UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(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, 2021
☐ 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: 001-40137
FINTECH EVOLUTION ACQUISITION GROUP
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its
charter)
Cayman | | N/A |
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization) | | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
1345 Avenue of the Americas, 11th Floor New York, NY | | 10105 |
(Address of principal executive offices) | | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including
area code: (650) 739-6741
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 Ordinary Share and one-third of one redeemable warrant | | FTEV.U | | The New York Stock Exchange |
Class A Ordinary Shares, par value $0.0001 | | FTEV | | The New York Stock Exchange |
Redeemable Warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of one Class A Ordinary Share for $11.50 per share | | FTEV WS | | The New York Stock Exchange |
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 Exchange 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
(§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to
submit and post 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 definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer, “smaller reporting company” and “emerging
growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
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 aggregate market value of the Class A ordinary
shares outstanding, other than shares held by persons who may be deemed affiliates of the registrant, computed by reference to the closing
price for the Class A ordinary shares on June 30, 2021, as reported on the New York Stock Exchange
was $264,233,923.12.
As of March 31, 2022 there were 27,410,158
Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share and 6,852,539 of the Company’s Class B ordinary shares, par value
$0.0001 per share, of the registrant issued and outstanding.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Report (as defined below),
including, without limitation, statements under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations,” includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act (as defined
below) and Section 21E of the Exchange Act (as defined below). These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking
terminology, including the words “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,”
“plans,” “may,” “will,” “potential,” “projects,” “predicts,” “continue,”
or “should,” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. There can be no assurance that
actual results will not materially differ from expectations. Such statements include, but are not limited to, any statements relating
to our ability to consummate any acquisition or other business combination and any other statements that are not statements of current
or historical facts. These statements are based on management’s current expectations, but actual results may differ materially due
to various factors, including, but not limited to:
| ● | our
ability to complete our initial business combination; |
| ● | our
success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination; |
| ● | our
officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in
approving our initial business combination, as a result of which they would then receive expense reimbursements; |
| ● | our
potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination; |
| ● | the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number
of potential acquisition opportunities; |
| ● | our
pool of prospective target businesses; |
| ● | the
ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential acquisition 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; or |
| ● | our
financial performance. |
The forward-looking statements
contained in this Report are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects
on us. Future developments affecting us may not be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of
risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially
different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. 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.
Unless otherwise stated in
this Report, or the context otherwise requires, references to:
| ● | “amended
and restated memorandum and articles of association” are to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to
be in effect upon completion of our initial public offering; |
| ● | “board
of directors” or “board” are to the board of directors of the Company; |
| ● | “Continental”
are to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, trustee of our trust account (as defined
below) and warrant agent of our public warrants (as defined below); |
| ● | “Companies
Act” are to the Companies Act (2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands as the same may be amended from time to time; |
| ● | “Class
A ordinary shares” are to the Class A ordinary shares of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share; |
| ● | “Class
B ordinary shares” are to the Class B ordinary shares of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share; |
| ● | “DWAC
System” are to the Depository Trust Company’s Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian System; |
| ● | “equity-linked
securities” are to any securities of our company which are convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, ordinary shares
of our company; |
| ● | “Exchange
Act” are to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; |
| ● | “FINRA”
are to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority; |
| ● | “founder
shares” are to our Class B ordinary shares initially purchased by our sponsor in a private placement prior to our initial public
offering and, unless the context otherwise requires, our Class A ordinary shares issued upon the conversion thereof as provided herein; |
| ● | “GAAP”
are to the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; |
| ● | “IFRS”
are to the International Financial Reporting Standards, as issued by the International Accounting
Standards Board; |
| ● | “initial
business combination” are to a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business
combination with one or more businesses; |
| ● | “initial
public offering” are to the initial public offering that was consummated by the Company on March 4, 2021; |
| ● | “initial
shareholders” are to the holders of our founder shares prior to our initial public offering; |
| ● | “Investment
Company Act” are to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; |
| ● | “JOBS
Act” are to the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012; |
| ● | “letter
agreement” refers to the letter agreement, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement; |
| ● | “management”
or our “management team” are to our officers and directors; |
| ● | “NYSE”
are to the New York Stock Exchange; |
| ● | “ordinary
shares” are to the Class A ordinary shares and the Class B ordinary shares; |
| ● | “PCAOB”
are to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States); |
| ● | “private
placement warrants” are to the warrants issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of our initial
public offering; |
| ● | “public
shareholders” are to the holders of our public shares; |
| ● | “public
shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares offered as part of the units in our initial public offering (whether they are subscribed
for in our initial public offering or thereafter in the open market); |
| ● | “public
warrants” are to the redeemable warrants sold as part of the units in our initial public offering (whether they are subscribed
for in our initial public offering or in the open market); |
| ● | “Registration
Statement” are to the Form S-1 filed with the SEC on February 11, 2021 (File No. 333-252969), as amended; |
| ● | “Report”
are to this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021; |
| ● | “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”
are to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; |
| ● | “SEC”
are to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; |
| ● | “Securities
Act” are to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; |
| ● | “sponsor”
are to Fintech Evolution Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company; |
| ● | “trust
account” are to the trust account in which the net proceeds of the sale of the units (as defined below) in the initial public offering
and private placement warrants were placed following the closing of the initial public offering. |
| ● | “units”
are to the units sold in our initial public offering, which consist of one public share and one-third of one public warrant; |
| ● | “warrants”
are to our redeemable warrants, which include the public warrants as well as the private placement warrants to the extent they are no
longer held by the initial purchasers of the private placement warrants or their permitted transferees; and |
| ● | “we,”
“us,” “Company” or “our Company” are to FinTech Evolution Acquisition Group, a Cayman Islands exempted
company. |
PART I
Item
1. Business.
We are a newly
incorporated Cayman Islands exempted company formed on December 15, 2020, structured as a blank check company incorporated for the
purpose of effecting an initial business combination. We currently do not have any specific business combination under
consideration. While we may pursue an initial
business combination in any sector, we intend to focus our efforts on Financial Technology and technology-enabled services
(“FinTech”) businesses that offer specific technology solutions, broader technology software, or services/products to
the Financial Services industry.
Initial Public Offering
On March 4, 2021, we consummated
our initial public offering of 24,000,000 units. Each unit consists of one Class A Ordinary Share, and one-third of one redeemable warrant
of the Company, with each warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share of for $11.50 per whole share. The
units were sold at a price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds to the Company of $240,000,000.
Simultaneously with the closing
of the initial public offering, we completed the private sale of an aggregate of 4,533,334 warrants to our sponsor at a purchase price
of $1.50 per private placement warrant, generating gross proceeds of $6,800,000.
On March 10, 2021, the underwriters
partially exercised their over-allotment option, resulting in an additional 3,410,158 Units issued for an aggregate amount of $34,101,580.
In connection with the underwriters’ partial exercise of their over-allotment option, the Company also consummated the sale of an
additional 454,688 Private Placement Warrants at $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant, generating total proceeds of $682,032.
Following the closing of the
Initial Public Offering on March 4, 2021, a total of $240,000,000, comprised of $235,200,000 of the proceeds from the initial public offering
and $4,800,000 of the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants was placed in the trust account maintained by Continental,
acting as trustee. Following the underwriters partial exercise of their over-allotment option on March 10, 2021, another $34,101,580 was
placed in the trust account for a total of $274,101,580.
It is the job of our sponsor
and management team to complete our initial business combination. Our management team is led by Rohit Bhagat, our Chief Executive Officer,
and Michael Latham, our Chief Operating Officer, who have many years of experience in identifying, investing/acquiring and operating leading
companies in the Financial Technology and Financial Services industry. We must complete our initial business combination by March 4, 2023,
24 months from the closing of our initial public offering. If our initial business combination is not consummated by March 4, 2023, then
our existence will terminate, and we will distribute all amounts in the trust account.
Our Approach and Differentiation
Our business strategy is to
identify and complete our initial business combination with a FinTech company that would benefit from our operating expertise, although
we may pursue opportunities in other industries and sectors. We believe that to be successful, a FinTech SPAC must:
| 1. | Focus on selected verticals and sub-sectors, but with
the ability to selectively cast a wider net |
| 2. | Establish a robust origination pipeline of attractive
targets, based on well-defined acquisition criteria |
| 3. | Be viewed as the “partner of choice” by
high quality management teams; be willing and able to add value post combination |
We have assembled our team and crafted our approach
keeping these design principles in mind.
| 1. | Vertical/sub-sector focus |
Our team has broad FinTech
and Financial Services domain expertise. We have particular depth in asset/wealth management and related technology, payments, brokerage
and capital markets, exchanges and market infrastructure, insurance, retail and commercial banking, and SMB finance. While these will
be our primary focus areas, because of the breadth of our experience and relationships, we can selectively stretch to include well-priced
opportunities in other sectors.
We have consciously chosen
the name FinTech Evolution. Although we may pursue a target in any industry, we are deeply convinced that innovative technology will be
a prime driver of change in Financial Services. Having directly managed and experienced the application of technology across a spectrum
of B2B and B2C FinTech businesses, we believe we are well positioned to assess the commercial potential of applying innovative technology
even to more traditional incumbent Financial Services businesses. And while predicting the success of innovative technology is inherently
difficult, we believe that its potential and our experience evaluating and commercializing innovative technology within Financial Services
will be a competitive advantage for us.
| 2. | Origination Approach and Acquisition Criteria |
Origination approach
Our origination pipeline leverages our extensive,
highly relevant, professional networks. These networks are based on:
| ➤ | Our current governance and operating responsibilities, investment
activity, and advisory roles with investment firms. |
| ➤ | Our relationships at companies we have previously been affiliated
with, including some of the world’s largest asset managers, commercial/retail banks, investment banks, wealth managers and other
financial institutions. |
| ➤ | Professional relationships stemming from both of the above that
have spread across the Financial Services and FinTech landscape. |
| ➤ | Extensive relationships with virtually all investment firms (PE
and VC) with significant activity in FinTech. |
| ➤ | Long-standing relationships with key advisors (for example, sector-focused
investment banks and law firms) active in FinTech. |
While our networks may provide
us access to selected proprietary deals, there is competition for most quality opportunities. Therefore, in addition to approaching specific
targets where we have a personal connection, we are working with our broader network to ensure widespread awareness of our team and proposition
in order to consistently be in a position to be the partner of choice for quality targets. We anticipate that other target business candidates
will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment market participants, private equity funds and
large business enterprises seeking to divest non-core assets or divisions.
Acquisition Criteria
Consistent with our business
strategy, we have identified specific criteria to evaluate prospective target businesses. We will use these criteria to assist us in evaluating
acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet
these criteria and guidelines. We expect that no individual criterion will entirely determine a decision to pursue a particular opportunity.
Our criteria include:
| ➤ | Enterprise value ranging from $500 million to $3 billion; we believe
businesses of this size typically have the right mix of growth potential and concept validation, and we have significant experience scaling
such businesses. |
| ➤ | Financial and operational readiness to be a publicly traded company |
| ○ | Financial metrics attractive
to the public markets, including a reasonable combination of revenue growth and existing profits; we will evaluate the trade-off between
these and other factors when evaluating target companies |
| ○ | Demonstrated, or clear path
to, public company operational readiness; including financial accounting/reporting and regulatory compliance |
| ➤ | Solid industry and business fundamentals |
| ○ | Business operates within a
sufficiently large addressable market to allow for long term growth opportunities |
| ○ | Growing customer adoption and
engagement suggesting that the company is solving at least one significant customer “pain point” well |
| ○ | “Good bones”: for
example, innovative technology, promising product development capability, or value enhancing customer acquisition cost model |
| ○ | Can benefit from being publicly
traded, and can utilize access to broader capital markets. |
| ○ | B2B businesses with predictable,
diversified revenue streams |
| ○ | B2C businesses with good unit
economics and profitability, or a path to profit that we can understand and scale |
| ➤ | A talented and ambitious management team, that: |
| ○ | Believes in the long-term potential
of their business |
| ○ | Will partner with us and benefit
from our strategic, operating and corporate development guidance |
| ○ | Are willing to retain substantial
ownership post-business combination |
| ○ | Have a strong culture with
high integrity |
| ➤ | Value-creation opportunities within our “line of sight” |
| ○ | Our management team has identified
significant growth or disruption potential; clear opportunities to invest capital to deliver growth |
| ○ | Interesting product development
pipeline or product extensions to add to growth potential |
| ○ | Well established brand within
at least one customer channel, with realistic opportunities to initiate profitable efforts in additional customer channels. |
| ○ | Some evidence of, or clear
ideas to create, a competitive moat for example through branding, partnerships or protectable intellectual property |
| ○ | Potential to create an improved
capital structure |
| ○ | Opportunities for an infusion
of management talent, |
| ○ | Implementation of better processes
and systems to scale the business |
By the same token, we have a set of “red
flags”, and these include:
| ➤ | Concentrated and/or volatile revenue models (e.g. spread-based
lending and crypto currency businesses) without requisite risk management experience and controls |
| ➤ | Pattern of executional snafus; inability to deliver customer experience
at scale; mixed customer reviews |
| ➤ | Unduly long road to profitability |
| ➤ | Unrealistic short-term valuation expectations; limited focus
on steadily creating long-term value |
| ➤ | Valuations based on overly speculative early stage technology
bets |
| ➤ | B2C businesses with reasonable engagement, but no credible moat
or path to monetization |
| ➤ | Insufficient attention to managing and pricing financial risk |
| ➤ | Highly regulated businesses, without the requisite understanding
and controls; pattern of regulatory compliance breaches |
| ➤ | Management team that has experienced high turnover or desires
to cash out |
To be clear, given our deep operating experience,
we are not daunted by executional challenges. It may well be that existing challenges also makes the valuation expectations more reasonable.
Therefore, we will evaluate if the presence of these “red flags” represents a well-priced value-creation opportunity, or a
situation where “the view will simply not be worth the climb”.
These criteria and guidelines
are not intended to be exhaustive, and we understand the need to be flexible in our evaluation. Any evaluation relating to the merits
of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general criteria and guidelines as well as
other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial
business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business
does not meet the above criteria and guidelines in our shareholder communications related to our initial business combination, which would
be in the form of proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents that we would file with the SEC.
To become the partner of choice
for management teams, we will first clearly present “who we are and our motivations”. While the factors in this category
may seem subjective, we believe that discerning investors and management teams will resonate strongly with them:
| ○ | We are business leaders with
extensive operating experience who are genuinely interested in building outstanding businesses; while we have significant transaction
experience, we are not solely deal makers. |
| ○ | We believe we are respected
across the industry for our integrity and our team members are known for being good to work with. |
| ○ | We have regulatory compliance
experience and no history of litigation. |
| ○ | We have known and/or worked
successfully with each other for decades; we are not a group that has been expediently brought together for this initiative. Based on
our belief in the opportunity, and our mutual trust and respect, we genuinely wish to work together again. Therefore, we are committed
to the success of the Company and are putting our reputations on the line, investing the necessary time, providing access to our networks
and each of us is investing personal capital in the at-risk pool. |
| ○ | We seek a collaborative partnership
with management and have no desire nor need for control. |
| ○ | We are focused on creating
long-term value. Consistent with this desire, we will align our economic incentives with investors and with management; in contrast to
many other blank check companies, we intend to play an active, value-added role in the post-combination company, and we have proactively
placed performance conditionality on our founder shares. |
To further support our claim
as the partner of choice, we highlight our willingness and ability to add value after the business combination. Our management team and
senior advisors have deep operating experience and a track record of driving growth/change and creating value in two distinct ways:
| ➤ | Through business leadership and control; examples include: |
| ○ | BGI: Starting with institutional
indexing, strategically diversified the business to add the iShares ETF business, quantitative active strategies, global macro fund and
securities lending capability. Scaled the business rapidly, growing revenues faster than AuM while expanding profit margins, culminating
in an industry landmark sale to BlackRock for over $13 billion |
| ○ | iShares: Launched the ETF business
within BGI to meet a strategic need to enter the wealth advisory channel. Developed a broad eco-system across broker/dealers, exchanges,
market makers, full-service broker wealth management businesses, independent registered investment advisors, bank private wealth management
divisions and wealth advisory platforms. Grew the business from start-up to a global business with over $1 trillion in AuM
and over $3 billion in revenue. |
| ○ | AssetMark: Restructured the
company to improve investment product, technology and “go to market” strategies. Sold the company in 2016 for over $700 million,
and subsequently navigated through a successful IPO in 2019 on the NYSE. |
| ○ | AON: Scaled the OCIO business
to become a leading global player with over $150 billion in AuM |
| ➤ | Through positions of influence as Non-executive Chairs, Independent
Directors, Nominee Directors and Investors/Advisors: examples include: |
| ○ | Axioma: Board Director role;
led the Board’s Independent Special Committee to negotiate the sale of Axioma to Deutsche Borse and General Atlantic for $850 million.
Axioma was combined with DB’s index business (DAX, STOXX, etc.) to create Qontigo, a leading provider of risk analytics, portfolio
management solutions, and indexes. |
| ○ | Financial Engines: Board Director
and subsequently Chair role; over a number of years helped grow assets to over $165 billion and revenue to over $480 million culminating
in a sale of the business for over $3 billion in 2018. Financial Engines was then combined with Edelman to create Edelman Financial Engines,
a leading independent provider of retirement financial advisory services. Financial Engines was widely recognized as the leading
innovator in providing systematic, low-cost investment solutions for the DC market since its founding in 1996. |
| ○ | Personal Capital: Board Chair
role; helped steer company from early stage to high growth, eventually sold for $1 billion |
| ○ | Wall Street on Demand: Board
Director role; helped steer the business through sale to Goldman Sachs and subsequent sale to MARKIT four years later |
| ○ | Mercer Advisors: Board Director
role; helped steer company through a successful sale in 2019 |
| ○ | Axis Bank: Chair of Nominating
Committee role; steered performance turnaround including selection of new CEO and infusion of several senior team members. Member of
Risk Management Committee; steered restructuring of corporate loan book. |
| ○ | Franklin Templeton ETF Trust:
Independent Trustee role; helped management grow the fund complex with the ultimate goal of improving the overall value proposition for
fund shareholders. |
| ○ | PhonePe: Board Chair role;
work closely with leadership team to strategically diversify and scale the business profitably |
| ○ | BCG: Co-head US Financial Services;
multiple successful consulting assignments with Financial Services and FinTech clients of varying sizes and complexity, helping drive
change and create value as a trusted advisor to management |
| ➤ | Our experience in driving influence-based change may be just as
relevant as our experience in leadership positions because, as is common for SPACs, we may not be in positions of control following the
business combination. While the primary levers in the SPAC context will be a close collaborative relationship with management and the
credibility to be invited to opine on all key decisions, we are very conversant with the relevant toolkit, including, but not limited
to: Non-executive and Executive Board Chair roles, Nomination and Compensation Committee Chair/membership, performance-based compensation
mechanisms and alignment of incentives, and minority investor syndicates. |
| ➤ | We have successfully navigated companies from the private to public
markets through IPOs, SPACs and M&A; we believe this will be very relevant for management teams daunted by the prospect of new and
more onerous reporting, accounting and regulatory compliance requirements. |
| ➤ | We have a field-tested operating experience |
| ○ | We will provide
strategic and executional guidance, help infuse new management talent, make relevant commercial introductions, facilitate M&A and
inorganic growth, and in general do what is needed to add value. For example, as CEOs and COOs who have overseen the technology function
within Financial Services businesses, we have a pragmatic understanding of where the pain points are, as well as the decision-making process
within enterprises. Therefore, we can help shape the value proposition and guide the enterprise sales process for the business combination. |
| ➤ | We blend our operating capability with significant transactional
experience |
| ○ | As business leaders (including
the sale of BGI to BlackRock, the sale of iShares to CVC Capital and the AssetMark IPO examples mentioned above) driving the transactions |
| ○ | As investors, advisors and
board members helping steer a large number of additional transactions, including M&A, IPOs, and numerous minority investments |
| ➤ | Our team members have directly driven significant business growth
and value creation for investors; we will do the same again now as we are not relying on hired professionals. Our management’s
primary focus is origination and business combination for this SPAC. Our additional professional commitments keep us plugged into the
FinTech ecosystem and are therefore complementary to these goals. |
| ➤ | We have longstanding relationships within the investment community
that can be leveraged to help raise additional capital for the business combination. |
Initial Business Combination
The NYSE rules require that
our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80%
of the net 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.
If our board of directors
is not independently able to determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent
investment banking firm that is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, or from an independent entity that
commonly renders valuation opinions, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. Our shareholders will not be provided with a copy
of such opinion nor will they be able to rely on such opinion. We do not currently intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated
industries in conjunction with our initial business combination, although there is no assurance that will be the case.
We anticipate structuring
our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire
100% of the issued and outstanding equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial
business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target
business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete
such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the issued and 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 of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction
company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to our initial business combination
may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the
business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange
for all of the issued and 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 shareholders immediately prior to our initial business
combination could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less
than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post transaction company,
the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test.
If our initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate
value of all of the target businesses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we are not then listed on the NYSE for whatever reason, we would
no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% of net assets test.
We have filed a Registration
Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. As a result, we are subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We
have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent
to the consummation of our initial business combination.
Our Acquisition Process
In evaluating a prospective
target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review that may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent
management and employees, document reviews, market surveys, consultant studies and inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial
and other information that will be made available to us. We will also utilize our management team and senior advisors operational and
capital allocation experience.
We are not prohibited from
pursuing an initial business combination with a business that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek
to complete our initial business combination with a business that is affiliated with our sponsor, 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.
Members of our management
team and our senior advisors will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private placement warrants following our initial public
offering and, accordingly, 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. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest
with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included
by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
We currently do not have any
specific business combination under consideration.
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, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law, is or will be required to present a business combination
opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that
is suitable for an entity to which they have then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, they will honor their fiduciary or contractual
obligations to present such opportunity to such entity and in the case of a non-compete restriction, may not present such opportunity
to us at all. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially
affect our ability to identify and pursue business combination opportunities or complete our business combination. Our amended and restated
memorandum and articles of association provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law: (i) no individual serving
as a director or an officer shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly
or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us; and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy
in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for
any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other.
Our officers and directors
may become an officer or director of another special purpose acquisition company with a class of securities registered under the Exchange
Act even before we enter a definitive agreement regarding our initial business combination.
Status as a public company
We believe our structure makes
us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative
to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination. In this situation, the owners of the target
business would exchange their equity interests, shares and/or shares of stock in the target business for our shares or for a combination
of our shares and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. Although there are various costs
and obligations associated with being a public company, we believe target businesses will find this method a more certain and cost effective
method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. In a typical initial public offering, there are additional
expenses incurred in marketing, road show and public reporting efforts that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a
business combination with us.
Furthermore, once a proposed
business combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always
subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent
the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital and an additional means
of providing management incentives consistent with shareholders’ interests. It can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s
profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
While we believe that our
structure and our management team and senior advisors backgrounds make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses
may have a negative view of us since we are a blank check company, without an operating history, and there is uncertainty relating to
our ability to obtain shareholder approval of our proposed initial business combination and retain sufficient funds in our trust account
in connection therewith.
We
are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier
of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering,
(b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated
filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th,
and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.
Financial position
With funds available for a
business combination in the amount of $525,017 (as of December 31, 2021), before fees and expenses
associated with our initial business combination, we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for
its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing
its debt ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination
of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid
to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third party financing and there can
be no assurance it will be available to us.
Effecting our initial business combination
We are not presently engaged
in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following our initial public offering. 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 warrants, our shares, debt or a combination of these as the consideration to be paid in our initial business combination. We
may, although we do not currently intend to, 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, start-up companies or companies with speculative business plans
or excess leverage, 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 ordinary shares, we may apply the balance
of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations
of the post-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.
We may seek to raise additional
funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, and
we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust
account.
In the case of an initial
business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing
the business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by law, we would seek shareholder approval of
such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business
combination. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional
funds through the sale of securities or otherwise.
Selection of a target business and structuring
of our initial business combination
The NYSE rules require that
our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at
least 80% of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable) at the time of our
signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. The fair market value of the target or targets will
be determined by our board of directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as discounted
cash flow valuation or value of comparable businesses. Our shareholders will be relying on the business judgment of our board of directors,
which will have significant discretion in choosing the standard used to establish the fair market value of the target or targets, and
different methods of valuation may vary greatly in outcome from one another. Such standards used will be disclosed in our tender offer
documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
If our board is not able to
independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment
banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or
an independent accounting firm, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in
unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. Subject to these requirements, our management will have virtually
unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we will not be permitted to
effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.
In any case, we will only
complete an initial business combination in which we own or acquire 50% or more of the issued and outstanding voting securities of the
target or otherwise acquire a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company
under the Investment Company Act. If we own or acquire less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses,
the portion of such business or businesses that are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company is what will be valued for purposes
of the 80% of net assets test. There is no basis for investors in our initial public offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks
of any target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination.
To the extent we effect our
initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth
we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks
inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.
In evaluating a prospective
target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review which will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent
management and employees, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information
which will be made available to us.
The time required to select
and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process,
are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of
a prospective target business with which 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.
Lack of business diversification
For an indefinite period of
time after the completion of our initial business combination, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance
of a single business. Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete business combinations with multiple entities in one or
several industries, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations and mitigate the risks of being in
a single line of business. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
| ➤ | subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments,
any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which we operate after our initial business combination;
and |
| ➤ | cause us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product
or limited number of products or services. |
Limited ability to evaluate the target’s
management team
Although we intend to closely
scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination
with that business, our assessment of the target business’s management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management
may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of
our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. While it is possible that one or more
of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our initial business combination, it is unlikely that any of
them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our initial business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that
members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
We cannot assure you that
any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether
any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
Following a business combination,
we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we
will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that such additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience
necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
Shareholders may not have the ability to approve
our initial business combination
We may conduct redemptions
without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC subject to the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum
and articles of association. However, we will seek shareholder approval if it is required by law or applicable stock exchange rule, or
we may decide to seek shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons.
Under the NYSE listing rules, shareholder approval
would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
| ➤ | we issue Class A ordinary shares that will be equal to or
in excess of 20% of the number of Class A ordinary shares then issued and outstanding; |
| ➤ | any of our directors, officers or substantial shareholders (as
defined by the NYSE rules) has a 5% or greater interest (or such persons collectively have a 10% or greater interest), directly or indirectly,
in the target business or assets to be acquired or otherwise and the present or potential issuance of ordinary shares could result in
an increase in issued and outstanding ordinary shares or voting power of 5% or more; or |
| ➤ | the issuance or potential issuance of ordinary shares will result
in our undergoing a change of control. |
Permitted purchases of our securities
In the event we seek shareholder
approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant
to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, or their respective affiliates may purchase shares 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 such persons may purchase. 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. In the event our sponsor, directors, officers, or their respective
affiliates determine to make any such purchases at the time of a shareholder vote relating to our initial business combination, such purchases
could have the effect of influencing the vote necessary to approve such transaction. None of the funds in the trust account will be used
to purchase shares in such transactions. They will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public
information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Such a purchase may
include a contractual acknowledgement that such shareholder, although still the record holder of our shares is no longer the beneficial
owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. Subsequent to the consummation of our initial public offering,
we will adopt an insider trading policy which will require insiders to: (i) refrain from purchasing shares during certain blackout
periods and when they are in possession of any material non-public information and (ii) to clear all trades with our legal counsel
prior to execution. We cannot currently determine whether our insiders will make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, as
it will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to, the timing and size of such purchases. Depending on such circumstances,
our insiders may either make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan or determine that such a plan is not necessary.
In the event that our sponsor,
directors, officers, or their respective affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who
have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections
to redeem their shares. 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.
The purpose of such purchases
would be to (i) vote such shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder
approval of the business combination or (ii) 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. This 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 ordinary shares may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities
may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities
exchange.
Our sponsor, directors, officers,
or their respective affiliates anticipate that they may identify the shareholders with whom our sponsor, directors, officers, or their
respective affiliates may pursue privately negotiated purchases by either the shareholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of
redemption requests submitted by shareholders following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination.
To the extent that our sponsor, directors, officers, or their respective affiliates enter into a private purchase, they would identify
and contact only potential selling shareholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust
account or vote against the business combination. Such persons would select the shareholders from whom to acquire shares based on the
number of shares available, the negotiated price per share and such other factors as any such person may deem relevant at the time of
purchase. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive
if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Our sponsor, directors, officers, or their respective
affiliates will only purchase shares if such purchases comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities
laws.
Any purchases by our sponsor,
directors, officers, or their respective affiliates who are affiliated purchasers under Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act will only
be made to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for
manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Rule 10b-18 has certain technical requirements that
must be complied with in order for the safe harbor to be available to the purchaser. Our sponsor, directors, officers, or their respective
affiliates will not make purchases of ordinary shares if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange
Act.
Redemption rights for public shareholders upon
completion of our initial business combination
We will provide our public
shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination
at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account 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 issued and outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account
is initially anticipated to be approximately $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly
redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. The redemption rights
will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. Our sponsor, officers
and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect
to their founder shares and any public shares they may hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
Manner of conducting redemptions
We will provide our public
shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial
business combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means
of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender
offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and
whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under the law or stock exchange listing requirement.
Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company and any
transactions where we issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum
and articles of association would require shareholder approval. If we structure a business combination transaction with a target company
in a manner that requires shareholder approval, we will not have discretion as to whether to seek a shareholder vote to approve the proposed
business combination. We currently intend to conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote unless shareholder approval is
not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement and we choose to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer
rules of the SEC for business or other legal reasons. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on the NYSE we will
be required to comply with the NYSE rules.
If shareholder approval of
the transaction is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or
other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:
| ➤ | conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation
pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules;
and |
| ➤ | file proxy materials with the SEC. |
We expect that a final proxy
statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least 10 days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a draft
proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if
we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Although we are not required to do so, we currently intend to comply
with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any shareholder vote even if we are not able to
maintain our NYSE listing or Exchange Act registration.
In the event that we seek
shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our
public shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon completion of the initial business combination.
If we seek shareholder approval,
we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being
the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. In such case, pursuant
to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees
will agree) to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after our initial public offering in favor
of our initial business combination. We expect that at the time of any shareholder vote relating to our initial business combination,
our initial shareholders and their respective permitted transferees will own at least 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares
entitled to vote thereon. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against
the proposed transaction. In addition, our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which
they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion
of a business combination.
If a shareholder vote is not
required and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated
memorandum and articles of association:
| ➤ | conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation
14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and |
| ➤ | file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our
initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination
and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
Upon the public announcement
of our initial business combination, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase
our Class A ordinary shares in the open market if we elect to redeem our public shares through a tender offer, to comply with Rule 14e-5
under the Exchange Act.
In the event we conduct redemptions
pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a)
under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer
period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than a specified number of public
shares which are not purchased by our sponsor, which number will be based on the requirement that we will only redeem our public shares
so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation
of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s
“penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating
to our initial business combination. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the
tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.
Our amended and restated memorandum
and articles of association provides that we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets
will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of
underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). Redemptions
of our public shares may also be subject to a higher net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to
our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to
the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the
retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate
cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any
amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash
available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for
redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.
Limitation on redemption upon completion of
our initial business combination if we seek shareholder approval
Notwithstanding the foregoing,
if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business
combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that a public
shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as
a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect
to Excess Shares. We believe this restriction will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts
by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed business combination as a means to force us
or our sponsor or its affiliates to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable
terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering
could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our sponsor or its affiliates
at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem no
more than 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of shareholders
to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business
combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. We may waive
this restriction in our sole discretion. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares
(including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Our sponsor, officers and directors have, pursuant to a letter
agreement entered into with us, waived their right to have any founder shares or public shares held by them redeemed in connection with
our initial business combination. Unless any of our other affiliates acquires founder shares through a permitted transfer from an initial
shareholder, and thereby becomes subject to the letter agreement, no such affiliate is subject to this waiver. However, to the extent
any such affiliate acquires public shares in our initial public offering or thereafter through open market purchases, it would be a public
shareholder and restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to any Excess Shares.
Tendering share certificates in connection
with a tender offer or redemption rights
We may require our public
shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,”
to either tender their certificates (if any) to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents, or up to
two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or
to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian)
System, rather than simply voting against the initial business combination. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we
will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring
public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have from the time we send out our
tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two days prior to the vote on the business combination if
we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Pursuant to
the tender offer rules, the tender offer period will be not less than 20 business days and, in the case of a shareholder vote, a final
proxy statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least 10 days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a
draft proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption
if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Given the relatively short exercise period, it is advisable for shareholders
to use electronic delivery of their public shares.
There is a nominal cost associated
with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer
agent will typically charge the tendering broker $80.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming
holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender
their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery
must be effectuated.
The foregoing is different
from the procedures used by many blank check companies. In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations,
many blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the shareholders’ vote on an initial business combination, and a
holder could simply vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking
to exercise his or her redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such shareholder to arrange
for him or her to deliver his or her certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the shareholder then had an “option window”
after the completion of the business combination during which he or she could monitor the price of the company’s shares in the market.
If the price rose above the redemption price, he or she could sell his or her shares in the open market before actually delivering his
or her shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which shareholders were aware they needed to commit
before the general meeting, would become “option” rights surviving past the completion of the business combination until the
redeeming holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the general meeting ensures that
a redeeming holder’s election to redeem is irrevocable once the business combination is approved.
Any request to redeem such
shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the tender offer materials or the date of the general meeting
set forth in our proxy materials, as applicable. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with
an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder
may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to
be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our
initial business combination.
If our initial business combination
is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public shareholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be
entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates
delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.
If our initial proposed business
combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a business combination with a different target until March 4, 2023.
Redemption of public shares and liquidation
if no initial business combination
Our sponsor, officers and
directors have agreed that we will have only until March 4, 2023, to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete
our initial business combination by March 4, 2023, 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 (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay
dissolution expenses (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares,
which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further
liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption,
subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our
obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no
redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial
business combination by March 4, 2023.
Our sponsor, officers and
directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from
the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination by March 4, 2023. However,
if our sponsor, officers or directors acquire public shares after our initial public offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions
from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination by March 4, 2023.
Our sponsor, officers and
directors have agreed, pursuant to a written letter agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated
memorandum and articles of association that would (i) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection
with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by
March 4, 2023, or (ii) with respect to the other provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre- initial business combination
activity, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of
any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including
interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares. However, we
will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately
prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that
we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). If this optional redemption right is exercised with respect to
an excessive number of public shares such that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement (described above), we would not proceed
with the amendment or the related redemption of our public shares.
We expect that all costs and
expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining
out of the $1,000,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for
such purpose. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution,
to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay taxes, we may request the trustee to release
to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.
If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of
our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and
without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders upon
our dissolution would be approximately $10.00. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims
of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public shareholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share
redemption amount received by shareholders will not be substantially less than $10.00. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we
cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.
Although we will seek to have
all vendors, service providers (other than our independent auditors), prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do
business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account
for the benefit of our public shareholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such
agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement,
breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case
in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third
party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our 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. 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 time frame, 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. Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and
to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent auditors) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective
target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to
below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation
of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn
to pay taxes. This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to
seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our initial public offering against
certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. 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 third parties we currently expect
to engage would be vendors such as lawyers, investment bankers, computer or information and technical services providers or prospective
target businesses. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, then our sponsor will not
be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has
sufficient funds to satisfy their indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company.
None of our other officers will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective
target businesses.
In the event that the proceeds
in the trust account are reduced below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust
account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the
amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations
or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take
legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors
would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent
directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. Accordingly, we cannot assure you
that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be substantially less than $10.00 per share.
We will seek to reduce the
possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service
providers (other than our independent auditors), prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements
with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be
liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including
liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to $1,000,000 from the proceeds of our initial public offering and the
sale of the private placement warrants, with which to pay any such potential claims. In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently
determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, shareholders who received funds from our trust account could be
liable for claims made by creditors. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, we may fund such excess
with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust
account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,000,000,
the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
If we file a bankruptcy or
winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in
the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy or insolvency laws, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject
to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy or insolvency claims deplete
the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.00 per share to our public shareholders. Additionally, if we file
a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any
distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy or insolvency laws as either
a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy or insolvency court could seek
to recover all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our board may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our
creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing itself and our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public
shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought
against us for these reasons.
Our public shareholders will
be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier of (i) the completion of our initial business combination,
(ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated
memorandum and articles of association to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection
with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by
March 4, 2023, or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination
activity and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination by March
4, 2023, subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust
account. In the event we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a shareholder’s voting in
connection with the business combination alone will not result in a shareholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro
rata share of the trust account. Such shareholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above.
Amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association
Our amended and restated memorandum
and articles of association contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to our initial public offering that will apply to us
until the consummation of our initial business combination. If we seek to amend any provisions of our amended and restated memorandum
and articles of association relating to shareholders’ rights or pre- initial business combination activity, we will provide dissenting
public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with any such vote. Our sponsor, officers and directors
have agreed to waive any redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of
our initial business combination. Specifically, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides, among other
things, that:
| ➤ | prior to the consummation of our initial business combination,
we shall either (1) seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination at a general meeting called for such purpose at
which shareholders may seek to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination,
into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net
of taxes payable) or (2) provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to tender their shares to us by means of a tender
offer (and thereby avoid the need for a shareholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on
deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) in each case subject to the limitations
described herein; |
| ➤ | we will consummate our initial business combination only if we
have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon such consummation and, solely if we seek shareholder
approval, obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders
who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company; |
| ➤ | if our initial business combination is not consummated by March
4, 2023, then our existence will terminate and we will distribute all amounts in the trust account; and |
| ➤ | prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional
ordinary shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial
business combination. |
These provisions cannot be
amended without the approval of holders of at least two-thirds of our shareholders. In the event we seek shareholder approval in connection
with our initial business combination, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that we may consummate
our initial business combination only if approved by an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of a
majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company.
Periodic reporting and financial information
We have registered our units,
Class A ordinary shares and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file
annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports contain
financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public auditors.
We will provide shareholders
with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials
sent to shareholders to assist them in assessing the target business. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance
with, or be reconciled to, U.S. GAAP, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required
to be audited in accordance with the 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 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. While this may limit the pool of potential
acquisition candidates, we do not believe that this limitation is material.
We are required to evaluate
our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event
we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer will we be required to have our internal control procedures audited.
A target company may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls.
The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and
costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
We are an “emerging
growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to
take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging
growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements,
and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any
golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less
active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107
of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided
in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging
growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies.
We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging
growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion
of our initial public offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we
are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds
$700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible
debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning
associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
As a smaller reporting company,
we are not required to include risk factors in this Report. However, below is a partial list of material risks, uncertainties and other
factors that could have a material effect on the Company and its operations:
|
● |
we are a blank check Company with no revenue or basis to evaluate our ability to select a suitable business target; |
|
|
|
|
● |
we concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of September 30, 2021, due to the material weakness in analyzing the accounting for complex financial instruments; |
|
● |
we may not be able to select an appropriate target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination in the prescribed time frame; |
|
● |
our expectations around the performance of a prospective target business or businesses may not be realized; |
|
● |
we may not be successful in retaining or recruiting required officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination; |
|
● |
our officers and directors may have difficulties allocating their time between the Company and other businesses and may potentially have conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination; |
|
● |
we may not be able to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or reduce the number of shareholders requesting redemption; |
|
● |
we may issue our shares to investors in connection with our initial business combination at a price that is less than the prevailing market price of our shares at that time; |
|
● |
you may not be given the opportunity to choose the initial business target or to vote on the initial business combination; |
|
● |
trust account funds may not be protected against third party claims or bankruptcy; |
|
● |
an active market for our public securities’ may not develop and you will have limited liquidity and trading; |
|
● |
the availability to us of funds from interest income on the trust account balance may be insufficient to operate our business prior to the business combination; |
|
● |
our financial performance following a business combination with an entity may be negatively affected by their lack an established record of revenue, cash flows and experienced management; |
|
● |
there may be more competition to find an attractive target for an initial business combination, which could increase the costs associated with completing our initial business combination and may result in our inability to find a suitable target; |
|
● |
changes in the market for directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and complete an 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; |
|
● |
we may engage one or more of our underwriters or one of their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after the initial public offering, which may include acting as a 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 underwriting commissions that will be released from the trust account only upon 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 after the initial public offering, including, for example, in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination; |
|
● |
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; |
|
|
|
|
● |
our warrants are accounted for as derivative liabilities and are recorded at fair value upon issuance with changes in fair value each period reported in earnings, which may have an adverse effect on the market price of our ordinary shares or may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination; |
|
|
|
|
● |
since our initial shareholders will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed (other than with respect to any public shares they may acquire during or after our initial public offering), and because our sponsor, officers and directors may profit substantially even under circumstances in which our public stockholders would experience losses in connection with their investment, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination; |
|
● |
changes in laws or regulations or how such laws or regulations are interpreted or applied, or a failure to comply with any laws or regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations; |
|
● |
the value of the founder shares following completion of our initial business combination is likely to be substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our ordinary shares at such time is substantially less than $10.00 per share; and |
|
● |
resources could be wasted in researching acquisitions that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the required time period, 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. |
For the complete list of risks
relating to our operations, see the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in our Registration Statement.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
Not applicable.
Item 2. Properties.
Our executive offices are
located at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 11th Floor, New York, New York 10105, and our telephone number is (650) 739-6741.
Our executive offices are provided to us at no charge. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
To the knowledge of our management
team, there is no litigation currently pending or contemplated against us, any of our officers or directors in their capacity as such
or against any of our property.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Our units, public shares and
public warrants are each traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols FTEV.U,
FTEV, and FTEV WS, respectively. Our units commenced public trading on March 1, 2021,
and our public shares and public warrants commenced separate public trading on April 22, 2021.
On March 31, 2022, there was
1 holder of record of our units, 1 holder of record of our Class A ordinary shares and 1 holder of record of our warrants.
We have not paid any cash
dividends on our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our initial business combination.
The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general
financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to our
initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. In addition, our board of directors
is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any stock dividends in the foreseeable future. Further, if we incur any
indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants
we may agree to in connection therewith.
| (d) | Securities
Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans |
None.
| (e) | Recent
Sales of Unregistered Securities |
None.
| (f) | Use
of Proceeds from the Initial Public Offering |
On March
4, 2021, subsequent to the filing of the Registration Statement, the Company consummated its initial public offering of 24,000,000
units. Each unit consists of one public share and one-third of one public warrant,
with each whole public warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one public share for $11.50 per share. The units were sold at
a price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds to the Company of $240,000,000. UBS
Securities LLC acted as sole bookrunner and representative of the underwriters of the initial public
offering.
Simultaneously
with the closing of the initial public offering, the Company consummated the sale of 4,533,334 warrants at a price of $1.50 per
private placement warrant in a private placement to Fintech Evolution Sponsor LLC, generating gross proceeds of $6,800,000.
On
March 10, 2021, the underwriters partially exercised their over-allotment option, resulting in an additional 3,410,158 units
issued for an aggregate amount of $34,101,580. In connection with the underwriters’ partial exercise of their over-allotment option,
the Company also consummated the sale of an additional 454,688 private placement warrants at $1.50 per private placement
warrant, generating total proceeds of $682,032.
A total of $274,101,580
of the proceeds from the initial public offering (which amount includes $9,593,555 of
the underwriters’ deferred discount), the underwriters’ exercised option, and the sale of the private placement warrants,
was placed in a U.S.-based trust account located in the United States, maintained by Continental,
acting as trustee. The proceeds held in the trust account may be invested by the trustee only in U.S. government securities with a maturity
of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. government treasury obligations and meeting certain conditions under
Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act.
| (g) | Purchases
of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers |
None.
Item 6. Reserved.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
References to the “Company,”
“us,” “our” or “we” refer to FinTech Evolution Acquisition Group. The following discussion and analysis
of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our audited financial statements and related notes
included herein.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
All statements other than
statements of historical fact included in this Report including, without limitation, statements under this “Management’s Discussion
and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” regarding the Company’s financial position, business strategy
and the plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward- looking statements. When used in this Report, words such
as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend” and similar expressions,
as they relate to us or the Company’s management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based
on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company’s management.
Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward- looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed
in our filings with the SEC. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on the Company’s
behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph.
The following discussion and
analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes
thereto contained elsewhere in this Report. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking
statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
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 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. 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.
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated in the
Cayman Islands on December 15, 2020 formed purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization
or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We intend to effectuate our Business Combination using cash derived from
the proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, our shares, debt or a combination of cash,
shares and debt.
We expect to continue to incur significant costs
in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to complete a Business Combination will be successful.
Results of Operations
We have neither engaged in any operations nor
generated any revenues to date. Our only activities through December 31, 2021 were related to our formation, the initial public offering
(“Initial Public Offering”), which is described below, and identifying a target company for a Business Combination. We do
not expect to generate any operating revenues until after the completion of our Business Combination. We generate non-operating income
in the form of interest income on marketable securities held in the Trust Account. 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, 2021, we had net
income of $4,508,323, which consists of the change in fair value of warrant liabilities of $6,613,929 and interest earned on cash and
marketable securities held in Trust Account of $111,413, offset by formation and operating costs of $1,668,832, an unrealized loss on
cash and marketable securities held in Trust Account of $242 and transaction costs incurred in connection with the IPO of $547,945.
For the period from December 15, 2020 (inception)
through December 31, 2020, we had net loss of $7,644, which consisted of formation and operating costs.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
On March 4, 2021, we consummated the Initial Public
Offering of 24,000,000 Units, at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $240,000,000. Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial
Public Offering, we consummated the sale of 4,533,334 Private Placement Warrants at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant in
a private placement to the Sponsor, generating gross proceeds of $6,800,000.
On March 10, 2021, the underwriters partially
exercised their over-allotment option, resulting in an additional 3,410,158 Units issued for an aggregate amount of $34,101,580. In connection
with the underwriters’ partial exercise of their over-allotment option, the Company also consummated the sale of an additional 454,688
Private Placement Warrants at $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant, generating total proceeds of $682,032.
Following the Initial Public Offering, the partial
exercise of the over-allotment option, and the sale of the Private Units, a total of $274,101,580 was deposited into the Trust Account.
We incurred $15,546,628 in Initial Public Offering related costs, including $5,482,032 of underwriting fees, $9,593,555 of deferred underwriting
fees, and $471,041 of other costs.
For the year ended December 31,
2021, cash used in operating activities was $1,021,298. Net income of $4,508,323 was affected by interest earned and an unrealized loss
on cash and marketable securities held in the Trust Account of $111,413 and $242, respectively, a change in fair value of warrant liabilities
of $6,613,929, transaction costs incurred in connection with the IPO of $547,945, and advances from related party of $185,457. Changes
in operating assets and liabilities provided $647,534 of cash for operating activities.
For the period from December 15, 2020 (inception)
through December 31, 2020, cash used in operating activities was $0. Net loss of $7,644 was affected by formation costs paid by Sponsor
in exchange for issuance of founder shares.
As of December 31, 2021, we had marketable securities
held in the Trust Account of $274,212,751 (including $111,413 of interest income and unrealized gains) consisting of U.S. Treasury Bills
with a maturity of 185 days or less. We may withdraw interest from the Trust Account to pay taxes, if any. We intend to use substantially
all of the funds held in the Trust Account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the Trust Account (less income taxes
payable), to complete our Business Combination. To the extent that our share capital 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.
As of December 31, 2021, we had cash held outside
the Trust Account of $525,017. 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,
structure, negotiate and complete a Business Combination.
In order to fund working capital deficiencies
or finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor, or certain of our officers and directors or their
affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete a Business Combination, we would repay such
loaned amounts. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the
Trust Account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our Trust Account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of
such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant, at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical
to the Private Placement Warrants.
We will need to raise additional capital through
loans or additional investments from our Sponsor, shareholders, officers, directors, or third parties. Our officers, directors and Sponsor
may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole
discretion, to meet our working capital needs. Accordingly, we may not be able to obtain additional financing. If we are unable to raise
additional capital, we 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. We cannot provide
any assurance that new financing will be available to us on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. These conditions raise substantial
doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for at least one year from the date that the financial statements are issued.
Off-Balance Sheet Financing Arrangements
We have no obligations, assets or liabilities,
which would be considered off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2021. 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.
The underwriters are entitled to a deferred fee
of $0.35 per Unit, or $9,593,555 in the aggregate. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the
Trust Account solely in the event that we complete a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
Critical Accounting Policies
The preparation of 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 warrants as either equity-classified
or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the warrant’s specific terms and applicable authoritative guidance
in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 480, Distinguishing
Liabilities from Equity (“ASC 480”) and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). The assessment considers
whether the warrants are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, meet the definition of a liability pursuant to ASC 480,
and whether the warrants meet all of the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether the warrants are indexed
to our own ordinary shares, among other conditions for equity classification. This assessment, which requires the use of professional
judgment, is conducted at the time of warrant issuance and as of each subsequent quarterly period end date while the warrants are outstanding.
For issued or modified warrants that meet all
of the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded as a component of additional paid-in capital at the
time of issuance. For issued or modified warrants that do not meet all the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required
to be recorded at their initial fair value on the date of issuance, and each balance sheets date thereafter. Changes in the estimated
fair value of the warrants are recognized as a non-cash gain or loss on the statements of operations.
The Private Placement Warrants
were initially valued using a Modified Black Scholes Option Pricing Model, and which is considered to be a Level 3 fair value measurement.
The Modified Black Scholes model’s primary unobservable input utilized in determining the fair value of the Private Placement Warrants
is the expected volatility of the ordinary shares. 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 expected volatility as of
subsequent valuation dates was implied from the Company’s own public warrant pricing. An Option Pricing Method was subsequently
used in estimating the fair value of the Public Warrants for periods where no observable traded price was available, using the same expected
volatility as was used in measuring the fair value of the Private Placement Warrants. For periods subsequent to the detachment of the
Public Warrants from the Units, the close price of the Public Warrant price was used as the fair value as of each relevant date. The
measurement 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.
Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible
Redemption
We account for our Class A ordinary shares subject
to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 480. Class A ordinary shares subject to mandatory redemption is classified
as a liability instrument and is measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable ordinary shares (including ordinary shares 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, ordinary shares are classified as shareholders’
equity. Our ordinary shares feature certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of our control and subject to occurrence
of uncertain future events. Accordingly, Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption is presented as temporary equity, outside
of the shareholders’ equity section of our balance sheets. The Company recognizes changes in redemption value immediately as they
occur and adjusts the carrying value of redeemable common stock to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. Increases
or decreases in the carrying amount of redeemable common stock are affected by charges against additional paid in capital and accumulated
deficit.
Net Income (Loss) Per Ordinary Share
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of
FASB ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share”. Net income (loss) per ordinary share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by
the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding for the period. The Company applies the two-class method in calculating income
(loss) per common share. This presentation contemplates a Business Combination as the most likely outcome, in which case, both classes
of ordinary shares share pro rata in the income (loss) of the Company. Remeasurement associated with the redeemable Class A ordinary shares
is excluded from income (loss) per ordinary share as the redemption value approximates fair value.
The calculation of diluted income (loss) per ordinary
share does not consider the effect of the warrants issued in connection with the (i) Initial Public Offering, and (ii) the private placement
since the exercise of the warrants is contingent upon the occurrence of future events. The warrants are exercisable to purchase 14,124,741
Class A ordinary shares in the aggregate. As of December 31, 2021, the Company did not have any dilutive securities or other contracts
that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into ordinary shares and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted
net income (loss) per ordinary share is the same as basic net income (loss) per ordinary share for the periods presented.
Recent Accounting Standards
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, “Debt—Debt
with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic
815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity” (“ASU 2020-06”), which
simplifies accounting for convertible instruments by removing major separation models required under current GAAP. ASU 2020-06 removes
certain settlement conditions that are required for equity contracts to qualify for the derivative scope exception and it also simplifies
the diluted earnings per share calculation in certain areas. ASU 2020-06 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December
15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently assessing
the impact, if any, that ASU 2020-06 would have on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Management does not believe that any other recently
issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on our financial statements.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.
Through December 31, 2021,
our efforts have been limited to organizational activities, activities relating to our initial public offering and since the initial public
offering, the search for a target business with which to consummate an initial business combination. We have engaged in limited operations
and have not generated any revenues. We have not engaged in any hedging activities since our inception on December
15, 2020. We do not expect to engage in any hedging activities with respect to the market risk to which we are exposed.
The net proceeds of the initial
public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account maintained by Continental,
acting as trustee, have been invested in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting
certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations.
Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Not required for smaller reporting companies.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
Reference is made to pages
F-1 through F-19 comprising a portion of this Report.
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 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.
As required by Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the
Exchange Act, our Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design
and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2021. Based upon their evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer
and Principal Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under
the Exchange Act) were not effective, due solely to the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting related to
the Company’s accounting for complex financial instruments. As a result, we performed additional analysis as deemed necessary to
ensure that our financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP. Accordingly, management believes that the financial statements
included in this Annual Report present fairly in all material respects our financial position, results of operations and cash flows
for the period presented.
Management has identified a material weakness
in internal controls related to the accounting for complex financial instruments. While we have processes to identify and appropriately
apply applicable accounting requirements, we plan to continue to enhance our system of evaluating and implementing the accounting standards
that apply to our financial statements, including through enhanced analyses by 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.
Management’s Report on Internal Controls
Over Financial Reporting
As required by SEC rules and regulations implementing
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial
reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial
reporting and the preparation of our consolidated financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP. Our internal
control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:
| (1) | pertain
to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets
of our company, |
| (2) | provide
reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance
with GAAP, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors,
and |
| (3) | provide
reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could
have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements. |
Because of its inherent limitations, internal
control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect errors or misstatements in our consolidated financial statements. Also, projections
of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in
conditions, or that the degree or compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Management assessed the effectiveness of
our internal control over financial reporting at December 31, 2021. In making these assessments, management used the criteria set forth
by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013).
Based on our assessments and those criteria, management determined that we did not maintain effective internal control over financial
reporting as of December 31, 2021.
Management has implemented remediation steps to
improve our internal control over financial reporting. Specifically, we expanded and improved our review process for complex securities
and related accounting standards. We plan to further improve this process by enhancing access to accounting literature, identification
of third-party professionals with whom to consult regarding complex accounting applications and consideration of additional staff with
the requisite experience and training to supplement existing accounting professionals.
This Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include
an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm due to our status as an emerging growth company under the JOBS
Act.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial
Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control
over financial reporting during the most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect,
our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. Other Information.
None.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.
Not applicable.
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
Directors and Executive Officers
As of the date of this Report,
our directors and officers are as follows:
Name |
|
Age |
|
Position |
Rohit Bhagat |
|
57
| |
Chief Executive Officer and Director |
Michael Latham |
|
56 |
|
Chief Operating Officer and Director |
Charles Goldman |
|
60
| |
Non-Executive Chairman of the Board/Director |
Chris Gaertner |
|
59 |
|
Director |
Cary Grace |
|
53 |
|
Director |
The experience of our directors
and executive officers is as follows:
Rohit Bhagat, has been our Chief
Executive Officer and a Director since December 2020. Mr. Bhagat’s career has spanned the Financial Services and FinTech
industry. Mr. Bhagat currently serves as the non-executive chairman of PhonePe (since December 2020), a digital payment company, a director
of AssetMark, Inc. (NYSE:AMK) (since December 2017), an independent provider of investment and consulting solutions servicing financial
advisors, as a trustee at Franklin Templeton ETF Trust (since April 2016), an exchange traded fund trust, and as a senior FinTech advisor
to B Capital Group (since April 2017), an investment firm which invests in tech-enabled venture and growth-stage companies. From
December, 2009 to January, 2012, Mr. Bhagat served as Chairman (Asia Pacific) at BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK). As Head of the Asia Pacific
region he had oversight of the entire regional business including the investment, client and operating functions, and served on the global
Executive Committee (with global designation as a Vice Chairman, BlackRock). From June, 2005 to December, 2009, Mr. Bhagat served as Global
Chief Operating Officer at Barclays Global Investors (“BGI”), where he was responsible for the global operating team and platform
(including technology, operations, all control functions and all administrative functions), for strategy and corporate development, for
overall planning and resource allocation and for all new business initiatives. From June, 1992 to May, 2005, Mr. Bhagat was at Boston
Consulting Group (“BCG”), where he was Senior Partner (and served as the co-head of U.S. financial services and the managing
director of BCG’s operations in India). Mr. Bhagat has previously served as an Independent Director on the boards of several
Financial Services and FinTech companies including Axis Bank, Capital Float, Freecharge and DSP BlackRock. Mr. Bhagat received a
mechanical engineering degree from IIT, in Delhi, an MSE in engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from the Kellogg
School, Northwestern University.
Michael Latham, has been our Chief Operating Officer and a Director since January 2021. Since June 2015, Mr. Latham
has served on the Board of Directors of Goldman Sachs Exchange Traded Funds and Closed-End Funds. From December 2009 to February 2014,
Mr. Latham served as a Managing Director at BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK), and from January 2000 to December 2009 he served as
a Managing Director at Barclays Global Investors. During those years, Mr. Latham served in a leadership role in the iShares Exchange Traded
Fund business, which he helped launch in 2000. After the launch, Mr. Latham went on to be Chief Operating Officer (February 2003-July
2007), Head of the US iShares Business (July 2007-April 2010), Global Head of the iShares Business (April 2010-September 2011),
and Chairman of the iShares Business (September 2011-February 2014). Mr. Latham also served as a Director and Trustee of iShares
Inc. and iShares Trust, respectively (July 2010-January 2014). Additionally, Mr. Latham currently serves as a director of the Goldman
Sachs Exchange Traded Funds. Mr. Latham received a BS in Business Administration from California State University—San Francisco
and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Charles
goldman has been a director since February of 2021. Mr. Goldman is currently a senior advisory board member for Genstar
Capital and serves on the boards of Mercer Advisors and Foreside. From January 2014 to March 2021, Mr. Goldman served as the
President and Chief Executive Officer and a Director of AssetMark, Inc. (NYSE:AMK), an independent provider of investment and consulting
solutions service financial advisors, where he ran the company’s day-to-day operations and led its initial public offering in 2019.
Prior to joining AssetMark, from December 2010 to December 2013, Mr. Goldman was a senior advisor to Bain & Company
and certain other private equity firms focused on the financial services industry. Mr. Goldman also served as the President of Fidelity
Investments, Custody and Clearing, where he oversaw Fidelity’s clearing and custody businesses, Executive Vice President and Head
of Schwab Institutional, where he was responsible for day-to-day operations of Schwab’s custody business, President of Paramount
Farms, Inc. and President of Paramount Citrus Association, where he was responsible for day-to-day operations. Mr. Goldman currently
serves on the board of directors of Mercer Advisors, Inc. and the American Mountain Guides Association. Mr. Goldman received his BS in
Business from the University of Southern California and his MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Chris Gaertner has
been a director since February of 2021. Mr. Gaertner has more than 25 years of technology investment banking experience and throughout
that time has advised on a broad range of capital markets and merger and acquisition transactions. Since January 2021, Mr. Gaertner has
been the Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and a director of DHC Acquisition Corp., a blank check company. Mr. Gaertner
has served as Senior Advisor for the technology investment banking group of Rothschild and Co., where he was responsible for managing
the firm’s technology investment banking practice from August of 2017 to December 2021. Prior to joining Rothschild and Co., Mr.
Gaertner was Head of Corporate Finance for Credit Suisse’s Technology Group as well as Head of Technology Investment Banking for
Merrill Lynch / Bank of America. Prior to his investment banking career, Mr. Gaertner was President of Gaertner Research, a company which
developed custom computer systems for the defense and aerospace markets. Mr. Gaertner led the sale of the company to General Electric
Plc. and headed the company’s U.S. research and development subsidiary. Mr. Gaertner served as an Infantry Officer with the
82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps and 1st Special Operations Command. Mr. Gaertner received
a BS in Electrical Engineering from West Point, an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a MSEE
in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University.
Cary Grace has been a director since February of 2021. Ms. Grace was the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Retirement,
Investment and Human Capital Solutions business at Aon PLC (NYSE:AON) from January 2016 to January, 2020, where she was in charge
of the groups retirement, investment management and human capital capabilities. Ms. Grace also led Aon’s Global M&A integration
as well as Enterprise Client Management functions. Prior to joining Aon in 2012, Ms. Grace was an executive at Bank of America and
a predecessor to J.P Morgan, leading global institutional, high net worth and consumer businesses as well as finance, investor relations
and M&A functions. Ms. Grace has been honored as American Banker’s 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance for multiple years
and Business Insurance’s Women to Watch. Ms. Grace currently serves on the Board of Directors of League, Inc. and Sageview
Advisory. Ms. Grace received a BA in Economics from Georgetown University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern
University.
Senior Advisors
We expect our advisors to (i) assist us in sourcing and negotiating with potential business combination targets, (ii) provide
their business insights when we assess potential business combination targets, including targets in and related to the FinTech industry,
and (iii) upon our request, provide their business insights as we work to create additional value in the businesses that we acquire.
In this regard, Messrs. Grossman and Huberman fulfill some of the same functions as our directors. However, Messrs. Grossman and Huberman
have no written advisory agreement with us. Messrs. Grossman and Huberman hold membership interests in the sponsor but receive no other
compensation for their services. We may modify or expand our roster of advisors as we source potential business combination targets or
create value in businesses that we may acquire. Our advisors are not under any fiduciary obligations to us nor do they perform board or
committee functions, nor do they have any voting or decision making capacity on our behalf. They also are not required to devote any specific
amount of time to our efforts or be subject to the fiduciary requirements to which our directors are subject. Accordingly, if any of our
advisors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for any of the entities to which he has fiduciary or contractual
obligations (including other blank check companies), they will honor their 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.
Blake Grossman has been a senior advisor since February of 2021. Mr. Grossman currently serves as the managing partner of ThirdStream
Partners LLC., which focuses on private investments in financial technology and asset management companies, including Ripple, SoFi, Generate
Capital, Ethic, NYDIG and Unison. Mr. Grossman served as the Global Chief Executive Officer of BGI / iShares, until its sale to BlackRock
in 2009. Mr. Grossman was Vice Chairman and Head of Scientific Investments at BlackRock. From 1985 to 2009, Mr. Grossman held various
executive positions with BGI and its predecessor organizations, including Chief Investment Officer from 1992 to 2002, and founded BGI’s
Advanced Strategies Group in 1992. Mr. Grossman served as Chairman of Financial Engines, Inc. until its acquisition in July 2018.
Mr. Grossman also previously served on the boards of Axioma, until its acquisition by Deutsche Borse in 2019, and CamberView Partners,
until its acquisition by PJT Partners in 2018.
Jonathan Huberman has
been a senior advisor since February of 2021. Mr. Huberman is currently the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
of Software Acquisition Group Inc. III (NASDAQ: SWAG) and was previously Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
of Software Acquisition Group Inc. II (NASDAQ: SAQN) and Software Acquisition Group Inc. (NASDAQ:SAQN), a special purpose
acquisition. Software Acquisition Group Inc. and Software Acquisition Group Inc. II and Software Acquisition Group Inc. III raised
an aggregate of $553 million in their three initial public offerings. Software Acquisition Group Inc. II closed its initial
business combination with Otonomo Inc. (NASDAQ: OTMO), a global automotive data marketplace and SaaS provider in August 2021.
Software Acquisition Group Inc. closed its initial business combination with CuriosityStream Inc. (NASDAQ: CURI), a global streaming
media service, in October 2020. Mr. Huberman has remained a director of Otonomo and CuriosityStream Inc. since their combinations.
From 2017 to 2019, Mr. Huberman was Chief Executive Officer of Ooyala, a provider of media workflow automation, delivery and monetization
solutions. In 2019, Mr. Huberman sold Ooyala’s three core business units to Invidi Technologies, Brightcove (NASDA:BCOV) and Dalet
(EPA: DLT), major players in the same sector. Previously, Mr. Huberman served as the Chief Executive Officer of Syncplicity, a SaaS enterprise
data management company, which Huberman sourced and acquired from EMC and engineered an exit to Axway (EPA: AXW). Prior to this, Mr.
Huberman was the Chief Executive Officer of Tiburon, an enterprise software company serving the public safety sector which sold to Tritech
Systems, and before that Mr. Huberman was the Chief Executive Officer at Iomega Corporation (NYSE: IOM), a consumer and distributed enterprise
storage solutions provider
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and
Directors
As of the date hereof, we
have five directors upon the consummation of our initial public offering. Holders of our founder shares will have the right to appoint
all of our directors prior to consummation of our initial business combination and holders of our public shares will not have the right
to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association
may only be amended by a special resolution passed by at least 90% of our shareholders as, being entitled to do so, attend and vote at
a general meeting. Each of our directors will hold office for a two-year term, and the appointment, removal or designation of any member
of the board of directors prior to our initial business combination requires the unanimous approval of the managers of our sponsor. Subject
to any other special rights applicable to the shareholders, any vacancies on our board of directors may be filled by the affirmative vote
of a majority of the directors present and voting at the meeting of our board or by a majority of the holders of our founder shares.
Our officers are elected by
the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors
is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association as it deems
appropriate. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that our officers may consist of a Chairman, Chief
Executive Officer, President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Assistant Secretaries, Treasurer
and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Our board of directors has
three standing committees: an audit committee, a compensation committee and a corporate governance and nominating committee. Subject to
phase-in rules and a limited exception, the rules of NYSE and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of
a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors, and the rules of NYSE require that the compensation committee of a listed
company be comprised solely of independent directors.
Audit Committee
We have an audit committee
of the board of directors. Messrs. Goldman and Gaertner and Ms. Grace serve as members of our audit committee and Ms. Grace
serves as the chair of the audit committee. Under the NYSE 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, subject to certain phase-in provisions. Each such person meets
the independent director standard under NYSE 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 Ms. Grace 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 auditors and any other independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us; |
| ➤ | reviewing and discussing the quality of our financial statement; |
| ➤ | pre-approving all audit and non-audit services to be
provided, including the annual audit plan, by the independent auditors or any other registered public accounting firm engaged by us,
and establishing pre-approval policies and procedures; |
| ➤ | reviewing and discussing with the independent auditors all relationships
the auditors have with us in order to evaluate their continued independence; |
| ➤ | setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees
of the independent auditors; |
| ➤ | discussing earnings press releases and financial information to
be provided to analysts and rating agencies; |
| ➤ | discussing with management our policies and practices with respect
to risk assessment and risk management as well as our compliance with our Code of Ethics; |
| ➤ | 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 auditors describing (i) the independent auditor’s internal quality-control procedures and (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; |
| ➤ | 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; |
| ➤ | reviewing with management, the independent auditors, 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; and |
| ➤ | producing an annual report for inclusion in our proxy statement,
in accordance with applicable rules and regulations. |
Compensation Committee
We have a compensation committee
of the board of directors. Messrs. Goldman and Gaertner and Ms. Grace serve as members of our compensation committee and Mr. Goldman
serves as the chair of the compensation committee. Under the NYSE 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, subject to certain phase-in provisions. Each such
person meets the independent director standard under listing standards applicable to members of 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 Chief Executive Officer’s compensation (if any is paid by us), evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s
performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer’s
based on such evaluation; |
| ➤ | reviewing and approving the compensation, employment agreements,
severance or termination agreements of all of our other officers; |
| ➤ | reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans; |
| ➤ | implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration
plans; |
| ➤ | assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and
annual report disclosure requirements; |
| ➤ | approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other
special compensation and benefit arrangements for our officers and employees; |
| ➤ | producing a report on executive compensation to be included in
our annual proxy statement; and |
| ➤ | reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate,
to the remuneration for directors. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing,
as indicated above, other than reimbursement of expenses and as set forth below, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting
or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our existing shareholders, officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates, prior
to, or for any services they render in order to complete the consummation of a business combination although we may consider cash or other
compensation to officers or advisors we may hire subsequent to our initial public offering to be paid either prior to or in connection
with our initial business combination. At the closing of our initial business combination, we may pay a customary financial consulting
fee to our sponsor and/or affiliates of our sponsor, which will not be made from the proceeds of our initial public offering held in the
trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination. We may pay such financial consulting fee in the event such
party or parties provide us with specific target company, industry, financial or market expertise, as well as insights, relationships,
services or resources that we believe are necessary in order to assess, negotiate and consummate an initial business combination. The
amount of any such financial consulting fee we pay will be based upon the prevailing market for similar services for comparable transactions
at such time, and will be subject to the review of our audit committee pursuant to the audit committee’s policies and procedures
relating to transactions that may present conflicts of interest. 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.
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 the NYSE and the SEC.
Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
We have a corporate governance
and nominating committee of our board of directors. The members of our corporate governance and nominating committee are Messrs. Goldman
and Gaertner and Ms. Grace, and Ms. Grace serves as chair of the corporate governance and nominating committee. Under the NYSE listing
standards, we are required to have a corporate governance and nominating committee composed entirely of independent directors. Our board
of directors has determined that each of Messrs. Goldman and Gaertner and Ms. Grace are independent.
The primary function of the
corporate governance and nominating committee include:
| ➤ | identifying individuals qualified to become members of the board
of directors and making recommendations to the board of directors regarding nominees for election; |
| ➤ | reviewing the independence of each director and making a recommendation
to the board of directors with respect to each director’s independence; |
| ➤ | developing and recommending to the board of directors the corporate
governance principles applicable to us and reviewing our corporate governance guidelines at least annually; |
| ➤ | making recommendations to the board of directors with respect
to the membership of the audit, compensation and corporate governance and nominating committees; |
| ➤ | overseeing the evaluation of the performance of the board of directors
and its committees on a continuing basis, including an annual self-evaluation of the performance of the corporate governance and nominating
committee; |
| ➤ | considering the adequacy of our governance structures and policies,
including as they relate to our environmental sustainability and governance practices; |
| ➤ | considering director nominees recommended by stockholders; and |
| ➤ | reviewing our overall corporate governance and reporting to the
board of directors on its findings and any recommendations. |
Director Nominations
The guidelines for selecting
nominees, which are specified in a charter to be adopted by us, generally provides that persons to be nominated:
| ➤ | should possess personal qualities and characteristics, accomplishments
and reputation in the business community; |
| ➤ | should have current knowledge and contacts in the communities
in which we do business and in our industry or other industries relevant to our business; |
| ➤ | should have the ability and willingness to commit adequate time
to the board of directors and committee matters; |
| ➤ | should demonstrate ability and willingness to commit adequate
time to the board of directors and committee matters; |
| ➤ | should possess the fit of the individual’s skills and personality
with those of other directors and potential directors in building a board of directors that is effective, collegial and responsive to
our needs; and |
| ➤ | should demonstrate diversity of viewpoints, background, experience,
and other demographics, and all aspects of diversity in order to enable the board to perform its duties and responsibilities effectively,
including candidates with a diversity of age, gender, nationality, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. |
Each year in connection with
the nomination of candidates for election to the board of directors, the corporate governance and nominating committee will evaluate the
background of each candidate, including candidates that may be submitted by our stockholders.
Code of Ethics
We have adopted a Code of
Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. We have filed a copy of our form of Code of Ethics and our audit committee
charter as exhibits to the registration statement. You are able to review these documents by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s
web site at www.sec.gov and at our company website at www.Fintechevolution.net. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics
will be provided without charge upon request from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our
Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K.
Compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange
Act
Section 16(a) of the Exchange
Act requires our executive officers, directors and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity securities
to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of our ordinary shares and other equity securities.
These executive officers, directors, and greater than 10% beneficial owners are required by SEC regulation to furnish us with copies of
all Section 16(a) forms filed by such reporting persons. Based solely on our review of such forms furnished to us and written representations
from certain reporting persons, we believe that during the year ended December 31, 2021, all reports applicable to our executive officers,
directors and greater than 10% beneficial owners were filed in a timely manner in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
None of our officers or directors
have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates,
are entitled to be reimbursed for certain bona-fide, documented 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. In addition, we may pay
a customary financial consulting fee to our sponsor and/or affiliates of our sponsor, which will not be made from the proceeds of our
initial public offering held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination. We may pay such financial
consulting fee in the event such party or parties provide us with specific target company, industry, financial or market expertise, as
well as insights, relationships, services or resources that we believe are necessary in order to assess, negotiate and consummate an initial
business combination. The amount of any such financial consulting fee we pay will be based upon the prevailing market for similar services
for comparable transactions at such time, and will be subject to the review of our audit committee pursuant to the audit committee’s
policies and procedures relating to transactions that may present conflicts of interest. Our audit committee will also review on a quarterly
basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates.
After the completion of our
initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other
fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer
materials or proxy solicitation materials furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed business combination. It is unlikely
the amount of such compensation will be known at the time such materials are distributed, because the directors of the post-combination
business will be responsible for determining officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our officers will be determined
by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors.
We do not intend to take any
action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination,
although it is possible that some or all of our officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with
us after the initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions
with us may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business but we do not believe that the ability
of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will be a determining factor in our decision
to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our officers and directors that provide for
benefits upon termination of employment.
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 ordinary shares as of March 31, 2022 based on information obtained from the
persons named below, with respect to the beneficial ownership of ordinary shares, by:
| ● | each
person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding ordinary shares; |
| ● | each
of our executive officers and directors that beneficially owns our ordinary shares; and |
| ● | all
our executive officers and directors as a group. |
In the table below, percentage
ownership is based on 34,262,697 of our ordinary shares, consisting of (i) 27,410,158 Class A ordinary shares and (ii) 6,852,539 Class
B ordinary shares, issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2022. On all matters to be voted upon, except for the election of directors
of the board, holders of the Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares vote together as a single class. The Class B ordinary
shares are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of
our initial business combination, initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth in our amended and restated
memorandum and articles of association.
Unless otherwise indicated,
we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all ordinary shares beneficially
owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants as these warrants
are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this Report.
| |
Class A Ordinary Shares | | |
Class B Ordinary Shares | | |
Approximate | |
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner (1) | |
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned | | |
Approximate Percentage of Class | | |
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned (2) | | |
Approximate Percentage of Class | | |
Percentage of Outstanding Ordinary
Shares | |
Fintech Evolution Sponsor LLC (3) | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 6,852,539 | | |
| 100.0 | % | |
| 20.0 | % |
Rohit Bhagat | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 6,852,539 | | |
| 100.0 | % | |
| 20.0 | % |
Michael Latham | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 6,852,539 | | |
| 100.0 | % | |
| 20.0 | % |
Charles Goldman | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 0 | | |
| * | | |
| * | |
Chris Gaertner | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 0 | | |
| * | | |
| * | |
Cary Grace | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 0 | | |
| * | | |
| * | |
All officers and directors as a group (5 individuals) | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 6,852,539 | | |
| 100.0 | % | |
| 20.0 | % |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Citadel Advisors LLC (4) | |
| 1,625,450 | | |
| 5.9 | % | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 4.7 | % |
David E. Shaw (5) | |
| 1,433,094 | | |
| 5.2 | % | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 4.2 | % |
Glazer Capital, LLC (6) | |
| 1,383,874 | | |
| 5.1 | % | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 4.0 | % |
Aristeia Capital, LLC (7) | |
| 1,500,000 | | |
| 5.5 | % | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 4.4 | % |
| (1) | Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the
following entities or individuals is c/o 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 11th, New York, New York 10105. |
| (2) | Interests shown consist solely of founder shares, classified
as Class B ordinary shares. Such ordinary shares will convert into Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment. |
| (3) | Rohit Bhagat and Michael Latham are the managing members of
our sponsor, and as such may be deemed to beneficially own shares held by our sponsor by virtue of their control over our sponsor. Each
such person disclaims beneficial ownership of the ordinary shares held by our sponsor other than to the extent of any pecuniary interest
in such shares. |
| (4) | According to a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February
14, 2022, the listed ordinary shares are owned by Citadel Advisors LLC and one or more separately managed accounts. Citadel Advisors
Holdings LP is the sole member of Citadel Advisors LLC. Citadel GP LLC is the general partner of Citadel Advisors Holdings LP. CALC IV
LP is the non-member manager of Citadel Securities. Citadel Securities GP LLC is the general partner of CALC IV LP. Kenneth Griffin is
the President and Chief Executive Officer of Citadel GP LLC, and owns a controlling interest in Citadel GP LLC and Citadel Securities
GP LLC. The principal business for each of the above is 131 S. Dearborn Street, 32nd Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603. |
| (5) | According to a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on January 31,
2022, the listed ordinary shares are beneficially owned by David E. Shaw. David E. Shaw does not own any shares directly. By virtue of
David E. Shaw’s position as President and sole shareholder of D. E. Shaw & Co., Inc., which is the general partner of D. E.
Shaw & Co., L.P., which in turn is the investment adviser of D. E. Shaw Valence Portfolios, L.L.C. and D. E. Shaw Oculus Portfolios,
L.L.C., and by virtue of David E. Shaw’s position as President and sole shareholder of D. E. Shaw & Co. II, Inc., which is
the managing member of D. E. Shaw & Co., L.L.C., which in turn is the manager of D. E. Shaw Valence Portfolios, L.L.C. and D. E.
Shaw Oculus Portfolios, L.L.C., David E. Shaw may be deemed to have the shared power to vote or direct the vote of, and the shared power
to dispose or direct the disposition of, the 1,433,094 shares as described above and, therefore, David E. Shaw may be deemed to be the
beneficial owner of such shares. The principal business address for each of the above is 1166 Avenue of the Americas, 9th Floor, New
York, NY 10036. |
| (6) | According to a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 14,
2022, the listed ordinary shares are beneficially owned by Glazer Capital, LLC. Mr. Paul J. Glazer is the managing member of Glazer Capital,
LLC. Mr. Paul J. Glazer may be deemed to have the shared power to vote or direct the vote of, and the shared power to dispose or direct
the disposition of, the 1,383,874shares as described above and, therefore, Mr. Paul J. Glazer may be deemed to be the beneficial owner
of such shares. The principal business address for each of the above is 250 West 55th Street, Suite 30A, New York, New York
10019. |
| (7) | According to a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 14,
2022, the listed ordinary shares are beneficially owned by Aristeia Capital, LLC. Aristeia Capital, L.L.C. is the investment manager
of, and has voting and investment control with respect to the securities described herein held by, one or more private investment funds.
The principal business address for Aristeia Capital, LLC is One Greenwich Plaza, 3rd Floor, Greenwich, CT 06830. |
Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity
Compensation Plans
None.
Changes in Control
None.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
In
December 2020, our sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per share, to cover certain of our formation and offering costs
in consideration of 5,750,000 founder shares. On March 1, 2021, we effectuated a stock dividend of 0.2 shares for each founder share outstanding,
resulting in our sponsor holding an aggregate number of 6,900,000 founder shares. The founder shares included an aggregate of up
to 900,000 shares that were subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option was not exercised in
full or in part, so that the number of founder shares will equal 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding ordinary shares after
the initial public offering. As a result of the underwriters’ election to partially exercise their over-allotment option, the sponsor
forfeited 47,461 founder shares and 6,852,539 founder shares remain outstanding.
At the closing of our initial
business combination, we may pay a customary financial consulting fee to our sponsor and/or affiliates of our sponsor, which will not
be made from the proceeds of our initial public offering held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination.
We may pay such financial consulting fee in the event such party or parties provide us with specific target company, industry, financial
or market expertise, as well as insights, relationships, services or resources that we believe are necessary in order to assess, negotiate
and consummate an initial business combination. The amount of any such financial consulting fee we pay will be based upon the prevailing
market for similar services for comparable transactions at such time, and will be subject to the review of our audit committee pursuant
to the audit committee’s policies and procedures relating to transactions that may present conflicts of interest.
On
December 30, 2020, the Company issued an unsecured promissory note to the Sponsor (the “Promissory Note”), pursuant to which
the Company could borrow up to an aggregate principal amount of $300,000. The Promissory Note was non-interest bearing and payable on
the earlier of September 30, 2021 or the closing of our initial public offering. On March 4, 2021, the Promissory Note was paid in full.
In addition, in order to finance
transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of
our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete an initial business combination,
we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working
capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment.
Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants
would be identical to the placement warrants issued to the initial holder. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any,
have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other
than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver
against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
After our initial business
combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company
with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our shareholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer or proxy solicitation
materials, as applicable, furnished to our shareholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution
of such tender offer materials or at the time of a general meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as
it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.
Related party policy
We have adopted code of ethics
requiring us to avoid, wherever possible, all conflicts of interests, except under guidelines or resolutions approved by our board of
directors (or the appropriate committee of our board) or as disclosed in our public filings with the SEC. Under our code of ethics, conflict
of interest situations include any financial transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness)
involving the company. The code of ethics is available on our website.
In addition, our audit committee,
pursuant to a written charter, is responsible for reviewing and approving related party transactions to the extent that we enter into
such transactions. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the audit committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present
is required in order to approve a related party transaction. A majority of the members of the entire audit committee constitutes a quorum.
Without a meeting, the unanimous written consent of all of the members of the
audit committee is required to approve a related party transaction. The audit committee charter is available on our website. We also require
each of our directors and executive officers to complete a directors’ and officers’ questionnaire that elicits information
about related party transactions.
These procedures are intended
to determine whether any such related party transaction impairs the independence of a director or presents a conflict of interest on the
part of a director, employee or officer.
To further minimize conflicts
of interest, we have agreed not to consummate an initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our sponsor,
officers or directors unless we, or a committee of independent directors, have obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking
firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or an independent
accounting firm, that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. Furthermore, no finder’s
fees, reimbursements or cash payments will be made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered
to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. However, the following payments may be made to
our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, none of which will be made from the proceeds of our initial public offering
held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:
| ➤ | Reimbursement may be made for certain out-of-pocket expenses related
to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination; |
| ➤ | Repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate
of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business
combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants, at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender.
Except for the foregoing, the terms of such loans have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect
thereto; and |
| ➤ | At the closing of our initial business combination, we may pay
a customary financial consulting fee to our sponsor and/or affiliates of our sponsor. We may pay such financial consulting fee in the
event such party or parties provide us with specific target company, industry, financial or market expertise, as well as insights, relationships,
services or resources that we believe are necessary in order to assess, negotiate and consummate an initial business combination. The
amount of any such financial consulting fee we pay will be based upon the prevailing market for similar services for comparable transactions
at such time, and will be subject to the review of our audit committee pursuant to the audit committee’s policies and procedures
relating to transactions that may present conflicts of interest. |
Our audit committee reviews,
on a quarterly basis, all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates.
Director Independence
The NYSE listing standards
require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person
other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship which in the opinion
of the company’s board of directors, would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out
the responsibilities of a director. Our board of directors has determined that Messrs. Goldman and Gaertner and Ms. Grace are “independent
directors” as defined in the listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our audit committee will be entirely composed of independent
directors meeting NYSE’s additional requirements applicable to members of the audit committee. Our independent directors will have
regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
The following is a summary of fees paid or to
be paid to Marcum LLP, or Marcum, for services rendered.
Audit Fees. Audit fees
consist of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our year-end financial statements and services that are normally
provided by Marcum in connection with regulatory filings. The aggregate fees billed by Marcum for professional services rendered for the
audit of our annual financial statements, review of the financial information included in our Forms 10-Q for the respective periods and
other required filings with the SEC for the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period from December 15, 2020 (inception) through
December 31, 2020 totaled $89,329 and $30,151, respectively. The above amounts include interim procedures and audit fees, as well as attendance
at audit committee meetings.
Audit-Related Fees.
Audit-related services consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to performance of the
audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include attest services
that are not required by statute or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards. We did not
pay Marcum for consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards for the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the
period from December 15, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020.
Tax Fees. We did not
pay Marcum for tax planning and tax advice for the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period from December 15, 2020 (inception)
through December 31, 2020.
All Other Fees. We
did not pay Marcum for other services for the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period from December 15, 2020 (inception) through
December 31, 2020.
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).
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement
Schedules
|
(a) |
The following documents are filed as part of this Form 10-K: |
|
(1) |
Financial Statements: |
|
(2) |
Financial Statement Schedules: |
None.
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.
Item
16. Form 10-K Summary.
Not applicable.
FINTECH EVOLUTION ACQUISITION GROUP
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID #688) |
F-2 |
Financial Statements: |
|
Balance
Sheets as of December 31, 2021, and December 31, 2020 |
F-3 |
Statements
of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2021, and for the period from December
15, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 |
F-4 |
Statements
of Changes in Shareholders’ (Deficit) Equity for the year ended December 31, 2021, and for the period from December
15, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 |
F-5 |
Statements
of Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2021, and December 31, 2020 |
F-6 |
Notes to Financial Statements |
F-7 to F-19 |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of
FinTech Evolution Acquisition Group
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the
accompanying balance sheets of FinTech Evolution Acquisition Group (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the
related statements of operations, changes in shareholders’ (deficit) equity and cash flows for year ended December 31, 2021
and for the period from December 15, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, and the related notes (collectively referred to as
the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the
financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the
year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period from December 15, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, in conformity with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Explanatory Paragraph – Going Concern
The accompanying financial
statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, if the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination by the
close of business on March 4, 2023, then the Company will cease all operations expect for the purpose of liquidating. This date for mandatory
liquidation and subsequent dissolution combined with uncertainty as to whether the Company has sufficient liquidity to fund operations
through the liquidation date or thereafter should a deferral occur raises substantial doubt about the Company’s
ability to continue as a going concern. The financial
statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of these uncertainties.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements
are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial
statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States)
(the “PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities
laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in
accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance
about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to
have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required
to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness
of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing
procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures
that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the
financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management,
as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for
our opinion.
/s/
Marcum LLP
Marcum LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor
since 2020.
Houston, TX
March 31,
2022
PCAOB #688
FINTECH EVOLUTION ACQUISITION GROUP
BALANCE SHEETS
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
ASSETS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash |
|
$ |
525,017 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Short-term prepaid expenses |
|
|
288,767 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total Current Assets |
|
|
813,784 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deferred offering costs |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
59,856 |
|
Long-term prepaid expenses |
|
|
45,833 |
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and marketable securities held in Trust Account |
|
|
274,212,751 |
|
|
|
— |
|
TOTAL ASSETS |
|
$ |
275,072,368 |
|
|
$ |
59,856 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable and accrued expenses |
|
$ |
796,677 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Accrued offering costs |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
5,000 |
|
Advances from related party |
|
|
185,457 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Promissory note – related party |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
37,500 |
|
Total Current Liabilities |
|
|
982,134 |
|
|
|
42,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deferred underwriting fee payable |
|
|
9,593,555 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Warrant liabilities |
|
|
8,524,724 |
|
|
|
— |
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES |
|
|
19,100,413 |
|
|
|
42,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commitments and Contingencies (See Note 6) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption,
27,410,158 shares at redemption value at December 31, 2021 |
|
|
274,212,751 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shareholders’ (Deficit) Equity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preference shares, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized (excluding 27,410,158 shares subject to possible redemption) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; 6,852,539 and 6,900,000 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively |
|
|
685 |
|
|
|
690 |
|
Additional paid-in capital |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
24,310 |
|
Accumulated deficit |
|
|
(18,241,481 |
) |
|
|
(7,644 |
) |
Total Shareholders’ (Deficit) Equity |
|
|
(18,240,796 |
) |
|
|
17,356 |
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY |
|
$ |
275,072,368 |
|
|
$ |
59,856 |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral
part of the financial statements.
FINTECH EVOLUTION ACQUISITION GROUP
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
|
|
For the
Year Ended December 31, |
|
|
For the
Period
from
December 15,
2020
(Inception)
Through
December 31, |
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating and formation costs |
|
$ |
1,668,832 |
|
|
$ |
7,644 |
|
Loss from operations |
|
|
(1,668,832 |
) |
|
|
(7,644 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other income (expense): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest earned on cash and marketable securities held in Trust Account |
|
|
111,413 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities |
|
|
6,613,929 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Transaction costs allocable to warrant liability |
|
|
(547,945 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
Unrealized loss on marketable securities held in Trust Account |
|
|
(242 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
Other income, net |
|
|
6,177,155 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss) |
|
$ |
4,508,323 |
|
|
$ |
(7,644 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding of Class A ordinary shares |
|
|
22,623,032 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Basic and diluted net income per ordinary share, Class A ordinary shares |
|
$ |
0.15 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Weighted average shares outstanding of Class B ordinary shares |
|
|
6,705,388 |
|
|
|
6,000,000 |
|
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per ordinary share, Class B ordinary shares |
|
$ |
0.15 |
|
|
$ |
(0.00 |
) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part
of the financial statements.
FINTECH EVOLUTION ACQUISITION GROUP
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN
SHAREHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND FOR
THE PERIOD FROM DECEMBER 15, 2020 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2020
| |
Class A Ordinary Shares | | |
Class B Ordinary Shares | | |
Additional Paid-in | | |
Accumulated | | |
Total Shareholders’
Equity | |
| |
Shares | | |
Amount | | |
Shares | | |
Amount | | |
Capital | | |
Deficit | | |
(Deficit) | |
Balance — December 15, 2020 (inception) | |
| — | | |
$ | — | | |
| — | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Issuance of Class B ordinary shares to Sponsor | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| 6,900,000 | | |
| 690 | | |
| 24,310 | | |
| — | | |
| 25,000 | |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Net loss | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| (7,644 | ) | |
| (7,644 | ) |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Balance — December 31, 2020 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | | |
| 6,900,000 | | |
$ | 690 | | |
$ | 24,310 | | |
$ | (7,644 | ) | |
$ | 17,356 | |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Re-measurement for Class A ordinary shares to redemption amount | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| (1,869,882 | ) | |
| (22,742,160 | ) | |
| (24,612,042 | ) |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Cash paid in excess of fair value for private warrants | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| 1,845,567 | | |
| — | | |
| 1,845,567 | |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Forfeiture of Founder Shares | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| (47,461 | ) | |
| (5 | ) | |
| 5 | | |
| — | | |
| — | |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Net income | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| 4,508,323 | | |
| 4,508,323 | |
Balance — December 31, 2021 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | | |
| 6,852,539 | | |
$ | 685 | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | (18,241,481 | ) | |
$ | (18,240,796 | ) |
The accompanying notes are an integral
part of the financial statements.
FINTECH EVOLUTION ACQUISITION GROUP
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
|
|
For the Year Ended December 31, |
For the
Period
from
December 15,
2020
(Inception)
Through
December 31, |
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss) |
|
$ |
4,508,323 |
|
|
$ |
(7,644 |
) |
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest earned on cash and marketable securities held in Trust Account |
|
|
(111,413 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities |
|
|
(6,613,929 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
Transaction costs allocable to warrant liability |
|
|
547,945 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Unrealized loss on cash and marketable securities held in Trust Account |
|
|
242 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Formation cost paid by Sponsor in exchange for issuance of founder shares |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
7,644 |
|
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prepaid expenses |
|
|
(334,600 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
Advances from related party |
|
|
185,457 |
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable and accrued expenses |
|
|
796,677 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
$ |
(1,021,298 |
) |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash Flows from Investing Activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Investment of cash in Trust Account |
|
$ |
(274,101,580 |
) |
|
$ |
— |
|
Net cash used in investing activities |
|
$ |
(274,101,580 |
) |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash Flows from Financing Activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from sale of Units, net of underwriting discounts paid |
|
$ |
268,619,548 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Proceeds from sale of Private Placement Warrants |
|
|
7,482,032 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Proceeds from promissory note – related party |
|
|
119,285 |
|
|
|
37,500 |
|
Repayment of promissory note – related party |
|
|
(156,785 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
Payment of offering costs |
|
|
(416,185 |
) |
|
|
(37,500 |
) |
Net cash provided by financing activities |
|
$ |
275,647,895 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Change in Cash |
|
$ |
525,017 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Cash – Beginning of period |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Cash – End of period |
|
$ |
525,017 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-Cash investing and financing activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re-measurement for Class A ordinary shares to redemption amount |
|
$ |
24,612,042 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Deferred underwriting fee payable |
|
$ |
9,593,555 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Offering costs included in accrued offering costs |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
5,000 |
|
Offering costs paid by Sponsor in exchange for issuance of founder shares |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
17,356 |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part
of the financial statements.
NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS
OPERATIONS
Organizational and General
FinTech Evolution Acquisition
Group (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on December 15, 2020. The
Company was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar
business combination with one or more businesses (“Business Combination”).
The Company is not limited
to a particular industry or geographic region for purposes of completing a Business Combination. The Company is an early stage and emerging
growth company and, as such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with early stage and emerging growth companies.
As of December 31, 2021, the Company had not commenced
any operations. All activity through December 31, 2021 relates to the Company’s formation, initial public offering (“Initial
Public Offering”), which is described below, and identifying a target company for a Business Combination. The Company will not generate
any operating revenues until after the completion of a Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company generates non-operating income
in the form of interest income from the cash and marketable securities held in the Trust Account.
Financing
The registration statement
for the Company’s Initial Public Offering became effective on March 1, 2021. On March 4, 2021, the Company consummated the Initial
Public Offering of 24,000,000 units (the “Units” and, with respect to the Class A ordinary shares included in the Units being
offered, the “Public Shares), at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $240,000,000 which is described in Note 3.
Simultaneously with the closing
of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of 4,533,334 warrants (the “Private Placement Warrants”)
at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant in a private placement to Fintech Evolution Sponsor LLC (the “Sponsor”),
generating gross proceeds of $6,800,000, which is described in Note 4.
On March 10, 2021, the underwriters
partially exercised their over-allotment option, resulting in an additional 3,410,158 Units issued for an aggregate amount of $34,101,580.
In connection with the underwriters’ partial exercise of their over-allotment option, the Company also consummated the sale of an
additional 454,688 Private Placement Warrants at $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant, generating total proceeds of $682,032.
Transaction costs amounted
to $15,546,628, consisting of $5,482,032 of underwriting fees, net of reimbursement, $9,593,555 of deferred underwriting fees and $471,041
of other offering costs.
Trust Account
Following the closing of the
Initial Public Offering on March 4, 2021 and the underwriters partial exercise of their over-allotment option on March 10, 2021, an amount
of $274,101,580 ($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 Warrants was placed in a trust account (the “Trust Account”), and will be 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 185 days or less, or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund meeting certain
conditions 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 funds in 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 Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward completing a Business Combination.
The Company must complete its initial Business Combination with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal
to at least 80% of the net assets held in the Trust Account (excluding deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest
earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the agreement to enter into a Business Combination. The Company will only complete a Business
Combination if the post-Business Combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the issued and 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. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination.
Initial Business Combination
The Company will provide
its shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination
either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The
decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by
the Company. The shareholders will be entitled to redeem their shares for a pro rata portion of the amount held in the Trust Account (initially
$10.00 per share), calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of a Business Combination, including any pro rata interest
earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations. There will be no
redemption rights upon the completion of a Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants.
If the Company seeks shareholder
approval in connection with a Business Combination, it will complete the Business Combination only if the Company receives an ordinary
resolution under Cayman Islands law approving a Business Combination, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders
who vote at a general meeting of the Company. If a shareholder vote is not required under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements
and the Company does not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons, the Company will, pursuant to its Amended and
Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”), and file tender offer documents containing substantially the same information as would be included in
a proxy statement with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If the Company seeks shareholder approval in connection with
a Business Combination, the Sponsor has agreed to vote its Founder Shares (as defined in Note 5) and any Public Shares purchased in or
after the Initial Public Offering in favor of approving a Business Combination and to waive its redemption rights with respect to any
such shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a Business Combination. However, in no event will the Company redeem its
Public Shares in an amount that would cause its net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon the
consummation of a Business Combination. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem its Public Shares, without voting, and
if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against a proposed Business Combination.
Notwithstanding the foregoing,
if the Company seeks shareholder approval of a Business Combination and it does not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules,
the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association provides that a public shareholder, together with any
affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined
under Section 13 of the 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% of the Public Shares without the Company’s prior written consent.
The Sponsor has agreed (a)
to waive its redemption rights with respect to any Founder 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 Memorandum and Articles of Association (i) to modify
the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of the Public Shares if the Company does not complete a Business
Combination within the Combination Period (as defined below) or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’
rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless the Company provides the public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem
their Public Shares in conjunction with any such amendment.
The Company will have until
March 4, 2023 to complete a Business Combination (the “Combination Period”). If the Company is unable to complete a Business
Combination within the Combination Period, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly
as reasonably possible but no more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding 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 (less up to $100,000 of
interest to pay dissolution expenses and net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares, which redemption
will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions,
if any), and (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining shareholders
and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to its obligations under Cayman Islands law to
provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
The Sponsor has agreed to
waive its liquidation rights with respect to the Founder 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 6) held in the Trust Account in
the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and, in such event, such amounts will be
included with the funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of 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).
The Sponsor has agreed that
it will be liable to the Company, if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company,
or by a prospective target business with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds
in the Trust Account to below (1) $10.00 per Public Share or (2) such lesser amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the
date of the liquidation of the Trust Account due to reductions in the value of trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest
which may be withdrawn to pay taxes. This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of
any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account 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 Sponsors 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 Sponsors
will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than
the Company’s independent public accountants), 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, 2021,
the Company had $525,017 in its operating bank accounts, $274,212,751 in cash and marketable securities held in the Trust Account to be
used for a Business Combination or to repurchase or redeem its ordinary shares in connection therewith and working capital deficit of
$168,350. As of December 31, 2021, $111,171 of the amount on deposit in the Trust Account represented interest income.
Until the consummation of
a Business Combination, the Company will be using the funds not held in the Trust Account for identifying and evaluating prospective acquisition
candidates, performing due diligence on prospective target businesses, paying for travel expenditures, selecting the target business to
merge with or acquire, and structuring, negotiating and consummating the Business Combination.
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 or liquidation. 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 for at least one year from the date that the financial statements are issued. 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.
In connection with the Company’s
assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with ASC Topic 205-40 Presentation of Financial Statements – Going Concern,
the Company has until March 4, 2023, to consummate a Business Combination. If a Business Combination is not consummated by this date and
an extension not requested by the Sponsor, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution of the Company. Although the
Company intends to consummate a Business Combination on or before March 4, 2023, it is uncertain that the Company will be able to consummate
a Business Combination by this time. Management has determined that the mandatory liquidation, should a Business Combination not occur
and an extension is not requested by the Sponsor, and potential subsequent dissolution raises substantial doubt about the Company’s
ability to continue as a going concern. The Company’s plan is to complete a business combination or obtain an extension on or prior
to March 4, 2023, however it is uncertain that the Company will be able to consummate a Business Combination or obtain an extension by
this time. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should the Company be required to liquidate
after March 4, 2023.
NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial
statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”)
and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Risks and Uncertainties
Management continues to evaluate
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a
negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a 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.
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
auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation
in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive
compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1)
of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until
private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class
of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS
Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging
growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period
which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company,
as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard.
This may make comparison of the Company’s financial statement 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 the 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 periods.
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. One of the more significant accounting estimates included in
these financial statements is the determination of the fair value of the warrant liabilities. Such estimates may be subject to change
as more current information becomes available and accordingly the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all
short-term investments with an original maturity of twelve months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have
any cash equivalents as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.
Cash and Marketable Securities Held in Trust
Account
At December 31, 2021, substantially all of the assets held in the Trust Account were held primarily in U.S. Treasury securities. All of the Company’s
investments held in the Trust Account are classified as trading securities. Trading securities are presented on the balance sheet at fair
value at the end of each reporting period. Gains and losses resulting from the change in fair value of investments held in Trust Account
are included in interest earned on marketable securities held in Trust Account in the accompanying statements of operations. The estimated
fair values of investments held in Trust Account are determined using available market information.
Offering Costs
The Company complies with the requirements of the ASC 340-10-S99-1
and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) Topic 5A - “Expenses of Offering”. Offering costs consist principally
of professional and registration fees and other expenses incurred that are directly related to the Initial Public Offering. Offering costs
directly attributable to the issuance of an equity contract to be classified in equity are recorded as a reduction in equity. Offering
costs for equity contracts that are classified as assets and liabilities are expensed immediately. Accordingly, offering costs totaling
$15,546,628, consisting of $5,482,032 of underwriting fees, $9,593,555 of deferred underwriting fees and $471,041 of other offering costs
have been allocated to the separable financial instruments issued in the Initial Public Offering based on a relative fair value basis
compared to total proceeds received. Offering costs associated with warrant liabilities of $547,945 have been expensed and presented as
non-operating expenses in the statements of operations and offering costs of $14,998,683 associated with the Class A ordinary shares were
a reduction to temporary equity.
Warrant Liabilities
The Company accounts for
the Public Warrants (as defined in Note 3) and Private Placement Warrants (together with the Public Warrants, the “Warrants”)as
either equity-classified or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the warrant’s specific terms and applicable
authoritative guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”)
480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (“ASC 480”) and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). The
assessment considers whether the warrants are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, meet the definition of a liability
pursuant to ASC 480, and whether the warrants meet all of the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether
the warrants are indexed to the Company’s own ordinary shares, among other conditions for equity classification. This assessment,
which requires the use of professional judgment, is conducted at the time of warrant issuance and as of each subsequent quarterly period
end date while the warrants are outstanding.
For issued or modified warrants
that meet all of the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded as a component of additional paid-in
capital at the time of issuance. For issued or modified warrants that do not meet all the criteria for equity classification, the warrants
are required to be recorded at their initial fair value on the date of issuance, and each balance sheets date thereafter. Changes in the
estimated fair value of the warrants are recognized as a non-cash gain or loss on the statements of operations. The Private Placement
Warrants were initially valued using a Modified Black Scholes Option Pricing Model. An Option Pricing Method was used in estimating the
fair value of the Public Warrants for periods where no observable traded price was available. For periods subsequent to the detachment
of the Public Warrants from the Units, the close price of the Public Warrant price was used as the fair value as of each relevant date.
Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible
Redemption
The Company accounts for
its Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC 480. Class A ordinary shares subject
to mandatory redemption are classified as a liability instrument and are measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable ordinary shares
(including ordinary shares that feature redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon
the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) are classified as temporary equity. At all other times,
ordinary shares are classified as shareholders’ equity. The Company’s Class A ordinary shares feature 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, 2021, Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption are presented as temporary equity, outside of the shareholders’
equity section of the Company’s balance sheets.
The Company recognizes changes in redemption value immediately as they
occur and adjusts the carrying value of redeemable ordinary shares to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period.
Immediately upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company recognized the remeasurement from initial book value to redemption
amount value. The change in the carrying value of redeemable Class A ordinary shares resulted in charges against additional paid-in capital
and accumulated deficit.
At December 31, 2021, the Class A ordinary shares subject to possible
redemption reflected in the balance sheet are reconciled in the following table:
Gross proceeds | |
$ | 274,101,580 | |
Less: | |
| | |
Proceeds allocated to Public Warrants | |
$ | (9,502,188 | ) |
Class A ordinary shares issuance costs | |
| (14,998,683 | ) |
Plus: | |
| | |
Re-measurement of carrying value to redemption value | |
$ | 24,612,042 | |
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption | |
$ | 274,212,751 | |
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that
potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash accounts in a financial institution, which, at times
may exceed the Federal Depository Insurance Coverage of $250,000. The Company has not experienced losses on these accounts.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for
income taxes under ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes,” which 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’s
management determined that the Cayman Islands is the Company’s major tax jurisdiction. The Company recognizes accrued interest and
penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, there were no unrecognized tax
benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties. 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 considered
to be an exempted Cayman Islands company with no connection to any other taxable jurisdiction and is presently not subject to income taxes
or income tax filing requirements in the Cayman Islands or the United States. As such, the Company’s tax provision was zero for
the period presented.
Net Income (Loss) per Ordinary Share
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of
FASB ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share”. Net income (loss) per ordinary share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by
the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding for the period. The Company applies the two-class method in calculating income
(loss) per common share. This presentation contemplates a Business Combination as the most likely outcome, in which case, both classes
of ordinary shares share pro rata in the income (loss) of the Company. Remeasurement associated with the redeemable Class A ordinary shares
is excluded from income (loss) per ordinary share as the redemption value approximates fair value.
The calculation of diluted
income (loss) per ordinary share does not consider the effect of the warrants issued in connection with the (i) Initial Public Offering,
and (ii) the private placement since the exercise of the warrants is contingent upon the occurrence of future events. The warrants are
exercisable to purchase 14,124,741 Class A ordinary shares in the aggregate. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company did not have
any dilutive securities or other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into ordinary shares and then share in the
earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted net income (loss) per ordinary share is the same as basic net income (loss) per ordinary
share for the periods presented.
| |
Year Ended
December 31,
2021 | | |
For the Period from
December 15, 2020
(Inception) Through
December 31, 2020 | |
| |
Class A | | |
Class B | | |
Class A | | |
Class B | |
Basic net income (loss) per ordinary share | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| |
Numerator: | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| |
Allocation of net income (loss), as adjusted | |
$ | 3,477,580 | | |
$ | 1,030,743 | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | (7,644 | ) |
Denominator: | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Basic weighted average shares outstanding | |
| 22,623,032 | | |
| 6,705,388 | | |
| — | | |
| 6,000,000 | |
Basic net income (loss) per ordinary share | |
$ | 0.15 | | |
$ | 0.15 | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | (0.00 | ) |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s
assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurement,” approximates
the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheets, primarily due to their short-term nature, except for warrant liabilities
(see Note 9).
Fair Value Measurements
Fair value is defined as
the price that would be received for sale of an asset or paid for transfer of a liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants
at the measurement date. GAAP establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value.
The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements)
and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). These tiers include:
|
● |
Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical instruments in active markets; |
|
|
|
|
● |
Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and |
|
|
|
|
● |
Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions, such as valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable. |
In some circumstances, the
inputs used to measure fair value might be categorized within different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In those instances, the fair
value measurement is categorized in its entirety in the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level input that is significant to the
fair value measurement.
Derivative Financial Instruments
The Company evaluates its
financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives in accordance
with ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging”. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities,
the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value on the grant date and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with
changes in the fair value reported in the statements of operations. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such
instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative liabilities are
classified in the balance sheets as current or non-current based on whether or not net-cash settlement or conversion of the instrument
could be required within 12 months of the balance sheets date.
The grant of the Founders Shares is in the scope of FASB ASC Topic
718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation” (“ASC 718”). Under ASC 718, stock-based compensation associated
with equity-classified awards is measured at fair value upon the grant date. The Founders Shares were granted subject to a performance
condition (i.e., the occurrence of a Business Combination). Compensation expense related to the Founders Shares is recognized only when
the performance condition is probable of occurrence under the applicable accounting literature in this circumstance. As of December 31,
2021, the Company determined that a Business Combination is not considered probable, and, therefore, no stock-based compensation expense
has been recognized. Stock-based compensation would be recognized at the date a Business Combination is considered probable (i.e., upon
consummation of a Business Combination) in an amount equal to the number of Founders Shares times the grant date fair value per share
(unless subsequently modified).
Recent Accounting Standards
In August 2020, the FASB
issued ASU No. 2020-06, “Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts
in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity”
(“ASU 2020-06”), which simplifies accounting for convertible instruments by removing major separation models required under
current GAAP. ASU 2020-06 removes certain settlement conditions that are required for equity contracts to qualify for the derivative scope
exception and it also simplifies the diluted earnings per share calculation in certain areas. ASU 2020-06 is effective for fiscal
years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The
Company is currently assessing the impact, if any, that ASU 2020-06 would have on its financial position, results of operations or cash
flows.
Management does not believe
that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the
Company’s financial statements.
NOTE 3. PUBLIC OFFERING
Pursuant to the Initial Public
Offering, the Company sold 27,410,158 Units, inclusive of 3,410,158 Units sold to the underwriters on March 10, 2021 upon the underwriter’s
election to partially exercise their over-allotment option at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one Class
A ordinary share and one-third of one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”). Each whole Public Warrant entitles the holder
to purchase one Class A ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment (see Note 6).
NOTE 4. PRIVATE PLACEMENT
Simultaneously with the closing
of the Initial Public Offering, the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 4,533,334 Private Placement Warrants at a price of $1.50
per Private Placement Warrant, for an aggregate purchase price of $6,800,000 from the Company in a private placement. The Sponsor has
agreed to purchase up to an additional 480,000 Private Placement Warrants, at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant, or $720,000
in the aggregate, if the over-allotment option is exercised in full or in part by the underwriters. On March 10, 2021, in connection with
the underwriters’ election to partially exercise their over-allotment option, the Company sold an additional 454,688 Private Placement
Warrants to the Sponsor, at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant, generating gross proceeds of $682,032. Each Private Placement
Warrant is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share. A portion of the proceeds from the Private
Placement Warrants 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 of the sale of the Private Placement Warrants will be used to fund
the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the Private Placement Warrants will expire worthless.
NOTE 5. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Founder Shares
In December 2020, the Sponsor
paid $25,000 to cover certain offering and formation costs of the Company in consideration for 5,750,000 Class B ordinary shares (the
“Founder Shares”). On March 1, 2021, the Company effected a share dividend of 0.2 shares for each Class B ordinary share outstanding,
resulting in an aggregate of 6,900,000 Founder Shares outstanding. On March 10, 2021, following the underwriters’ election to partially
exercise their over-allotment option and to waive their right to exercise the balance of such option, 47,461 Class B ordinary shares were
returned by the Sponsor to the Company for no consideration and cancelled because the underwriters’ over-allotment option was not
exercised in full. As a result of the aforementioned dividend and forfeiture, the Sponsor beneficially owns 20% of the Company’s
issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering.
The Sponsor has agreed to
certain transfer restrictions and performance conditionality on its Founder Shares:
| ● | 50% of the Founder Shares and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion thereof held by the Sponsor shall not be transferred, assigned or sold except to certain permitted transferees 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 reported sale price of the Class A ordinary shares 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, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction after a Business Combination that results in all of the public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property; |
| | |
| ● | 25% of the Founder Shares and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion thereof held by the Sponsor shall not be transferred, assigned or sold except to certain permitted transferees unless and until the last sale price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share consolidations, share capitalizations, rights issuances, 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; and |
| | |
| ● | 25% of the Founder Shares and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion thereof held by the Sponsor shall not be transferred, assigned or sold except to certain permitted transferees unless and until the last sale price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $15.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share consolidations, share capitalizations, rights issuances, 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. |
In February 2021, the Sponsor
granted 90,000 Founder Shares to three of the Company’s directors. In addition, in March 2021, the Sponsor granted 105,000 Founder
Shares to three consultants. The grant of the Founders Shares is in the scope of FASB ASC Topic 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation”
(“ASC 718”). Under ASC 718, stock-based compensation associated with equity-classified awards is measured at fair
value upon the grant date.
The allocation of Founders
Shares to the Company’s directors and consultants, as described above, is within the scope of FASB ASC Topic 718, “Compensation-Stock
Compensation” (ASC 718”). Under ASC 718, stock-based compensation associated with equity-classified awards is measured at
fair value upon the grant date. The fair value of the 90,000 shares granted to the Company’s directors was $628,200 or $6.98 per
share. The fair value of the 105,000 shares allocated to the consultants totaled $755,300 which consisted of $243,600 for the 35,000 shares
granted on February 1, 2021, or $6.96 per share, and $511,700 for the 70,000 shares granted on March 22, 2021, or $7.31 per share. The
Founders Shares were granted subject to a performance condition (i.e., the occurrence of a Business Combination). Compensation expense
related to the Founders Shares is recognized only when the performance condition is probable of occurrence under the applicable accounting
literature in this circumstance. Stock-based compensation would be recognized at the date a Business Combination is considered probable
in an amount equal to the number of Founders Shares times the grant date fair value per share (unless subsequently modified).
Promissory Note — Related Party
On December 30, 2020, the Company
issued an unsecured promissory note to the Sponsor (the “Promissory Note”), pursuant to which the Company could borrow up
to an aggregate principal amount of $300,000. The Promissory Note was non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of (i) September
30, 2021 or (i) the consummation of the Initial Public Offering. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, there was $0 and $37,500, respectively,
outstanding under the Promissory Note. Borrowings under the Promissory Note are no longer available.
Related Party Loans
In order to finance transaction
costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the initial stockholders or certain of the Company’s
directors and officers 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 out of the proceeds of the Trust Account
released to the Company. 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 $1,500,000 of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-Business Combination entity at
a price of $1.50 per warrant. The warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, there
are no amounts outstanding under the Working Capital Loans.
Advances from Related
Party and Due to Sponsor
The Sponsor paid for certain
operating costs on behalf of the Company amounting to $185,457 and $0 as of December 31, 2021, and December 31, 2020, respectively. The
advances are non-interest bearing and are due on demand.
NOTE 6. COMMITMENTS
Registration Rights
Pursuant to a registration
rights agreement entered into on March 1, 2021, the holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants, and warrants that may be
issued upon conversion of the Working Capital Loans (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement
Warrants or warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans and upon conversion of the Founder Shares) 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 ordinary shares). The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that
the Company register such securities. 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. In addition, if the Sponsor affiliates acquire Units in the
Initial Public Offering, they would become affiliates (as defined in the Securities Act) of the Company following the Initial Public Offering,
and the Company would file a registration statement following the Initial Public Offering to register the resale of the Units (including
the Class A ordinary shares and warrants included in the Units) purchased by the Sponsor affiliates (or their nominees) in the Initial
Public Offering. The Sponsor affiliates will not be subject to any lock-up period with respect to any Units they may purchase. The registration
rights agreement does not contain liquidating damages or other cash settlement provisions resulting from delays in registering the Company’s
securities. 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 to purchase up to 3,600,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments at the Initial Public Offering price, less the underwriting
discounts and commissions. On March 10, 2021, the underwriters elected to partially exercise their over-allotment option to purchase an
additional 3,410,158 Units and the forfeited their option to purchase an additional 189,842 units, the associated value of which was deemed
immaterial.
The underwriters are entitled
to a deferred fee of $0.35 per Unit, or $9,593,555 in the aggregate after giving effect to the underwriters’ election to
partially exercise their over-allotment option. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the
Trust Account solely in the event that the Company completes a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
NOTE 7. STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY
Preference Shares
— The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 preference shares 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, 2021 and 2020, there were no preference shares issued or outstanding.
Class A Ordinary Shares
— The Company is authorized to issue 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of
Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. As of December 31, 2021, there were 27,410,158 Class A ordinary
shares issued or outstanding, which are subject to possible redemption and presented as temporary equity. At December 31, 2020, there
were no Class A ordinary shares issued or outstanding.
Class B Ordinary
Shares — The Company is authorized to issue 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, with a par value of $0.0001
per share. Holders of the Class B ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, there
were 6,852,539 and 6,900,000, respectively, Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding.
Only holders of the Class
B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the election of directors prior to the Business Combination. Holders of Class A ordinary
shares and holders of Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all other matters submitted to a vote of the Company’s
shareholders except as otherwise required by law.
The Founder Shares will automatically
convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of the Business Combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment. In the case
that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in the
Initial Public Offering and related to the closing of the Business Combination, the ratio at which Class B ordinary shares shall convert
into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares
agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary
shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the sum of all ordinary shares issued
and outstanding upon completion of the Initial Public Offering plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or
deemed issued in connection with the Business Combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to
any seller in the Business Combination and any private placement-equivalent warrants issued to the Sponsor or its affiliates upon conversion
of loans made to the Company). Holders of Founder Shares may also elect to convert their Class B ordinary shares into an equal number
of Class A ordinary shares, subject to adjustment as provided above, at any time.
NOTE 8. WARRANT LIABILITIES
As of December 31, 2021,
there are 9,136,719 Public Warrants and 4,988,022 Private Placement Warrants outstanding. As of December 31, 2020, there were no Public
Warrants and Private Placement Warrants outstanding.
Public Warrants may only
be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the Public Warrants. The Public Warrants
will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination. The Public Warrants will expire five years from the completion
of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
The Company will not be obligated
to deliver any Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of a Public Warrant and will have no obligation to settle such Public
Warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants
is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to the Company satisfying its obligations with respect to registration.
No warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and the Company 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 is available.
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, the Company will use
its best efforts to file, and within 60 business days following the Business Combination to have declared effective, a registration statement
covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants. The Company will use its best 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. No warrants will be exercisable for cash unless
the Company has an effective and current registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants
and a current prospectus relating to such Class A ordinary shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering
the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective prior to the expiration of the warrants, warrant holders
may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company shall have failed to maintain
an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the
Securities Act, provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not
be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. Notwithstanding the above, if the Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any
exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security”
under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its option, require holders of Public Warrants who exercise their warrants
to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event the Company so elects,
the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event the Company does not so elect,
the Company will use its best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not
available.
Once the warrants become
exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding Public Warrants (except with respect to the Private Placement Warrants):
| ● | in whole and not in part; |
| | |
| ● | upon not less than of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder; and |
| | |
| ● | at a price of $0.01 per warrant, if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equal or exceed $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share consolidations, share capitalizations, rights issuances, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date the Company sends to the notice of redemption to the warrant holders; and |
| | |
| ● | at a price of $0.10 per warrant, if, and only if, the last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share consolidations, share capitalizations, rights issuances, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
If
and when the warrants become redeemable by the Company, the Company may not exercise its redemption right if the issuance of shares upon
exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or the Company is unable
to effect such registration or qualification.
The exercise price and number
of ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a
share dividend, extraordinary dividend or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, except as described below,
the Public Warrants will not be adjusted for issuances of ordinary shares at a price below its exercise price. Additionally, in no event
will the Company be required to net cash settle the Public 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 Public Warrants will not receive any
of such funds with respect to their Public Warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside
of the Trust Account with respect to such Public Warrants. Accordingly, the Public Warrants may expire worthless.
In addition, if (x) the Company
issues additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of a
Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per Class A ordinary share (with such issue price or
effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the 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 its Class A ordinary shares during
the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company consummates its 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 being sold in the Initial Public Offering, except that the Private Placement
Warrants and the Class A ordinary shares upon the exercise of 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 will be exercisable on a cashless basis and be non-redeemable, except as described above, so long as they are held by the initial
purchasers or their permitted transferees. 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 and exercisable by such holders on the same
basis as the Public Warrants.
NOTE 9. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
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, 2021,
and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation inputs the Company utilized to determine such fair value:
Description | |
Level | |
December 31, 2021 | |
Assets: | |
| |
| |
Marketable securities held in Trust Account | |
1 | |
$ | 274,212,751 | |
| |
| |
| | |
Liabilities: | |
| |
| | |
Warrant liabilities – Public Warrants | |
1 | |
$ | 5,482,031 | |
Warrant liabilities – Private Placement Warrants | |
3 | |
| 3,042,693 | |
The Warrants are accounted
for as liabilities in accordance with ASC 815-40 and are presented within warrant liabilities in the accompanying balance sheets. 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 statements of operations.
The Private Placement Warrants were initially valued using a Modified
Black Scholes Option Pricing Model, and which is considered to be a Level 3 fair value measurement. The Modified Black Scholes model’s
primary unobservable input utilized in determining the fair value of the Private Placement Warrants is the expected volatility of the
ordinary shares. 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 expected volatility as of subsequent valuation dates
was implied from the Company’s own public warrant pricing. An Option Pricing Method was subsequently used in estimating the fair
value of the Public Warrants for periods where no observable traded price was available, using the same expected volatility as was used
in measuring the fair value of the Private Placement Warrants. For periods subsequent to the detachment of the Public Warrants from the
Units, the close price of the Public Warrant price was used as the fair value as of each relevant date. The measurement 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.
The key inputs for the Warrants
were as follows:
|
|
March 8, 2021
(Initial Measurement) |
|
|
December 31,
2021 |
|
Input |
|
Public
Warrants |
|
|
Private
Warrants |
|
|
Private
Warrants |
|
Market price of public shares |
|
$ |
9.65 |
|
|
$ |
9.65 |
|
|
$ |
9.72 |
|
Risk-free rate |
|
|
1.27 |
% |
|
|
1.27 |
% |
|
|
1.36 |
% |
Dividend yield |
|
|
0.00 |
% |
|
|
0.00 |
% |
|
|
0.00 |
% |
Exercise price |
|
$ |
11.50 |
|
|
$ |
11.50 |
|
|
$ |
11.50 |
|
Volatility |
|
|
18.0 |
% |
|
|
18.0 |
% |
|
|
11.5 |
% |
Years to expiration |
|
|
5.00 |
|
|
|
5.00 |
|
|
|
5.00 |
|
The following table presents
the changes in the fair value of Level 3 warrant liabilities:
|
|
Private Placement |
|
|
Public |
|
|
Warrant Liabilities |
|
Fair value as of January 1, 2021 |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Initial measurement on March 4, 2021 |
|
|
5,636,465 |
|
|
|
9,502,188 |
|
|
|
15,138,653 |
|
Change in fair value |
|
|
(2,593,772 |
) |
|
|
(4,020,157 |
) |
|
|
(6,613,929 |
) |
Transfer to Level 1 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(5,482,031 |
) |
|
|
(5,482,031 |
) |
Fair value as of December 31, 2021 |
|
$ |
3,042,693 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
3,042,693 |
|
Transfers to/from Levels 1, 2
and 3 are recognized at the end of the reporting period in which a change in valuation technique or methodology occurs. The estimated
fair value of the Public Warrants transferred from a Level 3 measurement to a Level 1 fair value measurement during the year ended December
31, 2021 was approximately $5.5 million as the fair value was based upon an observable market price. There were no transfers to/from Levels
1, 2 and 3 during the year ended December 31, 2021.
NOTE 10. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions
that occurred after the balance sheet date up to the date that the financial statements were issued. Based upon this review, the Company
did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No. |
|
Description |
|
|
|
1.1 |
|
Underwriting Agreement, dated March 1, 2021, by and between the Company and UBS Securities LLC. (3) |
3.1 |
|
Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association. (3) |
4.1 |
|
Specimen Unit Certificate. (2) |
4.2 |
|
Specimen Class A Ordinary Share Certificate. (2) |
4.3 |
|
Specimen Warrant Certificate. (2) |
4.4 |
|
Warrant Agreement, dated March 1, 2021, by and between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant (3). |
4.5 |
|
Description of Registered Securities.* |
10.1 |
|
Promissory Note, dated as of December 30, 2020 issued to Fintech Evolution Sponsor LLC. (1) |
10.2 |
|
Letter Agreement, dated March 1, 2021, among the Registrant, its officers and directors and Fintech Evolution Sponsor LLC. (3) |
10.3 |
|
Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated March 1, 2021, between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant. (3) |
10.4 |
|
Registration Rights Agreement, dated March 1, 2021, between the Registrant and certain security holders. (3) |
10.5 |
|
Securities Subscription Agreement, dated December 30, 2020, between the Registrant and Fintech Evolution Sponsor LLC. (1) |
10.6 |
|
Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement, dated March 1, 2021, between the Registrant and Fintech Evolution Sponsor LLC. (3) |
10.7 |
|
Form of Indemnity Agreement. (2) |
14 |
|
Code of Ethics (2) |
31.1 |
|
Certification of the Principal Executive Officer required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a).* |
31.2 |
|
Certification of the Principal Financial Officer required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a).* |
32.1 |
|
Certification of the Principal Executive Officer required by Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) and 18 U.S.C. 1350** |
32.2 |
|
Certification of the Principal Financial Officer required by Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) and 18 U.S.C. 1350** |
101.INS |
|
Inline XBRL Instance Document* |
101.SCH |
|
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.* |
101.CAL |
|
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.* |
101.DEF |
|
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.* |
101.LAB |
|
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.* |
101.PRE |
|
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.* |
104 |
|
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101). |
* |
Filed herewith. |
** |
Furnished herewith |
(1) |
Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form S-1, filed with the SEC on February 11, 2021. |
(2) |
Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form S-1/A, filed with the SEC on February 23, 2021. |
(3) |
Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on March 5, 2021. |
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.
April
1, 2022 |
FINTECH EVOLUTION ACQUISITION GROUP |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Rohit Bhagat |
|
Name: |
Rohit Bhagat |
|
Title: |
Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
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.
Name |
|
Position |
|
Date |
|
|
|
/s/
Rohit Bhagat |
|
Chief
Executive Officer and Director |
|
April
1, 2022 |
Rohit
Bhagat |
|
(Principal
Executive Officer) |
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Michael Latham |
|
Chief
Operating Officer and Director |
|
April
1, 2022 |
Michael
Latham |
|
(Principal
Financial and Accounting Officer) |
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Charles Goldman |
|
Non-Executive
Chairman of the Board/Director |
|
April
1, 2022 |
Charles
Goldman |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Chris Gaertner |
|
Director |
|
April
1, 2022 |
Chris
Gaertner |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Cary Grace |
|
Director |
|
April
1, 2022 |
Cary
Grace |
|
|
|
|
40
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