dilution protection in the founder shares, any equity or equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination would be disproportionately dilutive to our Class A common stock.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Our warrants are 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 for the purpose of curing any ambiguity or to correct any defective provision or mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the warrants and the warrant agreement set forth in this Form 10-K, provided that the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants is required to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of the public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or stock, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of shares of Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

We have the ability to redeem outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the closing price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send notice of such redemption to the warrant holders and provided certain other conditions are met. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem the warrants as set forth above even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise the warrants. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you to (i) exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants.

 

In addition, we have the ability to redeem the outstanding public warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that the closing price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to proper notice of such redemption and provided that certain other conditions are met, including that holders will be able to exercise their warrants prior to redemption for a number of shares of Class A common stock determined based on the redemption date and the fair market value of our shares of Class A common stock. The value received upon exercise of the warrants (1) may be less than the value the holders would have received if they had exercised their warrants at a later time where the underlying share price is higher and (2) may not compensate the holders for the value of the warrants, including because the number of shares of Class A common stock received is capped at 0.361 shares of Class A common stock per warrant (subject to adjustment) irrespective of the remaining life of the warrants.

 

None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by the Sponsor or the underwriters or their permitted transferees.

 

You will not be permitted to exercise your warrants unless we register and qualify the underlying Class A common stock or certain exemptions are available.

 

If the issuance of the Class A common stock upon exercise of the warrants is not registered, qualified or exempt from registration or qualification under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, holders of warrants will not be entitled to exercise such warrants and such warrants may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the Class A common stock included in the units.

 

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

 

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

 

In no event will warrants be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption from registration or qualification is available.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

We issued warrants to purchase 8,333,333 shares of our Class A common stock as part of the units offered in our initial public offering and, simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering, we issued in a private placement units, which consist of (i) an aggregate of 741,250 private placement shares and (ii) private placement warrants to purchase an aggregate of 247,083 shares of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustments as provided herein. Our initial stockholders currently own an aggregate of 6,250,000 founder shares. The founder shares are convertible into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as set forth herein. In addition, if the Sponsor or its affiliates, or any of our officers or directors, makes any working capital loans, up to $1,200,000 of such loans may be converted into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Such units would be identical to the private placement units, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period of the underlying warrants. We may also issue shares of Class A common stock in connection with our redemption of warrants.

 

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

  

The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in our initial public offering except that, so long as they are held by the Sponsor or the underwriters or their permitted transferees, the private placement warrants (i) will not be redeemable by us, (ii) may not (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants), subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, (iii) may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis, (iv) will be entitled to registration rights and (v) for so long as they are held by the underwriters, will not be exercisable more than five years from the effective date of the registration statement in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(G)(i).

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  prior offerings of those companies;

 

  our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values;

 

  a review of debt to equity ratios in leveraged transactions;

 

  our capital structure;

 

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

 

  general conditions of the securities markets at the time of our initial public offering; and

 

  other factors as were deemed relevant.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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General Risk Factors

 

Our warrants are accounted for as liabilities and the changes in value of our warrants could have a material effect on our financial results.

 

The SEC Statement regarding the accounting and reporting considerations for warrants issued by SPACs focused on certain settlement terms and provisions related to certain tender offers following a business combination. The terms described in the SEC Statement are common in SPACs and are similar to the terms contained in the warrant agreement governing our warrants. In response to the SEC Statement, we reevaluated the accounting treatment of our public warrants and private placement warrants, and determined to classify the warrants as derivative liabilities measured at fair value, with changes in fair value each period reported in earnings. As a result, included on our balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 contained elsewhere in this Annual Report are derivative liabilities related to embedded features contained within our warrants. Accounting Standards Codification 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”), provides for the remeasurement of the fair value of such derivatives at each balance sheet date, with a resulting non-cash gain or loss related to the change in the fair value being recognized in earnings in the statement of operations. As a result of the recurring fair value measurement, our financial statements and results of operations may fluctuate quarterly based on factors which are outside of our control. Due to the recurring fair value measurement, we expect that we will recognize non- cash gains or losses on our warrants each reporting period and that the amount of such gains or losses could be material.

 

We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020. If we are unable to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results in a timely manner, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and materially and adversely affect our business and operating results.

 

Following issuance of the SEC Statement, on April 29, 2021, our management and our audit committee concluded that, in light of the SEC Statement, it was appropriate to restate our previously issued audited financial statements as of and for the period ended December 31, 2020 (the “Restatement”). See “—Our warrants are accounted for as liabilities and the changes in value of our warrants could have a material effect on our financial results.” As part of such process, we also identified a material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented, or detected and corrected on a timely basis. We became aware of the need to change the classification of our warrants when the SEC Statement was issued on April 12, 2021. As a result, management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, concluded that there was a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020. Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and prevent fraud. We continue to evaluate steps to remediate the material weakness. If we identify any new material weaknesses in the future, any such newly identified material weakness could limit our ability to prevent or detect a misstatement of our accounts or disclosures that could result in a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements. In such case, we may be unable to maintain compliance with securities law requirements regarding timely filing of periodic reports in addition to applicable stock exchange listing requirements, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting and our stock price may decline as a result. We cannot assure you that the measures we have taken to date, or any measures we may take in the future, will be sufficient to avoid potential future material weaknesses.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

  

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible. Our status as a smaller reporting company is determined annually. We will continue to qualify as a smaller reporting company through the following fiscal year as long as (i) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates (measured as of the end of the second quarter of the then current fiscal year) does not exceed $250 million or (ii) our annual revenues for the most recently completed fiscal year do not exceed $100 million and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates (measured as of the end of the second quarter of the then current fiscal year) does not exceed $700 million. If we exceed these thresholds, we will cease to be a smaller reporting company as of the first day of the following fiscal year.

 

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

 

Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, that (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us, our directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us, our directors, officers or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware, except any claim (A) as to which the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction, or (D) any action arising under the Securities Act, as to which the Court of Chancery and the federal district court for the District of Delaware shall have concurrent jurisdiction. If an action is brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, a court may determine that this provision is unenforceable, and to the extent it is enforceable, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers, although our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers.

 

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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

 

None.

 

Item 2. Properties.

 

Our executive offices are located at 1615 South Congress Avenue, Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445. Our executive offices are provided to us by an affiliate of the Sponsor and we have agreed to pay such affiliate of the Sponsor a total of $25,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.

 

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

 

We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to our knowledge, is any material legal proceeding threatened against us or any of our officers or directors in their corporate capacity.

 

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

 

Not applicable.

 

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PART II

 

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

 

Market Information

 

Our units, Class A common stock and warrants are traded on Nasdaq under the symbols “FIIIU,” “FIII” and “FIIIW,” respectively.

 

Holders

 

As of March 31, 2021, there were three holders of record of our units, one holder of record of our Class A common stock and one holder of record of our warrants.

 

Dividends

 

We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of an initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial conditions subsequent to completion of an initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to an initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. If we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.

 

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

 

None.

 

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities; Use of Proceeds from Registered Offerings

 

On June 26, 2019, we issued an aggregate of 5,750,000 shares (the “founder shares”) of our Class B common stock to the Sponsor for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash. On July 1, 2020, the Company effected a stock split of 1:1.25 with respect to the Class B common stock, resulting in the Sponsor holding an aggregate of 7,187,500 founder shares. On October 5, 2020, the underwriters’ over-allotment option expired unexercised, and, as a result, the Sponsor forfeited 937,500 founder shares, resulting in the Sponsor holding an aggregate of 6,250,000 founder shares. The foregoing issuance was made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”).

 

On August 21, 2020, we consummated the initial public offering of 25,000,000 units. The units were sold at an offering price of $10.00 per unit, generating total gross proceeds of $250,000,000. Jefferies LLC acted as the sole book running manager. The securities sold in the offering were registered under the Securities Act on registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-240171). The SEC declared the registration statement effective on August 18, 2020.

 

Simultaneously with the consummation of the initial public offering, we consummated a private placement of 741,250 private placement units at a price of $10.00 per private placement unit, in a private placement to the Sponsor, and the underwriters of the initial public offering, generating gross proceeds of $7,412,500. Such securities were issued pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act

 

The private placement units are the same as the units sold in the initial public offering, except that warrants included in the private placement units (the “Private Placement Warrants”) are not transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of a business combination, subject to certain limited exceptions. Additionally, the Private Placement Warrants are exercisable on a cashless basis and are non-redeemable so long as they are held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees.

 

Of the gross proceeds received from the initial public offering and private placement of private placement units, $250,000,000 was placed in a trust account.

 

We incurred $14,185,268 in transaction costs, including $5,000,000 of underwriting fees, $8,750,000 of deferred underwriting fees and $435,268 of other costs.

 

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Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

 

As a “smaller reporting company,” we are not required to provide the information called for by this Item.

 

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and the notes related thereto which are included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those set forth under “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A.

 

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations has been amended and restated to give effect to the restatement and revision of our Original Financial Statements. We are restating our historical financial results to reclassify our Warrants as derivative liabilities pursuant to ASC 815-40 rather than as a component of equity as we had previously treated the Warrants. The impact of the restatement is reflected in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations below. Other than as disclosed in the Explanatory Note and with respect to the impact of the restatement, no other information in this Item 7 has been amended and this Item 7 does not reflect any events occurring after the Original Filing. The impact of the restatement is more fully described in Note 2 to our financial statements included in Item 15 of Part IV of this Amendment and Item 9A: Controls and Procedures, both contained herein.

 

Overview

 

We are a blank check company incorporated on June 25, 2019 as a Delaware corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of our initial public offering and the private placement of the private placement units, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination, shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing.

 

We expect to continue to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that our plans to complete our initial business combination will be successful.

 

Recent Developments

 

On December 10, 2020, we entered into the Merger Agreement with Merger Sub, ELM, and Jason Luo, in the capacity as the initial stockholder representative thereto, pursuant to which, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions set forth therein, Merger Sub will merge with and into ELM, with ELM surviving the merger in accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The Business Combination is subject to certain closing conditions, including the Carveout Transaction (as defined in the Merger Agreement). Prior to the Carveout Transaction, ELM will have limited operations.

 

The aggregate consideration payable at the closing of the Business Combination (the “Closing”) to the stockholders of ELM (the “ELM Stockholders”) is payable solely in shares of common stock, valued at $10.00 per share, and is calculated as follows: $1,300,000,000, plus the amount of Estimated Closing Date Cash (as defined in the Merger Agreement), plus the Pre-Paid Company Transaction Expense Amount (as defined in the Merger Agreement), minus the Estimated Closing Date Indebtedness (as defined in the Merger Agreement), minus the Convertible Note Adjustment Amount (as defined in the Merger Agreement), minus $292,000,000, the value of the 29,200,000 shares of Class A common stock reserved under the new long-term equity incentive plan ($150,000,000 of which are restricted share units with vesting terms substantially similar to the 5,000,000 shares of Class A common stock to be placed into escrow at the Closing (the “Earnout Shares”)), minus $2,500,000, the value of the Adjustment Escrow Stock (as defined below) and minus $50,000,000, the value of the Earnout Shares (the “Closing Merger Consideration”).

 

In addition, an aggregate of 5,000,000 shares of Class A common stock will be placed into escrow at the Closing and will be payable to ELM Stockholders during the 36-month period following the Closing (the “Earnout Period”) as follows: (i) if the closing price of the Class A common stock (the “Closing Price”) equals or exceeds $14.00 on any 20 trading days in any 30-consecutive-day trading period, then 2,500,000 Earnout Shares will be released from escrow to the ELM Stockholders, and (ii) if the Closing Price equals or exceeds $16.00 on any 20 trading days in any 30-consecutive-day trading period, then the remaining 2,500,000 Earnout Shares will be released from escrow to the ELM Stockholders. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, if a qualifying Change in Control (as defined in the Merger Agreement) occurs during the Earnout Period, all Earnout Shares not previously released will be released to the ELM Stockholders. Any Earnout Shares not released prior to the expiration of the Earnout Period will be forfeited and cancelled.

 

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We have agreed that, at the Closing, we will place 250,000 shares of Class A common stock into an adjustment escrow account (the “Adjustment Escrow Stock”) to secure any downward post-closing purchase price adjustment. Following the date on which the Closing Merger Consideration is finally determined, all or a portion of those shares of Class A common stock will either be released to the ELM Stockholders or released to us in accordance with the adjustment mechanisms set forth in the Merger Agreement.

 

The Merger Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and covenants by the parties thereto and the closing is subject to certain conditions as further described in the Merger Agreement.

 

Results of Operations

 

We have neither engaged in any operations (other than searching for a business combination after our initial public offering) nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities from June 25, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2020 were organizational activities, including those necessary to prepare for the initial public offering, identifying a target for our Business Combination and activities in connection with the proposed acquisition of ELM. We do not expect to generate any operating revenues until after the completion of our Business Combination. We expect to generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on marketable securities held after the initial public offering. We incur expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2020, we had a net loss of $29,361,225, which consists of formation and general and administrative expenses of $3,617,022, a loss on the warrant liability of $25,574,581, and transaction costs of $236,212, which are offset by interest earned on marketable securities held in the trust account of $66,590. 

 

For the period from June 25, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019, we had a net loss of $2,156, which consisted of formation costs.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

On August 21, 2020, we consummated the initial public offering of 25,000,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $250,000,000. Simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering, we consummated the sale of an aggregate of 741,250 units at a price of $10.00 per private placement unit in a private placement to our stockholders, generating gross proceeds of $7,412,500. Each private placement unit consists of one share of Class A common stock and one-third of one warrant.

 

Following the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement units, a total of $250,000,000 was placed in the trust account located in the United States. We incurred $14,185,268 in transaction costs, including $5,000,000 of underwriting fees, $8,750,000 of deferred underwriting fees and $435,268 of other costs.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2020, cash used in operating activities was $446,545. Net loss of $29,361,225 was affected by interest earned on marketable securities held in the trust account of $66,590, a loss on the warrant liability of $25,574,581, transaction costs of $236,212 and changes in operating assets and liabilities, which provided $3,170,477 of cash from operating activities.

 

For the period from June 25, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019, cash used in operating activities was $190. Net loss of $2,156 was affected changes in operating assets and liabilities, which provided $1,966 of cash from operating activities.

 

As of December 31, 2020, we had cash and marketable securities of $250,066,590 held in the trust account. We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the trust account to complete our Business Combination. We may withdraw interest to pay taxes. During the period ended December 31, 2020, we did not withdraw any interest earned on the trust account. To the extent that our capital stock or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our Business Combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.

 

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As of December 31, 2020, we had cash of $1,555,497 outside of the trust account. We intend to use the funds held outside the trust account primarily to identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, and structure, negotiate and complete our initial business combination.

 

In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with our initial business combination, our Sponsor or an affiliate of our Sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,200,000 of such loans may be convertible into units identical to the private placement units, at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender.

 

We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimate of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a Business Combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our Business Combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our Business Combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon consummation of our 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 complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our Business Combination. If we are unable to complete our Business Combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. In addition, following our Business Combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.

 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

We have no obligations, assets or liabilities, which would be considered off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2020. We do not participate in transactions that create relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, often referred to as variable interest entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements. We have not entered into any off-balance sheet financing arrangements, established any special purpose entities, guaranteed any debt or commitments of other entities, or purchased any non-financial assets.

 

Contractual Obligations

 

We do not have any long-term debt, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations or long-term liabilities, other than an agreement to pay an affiliate of the Sponsor a total of $25,000 per month for 24 months for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. Such payments will be accelerated if the Company consummates its initial business combination prior to the end of its 24-month term, or $600,000 in the aggregate.

 

In addition, the underwriters are entitled to a deferred fee of $0.35 per unit, or $8,750,000 in the aggregate. The deferred fee will be forfeited by the underwriters solely in the event that we fail to complete a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.

 

Critical Accounting Policies

 

The preparation of consolidated financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and income and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. We have identified the following critical accounting policies:

 

Warrant Liabilities

 

We account for the Warrants in accordance with the guidance contained in ASC 815-40 under which the Warrants do not meet the criteria for equity treatment and must be recorded as liabilities. Accordingly, we classify the Warrants as liabilities at their fair value and adjust the Warrants to fair value at each reporting period. This liability is subject to re-measurement at each balance sheet date until exercised, and any change in fair value is recognized in our statement of operations. The Private Warrants and the Public Warrants for periods where no observable traded price was available are valued using a Monte Carlo simulation. For periods subsequent to the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units, the Public Warrant quoted market price was used as the fair value as of each relevant date.

 

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Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption

 

We account for our Class A common stock subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Class A common stock subject to mandatory redemption is classified as a liability instrument and is measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable common stock (including common stock that features redemption rights that is either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within our control) is classified as temporary equity. At all other times, common stock is classified as stockholders’ equity. Our common stock features certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of our control and subject to occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, the Class A common stock subject to possible redemption is presented as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ equity section of the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

 

Net Loss per Common Share

 

We apply the two-class method in calculating earnings per share. Net income per common share, basic and diluted for Class A redeemable common stock is calculated by dividing the interest income earned on the trust account, net of applicable taxes, by the weighted average number of shares of Class A redeemable common stock outstanding for the periods. Net income (loss) per common share, basic and diluted for and Class A and B non-redeemable common stock is calculated by dividing net income (loss), less income attributable to Class A redeemable common stock, by the weighted average number of shares of Class A and B non-redeemable common stock outstanding for the periods presented. Class A and B nonredeemable common stock includes the founder shares and private placement shares as these shares do not have any redemption features and do not participate in the income earned on the trust account.

 

Recent Accounting Standards

 

Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

 

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

 

As of December 31, 2020, we were not subject to any market or interest rate risk. Following the consummation of our initial public offering, the net proceeds of our initial public offering, including amounts in the trust account, have been invested in U.S. government treasury bills, notes or bonds with a maturity of 185 days or less or in certain money market funds that invest solely in US treasuries. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.

 

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

 

This information appears following Item 15 of this Report and is included herein by reference.

 

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

 

None.

 

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

Disclosure controls are procedures that are designed with the objective of ensuring that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Exchange Act, such as this Report, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time period specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls are also designed with the objective of ensuring that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our management evaluated, with the participation of our current chief executive officer and chief financial officer (our “Certifying Officers”), the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2020, pursuant to Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act. Based upon that evaluation, our Certifying Officers concluded that, solely due to the events that led to the Company’s restatement of its financial statements to reclassify the Company’s Warrants as described in the Explanatory Note to this Amendment, as of December 31, 2020, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2020, due solely to the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting described below in “Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.” In light of this material weakness, we performed additional analysis as deemed necessary to ensure that our financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Accordingly, management believes that the financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K present fairly in all material respects our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the period presented. 

 

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We do not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all errors and all instances of fraud. Disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the disclosure controls and procedures are met. Further, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all disclosure controls and procedures, no evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures can provide absolute assurance that we have detected all our control deficiencies and instances of fraud, if any. The design of disclosure controls and procedures also is based partly on certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions.

 

Management’s Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting

 

This Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include a report of management’s assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting or an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm due to a transition period established by rules of the SEC for newly public companies.

 

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.) In light of the restatement of our financial statements included in this Amendment, we plan to enhance our processes to identify and appropriately apply applicable accounting requirements to better evaluate and understand the nuances of the complex accounting standards that apply to our financial statements. Our plans at this time include providing enhanced access to accounting literature, research materials and documents and increased communication among our personnel and third-party professionals with whom we consult regarding complex accounting applications. The elements of our remediation plan can only be accomplished over time, and we can offer no assurance that these initiatives will ultimately have the intended effects.

 

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PART III

 

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

 

Directors and Executive Officers

 

Our officers and directors are as follows:

 

NAME

 

AGE

 

POSITION

Marshall Kiev   52   Co-Chief Executive Officer, President and Director
David Boris   60   Co-Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director
Neil Goldberg   66   Director
Richard Katzman   62   Director
Steven Berns   56   Director
Jeffrey Nachbor   54   Director

 

Marshall Kiev, 52, has been our Co-Chief Executive Officer, President and Director since inception. He has over 28 years of deal sourcing and principal investment experience in both family office and private equity settings. He has been the President and Founder of MK Capital Partners, a private investment firm, since 2016. The firm’s primary investment strategies include direct private equity, growth equity and venture capital. Mr. Kiev was Co-Chief Executive Officer, President and Director of Forum Merger II Corporation until its business combination with Tattooed Chef, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTCF). Mr. Kiev was Co-Chief Executive Officer, President and Director of Forum Merger Corporation until its business combination with ConvergeOne (Nasdaq: CVON). Mr. Kiev was previously a Director of Cohen Private Ventures, or CPV, from 2013 to 2016. CPV is a family office investing long-term capital in direct private investments and other opportunistic transactions. Prior to his position with CPV, Mr. Kiev was Chief of Staff at S.A.C. Capital Advisors, L.P., an investment firm, from 2010 to 2013. Prior to joining S.A.C., Mr. Kiev was President of Alternative Investments at Family Management Corporation, a multi-family office, from 2007 to 2009, where he oversaw a portfolio of investments in hedge funds and private equity funds. Previously, Mr. Kiev was a Partner at Main Street Resources, a middle-market private equity firm, from 2000 to 2007. He began his career in 1989 at Family Management Corporation where he held a variety of roles over more than a decade. Mr. Kiev is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization. Mr. Kiev received an MBA degree from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a BA degree also from New York University. We believe Mr. Kiev is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors due to his extensive financial experience, his asset management experience and his experience as an executive officer and director of Forum Merger Corporation and Forum Merger II Corporation.

 

David Boris, 60, has been our Co-Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director since inception. Mr. Boris served as the Co-Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director of Forum Merger II Corporation from its inception in May 2018 until Forum Merger II Corporation’s business combination with Tattooed Chef in October 2020. He served as Co-Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director of Forum Merger Corporation from its inception in November 2016 until Forum Merger Corporation’s business combination with ConvergeOne and served as a member of ConvergeOne’s board of directors from the business combination until ConvergeOne’s acquisition by CVC in January 2019 at $12.50 per share. He has over 30 years of Wall Street experience in mergers and corporate finance and has been involved in approximately 20 SPAC transactions as an advisor, investment banker and/or officer or board member, including ten business combinations totaling over $5.0 billion. Mr. Boris was a Director of Pacific Special Acquisition Corp. from July 2015 until August 2017. From November 2010 to May 2013, Mr. Boris served as Chairman of Primcogent Solutions LLC, leading the board during the period of the company’s preparation to seek reorganization by way of a voluntary bankruptcy petition, which was filed in 2013. Mr. Boris served as Senior Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking at Pali Capital, Inc., an investment banking firm, from 2007. Mr. Boris served as President of Ladenburg Thalmann Group Inc. from 1999 to 2000, and was also Executive Vice President and Head of Investment Banking at Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. from 1998 to 2000. In addition, he was a co-founder, director, and a principal stockholder of Brenner Securities Corporation and its successors. Prior to Brenner, Mr. Boris was at Oppenheimer & Company Inc., as a Senior Vice President and Limited Partner. Mr. Boris began his career as a member of the Business Development Group of W.R. Grace & Company, from 1984 to 1985. He is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, an organization with over 25,000 members who are in the top position of a qualifying company or division and are directly responsible for all operations of such business or division. Mr. Boris is on the board of directors of Tradeweb Markets. Mr. Boris received a M.B.A. from Columbia University Business School and a B.A. from Vassar College, cum laude. We believe Mr. Boris is qualified to serve on the post-combination company board of directors based on his wide range of experience in capital market activities as well as his activities in special purpose acquisition companies and asset management, including his experience as an executive officer and director of Forum Merger Corporation, Forum Merger II Corporation and the Company.

 

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Neil Goldberg, 66, is one of our directors as of the date hereof. Mr. Goldberg served as a director of Forum Merger Corporation from initial public offering until the business combination with ConvergeOne. He has 45 years of retailing, merchandising, general management and real estate experience. Mr. Goldberg has served as Chairman and CEO of Raymour & Flannigan Furniture and Holdings, one of the largest furniture retailers in the United States, since 1972. He has led the growth of Raymour & Flannigan from three local stores to its current 130 locations across seven Northeast states employing more than 6,500 people. In addition, Mr. Goldberg has been active on numerous national industry boards including the National Home Furnishing Association, the Home Furnishing Council, the American Furniture Hall of Fame and FurnitureFan.com. He has also participated on the board of local and national charitable organizations including the HSBC Bank Regional Board, the Metropolitan Development Association, Say Yes to Education, the Salvation Army of Central New York and the Syracuse University School of Management. Mr. Goldberg has been honored for his work as a recipient of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, the City of Hope Spirit of Life Award and the Anti-Defamation League American Heritage Award. Mr. Goldberg received a B.S. in accounting from the Syracuse University School of Management. We believe Mr. Goldberg is qualified to serve on the post-combination company board of directors based on his experience in operations and real estate and his experience as a director of Forum Merger Corporation and the Company.

 

Richard Katzman, 62, is one of our directors as of the date hereof. Mr. Katzman served as a Director of Forum Merger I & II Corporations and is a private investor in early-stage companies and a member of the New York Angels investing group. He is also an Executive Director and board member of Noodle Education, a leading provider of online Masters programs and other education services, based in New York City. Mr. Katzman was previously a director of ConvergeOne. Mr. Katzman was Chairman & CEO of Kaz, Incorporated, a multinational consumer appliance company, until its sale in December 2010. Kaz’s products include humidifiers, vaporizers, digital thermometers, hot/cold therapy, heaters, fans, and air cleaners. Under his leadership, the company grew from $4 million in annual sales to $500 million by expanding its product offerings, developing international distribution, and pioneering brand extension licensing with global power brands Vicks, Honeywell and Braun. Mr. Katzman also co-founded Terra Firma Software, a provider of enterprise solutions and an early developer of Macintosh applications. Mr. Katzman was a board member of Brown University’s Entrepreneurship Program, the Executive in Residence for the first cohort of the IE-Brown Executive MBA program in 2011-12 and has been a judge in several business plan competitions. Mr. Katzman is on the NY board of Generation Citizen, which provides action civics curriculums to high schools. He was a board member of Princeton Review from its founding in 1982 until 2012 and was a trustee of Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson, NY. He is also a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization. Mr. Katzman graduated with an A.B. from Brown University and attended the Singularity University Executive Program. We believe Mr. Katzman is well-qualified to serve as a member of the board due to his experience in finance and operations and his experience as a director of Forum Merger Corporation and Forum Merger II Corporation.

 

Steven Berns, 56, is one of our directors as of the date hereof. Mr. Berns served as a director of Forum Merger II Corporation until the business combination with Tattooed Chef, Inc. Mr. Berns was the Chief Financial Officer of GTT Communications, Inc. (NYSE: GTT), a leading global cloud networking provider for multinational clients, from April 2020 until December 2020. Mr. Berns served as a director of Forum Merger Corporation. From September 2015 through July 2019, Mr. Berns served as the Co-Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK), a leading global provider of high-quality licensed photographs, vectors, illustrations, videos and music to businesses, marketing agencies and media organizations around the world. From July 2013 through August 2015, Mr. Berns served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Tribune Media (formerly Tribune Company), one of the country’s leading multimedia companies, operating businesses in broadcasting, publishing and digital media. Prior to that time, Mr. Berns was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Revlon, Inc. (NYSE: REV), a worldwide cosmetics and beauty products company, from May 2009 to July 2013. Prior to that time, Mr. Berns was Chief Financial Officer of Tradeweb, LLC, a leading over-the-counter, multi-asset class online marketplace for securities trading and trade processing, from November 2007 until May 2009. From November 2005 until July 2007, Mr. Berns served as President, Chief Financial Officer and Director of MDC Partners Inc. (Nasdaq: MDCA) and from September 2004 to November 2005, Mr. Berns served as Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President of MDC Partners. Prior to that, Mr. Berns was the Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc., (NYSE: IPG) an organization of advertising agencies and marketing services companies from August 1999 until September 2004. Before that, Mr. Berns held a variety of positions in finance at Revlon, Inc. from April 1992 until August 1999, becoming Vice President and Treasurer in 1996. Prior to joining Revlon in 1992, Mr. Berns worked at Paramount Communications Inc. and at a predecessor public accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche. Mr. Berns has served on several boards including Shutterstock, Inc. (from 2012 to 2015 as Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee), LivePerson, Inc. (Nasdaq: LPSN from 2002 to 2011 as Director and Chairman of the Compensation Committee). Mr. Berns received a BS from Lehigh University and an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University. We believe Mr. Berns is well-qualified to serve as a member of the board due to his extensive experience in finance and operations and his experience as a director of Forum Merger Corporation and Forum Merger II Corporation.

 

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Jeffrey Nachbor, 54, is one of our directors as of the date hereof. Mr. Nachbor was a Director of Forum Merger II Corporation until the business combination with Tattooed Chef, Inc. Mr. Nachbor has served as ConvergeOne’s Chief Financial Officer since September 2013. From 2008 until 2013, Mr. Nachbor served as Senior Vice President of Finance & Chief Accounting Officer of Leap Wireless International, Inc., a telecommunications company which was later acquired by AT&T Inc. From September 2005 to March 2008, Mr. Nachbor served as Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller of H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB). From February 2005 until August 2005, Mr. Nachbor served as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Sharper Image Corporation, a consumer electronics retailer. From 2003 to 2005, Mr. Nachbor served as Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller of Staples, Inc., a business supplies and equipment retailer. Mr. Nachbor holds a B.A. in accounting from Old Dominion University, an M.B.A. from University of Kansas, and is a Certified Public Accountant. We believe Mr. Nachbor is well-qualified to serve as a member of the board due to his extensive experience in finance and operations.

 

Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors

 

We have six 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 stockholders) serving a two-year term. In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Messrs. Goldberg, Katzman and Berns, will expire at our 2021 annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Messrs. Kiev, Boris and Nachbor, will expire at the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders.

 

Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our bylaws as it deems appropriate. Our bylaws provide that our officers may consist of a Chairman of the Board, Co-Chief Executive Officers, Chief Financial Officer, President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Secretaries and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.

 

Committees of the Board of Directors

 

Our board of directors has two standing committees: an audit committee and a compensation committee. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, Nasdaq rules and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors, and Nasdaq rules require that the compensation committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors.

 

Audit Committee

 

We have established an audit committee of the board of directors. Messrs. Berns, Goldberg, Katzman will serve as members of our audit committee, and Mr. Berns chairs the audit committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least three members of the audit committee, all of whom must be independent. Each of Messrs. Berns, Goldberg, Katzman meet the independent director standard under Nasdaq listing standards and under Rule 10-A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act.

 

Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that Mr. Berns qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.

 

We have adopted an audit committee charter, which details the principal functions of the audit committee, including:

 

the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us;

 

pre-approving all audit and permitted non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing pre-approval policies and procedures;

 

setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent registered public accounting firm, including but not limited to, as required by applicable laws and regulations;

 

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setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

 

obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent registered public accounting firm describing (i) the independent registered public accounting firm’s internal quality-control procedures, (ii) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the audit firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities within the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues and (iii) all relationships between the independent registered public accounting firm and us to assess the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence;

 

reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; and

 

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

 

Compensation Committee

 

We have established a compensation committee of the board of directors. Messrs. Berns, Katzman, Goldberg will serve as members of our compensation committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least two members of the compensation committee, all of whom must be independent. Messrs. Berns, Katzman, Goldberg are independent and Mr. Katzman chairs the compensation committee.

 

We have adopted a compensation committee charter, which details the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:

 

reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Co-Chief Executive Officers’ compensation, if any is paid by us, evaluating our Co-Chief Executive Officers’ performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Co-Chief Executive Officers based on such evaluation;

 

reviewing and approving on an annual basis the compensation, if any is paid by us, of all of our other officers;

 

reviewing on an annual basis our executive compensation policies and plans;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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, other than the payment to an affiliate of the Sponsor of $25,000 per month for 24 months for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support (which payments will be accelerated if we consummate our initial business combination prior to the end of our 24-month term, or $600,000 in the aggregate) and reimbursement of expenses, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our existing stockholders, officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate the consummation of an initial business combination other than any business development consultant or personnel we may engage or employ in connection with our search for and/or consummation of our initial business combination. Accordingly, it is likely that prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, the compensation committee will only be responsible for the review and recommendation of any compensation arrangements to be entered into in connection with such initial business combination.

 

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

 

Director Nominations

 

We do not have a standing nominating committee though we intend to form a corporate governance and nominating committee as and when required to do so by law or Nasdaq rules. In accordance with Rule 5605 of the Nasdaq rules, a majority of the independent directors may recommend a director nominee for selection by the board of directors. The board of directors believes that the independent directors can satisfactorily carry out the responsibility of properly selecting or approving director nominees without the formation of a standing nominating committee. The directors who will participate in the consideration and recommendation of director nominees are Messrs. Berns, Katzman, Goldberg and Nachbor. In accordance with Rule 5605 of the Nasdaq rules, all such directors are independent. As there is no standing nominating committee, we do not have a nominating committee charter in place.

 

The board of directors will also consider director candidates recommended for nomination by our stockholders during such times as they are seeking proposed nominees to stand for election at the next annual meeting of stockholders (or, if applicable, a special meeting of stockholders). Our stockholders that wish to nominate a director for election to our board of directors should follow the procedures set forth in our bylaws.

 

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

 

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

 

None of our officers currently serves, or in the past year has served, as a member of the compensation committee of any entity that has one or more officers serving on our board of directors.

 

Code of Ethics

 

We have adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to all of our directors, executive officers and employees that complies with the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq. The Code of Ethics codifies the business and ethical principles that govern all aspects of our business. We have previously filed copies of our form of Code of Ethics, our form of Audit Committee Charter and our form of Compensation Committee Charter as exhibits to our registration statement in connection with our initial public offering. You may review these documents by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request to us in writing at 1615 South Congress Avenue, Suite 103, Delray Beach, Florida 33445 or by telephone at (212) 739-7860.

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

Members of our management team do not have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware, unless presented to such member solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the company. Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.

 

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Our officers and directors have agreed not to participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of any other special purpose acquisition company with a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act, until we have entered into a definitive agreement regarding our initial business combination or we have failed to complete our initial business combination by August 21, 2022. Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:

 

None of our officers or directors is required to commit his or her full time to our affairs and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating his or her 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 us as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated. Our management may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.

 

The Sponsor and our officers and directors have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and private placement shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Additionally, the Sponsor and our officers and directors have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares or private placement shares held by them if we fail to consummate our initial business combination by August 21, 2022. If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement units (and the underlying securities) will expire worthless. With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable by the Sponsor until the earlier of: (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property. With certain limited exceptions, the private placement units, private placement shares and private placement warrants and the Class A common stock underlying such warrants, will not be transferable, assignable or saleable by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Since the Sponsor and officers and directors may directly or indirectly own common stock and warrants following our initial public offering, our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination.

 

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

 

The Sponsor, our officers or directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a business combination and financing arrangements as we may obtain loans from the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or any of our officers or directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $1,200,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Such units would be identical to the private placement units, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period of the underlying warrants.

 

The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our favor.

 

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

 

the corporation could financially undertake the opportunity;

 

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

 

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

 

Accordingly, as a result of multiple business affiliations, our officers and directors may have similar legal obligations relating to presenting business opportunities meeting the above-listed criteria to multiple entities. Furthermore, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.

 

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

 

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

 

INDIVIDUAL

 

ENTITY

 

ENTITY’S BUSINESS

 

AFFILIATION

Marshall Kiev   Forum Merger II Corporation   Special Purpose Acquisition Company   Co-Chief Executive Officer, President and Director
David Boris   Forum Merger II Corporation   Special Purpose Acquisition Company   Co-Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director
Richard Katzman   Forum Merger II Corporation   Special Purpose Acquisition Company   Director
Neil Goldberg   Raymour and Flannigan Furniture and Holdings
Forum Merger II Corporation
  Furniture retailer Special Purpose Acquisition Company   President and CEO Director
Steven Berns   Forum Merger II Corporation   Special Purpose Acquisition Company   Director
Jeff Nachbor   ConvergeOne
Forum Merger II Corporation
  Global IT solutions company Special Purpose Acquisition Company   Chief Financial Officer Director

 

Accordingly, if any of the above executive officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for any of the above entities to which he or she has current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity.

 

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with the Sponsor, our officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with such a company, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

 

In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, pursuant to the letter agreement, the Sponsor, our officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares or private placement shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after the offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination.

 

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Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors

 

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

 

We will enter into agreements with our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Our bylaws also will permit us to secure insurance on behalf of any officer, director or employee for any liability arising out of his or her actions, regardless of whether Delaware law would permit such indemnification. We will purchase a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors.

 

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

 

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

 

Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports

 

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the Company’s directors and executive officers, and persons who beneficially own more than ten percent of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities, to file reports of beneficial ownership and changes in beneficial ownership with the SEC. Based solely on a review of reports filed with the SEC and written representations from certain reporting persons that no other reports were required, the Company believes that, during Fiscal 2020, its officers, directors and ten-percent stockholders complied with all applicable Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to such individuals, other than an inadvertent late Form 4 filing for Forum Investors III LLC with respect to Forum Investors III LLC forfeiting at no cost 937,500 shares of Class B common stock, which was exempted pursuant to Rule 16b-3(e) under the Exchange Act, in connection with the election by the underwriters of our initial public offering to not exercise an option granted to them to cover over-allotments, which was filed on October 21, 2020.

 

Item 11. Executive Compensation.

 

None of our executive officers or directors has received any cash compensation for services rendered. We will reimburse an affiliate of the Sponsor for office space, secretarial and administrative services provided to members of our management team in an amount not to exceed $25,000 per month in the event such space and/or services are utilized and we do not pay directly for such services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease making these payments. In addition, the Sponsor, executive officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to the Sponsor, our officers or directors, or our or their affiliates. Other than these payments and reimbursements, no compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid to the Sponsor, executive officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, prior to completion of our initial business combination.

  

We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements with the post-transaction company after our initial business combination. Any such arrangements will be disclosed in the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed business combination, to the extent they are known at such time.

 

The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business, but we do not believe that such arrangements will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination.

 

53

 

 

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

 

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of March 31, 2021 by:

 

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

 

each of our executive officers and directors; and

 

all our executive officers and directors as a group.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this Form 10-K.

 

The beneficial ownership of our common stock is based on 31,991,250 shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2021, consisting of 25,741,250 shares of Class A common stock and 6,250,000 shares of Class B common stock.

 

NAME AND ADDRESS OF BENEFICIAL OWNER (1)

 

NUMBER OF
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED (2)

   

APPROXIMATE PERCENTAGE OF OUTSTANDING
COMMON STOCK

 
Directors, Executive Officers and Founders                
Marshall Kiev (1)(3)     6,866,250       21.5 %
David Boris (1)(3)     6,866,250       21.5 %
Neil Goldberg (1)(4)     -       -  
Richard Katzman (1)(4)     -       -  
Steven Berns (1)(4)     -       -  
Jeffrey Nachbor (1)(4)     -       -  
All executive officers and directors as a group (six individuals)     6,866,250       21.5 %

 

NAME AND ADDRESS OF BENEFICIAL OWNER

 

NUMBER OF
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED

   

APPROXIMATE PERCENTAGE OF OUTSTANDING
COMMON STOCK

 
Five Percent Holders                
Forum Investors II LLC (1)(3)     6,866,250       21.5 %
Alpine Global Management LLC (5)     2,127,936       8.3 %

 

 

(1) Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following entities or individuals is c/o Forum Merger III Corporation, 1615 South Congress Avenue, Suite 103, Delray Beach, Florida 33445.

 

54

 

 

(2) Interests shown consist solely of founder shares, classified as shares of Class B common stock. Such shares are convertible into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment, and with respect to the interests held after our initial public offering, 616,250 Class A shares issuable pursuant to a private placement.

(3) Represents shares held by the Sponsor. Each of our officers and directors, and a trust held for the benefit of family members of David Boris, is a member of the Sponsor. Forum Capital Management III LLC is the managing member of the Sponsor and has voting and investment discretion with respect to the common stock held by the Sponsor. Marshall Kiev and David Boris are the managing members of Forum Capital Management III LLC and may be deemed to have beneficial ownership of the common stock held directly by the Sponsor. Each such person disclaims any beneficial ownership of the reported shares other than to the extent of any pecuniary interest they may have therein, directly or indirectly. Pre-business combination amounts consist entirely of founder shares, which will convert into shares of Class A common stock upon the closing of our initial business combination, and 616,250 private placement shares that were purchased by the Sponsor as part of the private placement units in our initial public offering.

(4) Does not include any shares held by the Sponsor. This individual is a member of the Sponsor, as described in footnote 3, but does not have voting or dispositive control over the shares held by the Sponsor.

(5) According to a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 24, 2021 by Alpine Global Management, LLC, in addition to Alpine Global Management, LLC, Alpine Partners (BVI), L.P. also owns the shares indirectly and is a beneficial owner. The business address of Alpine Global Management, LLC is 140 Broadway, 38th Floor, New York, NY 10005.

 

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

 

Founder Shares

 

On June 26, 2019, the Sponsor purchased 5,750,000 founder shares for an aggregate price of $25,000. The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A common stock upon the consummation of a business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustments.

 

The founder shares included an aggregate of up to 937,500 shares subject to forfeiture by the Sponsor to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment was not exercised in full or in part, so that the Sponsor would own, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after our initial public offering (assuming the Sponsor did not purchase any public shares in our initial public offering and excluding the private placement shares). On July 1, 2020, we effected a 1:1.25 stock split of our Class B common stock, resulting in the Sponsor holding an aggregate of 7,187,500 founder shares. On October 5, 2020, the underwriters’ over-allotment option expired unexercised, and, as a result 937,500 founder shares were forfeited resulting in an aggregate of 6,250,000 founder shares outstanding.

 

The Sponsor has agreed, subject to certain limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of its founder shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of a business combination or (B) subsequent to a business combination, (x) if the last sale price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after a business combination, or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.

 

Related Party Loans

 

On June 26, 2019, as amended on July 2, 2020, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of up to $300,000 to cover expenses related to our initial public offering pursuant to a promissory note (the “Promissory Note”). The Promissory Note was non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of December 31, 2020 or the completion of our initial public offering. The outstanding balance under the Promissory Note of $40,000 was repaid at the closing of our initial public offering on August 21, 2020.

 

55

 

 

In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with a business combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). If we complete a business combination, we would repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that a business combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the trust account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds held in the trust account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such Working Capital Loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. The Working Capital Loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1,200,000 of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into units of the post business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit. The units would be identical to the private placement units. As of December 31, 2020, no Working Capital Loans were outstanding.

 

Administrative Services Agreement

 

We entered into an agreement, commencing on August 19, 2020, to pay an affiliate of the Sponsor a total of $25,000 per month for 24 months for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. Such payments will be accelerated if we consummates our initial business combination prior to the end of the 24-month term, or $600,000 in the aggregate. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company incurred and paid $125,000 in fees for these services.

  

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

 

The firm of WithumSmith+Brown, PC, or Withum, acts as our independent registered public accounting firm. The following is a summary of fees paid to Withum for services rendered.

 

Audit Fees. For the year ended December 31, 2020 and for the period from June 25, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019, fees for our independent registered public accounting firm were approximately $55,105 and $15,450, respectively, for the services Withum performed in connection with our initial public offering, review of the financial information included in our Forms 10-Q for the respective periods and the audit of our December 31, 2020 financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

Audit-Related Fees. For the year ended December 31, 2020 and for the period from June 25, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019, our independent registered public accounting firm did not render assurance and related services related to the performance of the audit or review of financial statements.

 

Tax Fees. For the year ended December 31, 2020 we paid our independent registered public accounting firm $3,348 for tax compliance services. For the period from June 25, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019, our independent registered public accounting firm did not render services to us for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning.

 

All Other Fees. For the year ended December 31, 2020 and for the period from June 25, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019, there were no fees billed for products and services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm other than those set forth above.

 

Pre-Approval Policy

 

Our audit committee was formed upon the consummation of our initial public offering. As a result, the audit committee did not pre-approve all of the foregoing services, although any services rendered prior to the formation of our audit committee were approved by our board of directors. Since the formation of our audit committee, and on a going-forward basis, the audit committee has and will pre-approve all auditing services and permitted non-audit services to be performed for us by our auditors, including the fees and terms thereof (subject to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in the Exchange Act which are approved by the audit committee prior to the completion of the audit).

 

56

 

 

PART IV

 

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.

 

  (a) The following documents are filed as part of this Form 10-K:

 

  (1) Financial Statements:

 

    Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm   F-2
Consolidated Balance Sheets   F-3
Consolidated Statements of Operations   F-4
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity   F-5
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows   F-6
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements   F-7

 

  (2) Financial Statement Schedules:

 

None.

 

  (3) Exhibits

 

We hereby file as part of this Report the exhibits listed in the attached Exhibit Index. Exhibits which are incorporated herein by reference can be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of such material can also be obtained from the Public Reference Section of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates or on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.

 

57

 

 

Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit Number

 

Description

1.1   Underwriting Agreement, dated August 18, 2020, by and among the Company and Jefferies LLC, as representative of the several underwriters (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 21, 2020).
2.1†   Agreement and Plan or Merger, dated as of December 10, 2020, by and among Forum Merger III Corporation, ELMS Merger Corp., Electric Last Mile, Inc. and Jason Luo, in the capacity as the initial stockholder representative thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 11, 2020).
3.1   Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 21, 2020).
3.2   Bylaws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.4 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-240171), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 7, 2020).
4.1   Specimen Unit Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-240171), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 14, 2020).
4.2   Specimen Class A Common Stock Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-240171), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 7, 2020).
4.3   Specimen Warrant Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-240171), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 7, 2020).
4.4   Warrant Agreement, dated August 18, 2020, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 21, 2020).
4.5   Description of Securities.
10.1   Letter Agreement, dated August 18, 2020, by and among the Company, its executive officers, its directors and Forum Investors III LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 21, 2020).
10.2   Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated August 18, 2020, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 21, 2020).
10.3   Registration Rights Agreement, dated July 16, 2020, by and among the Company, Forum Investors III LLC and the other holders party thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 21, 2020).
10.4   Unit Subscription Agreement, dated August 18, 2020, by and among the Company and Forum Investors III LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 21, 2020).
10.5   Unit Subscription Agreement, dated August 18, 2020, by and among the Company and Jefferies LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 21, 2020).
10.6   Administrative Services Agreement, dated August 18, 2020, by and between the Company and Forum Capital Management III LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 21, 2020)
10.7   Amended and Restated Promissory Note, dated July 2, 2020, issued to Forum Investors III LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-240171), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 7, 2020).

 

58

 

 

Exhibit Number

 

Description

10.8   Securities Subscription Agreement, dated June 26, 2019, between the Registrant and Forum Investors III LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-240171), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 7, 2020).
10.9   Form of Indemnity Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-240171), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 7, 2020).
10.10   Form of Subscription Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 11, 2020).
10.11   Form of Convertible Promissory Note of Electric Last Mile, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 11, 2020).
10.12   Form of Restrictive Covenant Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 11, 2020).
10.13   Sponsor Support Agreement, dated as of December 10, 2020, by and among Forum Merger III Corporation, Electric Last Mile, Inc., Forum Investors III LLC, Marshall Kiev and David Boris (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 11, 2020).
10.14   Form of Stockholder Support Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39457), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 11, 2020).
14   Code of Ethics (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 14 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-240171), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 7, 2020).
24   Power of Attorney (included on signature page of this report).
31.1   Certification of the Chief Executive Officer required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a).
31.2   Certification of the Chief Financial Officer required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a).
32.1   Certification of the Chief Executive Officer required by Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) and 18 U.S.C. 1350.
32.2   Certification of the Chief Financial Officer required by Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) and 18 U.S.C. 1350.
101.INS   XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

 

 

Certain of the exhibits and schedules to this Exhibit have been omitted in accordance with Regulation S-K Item 601(a)(5). The Registrant agrees to furnish a copy of all omitted exhibits and schedules to the SEC upon its request; provided, however, that Forum may request confidential treatment pursuant to Rule 24b-2 of the Exchange Act, as amended, for any schedule or exhibit so furnished.

 

59

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

Date: May 6, 2021 FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
   
  By: /s/ David Boris
    Name: David Boris
    Title: Co-Chief Executive Officer
    Chief Financial Officer and Director

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Marshall Kiev and David Boris, and each or any one of them, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or his or her substitutes or substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

/s/ Marshall Kiev   Co-Chief Executive Officer, President and Director   May 6, 2021
Marshall Kiev   (principal executive officer)    
         

/s/ David Boris

  Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and Director   May 6, 2021
David Boris   (principal financial and accounting officer)    
         

/s/ Neil Goldberg

  Director   May 6, 2021
Neil Goldberg        
         

/s/ Richard Katzman

  Director   May 6, 2021
Richard Katzman        
         

/s/ Steven Berns

  Director   May 6, 2021
Steven Berns        
         

/s/ Jeffrey Nachbor

  Director   May 6, 2021
Jeffery Nachbor        

 

60

 

  

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION

 

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm   F-2
Financial Statements (As Restated):    
Consolidated Balance Sheets   F-3
Consolidated Statements of Operations   F-4
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity   F-5
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows   F-6
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements   F-7 to F-21

  

F-1

 

  

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of

Forum Merger III Corporation

 

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Forum Merger III Corporation (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2020 and for the period from June 25, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2020 and for the period from June 25, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2019, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Restatement of Consolidated Financial Statements

 

As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued a public statement entitled Staff Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants Issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”) (the “Public Statement”) on April 12, 2021, which discusses the accounting for certain warrants as liabilities. The Company previously accounted for its warrants as equity instruments. Management evaluated its warrants against the Public Statement, and determined that the warrants should be accounted for as liabilities. Accordingly, the 2020 consolidated financial statements have been restated to correct the accounting and related disclosure for the warrants.

 

Going Concern

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company’s business plan is dependent on the completion of a business combination and the Company’s cash and working capital as of December 31, 2020 are not sufficient to complete its planned activities. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's consolidated 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 consolidated 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 consolidated 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 consolidated 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 consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC

 

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2019.

 

New York, New York

May 6, 2021

F-2

 

 

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

    December 31  
   

2020

   

2019

 
  (As Restated)        
ASSETS            
Current assets                
Cash   $ 1,555,497     $ 19,810  
Prepaid expenses     157,486        
Total Current Assets     1,712,983       19,810  
                 
Deferred offering costs           62,726  
Cash and marketable securities held in Trust Account     250,066,590        
TOTAL ASSETS   $ 251,779,573     $ 82,536  
                 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                
Current liabilities                
Accrued expenses   $ 3,329,929     $ 1,966  
Accrued offering costs           57,726  
Total Current Liabilities     3,329,929       59,692  
                 
Deferred underwriting fee payable     8,750,000        
Warrant liabilities     29,859,848          
TOTAL LIABILITIES     41,939,777       59,692  
                 
Commitments and Contingencies                
                 
Class A common stock subject to possible redemption, 20,483,979 and none shares at redemption value as of December 31, 2020     204,839,790        
                 
Stockholders’ Equity                
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding            
Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 5,257,271 and none issued and outstanding (excluding 20,483,979 and none shares subject to possible redemption) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively     526        
Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 6,250,000 and 7,187,500 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively (1)     625       719  
Additional paid-in capital     34,362,236       24,281  
Accumulated deficit     (29,363,381 )     (2,156 )
Total Stockholders’ Equity     5,000,006       22,844  
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity   $ 251,779,573     $ 82,536  

 

 

(1) At December 31, 2019, the shares issued and outstanding includes 937,500 shares of Class B common stock forfeited on October 5, 2020 as a result of the expiration of the underwriter’s option to exercise their over-allotment (see Note 6).

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-3

 

 

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

   

Year Ended

December 31,

   

For the Period from

June 25, 2019 (Inception) Through

 
   

2020
(As Restated)

    December 31,
2019 
 
Formation and operational costs   $ 3,617,022     $ 2,156  
Loss from operations     (3,617,022 )     (2,156 )
                 
Other income (expense):                
Loss on warrant liabilities     (25,574,581 )        
Transaction costs     (236,212 )        
Interest earned on marketable securities held in Trust Account     66,590        
Other expense, net     (25,744,203 )      
                 
Net loss   $ (29,361,225 )   $ (2,156 )
                 
Weighted average shares outstanding of Class A redeemable common stock     25,000,000        
Basic and diluted net income per share, Class A   $ 0.00     $ 0.00  
                 
Weighted average shares outstanding of Class A and Class B non-redeemable common stock (1)     6,518,068       6,250,000  
Basic and diluted net loss per share, Class A and Class B non-redeemable common stock   $ (4.50 )   $ (0.00 )

 

 

(1) At December 31, 2019, the weighted average shares outstanding excludes up to 937,500 shares of Class B common stock forfeited on October 5, 2020 as a result of the expiration of the underwriter’s option to exercise their over-allotment (see Note 6).

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-4

 

 

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

    Class A
Common Stock
    Class B
Common Stock
    Additional
Paid-in
   

Stock
Subscription Receivable

from

    Accumulated     Total
Stockholders’
 
    Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount     Capital     Stockholder     Deficit     Equity  
Balance – June 25, 2019         $           $     $      $     $     $  
                                                                 
Issuance of Class B common stock to Sponsor (1)                 7,187,500       719       24,281       (25,000 )            
                                                                 
Collection of stock subscription receivable from stockholder                                   25,000             25,000  
                                                                 
Net loss                                         (2,156 )     (2,156 )
Balance – December 31, 2019                 7,187,500       719       24,281             (2,156 )     22,844  
                                                                 
Sale of 25,000,000 Units, net of underwriting discounts and public warrant liabilities     25,000,000       2,500                   231,881,777                   231,884,277  
                                                                 
Sale of 741,250 Private Placement Units, net of private placement warrant liabilities     741,250       74                   7,293,826                   7,293,900  
                                                                 
Forfeiture of Founder Shares                 (937,500 )     (94 )     94                    
                                                                 
Class A common stock subject to possible redemption     (20,483,979 )     (2,048 )                 (204,837,742 )                 (204,839,790 )
                                                                 
Net loss                                         (29,361,225 )     (29,361,225 )
Balance – December 31, 2020 (As Restated)     5,257,271     $ 526       6,250,000     $ 625     $ 34,362,236     $     $ (29,363,381 )   $ 5,000,006  

 

 

(1) Includes 937,500 shares of Class B common stock forfeited on October 5, 2020 as a result of the expiration of the underwriter’s option to exercise their over-allotment (see Note 6).

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-5

 

 

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 

   

Year Ended

December 31,

    For the
Period from
June 25,
2019
(Inception)
Through
 
   

2020

(As Restated)

    December 31, 2019  
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:                
Net loss   $ (29,361,225 )   $ (2,156 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:                
Loss on warrant liabilities     25,574,581        
Transaction costs     236,212        
Interest earned on marketable securities held in Trust Account     (66,590 )      
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:                
Prepaid expenses     (157,486 )      
Accrued expenses     3,327,963       1,966  
Net cash used in operating activities     (446,545 )     (190 )
                 
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:                
Investment of cash into Trust Account     (250,000,000 )      
Net cash used in investing activities     (250,000,000 )      
                 
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:                
Proceeds from issuance of Class B common stock to Sponsor           25,000  
Proceeds from sale of Units, net of underwriting discounts paid     245,000,000        
Proceeds from sale of Private Placement Units     7,412,500        
Proceeds from promissory note – related party     40,000        
Repayment of promissory note – related party     (40,000 )      
Payment of offering costs     (430,268 )     (5,000 )
Net cash provided by financing activities     251,982,232       20,000  
                 
Net Change in Cash     1,535,687       19,810  
Cash – Beginning of period     19,810        
Cash – End of period   $ 1,555,497     $ 19,810  
                 
Non-cash investing and financing activities:                
Offering costs included in accrued offering costs   $     $ 57,726  
Initial classification of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption   $ 233,964,093     $  
Change in value of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption   $ (29,124,303 )   $  
Deferred underwriting fee payable   $ 8,750,000          
Initial classification of warrant liabilities   $ 4,285,267     $  

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-6

 

 

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

 

NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS

 

Forum Merger III Corporation (the “Company”) was incorporated in Delaware on June 25, 2019. The Company was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”). The Company is not limited to a particular industry or sector for purposes of consummating a Business Combination.

 

The Company has one subsidiary, ELMS Merger Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company incorporated in Delaware on December 3, 2020 (“Merger Sub”).

 

As of December 31, 2020, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity through December 31, 2020 relates to the Company’s formation, its initial public offering (“Initial Public Offering”), which is described below, identifying a target company for a Business Combination, and activities in connection with the proposed acquisition of Electric Last Mile, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ELMI”). The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company generates non-operating income in the form of interest income from the proceeds derived from the Initial Public Offering.

 

The registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on August 18, 2020. On August 21, 2020 the Company consummated the Initial Public Offering of 25,000,000 units (the “Units” and, with respect to the shares of Class A common stock included in the Units sold, the “Public Shares”), at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $250,000,000 which is described in Note 4.

 

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of an aggregate of 741,250 units (the “Private Placement Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit in a private placement to Forum Investors III LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), and the underwriters of the Initial Public Offering, generating gross proceeds of $7,412,500, which is described in Note 5.

 

Transaction costs amounted to $14,185,268, consisting of $5,000,000 of underwriting fees, $8,750,000 of deferred underwriting fee and $435,268 of other offering costs.

 

Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering on August 21, 2020, an amount of $250,000,000 ($10.00 per Unit) from the net proceeds of the sale of the Units in the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Units was placed in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) located in the United States and invested only in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), with a maturity of 185 days or less or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund selected by the Company meeting the conditions of paragraphs (d)(2), (d)(3) and (d)(4) of Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account, as described below.

 

The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a Business Combination successfully. The Company must complete one or more Business Combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the Company’s signing a definitive agreement in connection with its initial Business Combination. The Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

  

F-7

 

  

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

 

The Company will provide its holders of the outstanding Public Shares (the “public stockholders”) with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek stockholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The public stockholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares, subject to the limitations described below. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of a Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants.

 

The Company will proceed with a Business Combination if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation of a Business Combination and, if the Company seeks stockholder approval, a majority of the shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination. If a stockholder vote is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements and the Company does not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, the Company will, pursuant to its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation”), conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements, or the Company decides to obtain stockholder approval for business or legal reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If the Company seeks stockholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the Company’s Sponsor has agreed to vote its Founder Shares (as defined below in Note 6), its Private Placement Shares (as defined in Note 5) and any Public Shares acquired by it during or after the Initial Public Offering in favor of approving a Business Combination. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

 

If the Company seeks stockholder approval of a Business Combination and it does not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% or more of the Public Shares, without the prior consent of the Company.

 

The Sponsor has agreed (a) to waive its redemption rights with respect to its Founder Shares, Private Placement Shares and Public Shares held by it in connection with the completion of a Business Combination and (b) not to propose an amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (i) 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 or (ii) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity, unless the Company provides the public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares in conjunction with any such amendment.

 

If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination by August 21, 2022 (the “Combination Period”), the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account including interest not previously released to the Company to pay its franchise and income taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining stockholders and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to the Company’s warrants, which will expire worthless if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. 

 

The Sponsor has agreed to waive its liquidation rights with respect to the Founder Shares and Private Placement Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. However, if the Sponsor acquires Public Shares in or after the Initial Public Offering, such Public Shares will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission (see Note 7) held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within in the Combination Period and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the other funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the assets remaining available for distribution will be less than the Initial Public Offering price per Unit ($10.00).

 

F-8

 

  

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

  

In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Sponsor has agreed to be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per Public Share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per Public Share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable. This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the Trust Account nor will it apply to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of the Initial Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (except the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm), 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.

 

Liquidity and Going Concern

 

As of December 31, 2020, the Company had approximately $1.6 million in cash in its operating bank accounts, and a working capital deficit of approximately $1.6 million.

 

In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Financial Accounting Standard Board’s Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern,” the Company has determined that the liquidity condition raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The Company will need to raise additional capital through loans or additional investments from its Sponsor, stockholders, officers, directors, or third parties. The Company’s officers, directors and Sponsor may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion, to meet the Company’s working capital needs. Accordingly, the Company may not be able to obtain additional financing. If the Company is unable to raise additional capital, it may be required to take additional measures to conserve liquidity, which could include, but not necessarily be limited to, curtailing operations, suspending the pursuit of a potential transaction, and reducing overhead expenses. The Company cannot provide any assurance that new financing will be available to it on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern through one year from the date of these financial statements if a Business Combination is not consummated. These financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recovery of the recorded assets or the classification of the liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

 

NOTE 2. RESTATEMENT OF PREVIOUSLY ISSUED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Company previously accounted for its outstanding Public Warrants (as defined in Note 4) and Private Placement Warrants (collectively, with the Public Warrants, the “Warrants”) issued in connection with its Initial Public Offering as components of equity instead of as derivative liabilities. The warrant agreement governing the Warrants includes a provision that provides for potential changes to the settlement amounts dependent upon the characteristics of the holder of the warrant. In addition, the warrant agreement includes a provision that in the event of a tender or exchange offer made to and accepted by holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of a single class of common shares, all holders of the Warrants would be entitled to receive cash for their Warrants (the “tender offer provision”).

 

On April 12, 2021, the Acting Director of the Division of Corporation Finance and Acting Chief Accountant of the Securities and Exchange Commission together issued a statement regarding the accounting and reporting considerations for warrants issued by special purpose acquisition companies entitled “Staff Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants Issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”)” (the “SEC Statement”). Specifically, the SEC Statement focused on certain settlement terms and provisions related to certain tender offers following a business combination, which terms are similar to those contained in the warrant agreement.

 

In further consideration of the SEC Statement, the Company’s management further evaluated the Warrants under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Subtopic 815-40, Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity.  ASC Section 815-40-15 addresses equity versus liability treatment and classification of equity-linked financial instruments, including warrants, and states that a warrant may be classified as a component of equity only if, among other things, the warrant is indexed to the issuer’s common stock.  Under ASC Section 815-40-15, a warrant is not indexed to the issuer’s common stock if the terms of the warrant require an adjustment to the exercise price upon a specified event and that event is not an input to the fair value of the warrant.  Based on management’s evaluation, the Company’s audit committee, in consultation with management and after discussion with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, concluded that the Company’s Private Placement Warrants are not indexed to the Company’s common shares in the manner contemplated by ASC Section 815-40-15 because the holder of the instrument is not an input into the pricing of a fixed-for-fixed option on equity shares. In addition, based on management’s evaluation, the Company’s audit committee, in consultation with management and after discussion with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, concluded the tender offer provision included in the warrant agreement fails the “classified in stockholders’ equity” criteria as contemplated by ASC Section 815-40-25.

 

As a result of the above, the Company should have classified the Warrants as derivative liabilities in its previously issued financial statements. Under this accounting treatment, the Company is required to measure the fair value of the Warrants at the end of each reporting period and recognize changes in the fair value from the prior period in the Company’s operating results for the current period.

 

F-9

 

 

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

 

The Company’s accounting for the warrants as components of equity instead of as derivative liabilities did not have any effect on the Company’s previously reported investments held in the Trust Account, operating expenses, operating cash flows or cash.

 

    As              
    Previously           As  
    Reported     Adjustments     Restated  
Balance sheet as of August 21, 2020 (audited)                  
Total Liabilities   $ 9,331,198     $ 4,285,267     $ 13,616,465  
Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption     238,249,360       (4,285,267 )     233,964,093  
Class A Common Stock     192       42       234  
Additional Paid-in Capital     5,001,961       236,170       5,238,131  
Accumulated Deficit     (2,863 )     (236,212 )     (239,075 )
Total Stockholders’ Equity     5,000,009             5,000,009  
                         
Number of Class A common shares subject to redemption     23,824,936       (428,527 )     23,396,409  
                         
Balance sheet as of September 30, 2020 (unaudited)                        
Total Liabilities   $ 8,882,065     $ 15,876,240     $ 24,758,305  
Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption     238,146,960       (15,876,240 )     222,270,720  
Class A Common Stock     193       129       322  
Additional Paid-in Capital     5,104,360       11,827,027       16,931,387  
Accumulated Deficit     (105,271 )     (11,827,185 )     (11,932,456 )
Total Stockholders’ Equity     5,000,001             5,000,001  
                         
Number of Class A common shares subject to redemption     23,814,696       (1,587,624 )     22,227,072  
                         
Balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 (audited)                        
Total Liabilities   $ 12,079,929     $ 29,859,848     $ 419,933,777  
Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption     234,699,640       (29,859,850 )     204,839,790  
Class A Common Stock     227       299       526  
Additional Paid-in Capital     8,551,740       25,810,496       34,362,236  
Accumulated Deficit     (3,552,588 )     (25,810,793 )     (29,363,381 )
Total Stockholders’ Equity     5,000,004       2       5,000,006  
                         
Number of Class A common shares subject to redemption     23,469,964       (2,985,985 )     20,483,979  
                         
Statement of Operations for the three months ended September 30, 2020 (unaudited)                        
Net loss   $ (102,313 )   $ (11,827,185 )   $ (11,929,498 )
Weighted average shares outstanding, Common stock subject to possible redemption     25,000,000             25,000,000  
Basic and diluted net earnings per share, Common stock subject to possible redemption     0.00             0.00  
Weighted average shares outstanding of Common stock     6,575,824             6,575,824  
Basic and diluted net loss per share, Common stock     (0.02 )     (1.79 )     (1.81 )
                         
Statement of Operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 (unaudited)                        
Net loss   $ (103,115 )   $ (11,827,185 )   $ (11,930,300 )
Weighted average shares outstanding, Common stock subject to possible redemption     25,000,000             25,000,000  
Basic and diluted net earnings per share, Common stock subject to possible redemption     0.00             0.00  
Weighted average shares outstanding of Common stock     6,358,608             6,358,608  
Basic and diluted net loss per share, Common stock     (0.02 )     (1.86 )     (1.88 )
                         
Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 (audited)                        
Net loss   $ (3,550,432 )   $ (25,810,793 )   $ (29,361,225 )
Weighted average shares outstanding, Common stock subject to possible redemption     25,000,000             25,000,000  
Basic and diluted net earnings per share, Common stock subject to possible redemption     0.00             0.00  
Weighted average shares outstanding of Common stock     6,518,068             6,518,068  
Basic and diluted net loss per share, Common stock     (0.54 )     (3.96 )     (4.50 )
                         
Statement of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 (unaudited)                        
Net loss   $ (103,115 )   $ (11,827,185 )   $ (11,930,300 )
Loss on warrant liabilities           8,674,307       8,674,307  
Transaction costs           236,212       236,212  
Initial classification of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption     238,249,360       (4,285,267 )     233,964,093  
Change in value of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption     (102,400 )     (11,590,973 )     (11,693,373 )
                         
Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2020 (audited)                        
Net loss   $ (3,550,432 )   $ (25,810,793 )   $ (29,361,225 )
Loss on warrant liabilities           25,574,581       25,574,581  
Transaction costs           236,212       236,212  
Initial classification of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption     238,249,360       (4,285,267 )     233,964,093  
Change in value of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption     (102,400 )     (29,021,903 )     (29,124,303 )

  

F-10

 

 

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

 

NOTE 3. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements are presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.

 

Principles of Consolidation

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its majority owned subsidiary where the Company has the ability to exercise control. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Activities in relation to the noncontrolling interest are not considered to be significant and are, therefore, not presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

 

Emerging Growth Company

 

The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

 

Further, 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 consolidated 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 consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.

 

Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.

 

F-11

 

  

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

  

Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption

 

The Company accounts for its Class A common stock subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Class A common stock subject to mandatory redemption is classified as a liability instrument and is measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable common stock (including common stock that features redemption rights that is either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) is classified as temporary equity. At all other times, common stock is classified as stockholders’ equity. The Company’s common stock features certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of the Company’s control and subject to occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, at December 31, 2020, Class A common stock subject to possible redemption is presented as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ equity section of the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

 

Offering Costs

 

Offering costs consisted of legal, accounting, underwriting fees and other that were directly related to the Initial Public Offering. Offering costs were allocated on a relative fair value basis between stockholders’ equity and expense. The portion of offering costs allocated to the public warrants has been charged to expense. The portion of offering costs allocated to the public shares has been charged to stockholders’ equity. On December 31, 2020, offering costs totaled $14,185,268 (consisting of $5,000,000 of underwriting fees, $8,750,000 of deferred underwriting fees and $435,268 of other offering costs), of which $236,212 was charged to expense and $13,949,056 was charged to stockholders’ equity.

 

Warrant Liabilities

 

The Company accounts for the Warrants in accordance with the guidance contained in ASC 815-40 under which the Warrants do not meet the criteria for equity treatment and must be recorded as liabilities. Accordingly, the Company classifies the Warrants as liabilities at their fair value and adjust the Warrants to fair value at each reporting period. This liability is subject to re-measurement at each balance sheet date until exercised, and any change in fair value is recognized in our statement of operations. The Private Warrants and the Public Warrants for periods where no observable traded price was available are valued using a Monte Carlo simulation. For periods subsequent to the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units, the Public Warrant quoted market price was used as the fair value as of each relevant date.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under ASC 740, “Income Taxes.” Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that included the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

 

ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position. The Company is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception.

 

F-12

 

  

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

  

Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share

 

Net income (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. The Company has not considered the effect of warrants sold in the Initial Public Offering and private placement to purchase 8,580,416 shares of Class A common stock in the calculation of diluted income (loss) per share, since the exercise of the warrants are contingent upon the occurrence of future events and the inclusion of such warrants would be anti-dilutive.

 

The Company’s consolidated statements of operations includes a presentation of income (loss) per share for common shares subject to possible redemption in a manner similar to the two-class method of income (loss) per share. Net income per common share, basic and diluted, for Class A redeemable common stock is calculated by dividing the interest income earned on the Trust Account, by the weighted average number of Class A redeemable common stock outstanding since original issuance. Net loss per share, basic and diluted, for Class A and B non-redeemable common stock is calculated by dividing the net loss, adjusted for income attributable to Class A redeemable common stock by the weighted average number of Class A and B non-redeemable common stock outstanding for the period. Class A and B non-redeemable common stock includes the Founder Shares and Private Placement Shares as these shares do not have any redemption features and do not participate in the income earned on the Trust Account.

 

The following table reflects the calculation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per common share (in dollars, except per share amounts):

 

    Year Ended
December 31,
    For the
Period from
June 25,
2019
(Inception)
Through
December 31,
 
    2020     2019  
Redeemable Class A Common Stock                
Numerator: Earnings allocable to Redeemable Class A Common Stock                
Interest Income   $ 66,590     $  
Income Tax and Franchise Tax     (66,590 )      
Net Earnings   $     $  
Denominator: Weighted Average Redeemable Class A Common Stock                
Redeemable Class A Common Stock, Basic and Diluted     25,000,000        
Earnings/Basic and Diluted Redeemable Class A Common Stock   $ 0.00     $ 0.00  
                 
Non-Redeemable Class A and B Common Stock                
Numerator: Net Income minus Redeemable Net Earnings                
Net Loss   $ (29,361,225 )   $ (2,156 )
Net Earnings applicable to Redeemable Class A and B Common Stock            
Non-Redeemable Net Loss   $ (29,361,225 )   $ (2,156 )
Denominator: Weighted Average Non-Redeemable Class A and B Common Stock                
Class A and B Non-Redeemable Common Stock, Basic and Diluted (1)     6,518,068       6,250,000  
Loss/Basic and Diluted Non-Redeemable Class A and B Common Stock   $ (4.50 )   $ (0.00 )

 

Note: As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, basic and diluted shares are the same as there are no non-redeemable securities that are dilutive to the stockholders.

 

 

(1) The weighted average non-redeemable common stock for the year ended December 31, 2020, includes the effect of 741,250 Private Units, which were issued in conjunction with the initial public offering on August 21, 2020.

 

F-13

 

  

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

 

Concentration of Credit Risk

 

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of a cash account in a financial institution, which, at times, may exceed the Federal Depository Insurance Coverage of $250,000. The Company has not experienced losses on this account and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such account.

 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, primarily due to their short-term nature.

 

Recent Accounting Standards

 

Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

NOTE 4. INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING

 

Pursuant to the Initial Public Offering, the Company sold 25,000,000 Units, at a price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one share of Class A common stock and one-third of one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”). Each whole Public Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment (see Note 9).

 

NOTE 5. PRIVATE PLACEMENT

 

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Sponsor and the underwriters purchased an aggregate of 741,250 Private Placement Units at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $7,412,500. The Sponsor purchased 616,250 Private Placement Units and the underwriters purchased 125,000 Private Placement Units. Each Private Placement Unit consists of one share of Class A common stock (“Private Placement Share”) and one-third of one warrant (each, a “Private Placement Warrant”). Each Private Placement Warrant is exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Units were added to the proceeds from the Initial Public Offering held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Units held in the Trust Account will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law), and the Private Placement Units and all underlying securities will expire worthless (see Note 9).

 

NOTE 6. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Founder Shares

 

On June 26, 2019, the Sponsor purchased 5,750,000 shares of the Company’s Class B common stock (the “Founder Shares”) for an aggregate price of $25,000. On July 1, 2020, the Company effected a stock split of 1:1.25 with respect to the Class B common stock, resulting in the Sponsor holding an aggregate of 7,187,500 Founder Shares. All share and per share information has been retrospectively restated to reflect the stock split.

 

The Founder Shares included an aggregate of up to 937,500 shares of Class B common stock subject to forfeiture by the Sponsor to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment was not exercised in full or in part, so that the Sponsor would own, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Initial Public Offering (assuming the Sponsor does not purchase any Public Shares in the Initial Public Offering and excluding the Private Placement Shares). On October 5, 2020, the underwriters’ over-allotment option expired unexercised, resulting in the forfeiture of 937,500 shares. Accordingly, as of October 5, 2020, there are 6,250,000 Founder Shares issued and outstanding (see Note 8).

 

F-14

 

  

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

 

The Sponsor has agreed, subject to certain limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of its Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of a Business Combination or (B) subsequent to a Business Combination, (x) if the closing price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after a Business Combination, or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.

 

Due to Sponsor

 

The Sponsor advanced $562,500 to the Company in anticipation of the amount to be paid for the purchase of additional Private Placement Units in the event the underwriters’ exercise their over-allotment option. The advance is due on demand since the over-allotment option not be exercised by the underwriters. The Company repaid $593,855 of the advances. There is no a remaining balance as of December 31, 2020.

 

Administrative Support Agreement

 

The Company entered into an agreement, commencing on August 19, 2020, to pay an affiliate of the Sponsor a total of $25,000 per month for 24 months for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. Such payments will be accelerated if the Company consummates its initial Business Combination prior to the end of its 24-month term, or $600,000 in the aggregate. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company incurred and paid $125,000 in fees for these services.

 

Related Party Loans

 

On June 26, 2019, as amended on July 2, 2020, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of up to $300,000 to cover expenses related to the Initial Public Offering pursuant to a promissory note (the “Promissory Note”). The Promissory Note was non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of December 31, 2020 or the completion of the Initial Public Offering. The outstanding balance under the Promissory Note of $40,000 was repaid at the closing of the Initial Public Offering on August 21, 2020.

 

In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company would repay the Working Capital Loans. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such Working Capital Loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. The Working Capital Loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1,200,000 of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into units of the post Business Combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit. The units would be identical to the Private Placement Units. As of December 31, 2020, no Working Capital Loans were outstanding.

 

NOTE 7. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

Risks and Uncertainties

 

Management continues to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these financial statements. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

F-15

 

  

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

 

Registration Rights

 

Pursuant to a registration rights agreement entered into on August 18, 2020, the holders of the Founder Shares (including any shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of the Founder Shares), Private Placement Units, Private Placement Shares, Private Placement Warrants (and any shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants), and securities that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans are entitled to registration rights requiring the Company to register such securities for resale (in the case of the Founder Shares, only after conversion to Class A common stock). Certain holders of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities for sale under the Securities Act. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of a Business Combination and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the underwriters may not exercise their demand and “piggyback” registration rights after five and seven years after the effective date of the registration statement related to the Initial Public Offering and may not exercise their demand rights on more than one occasion. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

The Company granted the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of the Initial Public Offering to purchase up to 3,750,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the Initial Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions. On October 5, 2020, the underwriters’ over-allotment option expired unexercised.

 

The underwriters are entitled to a deferred fee of $0.35 per Unit, or $8,750,000 in the aggregate. The deferred fee will be forfeited by the underwriters solely in the event that the Company fails to complete a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.

 

Merger Agreement

 

On December 10, 2020, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Merger Sub, ELMI, and Jason Luo, in the capacity as the initial stockholder representative thereto, pursuant to which, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions set forth therein, Merger Sub will merge with and into ELMI (the “Merger”), with ELMI surviving the merger in accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the related ancillary agreements, the “Business Combination”). The Business Combination is subject to certain closing conditions, including the Carveout Transaction (as defined in the Merger Agreement). Prior to the Carveout Transaction, ELMI will have limited operations.

 

The aggregate consideration payable to the stockholders of ELMI at the closing of the Business Combination (the “Closing”) is $1,300,000,000, payable solely in shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”), valued at $10.00 per share, subject to the purchase price adjustments and deductions as set forth in the Merger Agreement less $292,000,000, the value of the 29,200,000 shares of Common Stock reserved for a new long-term equity incentive plan ($150,000,000 of which are restricted share units with vesting terms substantially similar to the Earnout Shares (as defined below)), less $2,500,000, the value of the Adjustment Escrow Stock (as defined below), and less $50,000,000, the value of the Earnout Shares (the “Closing Merger Consideration”).

 

In addition, an aggregate of 5,000,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Earnout Shares”) will be placed into escrow at Closing and will be payable to ELMI stockholders (the “ELMI Stockholders”) during the 36-month period following the Closing (the “Earnout Period”) as follows: (i) if the closing price of the Common Stock (the “Closing Price”) equals or exceeds $14.00 on any 20 trading days in any 30-consecutive-day trading period, then 2,500,000 Earnout Shares will be released from escrow to the ELMI Stockholders, and (ii) if the Closing Price equals or exceeds $16.00 on any 20 trading days in any 30-consecutive-day trading period, then the remaining 2,500,000 Earnout Shares will be released from escrow to the ELMI Stockholders. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, if a qualifying Change in Control (as defined in the Merger Agreement) occurs during the Earnout Period, all Earnout Shares not previously released will be released to the ELMI Stockholders. Any Earnout Shares not released prior to the expiration of the Earnout Period will be forfeited and cancelled.

 

The Company has agreed that, at the Closing, the Company will place 250,000 shares of Common Stock into an adjustment escrow account (the “Adjustment Escrow Stock”) to secure any downward post-closing purchase price adjustment. Following the date on which the Closing Merger Consideration is finally determined, all or a portion of those shares of Common Stock will either be released to the ELMI Stockholders or released to the Company in accordance with the adjustment mechanisms set forth in the Merger Agreement.

 

The Merger Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and covenants by the parties thereto and the closing is subject to certain conditions as further described in the Merger Agreement.

 

F-16

 

  

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

  

NOTE 8. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

Preferred Stock — The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. At December 31, 2020 and, 2019, there were no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding.

 

Class A Common Stock — The Company is authorized to issue 100,000,000 shares of Class A common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of Class A common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. At December 31, 2020, there were 5,257,271 shares of Class A common stock issued and outstanding, excluding 20,483,979 Class A common stock subject to possible redemption. At December 31, 2019 there were no shares of Class A common stock issued or outstanding.

 

Class B Common Stock — The Company is authorized to issue 10,000,000 shares of Class B common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of Class B common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. At December 31, 2020 and 2019, there were 6,250,000 and 7,187,500 shares of Class B common stock issued and outstanding, respectively.

 

Holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, except as required by law.

 

The shares of Class B common stock will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of the consummation of a Business Combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts offered in the Initial Public Offering and in connection with the closing of a Business Combination, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all shares of Class B common stock will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 25% of the sum of the total number of all shares of Class A common stock outstanding after such conversion (after giving effect to any redemptions of shares of Class A common stock by public stockholders and excluding the shares of Class A common stock underlying the Private Placement Units), including the total number of shares of Class A common stock issued, or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of a Business Combination, excluding any shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities or rights exercisable for or convertible into shares of Class A common stock issued, or to be issued, to any seller in a Business Combination or any private placement-equivalent units issued to the Sponsor, its affiliates or certain of the Company’s officers and directors upon conversion of Working Capital Loans made to the Company, provided that such conversion of the shares of Class B common stock will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.

 

NOTE 9: WARRANT LIABILITIES

 

Warrants — As of December 31, 2020, there were 8,580,416 warrants outstanding. Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole warrants will trade. The Public Warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) 12 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering and (b) 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination.

 

The Company will not be obligated to deliver any shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the issuance of the shares of Class A common underlying the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to the Company satisfying its obligations with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable and the Company will not be obligated to issue any shares of Class A common stock upon exercise of a warrant unless the Class A common stock issuable upon such warrant exercise has registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder.

 

F-17

 

  

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

  

The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of a Business Combination, it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement registering the issuance, under the Securities Act, of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of a Business Combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during the period when the Company will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise the warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. Notwithstanding the above, if the Class A common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its option, require holders of Public Warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event the Company so elects, the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but will use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.

 

Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00. Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants (except with respect to the Private Placement Warrants):

 

  in whole and not in part;
     
  at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
     
  upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder; and
     
  if, and only if, the closing price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and for certain issuances of Class A common stock and equity-linked securities as described below) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.

 

If and when the warrants become redeemable by the Company, it may exercise its redemption right even if the Company is unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

 

Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00. Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants:

 

  in whole and not in part;

   

  at $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that holders will be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of shares, based on the redemption date and the fair market value of the Class A common stock;

 

  if, and only if, the closing price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted per stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, reclassifications, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within the 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders; and
     
  if the closing price of the Class A common stock for any 20 trading days within the 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders is less than $18.00 per share (as adjusted per stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, reclassifications, recapitalizations and the like), the Private Placement Warrants must also be concurrently called for redemption on the same terms as the outstanding Public Warrants, as described above.

  

F-18

 

  

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

 

If the Company calls the Public Warrants for redemption for cash, management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise the Public Warrants to do so on a “cashless basis,” as described in the warrant agreement. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, except as described below, the warrants will not be adjusted for issuance of common stock at a price below its exercise price. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the warrants. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with the respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.

 

In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of a Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of Class A common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Company’s board of directors, and, in the case of any such issuance to the Sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any Founder Shares held by the Sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of a Business Combination on the date of the consummation of a Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day after the day on which the Company consummates a Business Combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $10.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.

 

The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants underlying the Units sold in the Initial Public Offering, except that the Private Placement Warrants and the shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or saleable until 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination, subject to certain limited exceptions, and will be entitled to certain registration rights (see Note 6). Additionally, the Private Placement Warrants will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, at the holder’s option, and be non-redeemable so long as they are held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees (except for a number of shares of Class A common stock as described above under Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00). If the Private Placement Warrants are held by someone other than the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company in all redemption scenarios and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the Public Warrants.

 

NOTE 10. INCOME TAX

 

The Company’s net deferred tax assets are as follows:

  

    December 31,  
    2020     2019  
Deferred tax asset            
Net operating loss carryforward   $ 2,293     $  
Organizational costs/Startup expenses     897,682       453  
Total deferred tax asset     899,975       453  
Valuation allowance     (899,975 )     (453 )
Deferred tax asset, net of allowance   $     $  

 

F-19

 

  

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

  

The income tax provision consists of the following:

 

    As of December 31,  
    2020     2019  
Federal            
Current   $     $  
Deferred     (745,591 )     (453 )
                 
State                
Current   $     $  
Deferred     (154,286 )      
Change in valuation allowance     899,975       453  
Income tax provision   $     $  

  

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company had $9,407 and none, respectively, of U.S. federal and state net operating loss carryovers available to offset future taxable income.

 

In assessing the realization of the deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion of all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which temporary differences representing net future deductible amounts become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. After consideration of all of the information available, management believes that significant uncertainty exists with respect to future realization of the deferred tax assets and has therefore established a full valuation allowance. For the year ended December 31, 2020 and for the period from June 25, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019, the change in the valuation allowance was $745,591 and $453, respectively.

 

A reconciliation of the federal income tax rate to the Company’s effective tax rate is as follows:

 

    For the year ended
December 31,
2020
    For the period from
June 25,
2019
through
December 31,
2019
 
Statutory federal income tax rate     21.0 %     21.0 %
State taxes, net of federal tax benefit     4.4 %     0.0 %
Change in fair value of warrant liability     (22.1 )%     -  
Transaction costs     (0.2 )%     -  
Change in valuation allowance     (3.1 )%     (21.0 )%
Income tax provision     0.0 %     0.0 %

 

The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction in various state and local jurisdictions and is subject to examination by the various taxing authorities.

  

NOTE 11. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

 

The fair value of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities reflects management’s estimate of amounts that the Company would have received in connection with the sale of the assets or paid in connection with the transfer of the liabilities in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In connection with measuring the fair value of its assets and liabilities, the Company seeks to maximize the use of observable inputs (market data obtained from independent sources) and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs (internal assumptions about how market participants would price assets and liabilities). The following fair value hierarchy is used to classify assets and liabilities based on the observable inputs and unobservable inputs used in order to value the assets and liabilities:

 

  Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. An active market for an asset or liability is a market in which transactions for the asset or liability occur with sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.
     
  Level 2: Observable inputs other than Level 1 inputs. Examples of Level 2 inputs include quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities and quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in markets that are not active.
     
  Level 3: Unobservable inputs based on our assessment of the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.

  

F-20

 

  

FORUM MERGER III CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2020

 

The Company classifies its U.S. Treasury and equivalent securities as held-to-maturity in accordance with ASC Topic 320 “Investments - Debt and Equity Securities.” Held-to-maturity securities are those securities which the Company has the ability and intent to hold until maturity. Held-to-maturity treasury securities are recorded at amortized cost on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and adjusted for the amortization or accretion of premiums or discounts.

 

At December 31, 2020, assets held in the Trust Account were comprised of $25 in cash and $250,066,565 in money market funds, which are invested in U.S. Treasury securities. Through the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company did not withdraw any interest income from the Trust Account.

 

The following table presents information about the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2020 and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation inputs the Company utilized to determine such fair value:

 

Description   Level  

December 31,

2020

 
Assets:          
Marketable securities held in Trust Account – U.S. Treasury Securities Money Market Fund   1   $ 250,066,565  
             
Liabilities:            
Warrant Liability – Public Warrants   1   $ 28,999,999  
Warrant Liability – Private Placement Warrants   3   $ 859,849  

 

The Warrants were accounted for as liabilities in accordance with ASC 815-40 and are presented within warrant liabilities the accompanying balance sheet. The warrant liabilities are measured at fair value at inception and on a recurring basis, with changes in fair value presented within change in fair value of warrant liabilities in the consolidated statement of operations.

 

The Warrants were valued as of August 21, 2020 using a Monte Carlo simulation, which is considered to be a Level 3 fair value measurement. The Monte Carlo simulation’s primary unobservable input utilized in determining the fair value of the Warrants discount for lack of marketability and the probability of consummation of the Business Combination. The discount for lack of marketability was determined using an average between the Finnerty and Chaffee Models at 4.5%. The probability assigned to the consummation of the Business Combination was 70% which was determined based on management’s expectations based on the current market conditions and observed historical success rates of business combinations for special purpose acquisition companies. The expected volatility as of the Initial Public Offering date was derived from observable public warrant pricing on comparable ‘blank-check’ companies without an identified target. The subsequent measurements of the Public Warrants after the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units is classified as Level 1 due to the use of an observable market quote in an active market under the ticker FIIIW.

 

The following table presents the changes in the fair value of warrant liabilities:

 

    Private
Placement
    Public     Warrant
Liabilities
 
Initial measurement on August 21, 2020   $ 118,600     $ 4,166,667     $ 4,285,267  
Change in valuation inputs or other assumptions (1)     741,249       24,833,332       25,574,581  
Fair value as of December 31, 2020   $ 859,849     $ 28,999,999     $ 29,859,848  

 

(1) Due to the use of quoted prices in an active market (Level 1) to measure the fair value of the Public Warrants, subsequent to initial measurement, the Company had transfers out of Level 3 totaling $24,833,332 during the period from August 21, 2020 through December 31, 2020.

 

NOTE 12. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

 

The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the consolidated balance sheet date up to the date that the consolidated financial statements were issued. Based upon this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events other than in Note 2 that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-21 

 

Exhibit 31.1

 

Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a)

as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

 

I, Marshall Kiev, certify that:

 

  1. I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2020 of Forum Merger III Corporation;

 

  2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

  3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

  4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

a. Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

  b. [Paragraph intentionally omitted in accordance with SEC Release Nos. 34-47986 and 34-54942];

 

  c. Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

  d. Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

  5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

  a. All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

  b. Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date: May 6, 2021 /s/ Marshall Kiev
  Marshall Kiev
  Co-Chief Executive Officer
  (Principal Executive Officer)

 

Exhibit 31.2

 

Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a)

as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

 

I, David Boris, certify that:

 

  1. I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2020 of Forum Merger III Corporation;

 

  2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

  3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

  4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

  a. Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

  b. [Paragraph intentionally omitted in accordance with SEC Release Nos. 34-47986 and 34-54942];

 

  c. Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

  d. Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

  5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

  a. All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

  b. Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date: May 6, 2021 /s/ David Boris
  David Boris
  Chief Financial Officer
  (Principal Accounting and Financial Officer)

 

Exhibit 32.1

 

Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350

as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

 

Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, I, Marshall Kiev, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Forum Merger III Corporation (the “Company”), hereby certify, that, to my knowledge:

 

1. the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2020 (the “Report”) of the Company fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m(a) or 78o(d)); and

 

2. the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

Date: May 6, 2021 /s/ Marshall Kiev
  Marshall Kiev
  Co-Chief Executive Officer
  (Principal Executive Officer)

 

Exhibit 32.2

 

Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350

as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

 

Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, I, David Boris, Chief Financial and Accounting Officer of Forum Merger III Corporation (the “Company”), hereby certify, that, to my knowledge:

 

1. the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2020 (the “Report”) of the Company fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m(a) or 78o(d)); and

 

2. the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

Date: May 6, 2021 /s/ David Boris
  David Boris
  Chief Financial Officer
  (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)