UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 10-K

FORM 10-K/A

(Amendment No. 1)

 

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

 

For the fiscal year endedFiscal Year Ended December 31, 20192020

or

 

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

 

For the transition period from _____ to _____

 

Commission file number:File Number: 001-39139

 

Software Acquisition Group Inc.

CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware 84-1797523

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

1980 Festival Plaza Drive, Ste. 300

Las Vegas, Nevada

 89135(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)Identification Number)
8484 Georgia Ave., Suite 700
Silver Spring, Maryland20910
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

(301) 755-2050

(Registrant’s telephone number: 310-991-4982number, including area code)

 

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

 

Title of Each Classeach class Trading Symbol(s) Name of Each Exchangeexchange on Which Registeredwhich registered
Units, each consisting of one share of Class A Common Stock and one half of one redeemable WarrantSAQNUThe Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share SAQNCURI The Nasdaq Stock Market LLCNASDAQ
Redeemable Warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A Common Stockstock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share SAQNWCURIW The Nasdaq Stock Market LLCNASDAQ

 

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 such files). Yes ☒  No ☐

 

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

 

Large accelerated filerAccelerated filer
Non-accelerated filerSmaller 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

 

As of June 30, 2019,2020, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the registrant’s securities were not publicly traded. The registrant’s units began trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market on November 20, 2019 and the registrant’s shares of Class A common stock and warrants began trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market on January 6, 2020. The aggregate market value of the Class Avoting and non-voting common stock outstanding, other than shares held by persons who may be deemed affiliates of the registrant,non-affiliates, computed by reference to the closing sales price for the Class A common stock on March 19, 2020, asof $10.05 reported on theThe Nasdaq Capital Market, was approximately $144,267,500.$150.2 million.

As of May 5, 2021, there were 52,565,276 shares of the registrant’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, issued and outstanding.

 

As of March 20, 2020, there were 14,950,000 shares of Class A common stock and 3,737,500 shares of Class B common stock of the registrant issued and outstanding.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to its annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2021 (the “2021 Annual Meeting”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 29, 2021, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A to the extent stated herein. Except with respect to information specifically incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, such proxy statement is not deemed to be filed as part hereof.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

CuriosityStream Inc. (the “Company”) is filing this amended Form 10-K/A (“Form 10-K/A”) to amend our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 31, 2021 (“Original Report”), to restate our consolidated financial statements and related footnote disclosures as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and for the years then ended. This Form 10-K/A also amends certain other Items in the Original Report, as listed in “Items Amended in this Form 10-K/A” below.

Restatement Background

On April 12, 2021, the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) issued a public statement entitled “Staff Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”)” (the “SEC Staff Statement”). In the SEC Staff Statement, the SEC staff expressed its view that certain terms and conditions common to SPAC warrants may require the warrants to be classified as liabilities on the balance sheet as opposed to equity.

On May 3, 2021, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, following the recommendation of the Audit Committee of the Board in response to the SEC Staff Statement, and after discussion with its independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP, its valuation firm and its legal advisors, concluded that the Original Report should be restated to reflect the impact of this guidance by the SEC staff and accordingly, should no longer be relied upon. Similarly, any previously furnished or filed reports, related earnings releases, investor presentations or similar communications of the Company describing the Company’s financial results contained in the Original Report should no longer be relied upon.

After considering the SEC Staff Statement providing additional guidance for warrants issued by SPACs, the Company re-evaluated its historical accounting for its warrants and concluded it must amend the accounting treatment of the private placement warrants (the “Private Placement Warrants”) issued to Software Acquisition Holdings LLC, the former sponsor of Software Acquisition Group Inc. (“SAQN”), in connection with a private placement that closed concurrently with the initial public offering of SAQN, and recorded in the Company’s consolidated financial statements as a result of the business combination between SAQN and CuriosityStream Operating Inc. (formerly named CuriosityStream Inc.) (the “Merger”) and the reverse recapitalization that occurred on October 14, 2020. At that time, the Private Placement Warrants were presented within equity and did not impact any reporting periods prior to the Merger.

Based on the Company’s reassessment, it determined that the Private Placement Warrants should have been classified as liabilities measured at fair value on the closing date of the Merger, with subsequent changes in fair value reported in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations each reporting period. The Company has also concluded that a portion of the transaction costs which directly related to the Merger, which were previously charged to shareholders’ equity (deficit), should be allocated to the warrant liability based on their relative fair value to the total fair value of the Private Placement Warrants and other equity securities issued by the Company in connection with the Merger, and recognized as transaction costs in the statement of operations. As part of this restatement, the Company is also correcting certain other immaterial items that were previously recorded during the year ended December 31, 2020 that should have been reflected in the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019.

In connection with the restatement, management has re-evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020. Management has concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting were not effective as of December 31, 2020, due to a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting related to the accounting for the Private Placement Warrants. For a discussion of management’s consideration of our disclosure controls and procedures, internal controls over financial reporting, and the material weakness identified, see Part II, Item 9A, “Controls and Procedures” of this Form 10-K/A.

In accordance with Rule 12b-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), Item 1A, Risk Factors, is hereby amended to add additional risk factors, and Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of the Original Report are hereby amended and restated in their entirety.

 

 

 

Items Amended in this Form 10-K/A

This Form 10-K/A presents the Original Report, amended and restated with modifications as necessary to reflect the restatement. The following items have been amended to reflect the restatement:

Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors

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

Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Part II, Item 9A. Controls and Procedures

In addition, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer have provided new certifications dated as of the date of this filing in connection with this Form 10-K/A (Exhibits 32.1 and 32.2).

Except as described above, this Form 10-K/A does not amend, update or change any other items or disclosures in the Original Report and does not purport to reflect any information or events subsequent to the filing thereof. As such, this Form 10-K/A speaks only as of the date the Original Report was filed, and we have not undertaken herein to amend, supplement or update any information contained in the Original Report to give effect to any subsequent events. Accordingly, this Form 10-K/A should be read in conjunction with our filings made with the SEC subsequent to the filing of the Original Report, including any amendment to those filings.

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

CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  PAGEPage
PART I  
Item 1.Business15
Item 1A.Risk Factors (as restated)1310
Item 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments3435
Item 2.Properties3435
Item 3.Legal Proceedings3435
Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures3435
   
PART II  
Item 5.Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities3536
Item 6.Selected Financial Data3536
Item 7.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (as restated)3637
Item 7A.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk3945
Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data (as restated)39F-1
Item 9.Changes in and Disagreements withWith Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure3946
Item 9A.Controls and Procedures (as restated)3946
Item 9B.Other Information3946
   
PART III  
Item 10.Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance4047
Item 11.Executive Compensation4447
Item 12.Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters4447
Item 13.Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence4647
Item 14.Principal Accounting Fees and Services47
   
PART IV  
Item 15.Exhibits, and Financial Statement Schedules4848
Item 16.16Form 10-K10-K/A Summary4849

 

i

 

 

Part I

CERTAIN DEFINED TERMS

Each of the terms the “Company,” “we,” “our,” “us,” and similar terms used herein refer collectively to CuriosityStream Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise stated.

In this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, unless otherwise stated or unless the context otherwise requires:

“App Services” means applications developed for iOS, Android, streaming media player and smart tv operating systems.

“Board” means the board of directors of the Company.

“Bundled MVPD Business” refers to our ability to convey a broad scope of rights, including 24/7 “linear” channels, on-demand content library, mobile rights and/or pricing and packaging flexibility, in exchange for an annual fixed fee or fee per subscriber as part of a multi-year agreement.

“Bundled MVPD Partners” means affiliate relationships with MVPDs, broadband and wireless companies in the U.S. and international territories.

“Business Combination” means the acquisitions and transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.

“Bylaws” means the Amended and Restated Bylaws of CuriosityStream Inc.

“Charter” means the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of CuriosityStream Inc.

“Common Stock” means the Common Stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share.

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

“CSR” means corporate and social responsibility.

“Legacy CuriosityStream” means Curiosity Inc., a Delaware corporation (formerly named CuriosityStream Operating Inc., and prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, CuriosityStream Inc.).

“DGCL” means the Delaware General Corporation Law.

“Direct Service” or “Direct Business” means App Services together with O&O Service.

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied, as in effect from time to time.

“IPO” means the SAQN’s initial public offering of Units consummated on November 22, 2019.

“JOBS Act” means the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, as amended.

“LIBOR” means the London Interbank Offered Rate.

“Merger” means the merger of Merger Sub with and into Legacy CuriosityStream.

“Merger Sub” means CS Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

“MVPDs” means multichannel video programming distributors.

“NASDAQ” means The Nasdaq Capital Market.

“O&O Service” means our owned and operated website.

“Omnibus Incentive Plan” means our 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan.


“Partner Direct Service” or “Partner Direct Business” means, collectively, MVPDs that include Comcast, Cox, Dish and NCTC and vMVPDs and digital distributors that include Amazon Prime Video Channels, Roku Channels, Sling TV and YouTube TV.

“PIPE” means the issuance and sale to the PIPE Investors, an aggregate of 2,500,000 shares of Common Stock for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000,000 pursuant to Subscription Agreements between the Company and the PIPE Investors.

“PIPE Investors” means certain third-party investors in the PIPE.

“PIPE Warrants” means the 353,000 warrants issued to PIPE Investors in connection with our Business Combination.

“Private Placement Warrants” means the 3,676,000 warrants issued to Software Acquisition Holdings LLC in a private placement that closed concurrently with our IPO.

“Program Sales Business” means CuriosityStream’s program sales.

“Public Warrants” means the 7,475,000 warrants sold as part of the Units in the IPO.

“SAQN” means Software Acquisition Group Inc. prior to the consummation of the Business Combination.

“Sarbanes-Oxley Act” means the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended.

“SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

“Sponsor” means the Company’s former sponsor, Software Acquisition Group LLC.

“Sponsorship & Advertising Business” means the Company developing integrated digital brand partnerships.

“SVoD” means subscription video on-demand.

“Trust Account” means the trust account established in connection with the IPO.

“Units” means the units of SAQN, each consisting of one share of Common Stock and one-half of one Warrant, with each such Public Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one share of Common Stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to certain adjustments. On October 14, 2020, the Company’s Common Stock and Public Warrants were listed on NASDAQ under the new trading symbols of “CURI” and “CURIW,” respectively, and all of SAQN’s units separated into their component parts of (i) one share of Common Stock and (ii) one-half (1/2) of one warrant and ceased trading on NASDAQ.

“vMVPDs” means virtual MVPDs.

“Warrants” means the Private Placement Warrants, the PIPE Warrants and Public Warrants.


CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This report, including, without limitation,Annual Report on Form 10-K/A contains certain forward-looking statements. All statements, underother than statements of present or historical fact included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, regarding the heading “Management’s DiscussionCompany’s future financial performance, as well as the Company’s strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues, and Analysislosses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” includesmanagement are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, includingstatements. When used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, the words “believes,“could,“estimates,“should,“anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,“will,” “may,” “will,“believe,“potential,“anticipate,“projects,“intend,“predicts,“estimate,“continue,“expect,or “should,“project,or, in each case, theirthe negative orof such terms and other variations or comparable terminology. There can be no assurance that actual results willsimilar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not materially differ from expectations. Suchall forward-looking 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.contain such identifying words. These forward-looking 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 officersand assumptions about future events 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;

our pool of prospective target businesses;

failure to maintain the listing on, or the delisting of our securities from, Nasdaq or an inability to have our securities listed on Nasdaq or another national securities exchange following our initial business combination;

the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential investment 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 ourcurrently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. The Company cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company, incident to its business.

These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, and current expectations, forecasts and beliefs concerning future developmentsassumptions, 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 (someand uncertainties. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of which are beyond our control)any subsequent date, and other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but arethe Company does not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or shouldundertake 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 to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. These risks and others described under “Risk Factors” may not be exhaustive.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and developments in the industry in which we operate may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-lookingForward-looking statements contained in this report. In addition, even if our results or operations, financial condition and liquidity, and developments inAnnual Report on Form 10-K/A include, but are not limited to, statements about the industry in which we operate are consistent withability of the forward-looking statements contained in this report, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods.

ii

Unless otherwise stated in this report, or the context otherwise requires, referencesCompany to:

 

·“we,” “us,” “company” or “our company” are to Software Acquisition Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation;attract and retain sponsors;

 

·“common stock” are to our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock, collectively;effectively market for online sponsorship;

 

·“founder shares” are to shares of our Class B common stock initially purchased by our sponsoranticipate trends in a private placement prior to our initial public offering, and the shares of our Class A common stock issued upon the conversion thereof as described herein;video consumption;

 

·“initial stockholders” are to our sponsorsignificantly increase its subscriber base and any other holders of our founder shares (or their permitted transferees);retain subscribers;

 

·“management”increase its subscriber hours

compete for subscribers and sponsorship spending with other content services;

meet future liquidity requirements and comply with restrictive covenants related to long-term indebtedness;

continue operating under existing laws and licensing regimes;

license content at favorable rates;

anticipate the uncertainties inherent in the development of new business lines and business strategies;

retain and hire necessary employees;

increase brand awareness;

expand its ecosystem with third-party and proprietary devices;

attract, train and retain effective officers, key employees or our “management team” are to our officers and directors;

 

·“private placement warrants” are to the warrants issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering;upgrade and maintain information technology systems;

 

·“public shares” are to shares of our Class A common stock sold as part of the units in our initial public offering (whether they were purchased in such offering or thereafter in the open market);acquire and protect intellectual property;

 

·“public stockholders” areeffectively respond to the holders of our public shares, including our initial stockholdersgeneral economic and management team to the extent our initial stockholders and/or members of our management team purchase public shares, provided that each initial stockholder’s and member of our management team’s status as a “public stockholder” shall only exist with respect to such public shares;business conditions;

 

·“public warrants” are to our redeemable warrants sold as part ofmaintain the units in our initial public offering (whether they were purchased in our initial public offering or thereafter inlisting on the open market) and to any private placement warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans that are sold to third parties that are not initial purchasers or executive officers or directors (or permitted transferees) following the consummation of our initial business combination;NASDAQ;

 

·“sponsor” are to Software Acquisition Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company;obtain additional capital, including use of the debt market;

 

·“warrants” areenhance future operating and financial results;


meet international and education market expansion plans;

anticipate rapid technological changes;

comply with laws and regulations applicable to our redeemable warrants, which includesits business;

stay abreast of modified or new laws and regulations applying to its business, including copyright and privacy regulation;

anticipate the public warrants as well asimpact of, and response to, new accounting standards;

respond to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political unrest and regulatory changes in international markets from various events;

negotiate content agreements;

anticipate the private placement warrantssignificance and timing of contractual obligations;

obtain content despite continued consolidation of distribution customers and production studios;

effectively invest in content and marketing, including investments in original programming;

maintain key strategic relationships with partners and distributors;

anticipate member viewing patterns and other uncertainties associated with product and service development and market acceptance;

respond to uncertainties associated with product and service development and market acceptance;

anticipate the extent they are no longer held byimpact of new U.S. federal income tax laws, including the initial purchasers of the private placement warrants or their permitted transferees;impact on deferred tax assets; and

 

iii

successfully defend litigation.

 

As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, the Company’s actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include:

the Company’s financial performance;

changes in the Company’s strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects and plans;

adverse effects that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) may have on the Company and/or the economy in general;

changes in applicable laws or regulations;

the possibility that the Company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors;

the availability of, and the Company’s ability to execute upon, any expansion plans and opportunities; and

other risks and uncertainties set forth in Part 1, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A under the heading “Risk Factors.”


 

PART IRISK FACTOR SUMMARY

Our business operations are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those outside of our control, that could cause our results to vary from expectations. You should carefully consider these risks and uncertainties when investing in our securities. The principal risks and uncertainties affecting our business include, but are not limited to, the following:

If our efforts to attract and retain users are not successful, our business will be adversely affected;

We have a limited operating history and history of net losses, and we anticipate that we will experience net losses for the foreseeable future;

Our operating results are expected to be difficult to predict based on a number of factors that also will affect our long-term performance;

Certain of our growth strategies are untested, unproven or not yet fully developed;

If we experience excessive rates of user churn, our revenues and business will be harmed;

If our efforts to build strong brand identity and improve user satisfaction and loyalty are not successful, we may not be able to attract or retain users, and our operating results will be affected adversely;

We may be unable to compete successfully against current and future competitors, and competitive pressures could harm our business and prospects;

We rely upon a number of partners to make our service available on their platforms and devices;

If we fail to maintain or, in newer markets establish, a positive reputation with consumers concerning our service, including the content we offer, we may not be able to attract or retain users, and our operating results may be adversely affected;

If content providers or other rights holders refuse to license streaming content or other rights upon terms acceptable to us, our business could be adversely affected;

We may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service our obligations and any debt we incur;

We have a substantial amount of obligations, including streaming content obligations, which, together with any debt we incur in the future, could adversely affect our financial position;

We may find it difficult to successfully compete without significant capital investment or loans beyond what is available to us in current and future capital raising efforts;

If the technology we use in operating our business fails, is unavailable, or does not operate to expectations, our business and results of operation could be adversely impacted; and

We could be subject to economic, political, regulatory and other risks arising from our international operations.

 

Item 1. Business.Business

 

OverviewUnless the context otherwise requires, all references in this section to “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company” refer to CuriosityStream and its subsidiaries prior to and following the consummation of the Business Combination. All references in this section to Software Acquisition Group Inc. and SAQN are references to the registrant prior to the consummation of the Business Combination.

 

WeCorporate History and Background

On October 14, 2020 (the “Closing Date”), CuriosityStream Inc., a Delaware corporation (formerly named Software Acquisition Group Inc.) consummated a merger pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), dated August 10, 2020, by and among Software Acquisition Group Inc., CS Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Software Acquisition Group Inc. (“Merger Sub”), CuriosityStream Operating Inc., a Delaware corporation (which has been re-named Curiosity Inc. following the Business Combination) (“Legacy CuriosityStream”), and Hendricks Factual Media LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“HFM”). The transactions consummated pursuant to the Merger Agreement are an early stagereferred to in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A as the “Business Combination.”


SAQN, a blank check company, was incorporated as a Delaware corporation and formedon May 9, 2019 for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses,businesses. Until the consummation of the Business Combination, SAQN did not engage in any operations nor generate any revenue. On November 22, 2019, SAQN consummated its IPO of 14,950,000 Units, which we referincluded the full exercise by the underwriter of the over-allotment option to throughout this report aspurchase an additional 1,950,000 Units. Each Unit consisted of one share of Common Stock and one-half of one Warrant. Each whole Warrant entitled the holder thereof to purchase one share of Common Stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to certain adjustments. The Units were sold at an offering price of $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds, before expenses, of $149,500,000.

CuriosityStream LLC, Legacy CuriosityStream’s predecessor, was formed in the State of Delaware in June 2008. CuriosityStream LLC officially launched its subscription service to U.S. based customers in March 2015 and to international customers in September 2015. In October 2018, Legacy CuriosityStream completed a statutory corporate conversion pursuant to which CuriosityStream LLC was converted into a Delaware corporation and renamed CuriosityStream Inc. (our “corporate reorganization”). In connection with our initial business combination. Sincecorporate reorganization, each membership interest of CuriosityStream LLC was converted into shares of common stock of CuriosityStream Inc. In November 2018, Legacy CuriosityStream completed a private placement of 14,557,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock.

Immediately prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, the issued and outstanding shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock of Legacy CuriosityStream automatically converted into an aggregate of approximately 18.4 million shares of our initial public offering, we have concentrated our efforts on software companies, especially those targeting enterprise vertical sectors owned by private equityCommon Stock. Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, Merger Sub merged with and venture capital firms as well as corporate carve-outs. Our management team has had significant success sourcing, acquiring, growing and monetizing these types of companies. We believe this experience makes us well suited to identify, source, negotiate and execute an initial business combinationinto Legacy CuriosityStream, with Legacy CuriosityStream surviving the merger in accordance with the ultimate goalDelaware General Corporation Law as a wholly owned subsidiary of pursuing attractive risk-adjusted returns for our shareholders.

Business StrategySoftware Acquisition Group Inc. (the “Merger” and, the completion of the Merger, the “Closing”). In connection with the Closing, the registrant changed its name from “Software Acquisition Group Inc.” to “CuriosityStream Inc.”

 

Our business strategy is to leverage our management team’s industry knowledge, strategic vision, operational expertiseCommon Stock and business connections built up over decades inWarrants are listed on the technology industry in combination with our sponsor’s and its affiliates’ investment sourcing and evaluation platform to identify and complete our initial business combination with a company that our management and Board believes has compelling potential for value creation through our involvement. Mr. Huberman and Mr. Nikzad, with the support of Mr. Nikou, leverage their partnership, investment experience, deep network and technology industry expertise to identify and generate attractive acquisition opportunities among lower middle-market software companies.

Our management team has experience in:

Operating companies, setting and changing strategies, and identifying, mentoring and recruiting exceptional talent;

Developing and growing companies, both organically and through strategic transactions and acquisitions, and expanding the product range and geographic footprint of a number of target businesses;

Investing in private and public technology companies to accelerate their growth and maturation;

Sourcing, structuring, acquiring, and selling businesses;

Accessing the capital markets; and

Fostering relationships with sellers, capital providers and target management teams.

Business Combination Criteria

Our business combination criteria will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic sector, however, given the experience of our management team and board, we intend to focus our search on software companies with an enterprise value of approximately $300 million to $750 million.

We have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are consistent with our acquisition philosophy and our management’s experience, and that we believe are important in evaluating prospective business combination opportunities. We use these criteria and guidelines to evaluate business combination opportunities, but we may decide to consummate our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet one or more of these criteria and guidelines.

Large and growing market. We focus on investments in industry segments that we believe demonstrate attractive long-term growth prospects and reasonable overall size or potential;

Attractive, inherently profitable business with high operating leverage. We seek to invest in companies that we believe possess not only established business models and sustainable competitive advantages, but also inherently profitable unit economics;

Strong management teams. We spend significant time assessing a company’s leadership and personnel and evaluating what we can do to augment and/or upgrade the team over time if needed;

Opportunity for operational improvements.We seek to identify businesses that we believe are stable but at an inflection point and would benefit from our ability to drive improvements in the company’s processes, go-to-market strategy, product or service offering, sales and marketing efforts, geographical presence and/or leadership team;


Differentiated products or services.We evaluate metrics such as recurring revenues, product life cycle, cohort consistency, pricing per product or customer, cross-sell success and churn rates to focus on businesses whose products or services are differentiated or where we see an opportunity to create value by implementing best practices;

Compelling growth prospects. We view growth as an important driver of value and will seek companies whose growth potential can generate meaningful upside;

Limited technology risk. We seek to invest in companies that have established market-tested product or service offerings;

Appropriate valuations.We seek to be a disciplined and valuation-centric investor that will invest on terms that we believe provide significant upside potential with limited downside risk; and

Benefit from Being a Public Company.We intend to pursue a business combination with a company that we believe will benefit from being publicly traded and can effectively utilize the broader access to capital and public profile that are associated with being a publicly traded company.

These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management team may deem relevant. In the event that we find an opportunity that has characteristics more compelling to us than the characteristics described above, we would pursue such opportunity.

Our Acquisition, Investment and Post-Closing Process

In evaluating prospective business combinations, we conduct a thorough due diligence review process that will encompass, among other things: an analysis of overall industry and competitive conditions, a review of historical financial and operating data, meetings with incumbent management and employees, interaction with third-parties who are industry experts, on-site inspection of facilities and assets, discussion with customers and suppliers, legal and other reviews as we deem appropriate. We also utilize the expertise of our management team and our sponsor’s and its affiliates’ resources in analyzing and evaluating operating plans, financial projections and determining the appropriate return expectations given the risk profile of the target business as well as the suitability of the target to become a public company.

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers, directors or OpenGate (including any investment vehicle advised by OpenGate or its affiliates), subject to certain approvals and consents. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers, directors or OpenGate (including any investment vehicle advised by OpenGate or its affiliates), we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders fairness opinions that our initial business combination is fair to us from a financial point of view.

Our Business Combination Process

Members of our management team directly or indirectly own our founders shares, and/or private placement warrants, 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 were to be included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such entity. We believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will not materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination, as we believe any such opportunities presented would be smaller than what we are interested in, in different fields than what we would be interested in, or to entities that are not themselves in the business of engaging in business combinations. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.

Our officers have agreed not to become an officer or director of any other special purpose acquisition company with a class of securities intended to be registeredNASDAQ under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, which has publicly filed a registration statement with the SEC, until we have entered into a definitive agreement regarding our initial business combination or we have failed to complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021.


Our Management Team

Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that any member of our management team devotes in any time period varies based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combinationsymbols “CURI” and the current stage of the business combination process. We believe our management team’s operating and transaction experience and relationships with companies will provide us with a substantial number of potential business combination targets. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships in many industries. This network has grown through the activities of our management team sourcing, acquiring and financing businesses, our management team’s relationships with sellers, financing sources and target management teams and the experience of our management team in executing transactions under varying economic and financial market conditions.

Status as a Public Company

We believe our structure makes us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As a public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination with us. Following an initial business combination, we believe the target business would have greater access to capital and additional means of creating management incentives that are better aligned with stockholders’ interests than it would as a private company. A target business can further benefit by augmenting its profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees. In a business combination transaction with us, the owners of the target business may, for example, exchange their shares of stock in the target business for our shares of Class A common stock (or shares of a new holding company) or for a combination of our shares of Class A common stock 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 expeditious and cost effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. The typical initial public offering process takes a significantly longer period of time than the typical business combination transaction process, and there are significant expenses in the initial public offering process, including underwriting discounts and commissions, marketing and road show efforts that may not be present to the same extent in connection with an initial business combination with us.

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

While we believe that our structure and our management team’s backgrounds make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view our status as a blank check company, such as our limited of an operating history and our ability to seek stockholder approval of any proposed initial business combination, negatively.“CURIW,” respectively.

 

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 “emergingemerging growth companies”companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firmauditor 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 stockholder 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 “emergingemerging growth company”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 “emergingemerging growth company”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 Class A common stock 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.

3

Financial Position

With funds available for an initial business combination in the amount of $144,487,410 as of December 31, 2019, after payment of up to $5,232,500 of deferred underwriting fees, in each case 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 or leverage 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 until we consummate our initial business combination. 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, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.

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

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 addition, we intend to target businesses larger than we could acquire with the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, and may as a result be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would expect to complete such financing only simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our proxy materials or tender offer documents disclosing the initial business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by law, we would seek stockholder 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.

Sources of Target Businesses

Target business candidates are brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers and investment professionals. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us by calls or mailings. These sources may also introduce us to target businesses in which they think we may be interested on an unsolicited basis, since many of these sources will have read our public filings and know what types of businesses we are targeting. Our officers and directors, as well as our sponsor and their affiliates, also bring to our attention target business candidates that they become aware of through their business contacts as a result of formal or informal inquiries or discussions they may have, as well as attending trade shows or conventions. In addition, we receive a number of proprietary deal flow opportunities that would not otherwise necessarily be available to us as a result of the business relationships of our officers and directors and our sponsor and their respective industry and business contacts as well as their affiliates. While we do not presently anticipate engaging the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions on any formal basis, we may engage these firms or other individuals in the future, in which event we may pay a finder’s fee, consulting fee, advisory fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction. We will engage a finder only to the extent our management determines that the use of a finder may bring opportunities to us that may not otherwise be available to us or if finders approach us on an unsolicited basis with a potential transaction that our management determines is in our best interest to pursue. Payment of finder’s fees is customarily tied to completion of a transaction, in which case any such fee will be paid out of the funds held in the trust account. In no event, however, will our sponsor or any of our existing officers or directors, or any entity with which our sponsor or officers are affiliated, be paid any finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee, monies in respect of any payment of a loan or other compensation by the company prior to, or in connection with any services rendered for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). Although none of our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be allowed to receive any compensation, finder’s fees or consulting fees from a prospective business combination target in connection with a contemplated initial business combination, we do not have a policy that prohibits our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, from negotiating for the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses by a target business. We have agreed to pay our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and to reimburse our sponsor for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination. Some of our officers and directors may enter into employment or consulting agreements with the post-transaction company following our initial business combination. The presence or absence of any such fees or arrangements will not be used as a criterion in our selection process of an initial business combination candidate.


We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with an initial business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors or making the initial business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with an initial business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.

If any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an initial business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us. Our officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.

Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of our Initial Business Combination

Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. The fair market value of our initial business combination 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, a valuation based on trading multiples of comparable public businesses or a valuation based on the financial metrics of M&A transactions of comparable businesses. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects. Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. Subject to this requirement, 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.

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

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.

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. In addition, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combination in a single industry. 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’ 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. The determination as to whether any of the members of our management team will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our initial business combination, it is 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 an initial 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 additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.

Stockholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination

We may conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC. However, we will seek stockholder approval if it is required by law or applicable stock exchange rule, or we may decide to seek stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons. Presented in the table below is a graphic explanation of the types of initial business combinations we may consider and whether stockholder approval is currently required under Delaware law for each such transaction.

Type of Transaction

Whether
Stockholder
Approval is
Required
Purchase of assetsNo
Purchase of stock of target not involving a merger with the companyNo
Merger of target into a subsidiary of the companyNo
Merger of the company with a targetYes

Under Nasdaq’s listing rules, stockholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:

we issue shares of Class A common stock that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of shares of our Class A common stock then outstanding;

any of our directors, officers or substantial stockholders (as defined by Nasdaq 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 common stock could result in an increase in outstanding common shares or voting power of 5% or more; or

the issuance or potential issuance of common stock will result in our undergoing a change of control.

6

Permitted Purchases of our Securities

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and Nasdaq rules. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material nonpublic information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. 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. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase shares or public warrants in such transactions prior to completion of our initial business combination.

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

Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the stockholders with whom our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated purchases by either the stockholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by stockholders following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates enter into a private purchase, they would identify and contact only potential selling stockholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against our initial business combination, whether or not such stockholder has already submitted a proxy with respect to our initial business combination. Our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their 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, officers, directors and/or their 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, officers, directors and/or their affiliates will not make purchases of common stock if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchases are subject to such reporting requirements.

Redemption Rights for Public Stockholders upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination

We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account as of December 31, 2019 was approximately $10.01 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriter. The redemption 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 any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.

7

Manner of Conducting Redemptions

We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the initial business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed initial 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 stockholder approval under the law or stock exchange listing requirement. Under Nasdaq rules, asset acquisitions and stock purchases would not typically require stockholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding common stock or seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation would require stockholder approval. If we structure an initial business combination with a target company in a manner that requires stockholder approval, we will not have discretion as to whether to seek a stockholder vote to approve the proposed initial business combination. We may conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless stockholder approval is required by law or stock exchange listing requirements or we choose to seek stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with such rules.

If a stockholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation:

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 shares of our Class A common stock 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 stockholders 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 underwriter’s 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 stockholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.

If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation:

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

file proxy materials with the SEC.

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

If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the initial business combination. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. Our initial stockholders will count toward this quorum and pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after our initial public offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding shares of common stock voted, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, we would need only 5,606,251, or 37.5%, of the 14,950,000 public shares sold in our initial public offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and our sponsor, officers and directors do not purchase any public shares) in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised). We intend to give approximately 30 days (but not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days) prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial stockholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation 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 underwriter’s 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. For example, the proposed initial 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 initial business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of Class A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.

8

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

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 20% of the shares sold in our initial public offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” Such restriction shall also be applicable to our affiliates. We believe this restriction will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed initial business combination as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 20% of the shares sold in our initial public offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ ability to redeem no more than 20% of the shares sold in our initial public offering without our prior consent, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with an initial business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.

Tendering Stock Certificates in Connection with Redemption Rights

We may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the meeting held to approve a proposed initial business combination by a date set forth in the proxy materials mailed to such holders or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option. The proxy materials that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have from the time we send out our proxy materials until the date set forth in such proxy materials to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Given the relatively short exercise period, it is advisable for stockholders 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.

Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the proxy materials. 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 stockholders 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 initial business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete an initial business combination with a different target until May 22, 2021.

Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if no Initial Business Combination

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will have only until May 22, 2021 to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within such time period.


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 any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021. However, our sponsor, officers or directors 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 May 22, 2021.

Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021 or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes divided by the number of then 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 underwriter’s 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 at such time.

We expect to use the amounts held outside the trust account ($1,093,408 as of December 31, 2019) to pay for all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, if we do not complete an initial business combination prior to May 22, 2021, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. We will depend on sufficient interest being earned on the proceeds held in the trust account to pay any tax obligations we may owe. 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 on interest income earned on the trust account balance, 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 stockholders 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 stockholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by stockholders will not be substantially less than $10.00. Under Section 281(b) of the DGCL, our plan of dissolution must provide for all claims against us to be paid in full or make provision for payments to be made in full, as applicable, if there are sufficient assets. These claims must be paid or provided for before we make any distribution of our remaining assets to our stockholders. 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 seek to have all vendors, service providers, 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 stockholders, 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. Marcum LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriter of the offering will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account.

In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriter of our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective 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 if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations and we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be less than $10.00 per public share.

We 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, 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 underwriter of our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to use the amounts held outside the trust account ($1,093,408 as of December 31, 2019) 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, stockholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors.

Under the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021 may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If the corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution.

Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021, is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful (potentially due to the imposition of legal proceedings that a party may bring or due to other circumstances that are currently unknown), then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Accordingly, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following our 18th month and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with those procedures. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend well beyond the third anniversary of such date.

Because we will not be complying with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the subsequent 10 years. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. As described above, pursuant to the obligation contained in our underwriting agreement, we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, 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. As a result of this obligation, the claims that could be made against us are significantly limited and the likelihood that any claim that would result in any liability extending to the trust account is remote. Further, our sponsor may be liable only to the extent necessary to ensure that the amounts in the trust account are not 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 withdrawn to pay taxes and will not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriter of our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims.


If we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.00 per share to our public stockholders. Additionally, if we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by stockholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our stockholders. Furthermore, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders 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 stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a stockholder vote to amend any provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to offer redemption rights in connection with any proposed initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021 or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination by May 22, 2021, subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a stockholder’s voting in connection with the initial business combination alone will not result in a stockholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such stockholder must have also exercised its redemption rights as described above. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, like all provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, may be amended with a stockholder vote.

Competition

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

Employees

We currently have 2 officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they devote in any time period varies based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the stage of the initial business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination.

Periodic Reporting and Financial Information

We have registered our units, Class A common stock and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accountants.


We will provide stockholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials sent to stockholders to assist them in assessing the target business. In all likelihood, these financial statements will need to be prepared in accordance with, or reconciled to, GAAP, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential targets we may conduct an initial business combination with 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. We cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential business combination candidate will have financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP or that the potential target business will be able to prepare its financial statements in accordance with the requirements outlined above. To the extent that these requirements cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business. While this may limit the pool of potential business combination candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.

We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2020 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to 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 business combination.

 

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,the IPO, or (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 shares of Class A common stock that are 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.period and (3) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). References herein to emerging growth company will have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.

Business Overview

Created by John Hendricks, founder of the Discovery Channel and former Chairman of Discovery Communications, we are a media and entertainment company that offers premium video programming across the principal categories of factual entertainment, including science, history, society, nature, lifestyle and technology. Our mission is to provide premium factual entertainment that informs, enchants and inspires. We are seeking to meet demand for high-quality factual entertainment via SVoD platforms, as well as via bundled content licenses for SVoD and linear offerings, partner bulk sales, brand partnerships and content sales. We are well-positioned for growth as a digital-native video platform monetizing content across this broad revenue stack.


Through the rapid expansion of our library of high-quality titles and by exploiting multiple channels to monetize our programming, we believe that we have achieved global leadership in factual content streaming and are well positioned to capitalize on favorable ongoing industry trends to create value for our shareholders and other stakeholders.

Our award-winning content library features more than 3,100 nonfiction episodes, including more than 1,000 original, commissioned or co-produced documentaries, of short-form, mid-form and long-form duration, with an estimated $1 billion original production value. Our films are produced, co-produced or commissioned by us, or licensed through one of our content partnerships, such as with NHK in Japan, ZED in France and Terra Mater in Austria. Our programs are hosted by and feature scientists, experts and celebrities, such as Stephen Hawking, Sir David Attenborough and Sigourney Weaver. Our programs have already received three Emmy nominations, including an Emmy Award win for Stephen Hawking’s Favorite Places. Every title on our platform is available on-demand and, other than historical footage or classic documentaries, in high definition or 4K quality.

Our content, approximately one-third of which is originally produced with the remaining two-thirds consisting of licensed programming, is available directly through our O&O Service and App Services. Our App Services enable access to CuriosityStream on almost every major consumer device, including streaming media players like Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, all major smart TV brands (e.g., LG, Vizio, Samsung, Sony) and gaming consoles like Xbox. In addition, we have affiliate agreement relationships with, and our service is available directly from, MVPDs that include Comcast, Cox, Dish and NCTC and vMVPDs and digital distributors that include Amazon Prime Video Channels, Roku Channels, Sling TV and YouTube TV, which we refer to as our “Partner Direct Service” or “Partner Direct Business.”

Our Direct Service is available in more than 175 countries to any household with a broadband connection for $2.99 per month or $19.99 per year for high-definition resolution. We also provide a premium service in 4K resolution for $9.99 per month or $69.99 per year. Over 75% of Direct Service subscribers select annual subscription plans, which has reduced subscriber churn and facilitates our ability to learn and serve consumer preferences. The MVPD, vMVPD and digital distributor partners making up our Partner Direct Business pay us a license fee for sales to individuals who subscribe to CuriosityStream via the partners’ respective platforms.

The technology associated with our Direct Business is designed to facilitate a consistent user experience across the different interface platforms and operating system applications. We provide value for both our users and ourselves through our analytics algorithm and data collection system. Leveraging our database of anonymized user preferences, ratings and behavior, we are constantly refining our content recommendation engine to suggest and serve content to our customers.

In addition to our Partner Direct Services and Businesses, we have affiliate relationships with our Bundled MVPD Partners — MVPDs, broadband and wireless companies in the US and international territories to whom we can offer a broad scope of rights, including 24/7 “linear” channels, our on-demand content library, mobile rights and pricing and packaging flexibility, in exchange for an annual fixed fee or fee per subscriber as part of a multi-year agreement. This Bundled MVPD Business offers us the advantages of long-cycle and recurring revenue and the potential to access hundreds of millions of paying subscribers globally. As a young and digital-native company, we are not laden with some of the overhead costs nor over-dependent on lines of business that may hamper the growth of legacy media companies. We are consequently able to offer Bundled MVPD Partners more attractive rates than well-known conglomerates, meeting the Bundled MVPD Partners’ need to cut costs in their business without losing quantity or quality of factual content.

Our Corporate & Association Partnership business has been comprised primarily of selling subscriptions in bulk to companies and organizations that in turn offer these subscriptions to their employees and members as an employment benefit or “gift of curiosity.” As a family-friendly and enriching service, we are well-positioned among media companies to continue to build our roster of customers in this model. We see an even bigger opportunity with corporations and associations, however, via multi-year integrated partnerships where we create and distribute content in support of these partners’ CSR and membership initiatives.


Our Sponsorship & Advertising Business consists of developing integrated digital brand partnerships designed to offer blue chip brands the chance to be associated with CuriosityStream content in a variety of forms, including short and long form program integration, branded social media promotional videos, broadcast advertising spots, and digital display ads.

Our Program Sales Business is focused on providing factual content to entertainment media companies. We have the opportunity to provide a turnkey, financially attractive “factual solution” to meet this business demand. We are able to sell to certain media companies a collection of our existing titles in a traditional program sales deal and are party to a multi-year, multi-million dollar program sales agreement with one such media company. We are also able to sell selected rights (such as in territories or on platforms that are lower priority for us) to content we create before we even begin production. This latter model reduces risk in our content development decisions and creates program sales revenue.

The most basic functional structure of our company thrives due to the collaboration of (1) our content team, which works with more than 150 production companies and distributors across the world to create and acquire programming, (2) our legal and finance teams, which structure and formalize agreements, (3) our creative services and content operations teams, which develop all of the marketing materials, metadata and other assets associated with a piece of content, and (4) our content operations and technology teams, which then deliver our content and services to all manner of devices and streaming platforms for our Direct, Partner Direct, Bundled MVPD and other businesses.

Our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $39.6 million. Our net loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $48.6 million.

Please see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for a more detailed discussion of our product and service lines and channels through which we generate revenue.

Competition

We compete for the time and attention of our users across different forms of media, including traditional broadcast, cable, satellite and internet-delivered video, other providers of SVoD services (Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix), other providers of in-home and mobile entertainment such as radio, music streaming services, and social media and networking websites. Many consumers maintain simultaneous relationships with multiple in-home entertainment providers and can easily shift spending from one provider to another.

We compete to attract, engage, and retain users with other content providers based on a number of factors, including the user experience, content range and quality, ease of use of our platform, price, accessibility, perceptions of advertising load, brand awareness and reputation.

Many of our competitors enjoy competitive advantages such as greater brand recognition, legacy operating histories and larger marketing and content budgets, as well as greater financial, technical, human and other resources. However, we currently face limited competition in the factual SVoD category.

Intellectual Property

Our success depends upon our ability to protect our technologies and intellectual property. To accomplish this, we rely on a combination of intellectual property rights, including trade secrets, copyrights and trademarks, as well as contractual restrictions. We have confidentiality and proprietary rights arrangements with our employees, consultants and business partners, and we control access to, and distribution of, our proprietary information.

Our registered trademarks in the United States include “Curiosity” and “CuriosityStream.”

We are the registrant of the internet domain name for our website, www.curiositystream.com, as well as others. We own rights to proprietary processes and trade secrets, including those underlying the CuriosityStream service.


In addition to the foregoing protections, we generally control access to, and use of, our proprietary software and other confidential information through the use of internal and external controls, including contractual protections with contractors, customers and partners. Our employees sign acknowledgements of our policies with respect to confidentiality and proprietary rights.

Government Regulation

As a company conducting business on the internet, we are subject to a number of foreign and domestic laws and regulations relating to information and network security, data protection, privacy, and governmental access to data, among other things. Many of these laws and regulations are still evolving and could be interpreted, updated, or new laws passed in ways that could harm our business. In the area of information and network security and data protection, the laws in the United States, the European Union (the “EU”), and other jurisdictions globally can require specified actions to maintain the confidentiality, integrity and availability of networks and data. Notwithstanding any activities to secure networks and data, security for networks and data cannot be guaranteed. Cyber incidents can and do happen. Additionally, laws in many U.S. states require companies to implement specific information security controls to protect certain types of personally identifiable information. Credit card networks may also require us to employ certain security and privacy controls, and failure to comply with these obligations may lead to significant liabilities. Likewise, U.S. states, the EU, China, and other jurisdictions have laws in place requiring companies to notify users, regulators, and sometimes law enforcement if there is a security breach that compromises certain categories of information, including personal information and personally identifiable information. Any failure on our part to comply with these laws, obligations, or regulations may subject us to significant liabilities.

We may also be subject to U.S. federal and state, EU and other foreign laws regarding privacy, the collection of the data of minors, and the privacy of customer data. Our privacy policy and terms of use describe our practices concerning the use, transmission and disclosure of customer information and are posted on our website. Any failure to comply with our posted privacy policy or privacy-related laws, obligations, or regulations globally could result in proceedings against us by governmental authorities, individuals, or others, which could harm our business. Further, any failure by us to adequately protect the privacy or security of our customers’ information could result in a loss of confidence in our service among existing and potential customers, and ultimately, in a loss of customers and advertisers, which could adversely affect our business.

Privacy Policy

We collect and use certain types of information from our customers in accordance with the privacy policy that is posted on our website. We collect personally identifiable information directly from customers when they register to use our service and sign up to receive email newsletters. We may also obtain information about our customers from other customers and third parties. Our policy is to use the collected information to customize and personalize advertising and content for customers and to enhance the customer experience when using our service.

We also use automated data collection technology, such as tracking cookies, to collect non-personally identifiable information in order to help us track customer interactions with our service. Third-party advertisers and service partners may also use tracking technologies in order to collect non-personally identifiable information regarding use of our platforms.

We have implemented commercially reasonable physical and electronic security measures to protect against the loss, misuse, and alteration of personally identifiable information. No security measures are perfect or impenetrable, and we may be unable to anticipate or prevent unauthorized access to our customers’ personally identifiable information.

Employees and Human Capital

In 2020 and 2019, we had approximately 54 and 47 total, full-time employees on average, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, we had approximately 63 full-time employees, all of whom were located in the U.S. We have one location, a corporate office plus filming studio and edit suites, in Silver Spring, Maryland (the “Office”). Our human capital resources objectives include, as applicable, identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our existing and new employees, advisors and consultants. Our ability to attract, retain and improve the effectiveness of our employees is a critical factor for executing our growth strategy. We strive to recruit the best people for the job regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, or other differences.


We are committed to diversity and inclusion as well as equitable pay within our workforce. To further some of these initiatives, for example, in the third quarter of 2020, we retained Willis Towers Watson, a leading global advisory firm, to review our compensation structure. Our compensation program is designed to attract, retain, and motivate highly qualified employees and executives and is comprised of a mix of competitive base salary, bonus and equity compensation awards, as well as other employee benefits. Currently all employees receive equity grants with vesting conditions designed to facilitate the retention of personnel and the opportunity to benefit financially from the Company’s growth and profitability.

Our human resource strategy is overseen by our Chief Operating Officer and executive team, which aims to provide regular updates to our Board. Our employees are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, and we consider our relations with our employees to be good.

In addition, the health and safety of our employees, customers and communities are of primary concern to us. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have taken significant steps to protect our workforce, including:

Mandating remote work other than certain employees who at various times may be required to work in the Office to conduct minimal operations to meet business objectives;

Establishing additional cleaning and sanitization practices on top of the robust sanitization protocols already undertaken in the Office;

Implementing touchless contact points for most doors in the Office;

Establishing physical distancing procedures for employees in the Office;

Requiring face coverings to be worn in the Office and having disposable face coverings available for use,

Implementing HEPA air filter system in the conference room in the Office; and

Installing self-service hand sanitizer dispensers in the Office.

The safety and well-being of our employees is of critical importance to us to attract and retain top performers and execute on our growth strategy.

 

Item 1A. Risk Factors.Factors

You should carefully consider all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this report, including the financial statements, before making a decision to invest in our units.

If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

 

Risks Relating to the Company’s Business

If our efforts to attract and retain users are not successful, our business will be adversely affected.

We have experienced significant user growth over the past several years. Our ability to continue to attract users will depend in part on our ability to effectively market our service, consistently provide our users with compelling content choices, as well as a quality experience for selecting and viewing factual entertainment. Furthermore, the relative service levels, content offerings, pricing and related features of competitors to our service may adversely impact our ability to attract and retain users. Competitors include other entertainment video providers, such as MVPDs, and SVoD services. If consumers do not perceive our service offering to be of value, including if we introduce new or adjust existing features, adjust pricing or service offerings or change the mix of content in a manner that is not favorably received by them, we may not be able to attract and retain users. In addition, we believe that many of our users rejoin our service or originate from word-of-mouth advertising from existing users. If our efforts to satisfy our existing users are not successful, we may not be able to attract users, and as a result, our ability to maintain and/or grow our business will be adversely affected. Users may cancel our service for many reasons, including: a perception that they do not use the service sufficiently, the need to cut household expenses, selection of content is unsatisfactory, competitive services provide a better value or experience and customer service issues are not satisfactorily resolved. We must continually add new users both to replace cancelled users and to grow our business beyond our current user base. If we do not grow as expected, we may not be able to adjust our expenditures or increase our per user revenues commensurate with the lowered growth rate, such that our margins, liquidity and results of operation may be adversely impacted, and our ability to operate at a net-loss may be strained. If we are unable to successfully compete with current and new competitors in both retaining our existing users and attracting new users, our business will be adversely affected. Further, if excessive numbers of users cancel our service, we may be required to incur significantly higher marketing expenditures than we currently anticipate to replace these users with new users.


The recent novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the global attempt to contain it may harm our industry, business, results of operations and ability to raise additional capital.

The global spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the various attempts to contain it have created significant volatility, uncertainty and economic disruption. In response to government mandates, health care advisories and in otherwise responding to employee and vendor concerns, we have altered certain aspects of our operations. Our workforce has had to spend a significant amount of time working from home, which impacts their productivity. International and domestic travel has been severely curtailed, which required the cancellation of dozens of partner and potential partner meetings and the rescheduling to virtual and telephonic forums for other such meetings. Many content productions are paused, including productions of third parties who supply us with content. Other partners have similarly had their operations altered or temporarily suspended, including distribution partners and those partners that we use for our operations as well as development, production and post-production of content. To the extent the resulting economic disruption is severe, we could see some partners and vendors go out of business, resulting in reduced demand from distributors and consequent reduction in forecasted revenue, as well as supply constraints and increased costs or delays to our productions. Such production pauses may cause us to temporarily have less new content available on our service in subsequent quarters, which could negatively impact consumer demand for and member retention to our service and the number of paid memberships. Temporary production pauses or permanent shutdowns in production could result in content asset impairments or other charges and will change the timing and amount of cash outflows associated with production activity.

The full extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic and the various responses to it impacts our business, operations and financial results will depend on numerous evolving factors that we may not be able to accurately predict, including: the duration and scope of the pandemic; governmental, business and individuals’ actions that have been and continue to be taken in response to the pandemic; the availability and cost to access the capital markets; the effect on our customers and customer demand for and ability to pay for our services; increased competition with alternative media platforms and technologies; disruptions or restrictions on our employees’ ability to work and travel; interruptions or restrictions related to the provision of streaming services over the internet, including impacts on content delivery networks and streaming quality; and any stoppages, disruptions or increased costs associated with our development, production, post-production, marketing and distribution of original programming. During the COVID-19 crisis, we may not be able to provide the same level of customer service and product features that our members are used to, which could negatively impact their perception of our service resulting in an early stage companyincrease in cancellations. Furthermore, given increased government expenditures associated with their COVID-19 response, we could see increased government obligations which could negatively impact our results of operations. If we need to access the capital markets, there can be no assurance that financing will be available on attractive terms to us, if at all. We will continue to actively monitor the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and may take further actions that alter our business operations, including distribution, partnerships and content production, as may be required by federal, state, local or foreign authorities, or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, customers, partners and stockholders. It is not clear what potential effects any such alterations or modifications may have on our business, including the effects on our customers, suppliers or vendors, or on our financial results.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also led in part to an increase in our net paid subscribers relative to our quarterly forecast and historic trends. However, these results, as well as the results represented by other metrics, such as revenues, operating margins, net income and other financial and operating data, may not be indicative of results for future periods. Our increase in net paid subscribers may reflect the acceleration of growth that we would have seen in subsequent periods, and subscriber growth may slow or reverse, due to slower acquisition and/or higher cancellations, as government and other restrictions are relaxed. In addition to the potential direct impacts to our business, the global economy is likely to be significantly weakened as a result of the actions taken in response to COVID-19. To the extent that such a weakened global economy impacts consumers’ ability or willingness to pay for our service or vendors’ ability to provide services to us, especially those related to our distribution and content productions, our business and results of operation may be negatively impacted.


To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section including, but not limited to, our ability to retain users, our ability to operate at a net loss, and our liquidity.

We have a limited operating history and no revenues,history of net losses, and youwe anticipate that we will experience net losses for the foreseeable future.

You should consider our business and prospects in light of the risks, expenses and difficulties encountered by companies in their early stage of development. CuriosityStream LLC, our predecessor, was formed as a Delaware limited liability company in June 2008. CuriosityStream LLC officially launched its subscription service to U.S. based customers in March 2015 and to international customers in September 2015. Accordingly, we have little basis ona limited operating history upon which to evaluate our ability to achievebase an evaluation of our business objective.and prospects.

 

We are an early stage company with limited operating results,have experienced significant net losses since our inception and, no revenues. Because we lack anygiven the significant operating history, you have very little basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieveand capital expenditures associated with our business objective of completing our initial business combination with one or more target businesses. We may be unableplan, anticipate continuing to complete our initial business combination.incur net losses for the foreseeable future. If we fail to complete our initial business combination,do achieve profitability, we cannot be certain that we will never generate any operating revenues.

Our public stockholdersbe able to sustain or increase such profitability. We incurred a net loss of approximately $48.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. We have not generated positive cash flow from operations, we may not be afforded an opportunityable to voteoperate at a net loss indefinitely, and we cannot be certain that we will be able to generate positive cash flow from operations in the future. To achieve and sustain profitability, we must accomplish numerous objectives, including broadening and stabilizing our sources of revenue and increasing the number of paying subscribers to our service. Accomplishing these objectives will require significant capital investments. We cannot assure you that we will be able to achieve these objectives.

Our operating results are expected to be difficult to predict based on a number of factors that also may affect our proposed initial business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public stockholders do not support such a combination.long-term performance.

 

We may choose notexpect our operating results to hold a stockholder vote to approve our initial business combination unlessfluctuate significantly in the initial business combination would require stockholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements or if we decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons. Except as required by law, the decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed initial business combination or will allow stockholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will befuture based on a variety of factors, many of which are outside our control and difficult to predict. As a result, period-to-period comparisons of our operating results may not be a good indicator of our future or long-term performance. The following factors may affect us from period-to-period and may affect our long-term performance:

our ability to maintain and develop new and existing revenue-generating relationships;

our ability to improve or maintain gross margins in our business;

the amount and timing of operating costs and capital expenditures relating to expansion of our business, operations and infrastructure;

our ability to significantly increase our subscriber base and retain customers;

our ability to enforce our contracts and collect receivables from third parties;

our ability to develop, acquire and maintain an adequate breadth and depth of content via original productions, co-productions, commissions and/or licenses;

changes by our competitors to their product and service offerings;

increased competition;

our ability to detect and comply with data collection and privacy regulation and customer questions related thereto in every jurisdiction in which we operate;

changes in promotional support or other aspects of our relationships with our partners through which we make our service available, including the MVPDs and/or the vMVPDs, through which we offer our content;

our ability to effectively manage the development of new business segments and markets, and determine appropriate contract and licensing terms;

our ability to maintain and develop new and existing marketing relationships;


our ability to maintain, upgrade and develop our website, our applications through which we offer our service on our customers’ devices and our internal computer systems;

fluctuations in the use of the internet for the purchase of consumer goods and services such as those offered by us;

technical difficulties, system downtime or internet disruptions;

our ability to attract new and qualified personnel in a timely and effective manner and retain existing personnel;

conflicts of interest involving our founder and principal stockholder, John Hendricks;

our ability to attract and retain sponsors and prove that our sponsorship offerings are effective enough to justify a pricing structure that is profitable for us;

our ability to develop our Corporate & Association Partnerships business;

the success of our program sales to other media companies;

our ability to successfully manage the integration of operations and technology resulting from possible future acquisitions;

governmental regulation and taxation policies; and

general economic conditions and economic conditions specific to the internet, online commerce and the media industry.

If we are not able to manage our growth, our business could be adversely affected.

We have expanded rapidly since we launched our subscription service in March 2015. We anticipate that further expansion of our operations will be required to achieve significant growth in our products, lines of business and user base and to take advantage of favorable market opportunities. Any future expansion will likely place significant demands on our managerial, operational, administrative and financial resources. If we are not able to respond effectively to new or increased demands that arise because of our growth, or, if in responding, our management is materially distracted from our current operations, our business may be adversely affected. In addition, if we do not have sufficient breadth and depth of content necessary to satisfy increased demand arising from growth in our user base, our user satisfaction may be adversely affected.

We are expanding our operations internationally, scaling our service to effectively and reliably handle anticipated growth in both users and features related to our service and ramping up our ability to produce original content. As our offerings evolve, we are managing and adjusting our business to address varied content offerings, consumer customs and practices, different technology infrastructure, different markets for factual video content, as well as differing legal and regulatory environments. As we scale our service, we are developing technology and utilizing third-party “cloud” computing services. Currently, approximately a third of our content is originally produced, and as we ramp up our original content production, we are building out expertise in a number of disciplines, including creative, marketing, legal, finance, licensing and other resources related to the timingdevelopment and physical production of content. If we are not able to manage the transactiongrowing complexity of our business, including improving, refining or revising our systems and whetheroperational practices related to our operations and original content, our business may be adversely affected.

Certain of our growth strategies are untested, unproven or not yet fully developed.

We intend to increase our revenues through expanding our subscriber base by, among other things, continuing to expand into international markets, expanding into the termsmobile video market, expanding into the corporate social responsibility market, expanding into the branded partnerships market, developing our Program Sales Business and developing our in-house production studio, Curiosity Studios. Our content is primarily in the English language with subtitling or dubbing in Spanish, Mandarin, Russian and Swedish in parts of our library and the transaction would otherwise requireworld where demand exists and we have the language version rights. Our rights to the international distribution of portions of our co-produced or licensed content are subject to certain geographic and platform or media restrictions. However, we intend to seek partnerships with strong platforms in international territories, subject, in each case, to any then-existing geographic and media restrictions on the distribution of any of our content. We also plan to seek partnerships with device makers in international markets. There can be no assurance that these international partnerships will be successful or result in our meeting revenue targets.


We believe there is an opportunity for us to seek stockholder approval. Accordingly,commission or create content for other program providers. However, there can be no assurance that these partners will, or will continue to, engage us for co-productions or commissioned content, or that we may complete our initial business combination even if holderswill earn the margins that we expect on such projects.

We believe there is an opportunity with corporations and associations via multi-year integrated partnerships where we create and distribute content in support of a majority of our public shares do not approve of the initial business combination we complete.these partners’ CSR and membership initiatives. However, there can be no assurance that corporations and associations will enter into such partnerships with us.

 

If we seek stockholder approvalexpand into new markets or increase certain operations in connection with our growth strategies, we may be required to comply with new regulatory requirements that could cause us to incur additional expenses, increase our cost of doing business, impose additional burdens on us or otherwise negatively affect our initialbusiness. In pursuing these growth strategies, we expect to incur significant operating and capital expenditures and, as a result, we expect to continue to experience net losses in the future. It is possible that we will not be able to grow our revenues through these strategies, or if growth is achieved, that it will be maintained for any significant period, or at all.

If we experience excessive rates of user churn, our revenues and business combination, our initial stockholders have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.will be harmed.

 

In order to increase our revenues, we must minimize the rate of loss of existing users while adding new users to our DTC subscription service. Our sponsor, officersexperience during our operating history indicates that there are many variables that impact churn, including the type of plan selected, user engagement with the platform and directors have agreedlength of a user’s subscription to vote their founder shares, as well as any public shares purchased during or after our initial public offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions), in favor of our initial business combination.date. As a result, in additionperiods of rapid user growth, we believe that our average churn is likely to increase as the average length of subscription to date decreases. Similarly, in periods of slow user growth, we believe that our average churn is likely to decrease since our average user duration is longer. However, these estimates are subject to change based on a number of factors, including the percentage of users selecting monthly vs. annual plans, increased rates of subscription cancellations and decreased rates of user acquisition. We cannot assure you that these estimates will be indicative of future performance or that the risks related to these estimates will not materialize. Users may cancel their subscription to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, we would need only 5,606,251, or 37.5%, of the 14,950,000 public shares sold in our initial public offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and our sponsor, officers and directorsservice for many reasons, including, among others, a perception that they do not purchase any public shares)use the service sufficiently, or the belief that the service is a poor value or that customer service issues are not satisfactorily resolved. We must continually add new users both to replace users who cancel and to continue to grow our business beyond our current user base. If too many of our users cancel our service, or if we are unable to attract new users in numbers sufficient to grow our business, our operating results will be adversely affected. Further, if excessive numbers of users cancel our service, we may be required to incur significantly higher marketing expenditures than we currently anticipate in order to replace these users with new users.

If our efforts to build a strong brand identity and improve user satisfaction and loyalty are not successful, we may not be able to attract or retain users, and our operating results may be affected adversely.

The CuriosityStream brand is only six years old, and we must continue to build a strong brand identity. To succeed, we must continue to attract and retain a large number of new users. We may be required to incur significantly higher advertising and promotional expenditures than we currently anticipate to attract large numbers of new users. We believe that the importance of brand loyalty will increase with the continued proliferation of SVoD subscription services. If our branding efforts are not successful, however, our ability to attract and retain users will be affected adversely, which may negatively impact our future operating results.


We may be unable to compete successfully against current and future competitors, and competitive pressures could harm our business and prospects.

Our industry is intensely competitive, and we expect competition to increase in the future as current competitors improve their content offerings and as new participants enter the market. Competition may result in pricing pressures, reduced profit margins, loss of market share or greater difficulty in acquiring attractive content, any of which could substantially harm our business and results of operations. Many of the companies that are participating in the United States and global SVoD media sector have longer operating histories, larger and broader user bases, significantly greater financial, human, technical and other resources and greater name recognition than we do. These companies, which include Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, CBS, ABC, NBC, BBC, PBS, Fox Networks, Discovery Communications, Disney and others, provide a broader range of content, and could redirect and apply considerable resources to acquired and original factual content. With the rise of shelter-in-place policies and the COVID-19 pandemic, both established companies and new competitors are developing and creating their own original factual content. In addition, many titles in our initial business combination approved. Our initial stockholders own shares representing 20%content library are subject to non-exclusive licenses, and as a result, our competitors may be able to license many of our outstanding sharespopular titles to expand their reach into factual entertainment. If this were to occur, users that already subscribe to these services for other types of common stock. Accordingly,content may determine that they do not need to also subscribe to our service. There may also be other competitors, including non-profit and educational organizations and other knowledge sharing focused institutions, that choose to focus on factual content that could directly compete with our SVoD offerings. Well-funded competitors may be better able to withstand economic downturns and periods of slow economic growth and the associated periods of reduced customer spending and increased pricing pressures. Some competitors are able to devote substantially more resources to website and systems development or to investments or partnerships. We may be unable to compete successfully against current and future competitors, and competitive pressures could harm our business and prospects.

We face risks, such as unforeseen costs and potential liability, in connection with content we acquire, produce, license and/or distribute through our service.

As a producer and distributor of content, we face potential liability for negligence, copyright and trademark infringement, or other claims based on the nature and content of materials that we acquire, produce, license and/or distribute. We also may face potential liability for content used in promoting our service, including marketing materials. We are devoting more resources toward the development, production, marketing and distribution of original programming. We believe that original programming can help differentiate our service from other offerings, enhance our brand and otherwise attract and retain users. To the extent our original programming does not meet our expectations, in particular, in terms of costs, viewing and popularity, our business, including our brand and results of operations, may be adversely impacted. As we expand our original programming, we have become responsible for production costs and other expenses. We also take on risks associated with production, such as completion risk. To the extent we create and sell physical or digital merchandise relating to our original programming, and/or license such rights to third parties, we could become subject to product liability, intellectual property or other claims related to such products. We may decide to remove content from our service, not to place licensed or produced content on our service or discontinue or alter production of original content if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreementbelieve such content might not be well received by our initial stockholdersusers or could be damaging to vote in favor of our initial business combination will increasebrand.

To the likelihoodextent we do not accurately anticipate costs or mitigate risks, including for content that we will receiveobtain but ultimately does not appear on or is removed from our service, or if we become liable for content we acquire, produce, license and/or distribute, our business may suffer. Litigation to defend these claims could be costly and the requisite stockholder approval for such initial business combination.

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Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination willexpenses and damages arising from any liability or unforeseen production risks could harm our results of operations. We may not be limited to the exerciseindemnified against claims or costs of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash, unlessthese types and we seek stockholder approval of the initial business combination.

Since our board of directors may complete an initial business combination without seeking stockholder approval, public stockholders may not have the right or opportunityinsurance coverage for these types of claims.

We rely upon a number of partners to votemake our service available on the initial business combination, unless we seek such stockholder vote.their platforms and devices.

 

Accordingly,We currently offer users the ability to receive streaming content through a host of screens and devices, including televisions, set-top boxes, computers, streaming media players, game consoles and mobile devices. We have executed a number of distribution and licensing agreements with MVPDs, vMVPDs and digital distributors including Amazon, YouTube TV, Roku, Comcast, Cox Communications, Dish Network, Sling TV, and others, as well as with our Bundled Distribution Partners, including Altice and TataSky, among others. The future performance of our distribution partners under these distribution agreements is uncertain and we can provide no assurance that our distribution partners can generate the number of paying subscribers to our SVoD service in an amount adequate to produce the revenue required to maintain business operations. In many instances, our agreements also include provisions by which the distribution partner bills consumers directly for the CuriosityStream service or otherwise offers services or products in connection with offering our service. We intend to continue to broaden our relationships with existing partners and to increase our capability to stream our content to other platforms, partners and territories over time. If we are not successful in maintaining existing and creating new relationships, or if we encounter technological, content licensing, regulatory, business or other impediments to delivering our streaming content to our users via these devices and platforms and in these territories, our ability to retain users and grow our business could be adversely impacted.


Our agreements with our partners are typically between one and three years in duration and our business could be adversely affected if, upon expiration, a number of our partners do not seek stockholder approval, your only opportunitycontinue to provide access to our service or are unwilling to do so on terms acceptable to us, which terms may include the degree of accessibility and prominence of our service. Furthermore, while devices are manufactured and sold by entities other than CuriosityStream, the connection between these devices and CuriosityStream may nonetheless result in consumer dissatisfaction toward CuriosityStream and such dissatisfaction could result in claims against us or otherwise adversely impact our business. In addition, technology changes to our streaming functionality may require that partners update their devices. If partners do not update or otherwise modify their devices, our service and our users’ use and enjoyment of our content could be negatively impacted.

We are subject to payment processing risk.

Our users pay for our service using a variety of different payment methods, including credit and debit cards, gift cards, direct debit and online wallets. We rely on third parties to process payment. Acceptance and processing of these payment methods are subject to certain rules and regulations and require payment of interchange and other fees. To the extent there are disruptions in our payment processing systems, increases in payment processing fees, material changes in the payment ecosystem, such as large re-issuances of payment cards, delays in receiving payments from payment processors and/or changes to rules or regulations concerning payment processing, our revenue, operating expenses and results of operation could be adversely impacted. In certain instances, we leverage third parties such as our MVPDs and other partners to bill subscribers on our behalf. If these third parties become unwilling or unable to continue processing payments on our behalf, we would have to find alternative methods of collecting payments, which could adversely impact user acquisition and retention. In addition, from time to time, we encounter fraudulent use of payment methods, which could impact our results of operation and if not adequately controlled and managed could create negative perceptions of our service.

Distributors’ failure to promote our content could adversely affect our revenue and could adversely affect our business results.

We will not always control the investmenttiming and manner in which our licensed distributors distribute our content offerings. However, their decisions regarding the timing of release and promotional support are important in determining success. Any decision regardingby those distributors not to distribute or promote our content or to promote our competitors’ content to a potentialgreater extent than they promote our content could have a material adverse effect on our business, combinationfinancial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.

If we fail to maintain or, in newer markets establish, a positive reputation with consumers concerning our service, including the content we offer, we may not be able to attract or retain users, and our operating results may be limitedadversely affected.

We believe that a positive reputation with consumers concerning our service is important in attracting and retaining users who have a number of choices from which to exercising your redemption rights withinobtain video entertainment. To the periodextent our content is perceived as low quality, offensive or otherwise not compelling to consumers, our ability to establish and maintain a positive reputation may be adversely impacted. To the extent our content is deemed controversial or offensive by government regulators, we may face direct or indirect retaliatory action or behavior, including being required to remove such content from our service, and our entire service could be banned and/or become subject to heightened regulatory scrutiny across our business and operations. Furthermore, to the extent our marketing, customer service and public relations efforts are not effective or result in negative consumer reaction, our ability to establish and maintain a positive reputation may likewise be adversely impacted. Lastly, to the extent we suffer any security vulnerabilities, bugs, errors or other performance failures, our ability to establish and maintain a positive reputation may be adversely impacted. With newer markets, we also need to establish our reputation with consumers and to the extent we are not successful in creating positive impressions, our business in these newer markets may be adversely impacted.


Changes in competitive offerings for video entertainment, including the potential rapid adoption of time (whichpiracy-based video offerings, could adversely impact our business.

The market for video entertainment is intensely competitive and subject to rapid change. Through new and existing distribution channels, consumers have increasing options to access video entertainment. The various economic models underlying these channels include subscription, transactional, ad-supported and piracy-based models. All of these have the potential to capture meaningful segments of the video entertainment market. Piracy, in particular, threatens to damage our business. Piracy’s fundamental proposition to consumers is compelling and difficult to compete against, as virtually all content is free. Further, in light of the compelling consumer proposition, piracy services are subject to rapid global growth. In addition, traditional providers of video entertainment, including broadcasters and cable network operators, as well as internet-based e-commerce or video entertainment providers are increasing their internet-based video offerings. Several of these competitors have long operating histories, large customer bases, strong brand recognition and significant financial, marketing and other resources. They may secure better terms from suppliers, adopt more aggressive pricing and devote more resources to product development, technology, infrastructure, content acquisitions and marketing. New entrants may enter the market or existing providers may adjust their services with unique offerings or approaches to providing video entertainment.

Companies also may enter into business combinations or alliances that strengthen their competitive positions. If we are unable to successfully or profitably compete with current and new competitors, our business will be at least 20adversely affected, and we may not be able to increase or maintain market share and revenues or achieve profitability.

If government regulations relating to the internet or other areas of our business days) set forth in our tender offer documents mailedchange, we may need to our public stockholdersalter the manner in which we describeconduct our initial business combination.or incur greater operating expenses.

 

The abilityadoption or modification of laws or regulations relating to the internet, telecommunications or other areas of our business could limit or otherwise adversely affect the manner in which we currently conduct our business. As our service and others like us gain traction in international markets, governments are increasingly looking to introduce new or extend legacy regulations to these services, in particular those related to broadcast media, content obligations or restrictions, treatment of intellectual property, net neutrality or payment for transmission and tax. For example, recent changes to European law enables individual member states to impose levies and other financial obligations on media operators located outside their jurisdiction. We anticipate that several jurisdictions may, over time, impose greater financial and regulatory obligations on us. In addition, the continued growth and development of the market for online commerce may lead to more stringent consumer protection laws, which may impose additional burdens on us. If we are required to comply with new regulations or legislation or new interpretations of existing regulations or legislation, this compliance could cause us to incur additional expenses or alter our business model.

Changes in laws or regulations that adversely affect the growth, popularity or use of the internet, including laws impacting net neutrality, could decrease the demand for our service and increase our cost of doing business. Certain laws intended to prevent network operators from discriminating against the legal traffic that traverse their networks have been implemented in many countries, including across the EU. In others, the laws may be nascent or non-existent. Furthermore, favorable laws may change, including for example, in the United States where net neutrality regulations were somewhat recently repealed. Given uncertainty around these rules, including changing interpretations, amendments or repeal, coupled with potentially significant political and economic power of local network operators, we could experience discriminatory or anti-competitive practices that could impede our growth, cause us to incur additional expense or otherwise negatively affect our business.

Changes in how we market our service, or increases in our advertising rates, could adversely affect our marketing expenses and user levels may be adversely affected.

We utilize a broad mix of marketing and public stockholdersrelations programs, including social media sites, to redeempromote our service to potential new users. We may limit or discontinue use or support of certain marketing sources or activities if advertising rates increase or if we become concerned that users or potential users deem certain marketing practices intrusive or damaging to our brand. If the available marketing channels are curtailed, our ability to attract new users may be adversely affected.


Companies that promote our service and/or host our advertisements may decide that we negatively impact their shares for cashbusiness or may make business decisions that in turn negatively impact us. For example, if they decide that they want to compete more directly with us, enter a similar business or exclusively support our competitors, we may no longer have access to their marketing channels or they may charge us higher advertising rates, preventing us from advertising at competitive and/or reasonable rates. We also acquire a number of users who rejoin our service after having previously cancelled their subscription. If we are unable to maintain or replace our sources of subscriptions with similarly effective sources, or if the cost of our existing subscription increases, our subscription levels and marketing expenses may be adversely affected.

We utilize marketing to promote our content and drive viewing by our users. To the extent we promote our content inefficiently or ineffectively, we may not obtain the expected acquisition and retention benefits and our business may be adversely affected.

Emerging industry trends in digital advertising may pose challenges for our ability to forecast or optimize our advertising inventory, which may adversely impact our ability to capture advertising spend.

The digital advertising industry is introducing new ways to measure and price advertising inventory. In the absence of a uniform industry standard, agencies and advertisers have adopted several different measurement methodologies and standards. In addition, measurement services may require technological integrations, which are still being evaluated by the advertising industry without an agreed-upon industry standard metric. As these trends in the industry continue to evolve, our sponsorship and advertising fees may be adversely affected by the availability, accuracy and utility of the available analytics and measurement technologies as well as our ability to successfully implement and operationalize such technologies and standards.

Further, the digital advertisement industry is shifting to data-driven technologies and advertising products, such as automated buying. These data-driven advertising products and automated buying technologies allow publishers and advertisers to use data to target advertising toward specific groups of users who are more likely to be interested in the advertisement message delivered to them. In addition, we rely on third-party advertising technology platforms to participate in automated buying, and if these platforms cease to operate or experience instability in their business models, it also may adversely affect our ability to capture advertising spend.

Our user metrics and other estimates are subject to inherent challenges in measurement, and real or perceived inaccuracies in those metrics may seriously harm and negatively affect our reputation and our business.

We regularly review key metrics related to the operation of our business, including, but not limited to monthly active users (“MAUs”) and user churn, to evaluate growth trends, measure our performance, and make strategic decisions. These metrics are calculated using internal company data and have not been validated by an independent third party. While these numbers are based on what we believe to be reasonable estimates of our user base for the applicable period of measurement, there are inherent challenges in measuring how our service is used across populations globally.

Errors or inaccuracies in our metrics or data could result in incorrect business decisions and inefficiencies. For instance, if a significant understatement of churn or overstatement of MAUs were to occur, we may expend resources to implement unnecessary business measures or fail to take required actions to attract a sufficient number of users to satisfy our growth strategies.

Some of our demographic data also may be incomplete or inaccurate because users self-report their personal information. Consequently, the personal data we have may differ from our users’ actual information. If sponsors, advertisers, partners or investors do not perceive our user, geographic or other demographic metrics to be accurate representations of our user base, or if we discover material inaccuracies in our user, geographic, or other demographic metrics, our reputation may be seriously harmed. See “— We are at risk of attempts at unauthorized access to our service, and failure to effectively prevent and remediate such attempts could have an adverse impact on our business, operating results, and financial condition.”


We rely on subscription data provided by our third-party distributors and platform partners that has not been independently verified and inaccuracies in that data may seriously harm and adversely affect our reputation and our business.

Our calculation of total paying subscribers includes the subscribers who are accessing our service via a third-party distributor or platform partner. We rely on these third-party distributors and platform partners to provide us with subscriber data. This data is based on verbal, unpublished or confidential reports and has not been validated by us or an independent third party. We use this data, among other things, to evaluate growth trends, measure our performance and make strategic decisions. Reliance on such unconfirmed or unpublished data could lead us to make incorrect calculations, incorrect business decisions or inefficiencies, particularly if these third parties provide inaccurate or incomplete data. If any of the foregoing were to occur, our reputation and business could be seriously harmed or adversely affected.

Our business emphasizes rapid innovation and prioritizes long-term user engagement over short-term financial condition or results of operations. That strategy could have an adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Our business is growing and becoming more complex, and our success depends on our ability to quickly develop and launch new and innovative services. We believe our culture fosters this goal. Our focus on complexity and quick reactions could result in unintended outcomes or decisions that are poorly received by our users, advertisers, sponsors or partners. Our culture also prioritizes our long-term user engagement over short-term financial condition or results of operations. We frequently make decisions that may reduce our short-term revenue or profitability if we believe that the decisions benefit the aggregate user experience and will thereby improve our financial performance over the long-term. For example, in August 2018, we reduced our monthly and annual subscription prices for our HD service from $5.99 and $59.99 to $2.99 and $19.99, respectively. We also regularly run promotions discounting our service plans from their published prices. For example, in the second quarter of 2020 we ran an $11.99 promotion for an annual subscription. No assurance can be provided that such price reductions will produce an increase in subscribers to a level adequate to support sponsorship sales or generate revenue in an amount required to maintain business operations. These decisions may not produce the long-term benefits that we expect, in which case, our user growth and engagement, our relationships with advertisers, sponsors and partners, as well as our business, operating results and financial condition unattractivecould be seriously harmed.

We may acquire other companies or technologies, which could divert management’s attention and otherwise disrupt our operations and harm our operating results. We may fail to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for usacquire companies whose market power or technology could be important to enter into an initial business combination with a target.the future success of our business.

 

We may, in the future, seek to acquire or invest in other companies or technologies that we believe could complement or expand our service, enhance our technical capabilities or otherwise offer growth opportunities. Pursuit of future potential acquisitions may divert the attention of management and cause us to incur various expenses in identifying, investigating and pursuing suitable acquisitions, whether or not they are consummated. In addition, we have limited experience acquiring and integrating other businesses. We may be unsuccessful in integrating any business we may acquire in the future, and we may fail to acquire companies whose market power or technology could be important to the future success of our business.

We also may not achieve the anticipated benefits from any acquired business due to a number of factors, including:

unanticipated costs or liabilities associated with the acquisition, including costs or liabilities arising from the acquired companies’ failure to comply with intellectual property laws and licensing obligations they are subject to;

difficulty incorporating acquired technology systems and platforms;

risks of entering new markets;

incurrence of acquisition-related costs;

diversion of management’s attention from other business concerns;


regulatory uncertainties;

harm to our existing business relationships with business partners as a result of the acquisition;

harm to our brand and reputation;

the potential loss of key employees;

use of resources that are needed in other parts of our business; and

use of substantial portions of our available cash to consummate the acquisition.

In addition, a significant portion of the purchase price of companies we acquire may be allocated to acquire goodwill, which must be assessed for impairment at least annually. In the future, if our acquisitions do not yield expected returns, we may be required to take charges to our operating results based on this impairment assessment process. Acquisitions also could result in dilutive issuances of equity securities or the incurrence of debt, which could adversely affect our operating results. In addition, if an acquired business fails to meet our expectations, our operating results, business and financial condition may suffer.

Risks Related to Intellectual Property

If content providers or other rights holders refuse to license streaming content or other rights upon terms acceptable to us, our business could be adversely affected.

Our ability to provide our users with content they want to watch depends on content providers and other rights holders’ licensing rights to distribute such content and certain related elements thereof, such as the public performance of music contained within the content we distribute, upon terms acceptable to us. While the license periods and the terms and conditions of such licenses vary, a significant portion of our available content is subject to license for a given period. As of December 31, 2020, 64% of our titles were subject to licenses, 29% of which expire in 2021 and 31% of which expire in 2022. Of the titles that expire in 2021 and 2022, some may be renewed for a one- or two-year term at our unilateral option. If the content providers and other rights holders are not or are no longer willing or able to license us content upon terms acceptable to us, our ability to deliver particular items of content to our subscribers will be adversely affected and/or our costs could increase. Certain licenses for content provide for the content providers to withdraw content from our service relatively quickly, and such content providers could decide that we negatively impact their business or may make business decisions that in turn negatively impact us. For example, certain content providers could decide that they want to compete more directly with us, enter a similar business or exclusively support our competitors, and in such event we may no longer have access to their content at all or only at higher rates. Because of these provisions as well as other actions we may take, content available through our service can be withdrawn on short notice. As competition increases, we may see the cost of programming increase. As we seek to differentiate our service, we are increasingly focused on securing certain exclusive rights when obtaining content, including original content. We are also focused on programming an overall mix of content that delights our users in a cost-efficient manner. Within this context, we are selective about the titles we add and renew to our service. If we do not maintain a compelling mix of content, our user acquisition and retention may be adversely affected.

Music and certain authors’ performances contained within content we distribute may require us to obtain licenses for such distribution. In this regard, we engage in negotiations with collection management organizations (“CMOs”) that hold certain rights to music and/or other interests in connection with streaming content into various territories. If we are unable to reach mutually acceptable terms with these organizations, we could become involved in litigation and/or could be enjoined from distributing certain content, which could adversely impact our business. Additionally, pending and ongoing litigation, as well as negotiations between certain CMOs and other third parties in various territories, could adversely impact our negotiations with CMOs, or result in music publishers represented by certain CMOs unilaterally withdrawing rights, and thereby adversely impact our ability to reach licensing agreements reasonably acceptable to us. Failure to reach such licensing agreements could expose us to potential liability for copyright infringement or otherwise increase our costs.


The long-term and fixed cost nature of our content commitments may limit our operating flexibility and could adversely affect our liquidity and results of operations.

In connection with licensing content, we typically enter into an initial business combination agreementmulti-year commitments with a prospective targetcontent providers. We also enter into multi-year commitments for content that requireswe produce, either directly or through third parties, including elements associated with these productions such as non-cancellable commitments under talent agreements. The payment terms of these agreements are not tied to usage or the size of our user base but may be determined by costs of production or tied to such factors as titles licensed. Such commitments, to the extent estimable under accounting standards, are included in Note 14 in the accompanying notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A. Given the multiple-year duration and largely fixed cost nature of content commitments, if user acquisition and retention do not meet our expectations, our margins may be adversely impacted. Payment terms for certain content commitments, such as content we directly produce, will typically require more up-front cash payments than other content licenses or arrangements whereby we do not cash flow the production of such content. To the extent user and/or revenue growth do not meet our expectations, our liquidity and results of operations could be adversely affected as a closing conditionresult of content commitments and accelerated payment requirements of certain agreements. In addition, the long-term and fixed cost nature of our content commitments may limit our flexibility in planning for or reacting to changes in our business and the markets in which we operate. If we license and/or produce content that is not favorably received by consumers in a territory, or is unable to be shown in a territory, acquisition and retention may be adversely impacted and given the long-term and fixed cost nature of our content commitments, we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public stockholders exercise their redemption rights, we wouldmay not be able to meet such closing conditionadjust our content offering quickly and our results of operation may be adversely impacted.

If our trademarks and other proprietary rights are not adequately protected to prevent use or appropriation by our competitors, the value of our brand and other intangible assets may be diminished and our business may be adversely affected.

We rely and expect to continue to rely on a combination of confidentiality and license agreements with our employees, consultants and third parties with whom we have relationships, as a result, wouldwell as trademark and copyright laws, to protect our proprietary rights. We may also seek to enforce our proprietary rights through court proceedings or other legal actions. We have filed and we expect to file from time to time for trademark applications. Nevertheless, these applications may not be approved, third parties may challenge any copyrights or trademarks issued to or held by us, third parties may knowingly or unknowingly infringe our intellectual property rights, and we may not be able to proceed withprevent infringement or misappropriation without substantial expense to us. If the initial business combination. Furthermore, we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 upon consummationprotection of our initial business combinationintellectual property rights is inadequate to prevent use or misappropriation by third parties, the value of our brand and after payment of underwriter’s 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 whichother intangible assets may be containeddiminished, competitors may be able to more effectively mimic our service and methods of operations, the perception of our business and service to users and potential users may become confused in the agreementmarketplace, and our ability to attract users may be adversely affected.

We currently hold various domain names relating to our initial business combination. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would causebrand, including www.curiositystream.com. Failure to protect our net tangible assetsdomain names could adversely affect our reputation and brand and make it more difficult for users to be less than $5,000,001 or such greater amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition, we would not proceed with such redemptionfind our website and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination. Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into an initial business combination with us.

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

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

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

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

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

Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning an initial business combination will be aware that we must complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating an initial business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination with that particular target business, weservice. We may be unable, without significant cost or at all, to completeprevent third parties from acquiring domain names that are similar to, infringe upon or otherwise decrease the value of our initialtrademarks and other proprietary rights.

Intellectual property claims against us could be costly and result in the loss of significant rights related to, among other things, our website, streaming technology, our recommendation and promotion capabilities, title selection processes and marketing activities.

Trademark, copyright and other intellectual property rights are important to us and other companies. Our intellectual property rights extend to our technology, business combinationprocesses and the content we produce and distribute through our website. We use the intellectual property of third parties in creating some of our content and marketing our service through contractual and other rights. From time to time, third parties may allege that we have violated their intellectual property rights. If we are unable to obtain sufficient rights, successfully defend our use, or develop non-infringing technology or otherwise alter our business practices on a timely basis in response to claims against us for infringement, misappropriation, misuse or other violation of third-party intellectual property rights, our business and competitive position may be adversely affected. Many companies are devoting significant resources to developing patents that could potentially affect many aspects of our business. There are numerous patents that broadly claim means and methods of conducting business on the internet. We have not searched patents relative to our technology. Defending ourselves against intellectual property claims, whether they are with any target business. This risk will increase as we get closeror without merit or are determined in our favor, results in costly litigation and diversion of technical and management personnel. It also may result in our inability to the timeframe described above. In addition,use our current website, streaming technology, our recommendation and promotion capability or inability to market our service. We may also have to remove content from our service. As a result of a dispute, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and maydevelop non-infringing technology, enter into royalty or licensing agreements, adjust our initial business combinationcontent, marketing activities or take other actions to resolve the claims. These actions, if required, may be costly or unavailable on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.acceptable to us.

 

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Risks Related to Liquidity

We may not be able to completegenerate sufficient cash to service our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, in which caseobligations and any debt we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public stockholders may only receive $10.01 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, based on the balance of our trust account (as of December 31, 2019) and our warrants will expire worthless.incur.

 

Our amendedability to make payments on our obligations and restated certificateany debt we incur in the future will depend on our financial and operating performance, which is subject to prevailing economic and competitive conditions and to certain financial, business and other factors beyond our control. In each of incorporation provides thatthe last three years, our cash flows from operating activities have been negative. We may be unable to attain a level of cash flows from operating activities or maintain the level of liquidity sufficient to permit us to pay our obligations, including amounts due under our streaming content obligations, and the principal, premium, if any, and interest on any debt we must complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021.incur. We may or may not be able to accurately predict the ultimate impact on our levels of liquidity from our cash flows and such predictions are subject to change.

If we are unable to service our obligations, including any debt we may incur in the future, from cash flows, we may need to refinance or restructure all or a portion of such obligations prior to maturity. Our ability to refinance or restructure obligations, including any debt we may incur in the future, will depend upon the condition of the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. Any refinancing or restructuring could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants, which could further restrict our business operations. If our cash flows are insufficient to service our then-existing debt and other obligations, we may not be able to refinance or restructure any of these obligations on commercially reasonable terms or at all and any refinancing or restructuring could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.

If our cash flows are insufficient to service our obligations, including any debt we may incur in the future, and we are unable to refinance or restructure these obligations, we could face substantial liquidity problems and may be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures or to sell material assets or operations to meet our then-existing debt and other obligations. We cannot assure you that we would be able to implement any of these alternative measures on satisfactory terms or at all or that the proceeds from such alternatives would be adequate to meet any debt or other obligations then due. If it becomes necessary to implement any of these alternative measures, our business, results of operations or financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

We have a substantial amount of obligations, including streaming content obligations, which, together with any debt we may incur in the future, could adversely affect our financial position.

We have a substantial amount of obligations, including streaming content obligations. Moreover, we expect to incur substantial indebtedness in the future and to incur other obligations, including additional streaming content obligations. As of December 31, 2020, we had approximately $2.1 million of total content liabilities as reflected on our consolidated balance sheet. Such amount does not include streaming content commitments that do not meet the criteria for liability recognition, the amounts of which are significant. For more information on our streaming content obligations, including those not on our balance sheet, see Note 14 in the accompanying notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A. Our obligations, including streaming content obligations, may:

make it difficult for us to satisfy our other financial obligations;

limit our ability to use our cash flow, borrow additional funds or obtain other additional financing for future working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions or other general business purposes;


require us to use a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to make debt service payments and pay our other obligations when due;

limit our flexibility to plan for, or react to, changes in our business and industry;

place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our less leveraged competitors; and

increase our vulnerability to the impact of adverse economic and industry conditions.

Our streaming obligations to licensors include large multi-year commitments. As a result, we may be unable to react to any downturn in the economy or reduction in our cash flows from operations by reducing our streaming content obligations in the near-term. This could result in our needing to access the capital markets at an unfavorable time, which may negatively impact our business.

We may find it difficult to successfully compete without significant capital investment or loans beyond what is available to us in current and future capital raising efforts.

Competing in the global media marketplace requires considerable financial resources, especially in the direct-to-consumer SVoD business sector, which requires substantial advertising and marketing expenditures to build widespread brand awareness to a suitable targetlevel that produces subscribers. For example, Netflix alone spent approximately $2.2 billion on marketing in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. In a global media marketplace with competitors spending greater amounts on programming and marketing than we do, we may find it difficult to successfully compete without significant capital investment or loans beyond what is available to us in current and future capital raising efforts. No assurance can be provided that we can successfully acquire the amount of capital resources required to successfully compete and survive as a business.

Risks Related to Information Technology

Any significant disruption in or unauthorized access to our computer systems or those of third parties that we utilize in our operations, including those relating to cybersecurity or arising from cyber-attacks, could result in a loss or degradation of service, unauthorized disclosure of data, including user and corporate information, or theft of intellectual property, including digital content assets, which could adversely impact our business.

Our reputation and ability to attract, retain and serve our users is dependent upon the reliable performance and security of our computer systems, mobile and other user applications, and those of third parties that we utilize in our operations. These systems may be subject to cyber incident, damage or interruption from earthquakes, adverse weather conditions, lack of maintenance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, other natural disasters, terrorist attacks, power loss or telecommunications failures. Interruptions in, destruction or manipulation of these systems, or with the internet in general, could make our service unavailable or degraded or otherwise hinder our ability to deliver streaming content. Service interruptions, errors in our software or the unavailability of computer systems used in our operations, delivery or user interface could diminish the overall attractiveness of our user service to existing and potential users.

Our computer systems, mobile and other applications and systems of third parties we use in our operations are vulnerable to cybersecurity risks, including cyber-attacks and loss of confidentiality, integrity or availability, both from state-sponsored and individual activity, such as hacks, unauthorized access, computer viruses, denial of service attacks, physical or electronic break-ins and similar disruptions and destruction. Such systems may periodically experience directed attacks intended to lead to interruptions and delays in our service and operations as well as loss, misuse or theft of data or intellectual property. Any attempt by hackers to obtain our data (including user and corporate information) or intellectual property (including digital content assets), disrupt our service, or otherwise access our systems, or those of third parties we use, if successful, could harm our business, be expensive to remedy, expose us to potential liability and damage our reputation. We have implemented certain systems and processes to thwart hackers and protect our data and systems. From time to time, we have experienced an unauthorized release of certain digital content assets, however, to date these unauthorized releases have not had a material impact on our service or systems. There is no assurance that hackers may not have a material impact on our service or systems in the future. Our insurance does not cover expenses related to such disruptions, losses or unauthorized access. Efforts to prevent hackers from disrupting our service or otherwise accessing our systems are expensive to implement and may limit the functionality of or otherwise negatively impact our service offering and systems. Any significant disruption to our service or access to our systems could result in a loss of users, liability and adversely affect our business and completeresults of operation.


We utilize our initialown communications and computer hardware systems located either in our facilities or in that of a third-party web hosting provider. In addition, we utilize third-party “cloud” computing services in connection with our business operations. We also utilize our own and third-party content delivery networks to help us stream factual entertainment in high volume to CuriosityStream users over the internet. Problems faced by us or our third-party Web hosting, “cloud” computing, or other network providers, including technological or business-related disruptions, as well as cybersecurity threats, could adversely impact the experience of our users, resulting in a loss of users, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We rely upon Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) to operate certain aspects of our service and any disruption of or interference with our use of AWS would impact our operations and our business would be adversely affected.

AWS provides a distributed computing infrastructure platform for business operations, or what is commonly referred to as a “cloud” computing service. We have architected our software and computer systems so as to utilize data processing, storage capabilities and other services provided by AWS. Currently, we run the vast majority of our computing on AWS. In addition, Amazon’s retail division competes with us for users, and Amazon could use, or restrict our use of, AWS to gain a competitive advantage against us. Because we rely heavily on AWS for computing infrastructure and we cannot easily switch our AWS operations to another cloud provider, any disruption of or interference with our use of AWS would impact our operations and our business would be adversely affected.

If the technology we use in operating our business fails, is unavailable, or does not operate to expectations, our business and results of operation could be adversely impacted.

We utilize a combination within such time period. Ifof proprietary and third-party technology to operate our business. This includes the technology that we have developed to recommend and promote content to our consumers as well as enable fast and efficient delivery of content to our users and their various consumer electronic devices. If our recommendation and promotion capabilities do not completedenable us to predict and recommend titles that our initialusers will enjoy, our ability to attract and retain users may be adversely affected. We also utilize third-party technology to help market our service, process payments and otherwise manage the daily operations of our business. If our technology or that of third parties we utilize in our operations fails or otherwise operates improperly, including as a result of “bugs” in our development and deployment of software, our ability to operate our service, retain existing users and add new users may be impaired. In addition, any harm to our users’ personal computers or other devices caused by software used in our operations could have an adverse effect on our business, combination withinresults of operations and financial condition.

Interruptions or delays in service arising from our own systems or from our third-party vendors could impair the delivery of our service and harm our business.

We rely on systems housed at our own premises and at those of third-party vendors, including network service providers and data center facilities, to enable viewers to stream our content in a dependable and efficient manner. We have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, periodic service interruptions and delays involving our own systems and those of our third-party vendors. We do not currently maintain live fail-over capability that would allow us to instantaneously switch our streaming operations from AWS to another cloud provider in the event of a service outage at AWS. We house the primary, current copy of our library database at our main premises. We update copies of our content on a weekly basis and house these copies offsite. Both our own facilities and those of our third-party vendors are vulnerable to damage or interruption from earthquakes, floods, fires, power loss, telecommunications failures and similar events. They also are subject to break-ins, hacking, denial of service attacks, sabotage, intentional acts of vandalism, terrorist acts, natural disasters, human error, the financial insolvency of our third-party vendors and other unanticipated problems or events. The occurrence of any of these events could result in interruptions in our service and the unauthorized access to, or alteration of, the content and data contained on our systems and that these third-party vendors store and deliver on our behalf.

We do not exercise complete control over our third-party vendors, which makes us vulnerable to any errors, interruptions, or delays in their operations. Any disruption in the services provided by these vendors could have a significant adverse impact on our business reputation, customer relations and operating results. Upon expiration or termination of any of our agreements with third party vendors, we may not be able to replace the services provided to us in a timely manner or on terms and conditions, including service levels and cost, that are favorable to us, and a transition from one vendor to another vendor could subject us to operational delays and inefficiencies until the transition is complete.


Some of our services and technologies may use open source software, which may restrict how we use or distribute our service or require that we release the source code of certain services subject to those licenses.

Some of our services and technologies may incorporate software licensed under open source licenses. Such open source licenses often require that source code subject to the license be made available to the public and that any modifications or derivative works to open source software continue to be licensed under open source licenses. Few courts have interpreted open source licenses, and the manner in which these licenses may be interpreted and enforced is therefore subject to some uncertainty. We rely on multiple employee and non-employee software programmers to design our proprietary technologies, and since we may not be able to exercise complete control over the development efforts of all such time period,programmers we will: (i) ceasecannot be certain that they have not incorporated open source software into our products and services without our knowledge, or that they will not do so in the future. In the event that portions of our proprietary technology are determined to be subject to certain open source licenses, we may be required to publicly release the affected portions of our source code, be forced to re-engineer all operations exceptor a portion of our technologies, or otherwise be limited in the licensing of our technologies, each of which could reduce the value of our services and technologies and materially and adversely affect our ability to sustain and grow our business.

Changes in how network operators handle and charge for access to data that travel across their networks could adversely impact our business.

We rely upon the ability of consumers to access our service through the internet. If network operators block, restrict or otherwise impair access to our service over their networks, our service and business could be negatively affected. To the extent that network operators implement usage-based pricing, including meaningful bandwidth caps, or otherwise try to monetize access to their networks by data providers, we could incur greater operating expenses and our user acquisition and retention could be negatively impacted. Furthermore, to the extent network operators create tiers of internet access service and either charge us for or prohibit us from having our content available through these tiers, our business could be negatively impacted.

Most network operators that provide consumers with access to the internet also provide these consumers with multichannel video programming. As such, many network operators have an incentive to use their network infrastructure in a manner adverse to our continued growth and success. To the extent that network operators are able to provide preferential treatment to their data as opposed to ours or otherwise implement discriminatory network management practices, our business could be negatively impacted.

We are at risk of attempts at unauthorized access to our service, and failure to effectively prevent and remediate such attempts could have an adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition.

We may be impacted by attempts of third parties to manipulate and exploit our software for the purpose of windinggaining unauthorized access to our service. If in the future we fail to successfully detect and address such issues, it may have artificial effects on our key performance indicators, such as advertising reach. It should be noted that since unauthorized access to our service may in the future happen through exploitation of software vulnerabilities, once a new method of doing so is developed by third parties, the level of unauthorized access (and attendant negative financial impact described above, if at all) may increase over time as third parties share the method until we find a way to prevent the unauthorized access, assuming we are able to do so at all. Additionally, individuals using unauthorized versions of our application are unlikely to subscribe to our paid CuriosityStream service. Moreover, once we detect and correct such unauthorized access and any key performance indicators it affects, investor confidence in the integrity of our key performance indicators could be undermined. All of the above consequences of unauthorized access to our service could have material and adverse effects on our business, operating results and financial condition.


Risks Related to Privacy

Privacy concerns could limit our ability to collect and leverage our user data and disclosure of user data could adversely impact our business and reputation.

In the ordinary course of business and in particular in connection with content acquisition and merchandising our service to our users, we collect and utilize data supplied by or obtained from our users. We currently face certain legal obligations regarding the manner in which we treat such information, including the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation or the “GDPR” and the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”). The GDPR, which went into effect in May 2018, imposes strict requirements for processing personal data of individuals within the European Economic Area (“EEA”). Companies that must comply with the GDPR face increased compliance obligations and risk, including more robust regulatory enforcement of data protection requirements and potential fines for noncompliance of up (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeemto €20 million or 4% of the public shares, at a per-share price, payableannual global revenues of the noncompliant company, whichever is greater. Data privacy laws in cash, equalthe EU are developing rapidly and, in July 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union limited how organizations could lawfully transfer personal data from the EEA to the aggregate amount then on depositUnited States by invalidating the Privacy Shield. Relatedly, following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EEA and the EU, and the expiry of the transition period, companies have to comply with both the GDPR and the GDPR as incorporated into United Kingdom national law, the latter regime having the ability to separately fine up to the greater of £17.5 million or 4% of global turnover. The relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously releasedrelation to certain aspects of data protection law remains unclear, for example around how data can lawfully be transferred between each jurisdiction, which may expose us to pay our taxes (less upfurther compliance risk.

Further, the CCPA went into effect on January 1, 2020, which, among other things, imposes new data privacy obligations on covered companies and provides expanded privacy rights to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (includingCalifornia residents, including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any),access, delete and opt out of certain disclosures of their information. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action with statutory damages for certain data breaches, which may increase the frequency and likelihood of data breach litigation. Further, the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”) recently passed in California. The CPRA will impose additional data protection obligations on covered businesses, including additional consumer rights processes, limitations on data uses, new audit requirements for higher risk data, and opt outs for certain uses of sensitive data. It will also create a new California data protection agency authorized to issue substantive regulations and could result in increased privacy and information security enforcement. The majority of the provisions will go into effect on January 1, 2023, and additional compliance investment and potential business process changes may be required.

The global data protection landscape is rapidly evolving, and we are or may become subject to numerous state, federal and foreign laws, requirements and regulations governing the collection, use, disclosure, retention, and security of personal data. Implementation standards and enforcement practices are likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future, and we cannot yet determine the impact future laws, regulations, standards, or perception of their requirements may have on our business. This evolution may create uncertainty in our business, affect our ability to operate in certain jurisdictions or to collect, store, transfer, use and share personal information, necessitate the acceptance of more onerous obligations in our contracts, result in liability or impose additional costs on us. The cost of compliance with these laws, regulations and standards is high and is likely to increase in the future. Any actual or perceived failure to comply with the GDPR, the CCPA, the CPRA, other data privacy laws or regulations, or related contractual or other obligations, or any perceived privacy rights violation, could lead to investigations, claims, and proceedings by governmental entities and private parties, damages for contract breach, and other significant costs, penalties, and other liabilities, as well as harm to our reputation and market position.

Other businesses have been criticized by privacy groups and governmental bodies for attempts to link personal identities and other information to data collected on the internet regarding users’ browsing and other habits. Increased regulation of data utilization practices, including new and evolving laws globally, self-regulation, or findings under existing laws that limit our ability to collect, transfer and use data, could have an adverse effect on our business. In addition, if we were to disclose data about our users in a manner that was objectionable to them, including pursuant to governmental process, our business reputation could be adversely affected, and we could face potential legal claims, reputational loss, or enforcement actions that could impact our operating results. Internationally, we may become subject to additional and/or more stringent legal obligations concerning our treatment of customer and other personal information, and data generally, such as laws regarding data localization and/or restrictions on data export. Failure to comply with these obligations could subject us to liability, and to the extent that we need to alter our business model or practices to adapt to these obligations, we could incur additional expenses.


Our reputation and relationships with users would be harmed if our user data, particularly billing data, were to be accessed by unauthorized persons.

We maintain personal data regarding our users, including names and email addresses. This data is maintained on our own systems as well as that of third parties we use in our operations. With respect to billing data, such as credit card numbers, we and our subscribers rely on third parties to collect and secure such information. We take measures to protect against unauthorized intrusion into our users’ data. Despite these measures we, our payment processing services or other third-party services we use such as AWS, Stripe or PayPal, could experience an unauthorized intrusion into our users’ data. We also may be required to notify regulators about any actual or perceived data breach (including the EU Lead Data Protection Authority) as well as the individuals who are affected by the incident within strict time periods. In the event of such a breach, current and potential users may become unwilling to provide the information to us necessary for them to become users. Additionally, we could face legal claims or regulatory fines or penalties for such a breach. The costs relating to any data breach could be material, even though we currently carry insurance against the risk of a data breach. We also maintain employment and personal information concerning our employees. Should an unauthorized intrusion into our users’ or employees’ data occur, our business could be adversely affected and our broader reputation with respect to data protection could be negatively impacted.

Risks Related to International Operations

We could be subject to economic, political, regulatory and other risks arising from our international operations.

Operating in international markets requires significant resources and management attention and will subject us to regulatory, economic and political risks that may be different from or incremental to those in the United States. In addition to the risks that we face in the United States, our international operations involve risks that could adversely affect our business, including:

new and different sources of competition;

different and more stringent user protection, data protection, privacy and other laws, including data localization requirements;

adverse tax consequences such as those related to changes in tax laws or tax rates or their interpretations, and the related application of judgment in determining our global provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets or liabilities or other tax liabilities given the ultimate tax determination is uncertain;

different or more onerous or costly rights society collection royalties and charges;

the need to adapt our content and user interfaces for specific cultural and language differences, including in-licensing a certain portion of our content assets before we have developed a full appreciation for its performance within a given territory;

difficulties in complying with territorial licenses;

difficulties and costs associated with staffing and managing foreign operations;

management distraction;

political or social unrest and economic instability;

compliance with U.S. laws such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, export controls and economic sanctions, and local laws prohibiting corrupt payments to government officials;

difficulties in understanding and complying with local laws, regulations and customs in foreign jurisdictions;


regulatory requirements or government action against our service, whether in response to enforcement of actual or purported legal and regulatory requirements or otherwise, that results in disruption or non-availability of our service or particular content in the applicable jurisdiction;

foreign intellectual property laws, such as the EU copyright directive, or changes to such laws, which may be less favorable than U.S. law and, among other issues, may impact the economics of creating or distributing content, anti-piracy efforts, or our ability to protect or exploit intellectual property rights;

fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which we do not use foreign exchange contracts or derivatives to hedge against and which could impact revenues and expenses of our international operations and expose us to foreign currency exchange rate risk;

profit repatriation and other restrictions on the transfer of funds;

differing payment processing systems as well as consumer use and acceptance of electronic payment methods, such as payment cards;

censorship requirements that cause us to remove or edit content or make other accommodations that lead to consumer disappointment or dissatisfaction with our service;

low usage and/or penetration of internet-connected consumer electronic devices;

availability of reliable broadband connectivity and wide area networks in targeted areas for expansion;

integration and operational challenges as well as potential unknown liabilities in connection with companies we may acquire or control;

differing, and often more lenient, laws and consumer understanding/attitudes regarding the illegality of piracy;

negative impacts from trade disputes; and

implementation of regulations designed to stimulate the local production of film and TV series in order to promote and preserve local culture and economic activity, including local content quotas, investment obligations, and levies to support local film funds. For example, the EU recently revised its Audio Visual Media Services Directive to require that European works comprise at least thirty (30) percent of media service providers’ catalogs, and to require prominence of those works.

Our failure to manage any of these risks successfully could harm our international operations and could have an adverse effect on our overall business and results of operations.

We are potentially subject to taxation related risks in multiple jurisdictions, and changes in U.S. tax laws, in particular, could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flow, results of operations or financial condition.

We are a U.S.-based company potentially subject to tax in multiple U.S. and non-U.S. tax jurisdictions. Significant judgment will be required in determining our global provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets or liabilities and in evaluating our tax positions on a worldwide basis. While we believe our tax positions are consistent with the tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we conduct our business, it is possible that these positions may be overturned by jurisdictional tax authorities, which may have a significant impact on our global provision for income taxes.

Tax laws are dynamic and subject to change as new laws are passed and new interpretations of the law are issued or applied. In particular, the United States recently enacted significant U.S. federal income tax reform, and certain provisions of this new U.S. federal income tax law may adversely affect us. This new U.S. federal income tax law requires complex computations that were not previously provided for under U.S. tax law. Furthermore, this new U.S. federal income tax law requires significant judgments to be made in interpretation of the law and (iii)significant estimates in the calculation of the provision for income taxes. Additional interpretive guidance may be issued by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of the Treasury or another governing body that may significantly differ from the Company’s interpretation of this new U.S. federal income tax law, which may result in a material adverse effect on our business, cash flow, results of operations or financial condition. In addition, governmental tax authorities are increasingly scrutinizing the tax positions of companies. Many countries in the EU, as promptlywell as reasonably possiblea number of other countries and organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, are actively considering changes to existing tax laws that, if enacted, could increase our tax obligations in countries where we do business. If U.S. or non-U.S. tax authorities change applicable tax laws, our overall taxes could increase, and our business, financial condition or results of operations may be adversely impacted.


Risks Related to Human Resources

We may lose key employees or may be unable to hire qualified employees.

We rely on the continued service of our senior management and other key individuals, our Chairman and the founder of our predecessor CuriosityStream LLC, John Hendricks and our President and Chief Executive Officer, Clint Stinchcomb, members of our executive team and other key employees and the hiring of new qualified employees. In our industry, there is substantial and continuous competition for highly skilled business, product development, technical and other personnel. We may not be successful in recruiting new personnel and in retaining and motivating existing personnel, which may be disruptive to our operations. In addition, from time to time, there may be changes in our management team that may be disruptive to our business. If our management team, including any new hires that we make, fails to work together effectively and to execute our plans and strategies on a timely basis, our business could be harmed. Our effort to retain and develop personnel may also result in significant additional expenses, which could adversely affect our profitability.

Risks Relating to Ownership of Our Common Stock

Because there are no current plans to pay cash dividends on our Common Stock for the foreseeable future, you may not receive any return on your investment in our Common Stock unless you sell your shares of our Common Stock for a price greater than that which you paid for it.

We intend to retain future earnings, if any, for future operations, expansion and debt repayment (for any debt we may incur in the future) and there are no current plans to pay cash dividends on shares of our Common Stock for the foreseeable future. The declaration, amount and payment of any future dividends on shares of our Common Stock will be at the sole discretion of our Board. Our Board may take into account general and economic conditions, our financial condition and results of operations, our available cash and current and anticipated cash needs, capital requirements, contractual, legal, tax, and regulatory restrictions, implications on the payment of dividends by us to our stockholders or by our subsidiaries to us and such other factors as our Board may deem relevant. In addition, our ability to pay dividends is limited by covenants of our existing and outstanding indebtedness and may be limited by covenants of any future indebtedness we incur. As a result, you may not receive any return on an investment in our Common Stock unless you sell your shares of our Common Stock for a price greater than that which you paid for it.

Future sales, or the perception of future sales, by us or our stockholders in the public market could cause the market price for our Common Stock to decline.

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

As of May 5, 2021, we had 52,565,276 shares of our Common Stock outstanding. All of these shares are freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for shares of Common Stock held by certain of our “affiliates,” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act (“Rule 144”).

In connection with the Offering we consummated on February 8, 2021, our directors and executive officers entered into customary lock-up agreements with Bank of America Securities, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in the Offering, the term of which is 90 days following such redemption,the pricing of the Offering (with the exception of certain directors who are subject to a 60-day lock-up).

In connection with the approvalBusiness Combination, the directors and officers of Legacy CuriosityStream agreed with SAQN not to dispose of or hedge any of their common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of our remaining stockholders and our boardCommon Stock, subject to certain exceptions for PIPE Shares. The term of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claimsthis lock-up is 180 days following the closing of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, our public stockholders may only receive $10.01 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances basedBusiness Combination on the balance of our trust account (as of December 31, 2019), and our warrants will expire worthless.October 14, 2020.

 

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


 

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptionsPrior to the Business Combination, in connection with our initial business combination pursuantSAQN’s IPO, the Sponsor agreed to a lock-up of the 3,593,750 shares that were originally issued to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates maySponsor by SAQN in June 2019 for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash (and any shares or public warrants or a combination thereofof common stock issuable upon conversion thereof). On November 18, 2020, in privately negotiated transactions or inconnection with the open market either priorSponsor’s distribution of these shares to orits members, each member agreed to become subject to this lock-up. The term of this lock-up is the earlier of one year following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation to do so. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares or public warrants in such transactions.

Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such stockholder, although still the record holder of our shares is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public stockholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling stockholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. The purpose of such purchases could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination, or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstandingBusiness Combination or to vote such warrantsthe date on any matters submitted towhich the warrantholders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchaseslast sale price of our securities may result inCommon Stock is at least $12 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period commencing March 13, 2021. All of these shares will be eligible for resale, subject to volume, manner of sale and other limitations under Rule 144 on October 15, 2021 and once the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwiselock-ups described above have expired or have been possible. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.waived.

 

In addition, if such purchases are made,pursuant to the Investor Rights Agreement, dated October 14, 2020, by and among the Sponsor, SAQN, HFM, CuriosityStream Inc. and the officers and directors of Legacy CuriosityStream party thereto (the “Investor Rights Agreement”), the officers and directors party to the Investor Rights Agreement will have the right, subject to certain conditions, to require us to register the sale of their shares of our Common Stock under the Securities Act on or after April 12, 2021. By exercising their registration rights and selling a large number of shares, these stockholders could cause the prevailing market price of our Common Stock to decline.

In addition, the shares of our Common Stock reserved for future issuance under our Omnibus Incentive Plan will become eligible for sale in the public “float”market once those shares are issued, subject to provisions relating to various vesting agreements, lock-up agreements and, in some cases, limitations on volume and manner of sale applicable to affiliates under Rule 144, as applicable, and the general availability of Rule 144 to such affiliates. A total of 7,725,000 shares of our Class A common stock or public warrants andCommon Stock were reserved for issuance under our Omnibus Incentive Plan at inception. The compensation committee of our Board may determine the exact number of beneficial holders ofshares to be reserved for future issuance under our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to obtain or maintain the quotation, listing or trading of our securitiesOmnibus Incentive Plan at its discretion. These shares were registered under a Registration Statement on a national securities exchange.Form S-8 (File No. 333-249556) on December 14, 2020.

 

If a stockholder fails to receive notice ofIn the future, we may also issue our offer to redeem our public sharessecurities in connection with investments or acquisitions. The amount of shares of our initialCommon Stock issued in connection with an investment or acquisition could constitute a material portion of our then-outstanding shares of Common Stock. Any issuance of additional securities in connection with investments or acquisitions may result in additional dilution to our stockholders.

Certain of our stockholders may engage in business combination,activities that compete with us or failsotherwise conflict with our interests.

Certain of our stockholders are in the business of making investments in companies and may from time to time acquire and hold interests in businesses that compete directly or indirectly with us. Our Charter provides that none of the stockholder parties, any of their respective affiliates or any director who is not employed by us (including any non-employee director who serves as one of our officers in both his director and officer capacities) or his or her affiliates will have any duty to refrain from engaging, directly or indirectly, in the same business activities or similar business activities or lines of business in which we operate. The stockholder parties also may pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us.

We are an “emerging growth company,” and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our Common Stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and may remain an emerging growth company for up to five years. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and plan to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These exemptions include not being required to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.

We will comply with the tender offer rules or proxy rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our initial business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a stockholder fails to receive our tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, such stockholder may not become awareauditor attestation requirements of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly tender or redeem public shares. For example, we may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically. In the event that a stockholder failsSarbanes-Oxley Act Section 404, not being required to comply with theseany requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or any other procedures, its shares may not be redeemed.

15

You will not have any rights or interests in fundsa supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation, and exemptions from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. To liquidate your investment, therefore, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially atrequirements of holding a loss.

Our publicnonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, the information we provide stockholders will be entitled to receive funds fromdifferent than the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those shares of Class A common stockinformation that such stockholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021 or (B)is available with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii)public companies. For example, in the redemptionproxy for our upcoming 2021 annual meeting, we will not include all of our public sharesthe executive compensation related information that would be required if we are unable to completewere not an initial business combination by May 22, 2021, subject to applicable law andemerging growth company. We cannot predict whether investors will find our Common Stock less attractive if we rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our Common Stock less attractive as further described herein. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, youresult, there may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.less active trading market for our Common Stock, and our stock price may be more volatile.

 


Nasdaq

In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. This allows an emerging growth company to delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards.

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

 

Our units, Class A common stockCommon Stock and warrantsWarrants are listed on Nasdaq.the NASDAQ. We cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaqthe NASDAQ in the future or prior to our initial business combination.future. In order to continue listing our securities on Nasdaq prior to our initial business combination,the NASDAQ, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and stock price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum amount in stockholders’ equity (generally $2,500,000)$2,500,000 for companies trading on the NASDAQ) and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 300 public holders). Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with Nasdaq’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on Nasdaq. For instance, our stock price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share, our stockholders’ equity would generally be required to be at least $5.0 million and we would be required to have a minimum of 300 round lot holders of our securities. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.

 

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

 

a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;

 

reduced liquidity for our securities;

 

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

 

a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and

 

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

 

The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Since our units, Class A common stockCommon Stock and warrantsWarrants are listed on Nasdaq,the NASDAQ, they are covered securities. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of ourcovered securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. WhileIf we are not aware of a state having used these powerswere to prohibit or restrict the sale of securities issued by blank check companies, other than the State of Idaho, certain state securities regulators view blank check companies unfavorably and might use these powers, or threaten to use these powers, to hinder the sale of securities of blank check companies in their states. Further, if we werebe no longer listed on Nasdaq,the NASDAQ, our securities would not be covered securities and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities, including in connection with our initial business combination.securities.

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Our shareholders are not entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.

Since the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants are intended to be used to complete an initial business combination with a target business that has not been identified, westock price may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the United States securities laws. However, because we had net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 at the time of our initial public offering, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means our securities are immediately tradable. Moreover, that rule would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless and until the funds in the trust account were released to us in connection with our completion of an initial business combination.

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a “group” of stockholders are deemed to hold in excess of 20% of our Class A common stock, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 20% of our Class A common stock.

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 20% of the shares sold in our initial public offering without our prior consent, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our initial business combinationchange significantly and you could suffer a material loss onlose all or part of your investment in us if you sell Excess Shares in openas a result.

The trading price of our Common Stock is likely to be volatile. The stock market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respectrecently has experienced extreme volatility. This volatility often has been unrelated or disproportionate to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that numberoperating performance of shares exceeding 20% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.

Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.01 per share on our redemption of our public shares, or less than such amount in certain circumstances based on the balance of our trust account (as of December 31, 2019), and our warrants will expire worthless.

We encounter competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess similar technical, human and other resources to ours, and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, because we are obligated to pay cash for the shares of Class A common stock which our public stockholders redeem in connection with our initial business combination, target companies will be aware that this may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination. This may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive $10.01 per share on the liquidation of our trust account, based on the balance of our trust account (as of December 31, 2019), and our warrants will expire worthless.

If funds available to us outside of the trust account are insufficient, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search for an initial business combination, to pay our taxes and to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to obtain these loans, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination.

As of December 31, 2019, we had $1,093,408 held outside the trust account that is available to us to fund our working capital requirements. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor, management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. None of our sponsor, members of our management team nor any of their affiliates is under any obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Any such advances would be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than 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. If we are unable to obtain these loans, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. In such case, our public stockholders may only receive $10.01 per share, based on the balance of our trust account (as of December 31, 2019), and our warrants will expire worthless.


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

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

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

Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. Although we have sought and will continue to seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements theycompanies. You may not be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account, including, but not limitedable to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain advantage with respectresell your shares at an attractive price due to a claim against our assets, including the funds heldnumber of factors such as those listed in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims“— Risks Relating to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Marcum LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm,Company’s Business and the underwriter of the offering, will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account.

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

restrictions onresults of operations that vary from the natureexpectations of our investments;securities analysts and investors;

 

restrictions on the issuanceresults of securities, eachoperations that vary from those of which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.

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

registration as an investment company;competitors;

 

adoption of a specific form of corporate structure;changes in expectations as to our future financial performance, including financial estimates and investment recommendations by securities analysts and investors;

 

reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations.


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

We do not believe that our principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the trust account may only be invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. Our initial public offering was not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021, or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) absent an initial business combination by May 22, 2021, our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public stockholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete an initial business combination or may result in our liquidation. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.01 per share on the liquidation of our trust account, based on the balance of our trust account (as of December 31, 2019), and our warrants will expire worthless.

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

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

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

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

Under the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021, we may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If a corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. However, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the 18th month from the closing of our initial public offering in the event we do not complete our initial business combination and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the foregoing procedures.

Because we do not intend to comply with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the 10 years following our dissolution. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. If our plan of distribution complies with Section 281(b) of the DGCL, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would likely be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend beyond the third anniversary of such date. Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021 is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful (potentially due to the imposition of legal proceedings that a party may bring or due to other circumstances that are currently unknown), then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution.

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

In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq (or until December 31, 2020). Under Section 211(b) of the DGCL, we are, however, required to hold an annual meeting of stockholders for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with our bylaws unless such election is made by written consent in lieu of such a meeting. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, and thus we may not be in compliance with Section 211(b) of the DGCL, which requires an annual meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 211(c) of the DGCL.

We have not registered the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time, and such registration may not be in place when an investor desires to exercise warrants, thus precluding such investor from being able to exercise its warrants except on a cashless basis. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of warrants is not registered, qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless.

We have not registered the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time. However, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration under the Securities Act of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and thereafter will use our best efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days following our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. If the shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. However, no warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption from registration is available. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective within a specified period following the consummation of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or 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. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws and there is no exemption available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the shares of Class A common stock included in the units. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in our initial public offering. However, there may be instances in which holders of our public warrants may be unable to exercise such public warrants but holders of our private warrants may be able to exercise such private warrants.


If you exercise your public warrants on a “cashless basis,” you will receive fewer shares of Class A common stock from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.

There are circumstances in which the exercise of the public warrants may be required or permitted to be made on a cashless basis. First, if a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of our initial business combination, warrantholders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. Second, if a registration statement covering the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective within a specified period following the consummation of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption 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. Third, if we call the public warrants for redemption, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a cashless basis. In the event of an exercise on a cashless basis, a holder would pay the warrant exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (as defined in the next sentence) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” is the average reported last sale price of the Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is received by the warrant agent or on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants, as applicable. As a result, you would receive fewer shares of Class A common stock from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.

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

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

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

We are not limited to completing an initial business combination in any industry or geographical region, although we are not, under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. To the extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

Past performance by our management team and its affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in the Company.

Past performance by our management team and its affiliates is not a guarantee either (i) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to locate a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. You should not rely on the historical record of our management team or their affiliates’ performance as indicative of our future performance of an investment in the company or the returns the company will, or is likely to, generate going forward. Additionally, in the course of their respective careers, members of our management team and their affiliates have been involved in businesses and transactions that were not successful. Our officers and directors have not had experience with blank check companies or special purpose acquisition companies in the past.


We may seek business combination opportunities in industries or sectors which may or may not be outside of our management’s area of expertise.

Although we intend to focus on identifying companies in sectors where we have experience, we will consider an initial business combination outside of our management’s area of expertise if an initial business combination candidate is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive business combination opportunity for our company or we are unable to identify a suitable candidate in this sector after having expanded a reasonable amount of time and effort in an attempt to do so. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in any particular business combination candidate, we cannot assure you that we will adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in an initial business combination candidate. In the event we elect to pursue a business combination outside of the areas of our management’s expertise, our management’s expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this report regarding the areas of our management’s expertise would not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire. As a result, our management may not be able to adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such stockholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

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

Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines for evaluating prospective target businesses, it is possible that a target business with which we enter into our initial business combination will not have all of these positive attributes. If we complete our initial business combination with a target that does not meet some or all of these guidelines, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does meet all of our general criteria and guidelines. In addition, if we announce a prospective business combination with a target that does not meet our general criteria and guidelines, a greater number of stockholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a target business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. In addition, if stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain stockholder approval of our initial business combination if the target business does not meet our general criteria and guidelines. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.01 per share on the liquidation of our trust account, based on the balance of our trust account (as of December 31, 2019), and our warrants will expire worthless.

We may seek business combination opportunities with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue, cash flow or earnings, which could subject us to volatile revenues, cash flows or earnings or difficulty in retaining key personnel.

To the extent we complete our initial business combination with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenues or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine. These risks include volatile revenues or earnings and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors and we may not have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.

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

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

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

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 100,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 10,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. As of December 31, 2019 there were 72,835,000 and 6,262,500 authorized but unissued shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, respectively, available for issuance, which amount takes into account the shares of Class A common stock reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants but not the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of Class B common stock. There are no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding. Shares of Class B common stock are convertible into shares of our Class A common stock initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth herein, including in certain circumstances in which we issue Class A common stock or equity-linked securities related to our initial business combination. Shares of Class B common stock are also convertible at the option of the holder at any time.

We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of common or preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination (although our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we may not issue securities that can vote with common stockholders on matters related to our pre-initial business combination activity). We may also issue shares of Class A common stock upon conversion of the Class B common stock at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, like all provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, may be amended with the approval of our stockholders. However, our executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021 or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares.

The issuance of additional shares of common or preferred stock:

may significantly dilute the equity interestmarket prices of investors in our initial public offering;stocks generally;

 

may subordinate the rightsstrategic actions by us or our competitors;


announcements by us or our competitors of holders of common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock;significant contracts, acquisitions, joint ventures, other strategic relationships or capital commitments;

 

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

 

may adversely affect prevailingchanges in general economic or market prices forconditions or trends in our units, Class A common stock and/industry or warrants.

Resources could be wasted in researching business combinations that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.01 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

The investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments requires substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys, consultants and others. The cost incurred up to the point that we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.01 per share on the liquidation of our trust account, based on the balance of our trust account (as of December 31, 2019), and our warrants will expire worthless.

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

Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. The role of our key personnel in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory positions following our initial business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we employ after our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a company regulated by the SEC, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements. In addition, the officers and directors of an initial business combination candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The departure of an initial business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business. The role of an initial business combination candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an initial business combination candidate’s management team will remain associated with the initial business combination candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an initial business combination candidate will not wish to remain in place. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.

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

Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, our executive officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our executive officers and directors, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or executive officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or executive officers could have a detrimental effect on us.

Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements as well as reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses, if any, with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation or reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses, if any, following our initial business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is the most advantageous.

Our key personnel may be able to remain with the company after the completion of our initial business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the initial business combination. Additionally, they may negotiate reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses incurred on our behalf prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, should they choose to do so. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the initial business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to us after the completion of the initial business combination, or as reimbursement for such out-of-pocket expenses. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business. However, we believe the ability of such individuals to remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination. There is no certainty, however, that any of our key personnel will remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with us. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with us will be made at the time of our initial business combination.

In addition, the officers and directors of an initial business combination candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The departure of an initial business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business. The role of an initial business combination candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an initial business combination candidate’s management team will remain associated with the initial business combination candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an initial business combination candidate will not wish to remain in place. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.

We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may affect our initial business combination with a target business whose management may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company, which could, in turn, negatively impact the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.

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


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

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

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

Until we consummate our initial business combination, we are engaged in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Our sponsor and officers and directors are, and may in the future become, affiliated with entities (such as operating companies or investment vehicles) that are engaged in a similar business, although our officers may not become an officer or director of any other special purpose acquisition company with a class of securities intended to be registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, which has publicly filed a registration statement with the SEC, until we have entered into a definitive agreement regarding our initial business combination or we have failed to complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021, or such later period as may be approved by our stockholders.

Our officers and directors also may become aware of business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us and the other entities to which they owe certain fiduciary or contractual duties.

Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.

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

We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or affiliates from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact, we may enter into an initial business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or officers, although we do not intend to do so. We do not have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.

We may engage in an initial business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our sponsor, officers, directors or existing holders which may raise potential conflicts of interest.

In light of the involvement of our sponsor, officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria for an initial business combination.

Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, regarding the fairness to our stockholders from a financial point of view of an initial business combination with one or more businesses affiliated with our officers, business combination may not be as advantageous to our public stockholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.

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Since our sponsor, officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.

As of the date of this report, our initial shareholders own an aggregate of 3,737,500 founder shares. The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 4,740,000 private placement warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant ($4,740,000 in the aggregate) that will also be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. Holders of founder shares have agreed (A) to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed initial business combination and (B) not to redeem any founder shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination. In addition, we may obtain loans from our sponsor, affiliates of our sponsor or an officer or director. The personal and financial interests of our officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination.

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

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

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

 

accelerationchanges in business or regulatory conditions, including new laws or regulations or new interpretations of existing laws or regulations applicable to our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;business;

 

future sales of our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand;Common Stock or other securities;

 

investor perceptions or the investment opportunity associated with our inabilityCommon Stock relative to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt security is outstanding;other investment alternatives;

 

the public’s response to press releases or other public announcements by us or third parties, including our inability to pay dividends on our common stock;filings with the SEC;

 

using a substantial portionlitigation involving us, our industry, or both, or investigations by regulators into our operations or those of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our common stock if declared, our ability to pay expenses, make capital expenditures and acquisitions, and fund other general corporate purposes;competitors;

 

limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reactingguidance, if any, that we provide to the public, any changes in this guidance or our business and in the industry in which we operate;failure to meet this guidance;

 

increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industrythe development and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation;sustainability of an active trading market for our Common Stock;

 

limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, and execution of our strategy;actions by institutional or activist stockholders;

changes in accounting standards, policies, guidelines, interpretations or principles; and

 

other disadvantages comparedevents or factors, including those resulting from natural disasters, war, acts of terrorism or responses to our competitors who have less debt.these events.

 

WeThese broad market and industry fluctuations may only be able to complete one business combination withadversely affect the proceedsmarket price of our initialCommon Stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, price volatility may be greater if the public float and trading volume of our Common Stock is low.

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

If securities analysts do not publish research or reports about our business or if they downgrade our stock or our sector, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our Common Stock will rely in part on the research and reports that industry or financial analysts publish about us or our business. We will not control these analysts. In addition, some financial analysts may have limited expertise with our model and operations. Furthermore, if one or more of the analysts who do cover us downgrade our stock or industry, or the stock of any of our competitors, or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the price of our stock could decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of us or fails to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the market, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.

An active, liquid trading market for our Common Stock may not be sustained, which may cause our Common Stock to trade at a discount from the public offering price and make it difficult for you to sell the sale ofCommon Stock you purchased.

We cannot predict the private placement warrantsextent to which investor interest in us will cause us to be solely dependent onsustain a single business whichtrading market or how active and liquid that market may remain. If an active and liquid trading market is not sustained, you may have difficulty selling any shares of our Common Stock that you purchase at a limited numberprice above the price you purchased it or at all. The failure of servicesan active and limited operating activities. This lackliquid trading market to continue would likely have a material adverse effect on the value of diversificationour Common Stock. The market price of our Common Stock may negatively impact our operating resultsdecline below the public offering price, and profitability.

As of December 31, 2019, $144,487,410 was available for completing our initial business combination (which includes $5,232,500 for the payment of deferred underwriting commissions).


We may effectuate our initial business combination with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, weyou may not be able to effectuatesell your shares of our initial business combination with more than one target business becauseCommon Stock at or above the price you paid or at all. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital to continue to fund operations by selling shares and may impair our ability to acquire other companies or technologies by using our shares as consideration.


Anti-takeover provisions in our organizational documents could delay or prevent a change of various factors, including the existencecontrol.

Certain provisions of complex accounting issuesour Charter and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present operating results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities whichBylaws may have the resources to complete several business combinationsan anti-takeover effect and may delay, defer or prevent a merger, acquisition, tender offer, takeover attempt or other change of control transaction that a stockholder might consider in different industries or different areas of a single industry. In addition, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combinationits best interest, including those attempts that might result in a single industry. Accordingly,premium over the prospectsmarket price for the shares held by our success may be:stockholders.

These provisions provide for, among other things:

 

solely dependent upon the performanceability of a single business, propertyour Board to issue one or asset, ormore series of preferred stock;

 

dependent upon the development or market acceptanceadvance notice for nominations of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.

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

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

If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses that are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete our initial business combination. We do not, however, intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.

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

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

Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination.

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

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

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except 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 underwriter’s fees and commissions (such 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. As a result, we may be able to complete our initial business combination even though a substantial majority of our public stockholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of Class A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.


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

In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds and extended the time to consummate an initial business combination and, with respect to their warrants, amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. To the extent we seek to amend our organizational documents in a way that would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of any securities offered through this registration statement, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments or extend the time to consummate an initial business combination in order to effectuate our initial business combination.

The provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account), may be amended with the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the trust agreement to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our stockholders may not support.

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

Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares on a business combination if we do not complete our initial business combination by May 22, 2021, or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. These agreements are contained in a letter agreement that we have entered into with our sponsor, officers and directors. Our stockholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our sponsor, officers or directors for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our stockholders would need to pursue a stockholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.

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

If the target businesses of an initial business combination is larger than we could acquire with the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. Further, the amount of additional financing we may be required to obtain could increase as a result of future growth capital needs for any particular transaction, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, the obligation to repurchase for cash a significant number of shares from stockholders who elect redemption in connection with our initial business combination and/or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase shares in connection with our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.01 per share plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive $10.01 per share based on our trust account (as of December 31, 2019), and our warrants will expire worthless.

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

Our initial stockholders own shares representing 20% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock. Accordingly, they may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and approval of major corporate transactions. If our initial stockholders purchase any additional shares of common stock in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase their control. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our Class A common stock. In addition, our board of directors, whose members were elected by our initial stockholders, is and will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the completion of the initial business combination. If there is an annual meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for election and our initial stockholders, because of their ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. Accordingly, our initial stockholders will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination.

Our initial stockholders will receive additional shares of Class A common stock if we issue shares to consummate an initial business combination.

The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holders, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock, or equity-linked securities convertible or exercisable for Class A common stock, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts offered in this report and related to the closing of the initial business combination, the ratio at which founder shares shall convert into Class A common stock will be adjusted so that the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the total number of all outstanding shares of common stock upon completion of the initial 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 our sponsor or its affiliates upon conversion of loans made to us. Additionally, the aforementioned adjustment will not take into account any shares of Class A common stock redeemed in connection with the business combination. Accordingly, the holders of the founder shares could receive additional shares of Class A common stock even if the additional shares of Class A common stock, or equity-linked securities convertible or exercisable for Class A common stock, are issued or deemed issued solely to replace those shares that were redeemed in connection with the business combination. The foregoing may make it more difficult and expensive for us to consummate an initial business combination.

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

Our warrants were issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or stock, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of shares of our Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.

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

We have the ability to redeem outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the last reported sales price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, 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 we give proper notice of such redemption and provided certain other conditions are met. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in our initial public offering. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you (i) to exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) to sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) to accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants. None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by the sponsor or its permitted transferees.

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

We sold warrants to purchase 7,475,000 shares of our Class A common stock as part of the units sold in our initial public offering and, simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering, we sold in a private placement, warrants to purchase an aggregate of 4,740,000 shares of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share. Our initial stockholders currently own an aggregate of 3,737,500 founder shares. The founder shares are convertible into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as set forth herein. In addition, if our sponsor makes any working capital loans, up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be converted into warrants, at the price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period.

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

The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in our initial public offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees, (i) they will not be redeemable by us, (ii) they (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and (iii) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis.

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

Unlike some other blank check companies, if

(i)we issue additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing ofstockholders to include matters to be considered at our initial business combination at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per share;annual meetings;

 

(ii)certain limitations on convening special stockholder meetings;

limiting the ability of stockholders to act by written consent;

providing that our Board is expressly authorized to make, alter or repeal our Bylaws;

the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60%removal of directors only for cause and only upon the affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total equity proceeds,shares of Common Stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors if the stockholder parties and interest thereon, available for the fundingtheir affiliates hold less than 30% of our initial business combination on the dateoutstanding shares of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions),Common Stock; and

 

(iii)that certain provisions may be amended only by the Market Value is below $9.20 per share,affirmative vote of at least 30% of the shares of Common Stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors if the stockholder parties and their affiliates hold less than 30% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock.

 

thenThese anti-takeover provisions could make it more difficult for a third-party to acquire us, even if the exercise pricethird-party’s offer may be considered beneficial by many of our stockholders. As a result, our stockholders may be limited in their ability to obtain a premium for their shares. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect directors of your choosing and to cause us to take other corporate actions you desire.

Our Charter designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or stockholders.

Our Charter provides that, subject to limited exceptions, any (1) derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (2) action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, stockholder or employee to us or our stockholders, (3) action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our Charter or Bylaws, or (4) action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be exclusively brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction thereof, another state or federal court located within the State of Delaware. Our Charter provides that the federal district courts of the United States shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the exclusive forum provision shall not apply to claims seeking to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the provisions of our Charter described above. This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our Charter inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition.


General Risk Factors

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

On April 12, 2021, the SEC issued the SEC Staff Statement. In the SEC Staff Statement, the SEC staff expressed its view that certain terms and conditions common to SPAC warrants may require the warrants to be classified as liabilities on the balance sheet as opposed to equity.

After considering the SEC Staff Statement, we re-evaluated our historical accounting of our Warrants and concluded that we must amend the accounting treatment of our Private Placement Warrants. Based on our reassessment, we determined that the Private Placement Warrants should have been classified as liabilities measured at fair value on the closing date of the Merger, with subsequent changes in fair value reported in the consolidated statements of operations each reporting period. We also concluded that a portion of the transaction costs which directly related to the Merger, which were previously charged to stockholders’ equity (deficit), should be allocated to the warrant liability based on their relative fair value to the total fair value of the Private Placement Warrants and other equity securities issued by us in connection with the Merger, and recognized as transaction costs in the consolidated statement of operations.

As a result, included on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 contained elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A are derivative liabilities related to embedded features contained within our Private Placement Warrants. Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging, Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity, provides for the remeasurement of the fair value of such derivatives at each balance sheet date, with a resulting non-cash gain or loss related to the change in the fair value being recognized in earnings in the statement of operations. As a result of the recurring fair value measurement, our consolidated financial statements and results of operations may fluctuate quarterly, based on factors which are outside of our control. Due to the recurring fair value measurement, we expect that we will recognize non-cash gains or losses on our Private Placement Warrants each reporting period and that the amount of such gains or losses could be material.

We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting related to the accounting for the Private Placement Warrants.

Following the issuance of the SEC Staff Statement providing additional guidance for warrants issued by SPACs, management has re-evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020. Management has concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting were not effective as of December 31, 2020, due solely to a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting related to the accounting for the Private Placement Warrants.

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

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

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

From time to time, we may be engaged in legal proceedings that could cause us to incur unforeseen expenses and could occupy a significant amount of our management’s time and attention.

From time to time, we may be subject to litigation or claims that could negatively affect our business operations and financial position. As we grow, we would expect to be equalinvolved in litigation from time to 115%time. These matters could include copyright and other claims related to our content, use of music, patent infringements, employment claims, claims about our platform’s compliance with disability accommodation, data collection and privacy law, as well as consumer and securities class actions, each of which are typically expensive to defend. Litigation disputes could cause us to incur unforeseen expenses, result in content unavailability, service disruptions and otherwise occupy a significant amount of our management’s time and attention, any of which could negatively affect our business operations and financial position.


We incur significant costs as a result of operating as a public company.

We are subject to the reporting requirements of the higherExchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, the listing requirements of the Market ValueNASDAQ and other applicable securities laws and regulations, and, as a result, we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses. These expenses incurred by public companies generally for reporting and corporate governance purposes have been increasing. We expect these rules and regulations to continue to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more difficult, time-consuming and costly.

We are required to ensure that we have the Newly Issued Price,ability to prepare financial statements on a timely basis that fully comply with all SEC reporting requirements and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting.

The additional demands associated with being a public company may disrupt regular operations of our business by diverting the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price willattention of some of our senior management team away from revenue producing activities to management and administrative oversight, adversely affecting our ability to attract and complete business opportunities and increasing the difficulty in both retaining professionals and managing and growing our businesses. In addition, failure to comply with any laws or regulations applicable to us as a public company may result in legal proceedings and/or regulatory investigations and may cause reputational damage. Being a public company and being subject to such rules and regulations also makes it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be adjusted (to the nearest cent)required to be equalaccept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to 180% of the higher of the Market Valueobtain coverage. These laws and the Newly Issued Price. This mayregulations could also make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination withattract and retain qualified persons to serve on our Board, our Board committees or as our executive officers. Furthermore, if we are unable to satisfy our obligations as a target business.

A market for our securities may not fully develop, which would adversely affect the liquidity and pricepublic company, we could be subject to delisting of our securities.

The priceCommon Stock, fines, sanctions and other regulatory action and potentially civil litigation. Any of these effects could harm our securities may vary significantly due to one or more potential business combinations and general market or economic conditions. Furthermore, an active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established and sustained.

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

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

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

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

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

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.

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

 

As a privately held company, our predecessor, CuriosityStream LLC was not subject to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The standards required for a public company under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2020. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. Further, forcontrols. For as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact thatHowever, in the event we are deemed to be an accelerated filer or a blank checklarge accelerated filer and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, makes compliancewe will be required to comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensomeindependent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on us as compared to other public companies because a target company with which we seek to complete our initial business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls.control over financial reporting. The development of the internal control of any such entitysystem to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the timeimpose obligations on us and costs necessary to complete any such business combination.

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

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

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

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation requires, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty and other similar actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware and, if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel, which may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation requires, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty and other similar actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware and, if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel except any action (A) as to which the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction, or (D) any action arising under the Securities Act, as to which the Court of Chancery and the federal district court for the District of Delaware shall have concurrent jurisdiction. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims, although our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. We cannot be certain that a court will decide that this provision is either applicable or enforceable, and if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the exclusive forum provision will be applicable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

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

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

33

If we effect our initial business combination with a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.

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

higher costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations and complying with different commercial and legal requirements of overseas markets;

rules and regulations regarding currency redemption;

complex corporate withholding taxes on individuals;

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

tariffs and trade barriers;

regulations related to customs and import/export matters;

longer payment cycles and challenges in collecting accounts receivable;

tax issues, including but not limited to tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States;

currency fluctuations and exchange controls;

rates of inflation;

cultural and language differences;

employment regulations;

changes in industry, regulatory or environmental standards within the jurisdictions where we operate;

crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks, natural disasters and wars;

deterioration of political relations with the United States; and

government appropriations of assets.

We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, our operations might suffer, which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

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

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

resources.

 

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.Comments

 

None.

 

Item 2. Properties.Properties

 

Our principal operational offices are located in Silver Spring, Maryland, where we lease approximately 15,500 square feet of office space, under a lease expiring in February 2033, pursuant to which we currently pay approximately $42,000 per month escalating annually to $57,000 per month through the end of the lease term. We do not own any real estate or other physical properties materially importantbelieve that this facility is adequate to our operation. We currently maintain our principal executive offices at 1980 Festival Plaza Drive, Ste. 300, Las Vegas, Nevada 89135. The cost for this space is included in the $10,000 per-month aggregate fee our sponsor charges us for general and administrative services. We considermeet our current office space, combined with the other office space otherwise available to our executive officers, adequate for our current operations.and near-term needs.

 

Our computing needs are primarily serviced from our cloud infrastructure provided by Amazon Web Services. We retain backup copies of our content on our own data center infrastructure. The backup sites enable additional fault tolerance and will support our continued growth.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.Proceedings

 

ToFrom time to time, we may become involved in legal proceedings arising in the knowledgeordinary course of our management, there is no litigation currently pending againstbusiness. We are not presently a party to any legal proceedings that, if determined adversely to us, anywe believe would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on our business, results of our officersoperations, financial condition or directors in their capacity as such or against any of our property.cash flows.

 

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.Disclosures

 

Not applicable.

 

34


 

PARTPart II

 

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

 

Market Information

 

Our units, Class A common stockCommon Stock and warrantsWarrants are each traded on the Nasdaq Capital MarketNASDAQ under the symbols “SAQNU,” “SAQN”“CURI” and “SAQNW,“CURIW,” respectively. Our units commenced public trading on November 20, 2019, and our Class A common stock and warrants commenced separate public trading on January 6, 2020.

 

HoldersDividends

 

On March 20, 2020, there was one holder of recordWe have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our Common Stock. We currently intend to retain earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our units, one holderbusiness. We do not expect to pay any cash dividends on our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. Payment of recordfuture dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our Class A common stock andtwoBoard and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, restrictions contained in current or future financing instruments, provisions of applicable law, and other factors our Board deems relevant.

Holders

As of May 5, 2021, there were approximately 32 holders of record of our warrants.Common Stock, and 9 holders of record of our Warrants. The actual number of holders of our Common Stock is greater than this number of record holders and includes stockholders who are beneficial owners but whose shares of our Common Stock are held in street name by banks, brokers and other nominees.

 

Securities Authorized for Issuance UnderRecent Sales of Unregistered Equity Compensation PlansSecurities

None, other than as set forth in the Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 15, 2020.

Use of Proceeds

Not Applicable.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

None.

 

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

None.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

None.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.Data

 

Not required forWe are a smaller reporting companies.company as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information otherwise required under this Item 6.

 

35


 

ITEMItem 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONSManagement’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsOn October 14, 2020, we acquired Legacy CuriosityStream. The Business Combination was accounted for as a reverse recapitalization in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 805, Business Combinations. Under this method of accounting, Software Acquisition Group Inc., which was the legal acquirer in the Business Combination, was treated as the “acquired” company for financial reporting purposes and Legacy CuriosityStream was treated as the accounting acquirer. Except as otherwise provided herein, our financial statements presentation includes (1) the results of Legacy CuriosityStream as our accounting predecessor for periods prior to the completion of the Business Combination, and (2) the results of the Company for periods after the completion of the Business Combination.

AllThe following discussion and analysis provides information that management believes is relevant to an assessment and understanding of our results of operations and financial condition. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Company’s financial statements other than statements of historical factand notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K10-K/A. This discussion contains forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements for many reasons, including without limitation, statements underthe risks faced by us described in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” regardingto “we,” “us,” “our,” and “the Company” are intended to mean the Company’s financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectivesoperations of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this Form 10-K, 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 availableLegacy CuriosityStream prior to the Company’s management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated byBusiness Combination and to CuriosityStream Inc. following the forward-looking statements as a resultclosing of certain factors detailed in our filings with the SEC.Business Combination.

Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements

 

The following discussioninformation has been adjusted to reflect the restatement and analysisrevision of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with theconsolidated financial statements as described in the “Explanatory Note” at the beginning of this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A and in Note 2 of the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this Report. Certain information contained into the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-lookingconsolidated financial statements that involve risks and uncertainties.included herein.

 

Overview

 

CuriosityStream is a media and entertainment company that offers premium video programming across the entire category of factual entertainment, including science, history, society, nature, lifestyle and technology. Our mission is to provide premium factual entertainment that informs, enchants and inspires. We are seeking to meet demand for high-quality factual entertainment via SVoD platforms, as well as via bundled content licenses for SVoD and linear offerings, partner bulk sales, brand partnerships and content sales. We are well-positioned for growth as a digital-native video platform monetizing content across this broad revenue stack. We operate our business as a single operating segment that provides premium streaming content through multiple channels, including the use of various applications, partnerships and affiliate relationships. We generate our revenue through six lines of business: Direct to Consumer, Partner Direct Business, Bundled Distribution, Program Sales, Corporate & Association Partnerships and Sponsorships. For the year ended December 31, 2020, Direct to Consumer and Corporate & Association Partnerships together represented approximately 42% of our revenue as of December 31, 2020, followed by Bundled Distribution (approximately 35% of our revenue) and Partner Direct Business (approximately 7% of our revenue), Program Sales (approximately 15% of our revenue) and Sponsorships (approximately 1% of our revenue). Our product and service lines and channels through which we generate revenue are described in further detail below.

Our content library features more than 3,100 nonfiction episodes, including more than 1,000 original, commissioned or co-produced documentaries, of short-form, mid-form and long-form duration, with an estimated $1 billion in original production value. Our content, approximately one-third of which is originally produced and the other two-thirds of which is licensed programming, is available directly through our O&O Service and App Services. Our App Services enable access to CuriosityStream on almost every major consumer device, including streaming media players like Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, all major smart TV brands (e.g., LG, Vizio, Samsung, Sony) and gaming consoles like Xbox. Our Direct Service is available to any household in the world with a broadband connection for $2.99 per month or $19.99 per year for high definition resolution, or $9.99 per month or $69.99 per year for service in 4K.

The MVPD, vMVPD and digital distributor partners making up our Partner Direct Business pay us a license fee for sales to individuals who subscribe to CuriosityStream via the partners’ respective platforms. We have affiliate agreement relationships with, and our service is available directly from, major MVPDs that include Comcast, Cox, Dish and vMVPDs and digital distributors that include Amazon Prime Video Channels, Roku Channels, Sling TV and YouTube TV.


In addition to our Direct and Partner Direct Businesses, we have affiliate relationships with MVPDs and Bundled MVPD Partners to whom we can offer a broad scope sets of rights, including 24/7 “linear” channels, our on-demand content library, mobile rights and pricing and packaging flexibility, in exchange for an annual fixed fee or fee per subscriber.

Our Corporate & Association Partnerships business to date has been comprised primarily of selling subscriptions in bulk to companies and organizations that in turn offer these subscriptions to their employees and members as an employment benefit or “gift of curiosity.” To date, over 30 companies have purchased annual subscriptions at bulk discounts for their employees. In the future, we hope to enter into multi-year integrated partnerships where we create and distribute content in support of these partners’ CSR and membership initiatives.

In the future, we hope to continue developing integrated digital brand partnerships with advertisers. These sponsorship campaigns would offer companies the chance to be associated with CuriosityStream content in a variety of forms, including short and long form program integration, branded social media promotional videos, broadcast advertising spots, and digital display ads. We believe the impressions accumulated in these multi-faceted campaigns would roll up to verifiable metrics for the clients. We executed on two such sponsorships in 2020: one in the financial services sector as well as a brand in the health and fitness sector.

The sixth line of business in our revenue stack is our Program Sales Business. We are able to sell to certain media companies a collection of our existing titles in a traditional program sales deal and as of December 31, 2020, we were party to a multi-year, multi-million dollar program sales agreement with one such media company. We are also able to sell selected rights (such as in territories or on platforms that are lower priority for us) to content we create before we even begin production. This latter model reduces risk in our content development decisions and creates program sales revenue.

Prior to the Business Combination, Software Acquisition Group Inc. was a blank check company, formed under the laws of the State ofincorporated as a Delaware corporation on May 9, 2019 and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or other similar Business Combinationbusiness combination with one or more businesses. We have not selected any specificUntil the consummation of the Business Combination, targetSoftware Acquisition Group Inc. did not engage in any operations nor generate any revenue. On October 14, 2020, upon the consummation of the Business Combination, Legacy CuriosityStream became Software Acquisition Group Inc.’s direct subsidiary and in connection with the Closing, we changed our name from “Software Acquisition Group Inc.” to “CuriosityStream Inc.”

Recent Developments

Equity Financing

On February 8, 2021, we consummated an underwritten public offering (the “Offering”) of 6,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value per share $0.0001 (“Common Stock”), plus an over-allotment option to purchase up to 975,000 additional shares of Common Stock granted to the underwriters who participated in the Offering, which over-allotment option was exercised by the underwriters in full on February 5, 2021. The net proceeds to us from the Offering were $94.1 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and the offering expenses payable by us in connection with the Offering. The Offering was made pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed with the SEC on February 1, 2021 and declared effective on February 3, 2021. During the months of January and February 2021, we received funds of approximately $55 million for the exercise of 4.8 million Warrants. The receipt of the net proceeds from the Offering as well as proceeds received from the exercise of Warrants subsequent to December 31, 2020 has resulted in a significant cash balance that has mitigated the Company’s potential capital risk through at least 2021.


COVID-19 Pandemic

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic, which continues to spread throughout the United States and globally. The full extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, operations and financial results will depend on numerous evolving factors that we may not be able to accurately predict. See Item 1A: “Risk Factors” section set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for additional details. In an effort to protect the health and safety of our employees, our workforce has had and continues in most instances to spend a significant amount of time working from home, international travel has been severely curtailed. Our other partners have similarly had their operations disrupted, including those partners that we use for our operations as well as development, production, and post-production of content. While we and our partners have resumed productions and related operations in many parts of the world, our ability to produce content remains affected by the pandemic. In an effort to contain COVID-19 or slow its spread, governments around the world have also enacted various measures, some of which have been subsequently rescinded, modified or reinstated, including orders to close all businesses not deemed “essential,” isolate residents to their homes or places of residence, and practice social distancing. We anticipate that these actions and the global health crisis caused by COVID-19, including any resurgences, will continue to negatively impact business activity across the globe. We will continue to actively monitor the situation and may take further actions that alter our business operations as may be required by federal, state, local or foreign authorities, or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, customers, partners and stockholders. It is not clear what potential effects any such alterations or modifications may have on our business, including the effects on our customers, suppliers or vendors, or on our financial results.

Key Factors Affecting Results of Operations

Our future operating results and cash flows are dependent upon a number of opportunities, challenges and other factors, including our ability to efficiently grow our subscriber base and expand our service offerings to maximize subscriber lifetime value. In particular, we believe that the following factors significantly affected our results of operations over the last two fiscal years and are expected to continue to have such significant effects:

Revenues

Currently, the main sources of our revenue are (i) subscriber fees from Direct Business and Direct Subscribers, (ii) license fees from affiliates who receive subscriber fees for CuriosityStream from such affiliates’ subscribers (“Partner Direct Business” and “Partner Direct Subscribers”), (iii) bundled license fees from distribution affiliates (“Bundled MVPD Business” and “Bundled MVPD Subscribers”), and (iv) license fees from program sales arrangements. As of December 31, 2020, we had approximately 15 million total paying subscribers, including Direct Subscribers, Partner Direct Subscribers and Bundled MVPD Subscribers.

Since our founding in 2015, we have generated the majority of our revenues from Direct Subscribers in the form of monthly or annual subscription plans. We charge $2.99 per month or $19.99 dollars per year for our Direct Service in high-definition resolution, or $9.99 per month or $69.99 per year for service in 4K. The MVPD, vMVPD and digital distributor partners making up our Partner Direct Business pay us a license fee. We recognize subscription revenues ratably during each subscriber’s monthly or yearly subscription period. We pay a fixed percentage distribution fee to our partners for subscribers accessing our platform via App Services to compensate these partners for access to their customer and subscriber bases. Our MVPD, vMVPD and digital distributor partners host and stream our content to their customers via their own platforms, such as set top boxes in the case of most MVPDs. We do not nor has anyone onincur billing, streaming or backend costs associated with content distribution through our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any Business Combination target. We intendMVPD, vMVPD and digital distributor partners.

Operating Costs

Our primary operating costs relate to effectuatethe cost of producing and acquiring our Business Combination using cash fromcontent, the proceedscosts of the Initial Public Offeringadvertising and the salemarketing our service, personnel costs, and distribution fees. As of the Private Warrants, our capital stock, debt or a combination of cash, stockDecember 31, 2020, licensed content represented 2,041 titles and debt.original titles represented 949 titles. Producing and co-producing content and commissioned content is generally more costly than content acquired through licenses.

 

The issuanceCompany’s business model is subscription based as opposed to a model generating revenues at a specific title level. Content assets (licensed and produced) are predominantly monetized as a group and therefore are reviewed in aggregate at a group level when an event or change in circumstances indicates a change in the expected usefulness of additional sharesthe content or that the fair value may be less than unamortized cost. If such changes are identified, the aggregated content library will be stated at the lower of our stock inunamortized cost or fair value. In addition, unamortized costs for assets that have been, or are expected to be, abandoned are written off. For a Business Combination:discussion of the accounting policies for content impairment write-down and management estimates involved therein, see “— Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” below.

may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors, which dilution would increase if the anti-dilution provisions in the Class B common stock resulted in the issuance of Class A shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B common stock;
may subordinate the rights of holders of our common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock;
could cause a change in control if a substantial number of shares of our common stock is issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors
may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us by diluting the stock ownership or voting rights of a person seeking to obtain control of us; and
may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our Class A common stock and/or warrants.

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

default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;
acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;
our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand;
our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt security is outstanding;
our inability to pay dividends on our common stock;
using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our common stock if declared, our ability to pay expenses, make capital expenditures and acquisitions, and fund other general corporate purposes;

 


limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;
increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation;
limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, and execution of our strategy; and
other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.

 

We are incurring significantFurther, our advertising and marketing expenditures and personnel costs inconstitute primary operating costs for our business. These costs may fluctuate based on advertising and marketing objectives and personnel needs. In general, we intend to focus marketing dollars on efficient customer acquisition. With respect to personnel costs, for the pursuitfirst several years of our acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plansexistence, we invested heavily in engineering, marketing and programming staff to complete a Business Combination will be successful. build the Company and its service offering. Beginning in 2019, however, we began to focus on sales staff and other revenue-generating personnel.

 

Results of Operations

 

We have neither engagedThe financial data in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activitiesthe following table sets forth selected financial information derived from May 9, 2019 (inception) throughour audited financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were organizational activities, those necessary to prepareand shows our results of operations as a percentage of revenue or as a percentage of costs, as applicable, for the Initial Public Offering, described below,periods indicated. We conduct business through one operating segment, CuriosityStream.

  Year ended December 31,          
  

2020

(Restated)

  

2019

(Restated)

  $ Change  % Change 
(in thousands)
Revenues:                  
Subscriptions $16,508   42% $9,793   54% $6,715   69%
License fee  22,523   57%  8,219   46%  14,304   174%
Other  590   1%  14   0%  576   n/m 
Total Revenues $39,621   100% $18,026   100% $21,595   120%
Operating expenses:                        
Cost of revenues  15,418   20%  6,810   11%  8,608   126%
Advertising and marketing  42,152   54%  41,492   66%  660   2%
General and administrative  20,851   26%  14,319   23%  6,532   46%
Total operating expenses $78,421   100% $62,621   100% $15,800   25%
Operating loss  (38,800)      (44,595)      5,795   (13%)
Other income (expense)                        
Change in fair value of warrant liability  (10,120)      -       (10,120)  n/m 
Interest and other income (expenses)  500       2,072       (1,572)  (76%)
Loss before income taxes  (48,420)      (42,523)      (5,897)  (14%)
Provision for income taxes  179       142       37   26%
Net loss $(48,599)     $(42,665)     $(5,934)  (14%)

n/m – Percentage not meaningful

Revenue

Revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020 and identifying2019 was $39.6 million and $18 million, respectively. The increase of $21.6 million, or 120% is due to a target company$6.7 million increase in subscription revenue, a $14.3 million increase in license fee revenue, and $0.6 million increase in other revenue. The increase in subscription revenue of $6.7 million resulted from a $5.6 million increase in subscriber fees received by us from Direct subscribers for annual plans which resulted from increased brand awareness from greater advertising and marketing spending, as well as a $1.1 million increase in Corporate & Association Partnership sales. The increase of $14.3 million in license fees resulted primarily from a $8.4 million increase in revenue from Bundled MVPD partners mainly due to third-party affiliate agreements entered into during late 2019, and a $0.6 million increase in license fees from Partner Direct 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 after the Initial Public Offering. We incur expenseseach case as a result of beingan increase in the number of users and/or subscribers for our service, as well as a $5.2 million increase in license fees received by us related to program sales contracts. The increase in other revenue of $0.6 million is due to new sponsorship revenue deals with customers.


Operating Expenses

Operating expenses for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were $78.4 million and $62.6 million, respectively. This increase of $15.8 million, or 25%, primarily resulted from the following:

Cost of Revenues:  Cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased to $15.4 million from $6.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Cost of revenues primarily includes content amortization, hosting and streaming delivery costs, payment processing costs and distribution fees, commission costs and subtitling and broadcast costs. This increase of $8.6 million, or 126%, is due primarily to the increase in content amortization of $5.8 million, of which $4.0 million is due to the timing and number of titles published during the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 and $1.8 million is due to accelerated content amortization related to our program sales contracts during the year ended December 31, 2020 with no comparable amounts in the prior year. The balance of the increase in cost of revenue is due to increases in hosting and streaming delivery costs (increase of $0.4 million), processing and distribution fees (increase of $0.6 million), commission costs (increase of $0.4 million), subtitling and broadcast costs (increase of $1.0 million), and other costs (increase of $0.4 million). The increase of cost of revenues is in line with the increase in revenue during the year ended December 31, 2020.

Advertising & Marketing:  Advertising and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased to $42.2 million from $41.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. This increase of $0.7 million, or 2%, primarily resulted from increased marketing to support subscriber growth on various social media platforms during the year ended December 31, 2020.

General and Administrative:  General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased to $20.9 million from $14.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. This increase of $6.6 million, or 46%, was primarily attributable to $1.8 million for incremental salaries and benefits, $0.5 million for accrued bonuses and $3.0 million for increased stock-based compensation expense due to higher volume and grant-date fair value of grants made to key executives, as well some incremental increased head count. This was offset by the recognized benefit from the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) Loan of $1.2 million we received in May 2020. In addition, an increase of $1.6 million was primarily attributable to finance and legal professional fees related to becoming a public company (for legal, financialand an increase of $0.4 million was due to additional insurance incurred necessary for a public company. We expect to incur additional expenses in future periods as we continue to invest in corporate infrastructure to support public activities of the Company, including adding personnel and systems to our administrative and revenue-generating functions.

Operating Loss

Operating loss for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $38.8 million and $44.6 million, respectively. The decrease of $5.8 million, or 13%, in operating loss resulted from the increase in revenue of $21.6 million, or 120%, offset by the increase in operating expenses of $15.8 million, or 25%, in each case during the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, as described above.

Change in Fair Value of Warrant Liability

The Private Placement Warrants issued at the Closing Date were classified as a liability and measured at fair value at the Closing Date with the changes in fair value reported in this line item each reporting accountingperiod. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recognized $10.1 million in related changes in fair value of the warrant liability.

Interest and auditing compliance)other income (expense)

Interest and other income (expense) for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased to $0.5 million from $2.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. This decrease of $1.6 million, or 76%, primarily resulted from a decrease in interest income as a result of the average invested amount decreasing as well as decreasing interest rates during the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.

Provision for due diligence expenses.Income Taxes

 

ForDue to generating a loss before income taxes in each of the period from May 9, 2019 (inception) throughyears ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had net income of $7,341, which consists of interest income on marketable securities held in the Trust Account of $219,910, offset by operating costs of $210,617 and a provision for income taxes of $1,952.$179 thousand and $142 thousand, respectively. This increase of $37 thousand, or 26%, was primarily due to an increase in foreign withholding tax expense due to an increase in contracts executed with third parties in foreign jurisdictions. The Company’s provision for income taxes differs from the federal statutory rate primarily due to the Company being in a full valuation allowance position and not recognizing a benefit for either federal or state income tax purposes.


Net Loss

Net loss for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $48.6 million and $42.7 million, respectively. The increase of net loss of $5.9 million, or 14%, resulted primarily from an increase in other expense related to the change in fair value of the warrants, increase in operating expense, and decrease in interest and other income partially offset by the increase in revenue, in each case during the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, as described above.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

As of December 31, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash, of $17.4 million. For the year ended December 31, 2020, we incurred a net loss of $48.6 million and used $53.5 million of net cash in operating activities, while investing activities provided $25.5 million of net cash and financing activities provided $36.6 million of net cash.

During the year ended December 31, 2019 and through the date of the Merger, we have financed our operations primarily from the net proceeds of our sale of Series A Preferred Stock in November and December 2018. An additional source of liquidity includes borrowings under our Line of Credit Facility with a bank (the “Line of Credit”). This Line of Credit provides for borrowings of up to $4.5 million with interest-only monthly payments at a rate equal to the LIBOR Daily Floating Rate plus 2.25%. The Line of Credit carries an unused fee of 0.25% annually on all committed but unused capital, payable quarterly in arrears. The entire unpaid principal balance is due when the Line of Credit matures on February 28, 2022, following the execution of a one year extension during February 2021. The Line of Credit is collateralized by cash of $4.5 million that is held in restricted cash in current assets on the consolidated balance sheet.

In connection with the Business Combination, we received net cash proceeds of approximately $41.5 million, prior to the payment of $5.7 million of offering costs. On November 22, 2019,February 8, 2021, we consummated the Initial PublicOffering. The net proceeds to us from the Offering of 14,950,000 units, which includes the full exercisewere $94.1 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses payable by the underwriters of their over-allotment optionus in the amount of 1,950,000 units,hed at a price of $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $149,500,000. Simultaneouslyconnection with the closingOffering. During the months of January and February 2021, we received funds of approximately $55 million for the Initial Public Offering,exercise of 4.8 million Warrants. There were no Warrants exercised in March 2021.

We believe that our cash flows from financing, combined with our current cash levels and available borrowing capacity, will be adequate to support our ongoing operations, capital expenditures and working capital for at least the next twelve months, as evidenced by our cash flows from financing activities and subsequent cash balances in 2021. We believe that we consummatedhave access to additional funds, if needed, through the salecapital markets to obtain further financing under the current market conditions.

Our principal uses of 4,740,000 Private Placement Warrantscash are to acquire content, promote our service through advertising and marketing, and provide for working capital to operate our business. We have experienced significant net losses since our inception and, given the significant operating and capital expenditures associated with our business plan, we anticipate that we will continue to incur net losses.


Cash Flows

The following table presents our cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019:

  Year ended December 31, 
  2020  2019 
  (in thousands) 
Net cash used in operating activities  (53,513)  (44,711)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities  25,455   (8,986)
Net cash provided by financing activities  36,623   - 
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash  8,565   (53,697)

Cash Flow from Operating Activities

Cash flow from operating activities primarily consists of net losses, changes to our Sponsor at a price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrants, generating gross proceeds of $4,740,000.content assets (including acquisitions and amortization), and other working capital items.

 

FollowingDuring the Initial Public Offeringyears ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, we recorded a net cash outflow from operating activities of $53.5 million and $44.7 million, respectively, or an increased outflow of $8.8 million, or 20%. The increase in cash outflows from operating activities was attributable to an increase of $12.3 million in our content investment (additions to content assets and change in content liabilities) from $14.9 million during the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, a total of $149,500,000 was placed in the Trust Account. We incurred $8,745,223 in transaction costs, consisting of $2,990,000 of underwriting fees, $5,232,500 of deferred underwriting fees and $522,723 of other offering costs.

For the period from May 9, 2019 (inception) throughyear ended December 31, 2019 to $27.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in cash usedoutflows is also due to an increase in operatingthe change in our accounts receivable of $0.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2019 as compared to $5.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2020 due primarily to increased receivables from the program sales contracts. In addition, the increase in cash outflows is due to a reduction in accounts payable of $1.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to an increase in accounts payable of $2.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2019, which was primarily due to increased digital marketing investment. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in our net loss minus our content amortization, stock-based compensation, and change in fair value of warrant liability, from $37.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2019 to $25.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2020.

Cash Flow Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities

Cash flow provided by (used in) investing activities consists of purchases, sales and maturities of investments and purchases of property and equipment.

During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, we recorded a net cash inflow from investing activities of $25.5 million and net cash outflow from investing activities of ($9.0) million, respectively, or an increased inflow of $34.5 million. The significant increase in cash inflow from investing activities was $158,869. Net incomeprimarily attributable to less purchases and higher sales and maturities of $7,341investments.

Cash Flow from Financing Activities

During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded a net cash inflow provided by financing activities of $36.6 million, which was mainly attributable to proceeds from the Business Combination of $41.5 offset by interest earned on marketable securities held in the Trust Accountportion of $219,910. Changes in operatingthe offering costs ($5.1 million) related to equity issued as part of the Business Combination. There were no similar financing cash activities during the year ended December 31, 2019.

Capital Expenditures

Going forward, we expect to make expenditures for additions to our content assets, and liabilities provided $53,700purchases of property and equipment. The amount, timing and allocation of capital expenditures are largely discretionary and within management’s control. Depending on market conditions, we may choose to defer a portion of our budgeted expenditures until later periods to achieve the desired balance between sources and uses of liquidity and prioritize capital projects that we believe have the highest expected returns and potential to generate cash from operating activities.flow. Subject to financing alternatives, we may also increase our capital expenditures significantly to take advantage of opportunities we consider to be attractive.


Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

As of December 31, 2019,2020, we had marketable securities held in the Trust Account of $149,719,910 (including approximately $220,000 of interest income earned from investments in a money market fund that invests primarily in U.S. treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less). Interest income on the balance in the Trust Account may be used by us to pay taxes. Through December 31, 2019, we have not withdrawn any interest earned on the Trust Account.We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the Trust Account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the Trust Account (less income taxes payable and deferred underwriting commissions), to complete our Business Combination. To the extent that our capital stock or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our Business Combination, the remaining proceeds held in the Trust Account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.

As of December 31, 2019, we had $1,093,408 of cash held outside of the Trust Account. We intend to use the funds held outside the Trust Account primarily to identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, and structure, negotiate and complete 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 identical to the Private Placement Warrants, at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender.

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

Off-balance sheet financing arrangements

We did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2019.

Contractual obligations

We do not have any long-term debt, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations or long-term liabilities, other than an agreement to pay an affiliate of the Sponsor a monthly fee of $10,000 for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support to the Company. We began incurring these fees on November 19, 2019 and will continue to incur these fees monthly until the earlier of the completion of the Business Combination and the Company’s liquidation.

The underwriters are entitled to deferred fee of three and half percent (3.50%) of the gross proceeds of the Initial Public Offering, or $5,232,500. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriter 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.arrangements.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operation is based upon our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Certain amounts included in or affecting the financial statements presented in this Annual Report and related disclosure must be estimated, requiring management to make assumptions with respect to values or conditions which cannot be known with certainty at the time the financial statements are prepared. Management believes that the accounting policies set forth below comprise the most important “critical accounting policies” for the Company. A critical accounting policy is one which is both important to the portrayal of a company’s financial condition and results of operations and requires management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. Management evaluates such policies on an ongoing basis, based upon historical results and experience, consultation with experts and other methods that management considers reasonable in the particular circumstances under which the judgments and estimates are made, as well as management’s forecasts as to the manner in which such circumstances may change in the future.

Content Assets

 

The preparationCompany acquires, licenses and produces content, including original programming, in order to offer members unlimited viewing of factual entertainment content. The content licenses are for a fixed fee and specific windows of availability. Payments for content, including additions to content library and the changes in related liabilities, are classified within “Net cash used in operating activities” on the consolidated statements of cash flows.

The Company recognizes its content library (licensed and produced) as “Content assets , net” on the consolidated balance sheets. For licenses, the Company capitalizes the fee per title and records a corresponding liability at the gross amount of the liability when the license period begins, the cost of the title is known, and the title is accepted and available for streaming. For productions, the Company capitalizes costs associated with the production, including development costs, direct costs and production overhead.

Based on factors including historical and estimated viewing patterns, the Company generally amortizes the content library (licensed and produced) in “Cost of revenues” on the consolidated statements of operations on a straight-line basis over the shorter of each title’s contractual window of availability or estimated period of use, beginning with the month of first availability. The Company reviews factors impacting the amortization of the content library on an ongoing basis and will record amortization on an accelerated basis when there is more upfront use of a title, for instance due to significant program sales.

Revenue recognition

Subscriptions — O&O Service

The Company generates revenue from monthly subscription fees from its O&O Service. CuriosityStream subscribers enter into non-refundable, month-to-month or annual subscriptions with the Company. The Company bills the monthly subscriber on each subscriber’s monthly anniversary date and recognizes the revenue ratably over each monthly membership period. The annual subscription fees are collected by the Company at the start of the annual subscription period and are recognized ratably over the subsequent twelve-month period. Revenues are presented net of the taxes that are collected from subscribers and remitted to governmental authorities.

Subscription — App Services

The Company also earns subscription revenues through its App Services. These subscriptions are similar to the O&O Service subscriptions, but these subscriptions are generated based on agreements with certain streaming media players as well as with Smart TV brands and gaming consoles. Under these agreements, the streaming media player typically bills the subscriber directly and then remits the collected subscriptions to the Company, net of a distribution fee. The Company recognizes the gross subscription revenues when earned and simultaneously recognizes the corresponding distribution fees as an expense. The Company is the principal in these relationships as the Company retains control over service delivery to its subscribers.


Licensing — Affiliates

The Company generates license fee revenues from MVPDs such as Altice, Comcast and Cox as well as from vMVPDs such as Amazon and Sling TV (MVPDs and vMVPDs are also referred to as affiliates). Under the terms of the agreements with these affiliates, the Company receives license fees based upon contracted programming rates and subscriber levels reported by the affiliates. In exchange, the Company licenses its content to the affiliates for distribution to their subscribers. The Company earns revenue under these agreements either based on the total number of subscribers multiplied by rates specified in the agreements or based on fixed fee arrangements. These revenues are recognized over the term of each agreement when earned.

Licensing — Program Sales

The Company has distribution agreements which grant a licensee limited distribution rights to the Company’s programs for varying terms, generally in exchange for a fixed license fee. Revenue is recognized once the content is made available for the licensee to use.

The Company’s performance obligations include (1) access to its SVoD platform via the Company’s O&O Service and App Services, (2) access to the Company’s content assets, and (3) licenses of specific program titles. In contracts containing the right to access the Company SVoD platform, the performance obligation is satisfied as access to the SVoD platform is provided post any free trial period. In contracts which contain access to the Company’s content assets, the performance obligation is satisfied as access to the content is provided. For contracts with licenses of specific program titles, the performance obligation is satisfied as that content is made available for the customer to use.

Recently Issued Financial Accounting Standards

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires lessees to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for those leases classified as operating leases under current U.S. GAAP. ASU 2016-02 requires that a lessee should recognize a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term on the balance sheet. The new guidance also requires qualitative and quantitative disclosures related to the nature, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The guidance is effective for the Company’s fiscal year beginning January 1, 2022, with early adoption permitted, and is required to be implemented using a modified retrospective approach. The Company is currently assessing the impact of the new standard on its financial statements, and related disclosuresbut anticipates a material increase 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 atdue to the daterecognition of the financial statements,required right-of-use asset and corresponding lease liability for all lease obligations that are currently classified as operating leases, such as real estate leases for corporate headquarters, as well as additional disclosure on all its lease obligations. The income and expenses duringstatement recognition of lease expense is not expected to significantly change from the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. We have identified the following critical accounting policies:current methodology.

 

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Common stock subjectFinancial Instruments — Credit Losses (Topic 326), which requires that an entity measure and recognize expected credit losses for financial assets held at amortized cost and replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology in current U.S. GAAP with a methodology that requires consideration of a broader range of information to possible redemption

We accountestimate credit losses. The guidance also modifies the impairment model for common stock subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Common stock subject to mandatory redemptionavailable-for-sale debt securities. ASU 2016-13 is classified as a liability instrument and is measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable common stock (including common stock that features redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely withineffective for the Company’s control)fiscal year beginning January 1, 2023. The Company is classified as temporary equity. At all other times, common stock is classified as stockholders’ equity. Our common stock features certain redemption rights that are consideredcontinuing to be outsideassess the potential impacts of our control and subject to occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, common stock subject to possible redemption is presented at redemption value as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ equity section of our balance sheet.

Net loss per common share

We apply the two-class method in calculating earnings per share. Common stock subject to possible redemption which is not currently redeemable and is not redeemable at fair value, has been excluded from the calculation of basic net loss per common share since such shares, if redeemed, only participate in their pro rata share of the Trust Account earnings. Our net income is adjusted for the portion of income that is attributable to common stock subject to possible redemption, as these shares only participate in the earnings of the Trust Account and not our income or losses.

Recent accounting standards

Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effectASU 2016-13 on ourits financial statements.

 


Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures aboutAbout Market Risk

 

As of December 31, 2019, we were not subject to any market or interest rate risk. Following the consummation of our Initial Public Offering, the net proceeds of our Initial Public Offering, including amounts in the Trust Account, have been invested in U.S. government treasury bills, notes or bonds with a maturity of 185 days or less or in certain money market funds that invest solely in U.S. treasuries. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.Not applicable.


 

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

 

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

 

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

None.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

EvaluationStatements of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Disclosure controls are procedures that are designed with the objective of ensuring that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Exchange Act, such as this Report, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time period specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls are also designed with the objective of ensuring that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our management evaluated, with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer (our “Certifying Officers”), the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and proceduresCuriosityStream Inc. as of December 31, 2019, pursuant to Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act. Based upon that evaluation, our Certifying Officers concluded that, as of December 31, 2019, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

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

Management’s Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting

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

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Item 9B. Other Information.

None.


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:

NameAgePosition
Jonathan S. Huberman54Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
Mike Nikzad55Vice President of Acquisitions and Director
Andrew K. Nikou42Director
C. Matthew Olton53Director
Stephanie Davis55Director
Steven Guggenheimer54Director
Dr. Peter H. Diamandis58Director

Jonathan Huberman, our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer since inception, has over 25 years of high-tech business leadership experience. From 2017 to 2019 Mr. Huberman was Chief Executive Officer of Ooyala, a provider of media workflow automation, delivery and monetization solutions, which he and Mike Nikzad, our Vice President of Acquisitions and a Director, acquired from Telstra in 2018. Together with Mr. Nikzad, they turned around an underperforming company and 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 he sourced and acquired from EMC and engineered an exit to Axway (EPA: AXW). Prior to this, from 2013 to 2015, Mr. Huberman was the Chief Executive Officer of Tiburon, an enterprise software company serving the public safety sector which he sold to Tritech Systems, and before that he was the Chief Executive Officer at Iomega Corporation (NYSE: IOM), a consumer and distributed enterprise storage solutions provider. After Iomega was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2008, Mr. Huberman served as President of the Consumer and Small Business Division of EMC. In addition to his experience leading turnarounds and exits at five technology companies, Mr. Huberman spent nine years as an investor for the Bass Family interests where he led investments in private and public companies. He also had senior roles leading the operations of the technology investments of the Gores Group and Skyview Capital. In the last five years he has served as a director of Aculon, Inc., a privately held provider of easy-to-apply nanotech surface-modification technologies, as well as Venture Corporation Limited (SGX:V03) a high-tech design and manufacture firm based in Singapore. Mr. Huberman holds a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from Princeton University and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is well qualified to serve on our Board due to his extensive operational, management and investment experience in the software and technology industries.

Mike Nikzad, has served as our Vice President of Acquisitions since inception and as one of our Directors since November 2019, has over two decades of business leadership experience in software, technology and consumer electronics companies, where he has worked on numerous corporate turnarounds and exits. Mr. Nikzad was President and Chief Operating Officer at Ooyala from 2017 until its sale in 2019. Prior to Ooyala, in the last five years Mr. Nikzad has held C-suite positions and led company operations at Syncplicity, a SaaS enterprise data management company and NewNet Communication Technologies, a telecommunications company, as well as serving as an Operating Partner at SilverStream Capital. Prior to this, he also held management and executive positions in EMC Corp’s (NYSE: EMC) Consumer and Small Business division and at Iomega Corporation, a consumer and distributed enterprise storage solutions provider. Mr. Nikzad has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Utah State University and has completed the Stanford GSB Strategic Marketing Management Program. He is well qualified to serve on our Board due to his extensive operational and management experience in the software and telecommunications industries.

Andrew K. Nikou, who has served as one of our Directors since November 2019, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of OpenGate, a global private equity firm specializing in the acquisition and operation of businesses to create new value through operational improvements, innovation and growth. To date, OpenGate, through its legacy and fund investments, has executed more than 30 acquisitions including corporate carve-outs, management buy-outs, special situations and transactions with private sellers across North America and Europe. As of March 29, 2019, OpenGate Capital Management, LLC (the firm’s registered investment advisor) managed approximately $802 million in client assets on a discretionary basis. Prior to this, from 2001 to 2004, Mr. Nikou worked in business development for Platinum Equity, where he established their European Business Development operations in Paris, France. Of the nearly 20 pre-fund investments made by affiliates of OpenGate, a few were in distressed entities that subsequently filed for bankruptcy. Mr. Nikou has been named as a defendant in certain adversarial proceedings related to such bankruptcy cases alleging various claims, which Mr. Nikou vigorously disputes, believes to be meritless, and is aggressively contesting. Mr. Nikou holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He is well qualified to serve on our Board due to his extensive private equity, investment and business development experience.

40

C. Matthew Olton, who has served as one of our Directors since November 2019, has been Senior Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development at Tenable Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:TENB), a cyber exposure protection provider, since August 2019. Prior this, he was Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Ventures, at Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ:SYMC). In this role, Mr. Olton oversaw Symantec’s global mergers and acquisitions activity and managed Symantec’s corporate venture investments. Prior to joining Symantec, he was Senior Vice President, Corporate Development at Dell Technologies Capital from 2016 to 2018, and was responsible for global mergers and acquisitions and related activity for the family of companies that comprises Dell Technologies including Dell, Dell EMC, RSA, Secureworks, Virtustream and Boomi. Prior to Dell Technologies Capital, Matt was Senior Vice President, Corporate Development at EMC Corporation from 2006 to 2016. Mr. Olton started his career as an M&A attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University, a J.D. from Boston University School of Law and an MBA from Northeastern University. He is well qualified to serve on our Board due to his extensive investment and management experience in the software industry.

Stephanie Davis, who has served as one of our Directors since November 2019, has, since 2017 served as a Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry where she leads the Private Equity/Technology practice in North America and is a member of the CEO & Board practices and the Global Technology Practice. She is an expert in executive talent and leadership and has spent over two decades working with Chief Executive Officers to build their leadership capabilities and teams. Ms. Davis works extensively with public and private company board of directors on succession and board recruitment. She is a frequent speaker on board governance and women in the boardroom. Since 2019, Ms. Davis has been a member of the board of directors of biopharmaceutical company, Athenex (NASDAQ:ATNX). Prior to joining Korn Ferry in 2017, Ms. Davis spent 17 years at Spencer Stuart where she was a member of the CEO & Board Practice. During her tenure, she co-founded the Business/ Technology Services practice, led the Software practice, and managed global private equity relationships. Ms. Davis has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is well qualified to serve on our Board due to her extensive consulting and private and public company board experience.

Steven Guggenheimer, who has served as one of our Directors since November 2019, has since 2018 served as Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) responsible for its artificial intelligence business as well as Microsoft’s engagement with its independent software vendor partners. Over his 26 years at Microsoft, Mr. Guggenheimer has held leadership roles in strategically important areas including close to a decade helping to build Microsoft’s hardware and software ecosystem as the head of Developer Evangelism (DX) and the OEM division from 2008 to 2018. He has also worked on the product teams for Microsoft’s Application Platform, Windows, IE, MSN, SQL Server, Visual Studio and more. Mr. Guggenheimer received a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Physics from the University of California, Davis, and a Master’s Degree in Engineering Management from Stanford University. He is well qualified to serve on our Board due to his extensive operational and management experience in the software industry.

Peter H. Diamandis, MD, who has served as one of our Directors since November 2019, is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, a non-profit foundation which since 1996 has designed and operated large-scale incentive competitions. He is also the Executive Founder of Singularity University, a graduate-level Silicon Valley institution founded in 2008 that counsels the world’s leaders on exponentially growing technologies. He is the Vice Chairman and co-Founder of Human Longevity, Inc., a company focused on extending the human lifespan, since 2014 and the Vice Chairman and co-Founder of Celularity Inc., a commercial-stage cell therapeutics company delivering allogenic cellular therapies engineered from the postpartum human placenta. As an entrepreneur, Dr. Diamandis has started over 20 companies in the areas of longevity, space, venture capital and education. Dr. Diamandis also co-founded BOLD Capital Partners, a venture fund investing in exponential technologies, in 2015, and is a New York Times Bestselling author. He earned degrees in Molecular Engineering and Aerospace Engineering from MIT and holds an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He is well qualified to serve on our Board due to his extensive operational and management experience in the technology industry.

Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors

We have seven directors. Our board of directors are divided into three classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual meeting of stockholders) serving a three-year term. In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq, or until December 31, 2020. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Messrs. Olton and Diamandis, will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Ms. Davis and Mr. Guggenheimer, will expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Messrs. Huberman, Nikzad and Nikou, will expire at the third annual meeting of stockholders.

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

Committees of the Board of Directors

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

41

Audit Committee

Our audit committee is comprised of Ms. Davis and Messrs. Olton and Guggenheimer, and Mr. Olton chairs the audit committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least three members of the audit committee, all of whom must be independent. Each of Ms. Davis and Messrs. Olton and Guggenheimer meet the independent director standard under Nasdaq listing standards and under Rule 10-A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act.

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

We have adopted an audit committee charter, which detail the principal functions of the audit committee, which include:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Compensation Committee

Our compensation committee of the board of directors is comprised of Ms. Davis and Mr. Diamandis. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least two members of the compensation committee, all of whom must be independent. Ms. Davis and Mr. Diamandis are independent and Ms. Davis chairs the compensation committee.

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

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 based on such evaluation;

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

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

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

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

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

if required, producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and

reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.


Notwithstanding the foregoing, as indicated above, other than the payment to our sponsor of $10,000 per month, for up to 18 months, for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and reimbursement of expenses, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, has been or will be paid to any of our existing stockholders, officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate the consummation of an initial business combination. 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 Nasdaq and the SEC.

Director Nominations

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

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

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

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

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

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires our officers, directors and persons who beneficially own more than ten percent of our common stock to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC. These reporting persons are also required to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. Based solely upon a review of such forms, we believe that during the yearYears ended December 31, 2019 there were no delinquent filers.

Availability of Documents

We have filed a copy of our form of Code of Ethics, our audit committee charter, our nominating committee charter2020 and compensation committee charter as exhibits to the registration statement filed in connection with our initial public offering. You will be able to review these documents by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request 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.


Item 11. Executive Compensation.

Executive Officer and Director Compensation

None of our officers has received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. We pay our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees. No compensation of any kind, including any finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee or monies in respect of any payment of a loan, will be paid by us to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any affiliate of our sponsor or officers, prior to, or in connection with any services rendered in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, these individuals are reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made using funds held outside the trust account. Other than audit committee review of such payments, we do not expect to have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors and executive officers for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with identifying and consummating an initial business combination.

After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials furnished to our stockholders in connection with a proposed initial business combination. We have not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to our directors or members of management. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed initial business combination, 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, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.

We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our 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 our 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 common stock as of March 20, 2020 based on information obtained from the persons named below, with respect to the beneficial ownership of shares of our common stock, by:

each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock;
each of our executive officers and directors that beneficially owns shares of our common stock; and
all our executive officers and directors as a group.


Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock beneficially owned by them. Unless otherwise indicated, the business address for the individuals and entities named below is C/O Software Acquisition Group Inc., 1980 Festival Plaza Drive, Se. 300, Las Vegas Nevada 89135.

  Class A
Common Stock
  Class B
Common Stock (2)
 
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned
  % of
Class
  Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned
  % of
Class
 
Officers and Directors                
Jonathan Huberman (1)          3,737,500   100%
Mike Nikzad (1)          3,737,500   100%
Andrew K. Nikou (1)          3,737,500   100%
C. Matthew Olton (3)                
Stephanie Davis (3)                
Steven Guggenheimer (3)                
Dr. Peter H. Diamandis (3)                
All Executive Officers and Directors as a Group (7 individuals)                
                 
5% or More Shareholders                
Software Acquisition Holdings LLC (1)          3,737,500   100%
Weiss Asset Management LP (4)  800,200   5.35%        
Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. (5)  800,000   5.35%        
Kepos Capital LP (6)  844,515   5.65%        

(1)Our sponsor is the record holder of these shares. Jonathan Huberman, our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chairman of our Board, Mike Nikzad a member of our Board, and AKN Investments II, LLC are the managing members of the our sponsor. Andrew K. Nikou, a member of our board of directors, is the managing member and President of AKN Investments II, LLC. As such, each may be deemed to have or share voting and dispositive power of the Class B Common Stock held directly by our sponsor. Each such entity or person disclaims any beneficial ownership of the reported shares other than to the extent of any pecuniary interest they may have therein, directly or indirectly.
(2)Such shares are convertible into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment.
(3)Each of these individuals holds an interest in our sponsor. Each such person disclaims any beneficial ownership of the reported shares other than to the extent of any pecuniary interest they may have therein, directly or indirectly.
(4)Pursuant to a Schedule 13G filed by Weiss Asset Management LP with the SEC on February 14, 2020, Weiss Asset Management is the sole investment manager to a private investment partnership (the “Partnership”) and a private investment fund (“Fund”). WAM GP is the sole general partner of Weiss Asset Management. Andrew Weiss is the managing member of WAM GP. Shares reported for WAM GP, Andrew Weiss, and Weiss Asset Management include shares beneficially owned by the Partnership and the Fund. The principle business address for each of these entities and individuals is 222 Berkeley St., 16th Floor Boston, Massachusetts 02116.
(5)Pursuant to a Schedule 13G filed by Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. (“Polar”) with the SEC on February 12, 2020, Polar is the investment advisor to Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund, which directly owns the shares of Class A Common Stock. The business address for the entities named herein is 401 Bay Street., Suite 900, PO Box 19, Toronto, Ontario M5H 2Y4, Canada.
(6)Pursuant to a Schedule 13G filed by Kepos Capital LP (“Kepos Capital”), Kepos Capital is the investment adviser to certain funds and accounts who directly hold the shares of Class A Common Stock reported herein. Mark Carhart is the managing member of Kepos Capital GP LLC, the general partner of Kepos Capital. The principal business address of each of the entities and individuals named herein is 11 Times Square, 35th Floor, New York, New York 10036.

The table above does not include the shares of common stock underlying the private placement warrants held by our sponsor because these securities are not exercisable within 60 days of this report.

Changes in Control

Not applicable.


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

In June 2019, our sponsor purchased 3,593,750 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.007 per share. In November 2019, we effected a stock dividend for 0.04 share for each share of Class B common stock outstanding, resulting in our sponsor holding an aggregate of 3,737,500 founder shares. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares upon completion of our initial public offering. The founder shares (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise thereof) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder.

Our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 4,740,000 private placement warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant ($4,740,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement that closed simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering. As such, our sponsor’s interest in this transaction is valued at $4,740,000. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. The private placement warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise thereof) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination.

If any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an initial business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity. Our officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.

We have agreed to pay our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

Other than the foregoing, no compensation of any kind, including any finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee or monies in respect of any payment of a loan, will be paid by us to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any affiliate of our sponsor or officers, prior to, or in connection with any services rendered in order to effectuate, the consummation of an initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, these individuals will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. We do not have a policy that prohibits our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, from negotiating for the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses by a target business. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.

Our sponsor agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of our initial public offering. These loans were non-interest bearing, unsecured and were due at the earlier of December 31, 2019 or the closing of our initial public offering. The loan was repaid upon the closing of our initial public offering out of the estimated $750,000 of offering proceeds that had been allocated to the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions).

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 on a non-interest bearing basis 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 $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. 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 stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, furnished to our stockholders. 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 stockholder meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.

We have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, the warrants issuable upon conversion of working capital loans (if any) and the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the foregoing and upon conversion of the founder shares.

Related Party Policy

Our audit committee must review and approve any related person transaction we propose to enter into. Our audit committee charter details the policies and procedures relating to transactions that may present actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest and may raise questions as to whether such transactions are consistent with the best interest of our company and our stockholders. A summary of such policies and procedures is set forth below.

Any potential related party transaction that is brought to the audit committee’s attention will be analyzed by the audit committee, in consultation with outside counsel or members of management, as appropriate, to determine whether the transaction or relationship does, in fact, constitute a related party transaction. At its meetings, the audit committee will be provided with the details of each new, existing or proposed related party transaction, including the terms of the transaction, the business purpose of the transaction and the benefits to us and to the relevant related party.


In determining whether to approve a related party transaction, the audit committee must consider, among other factors, the following factors to the extent relevant:

whether the terms of the transaction are fair to us and on the same basis as would apply if the transaction did not involve a related party;
● whether there are business reasons for us to enter into the transaction;
● whether the transaction would impair the independence of an outside director; and
● whether the transaction would present an improper conflict of interest for any director or executive officer.

Any member of the audit committee who has an interest in the transaction under discussion must abstain from any voting regarding the transaction, but may, if so requested by the chairman of the audit committee, participate in some or all of the audit committee’s discussions of the transaction. Upon completion of its review of the transaction, the audit committee may determine to permit or to prohibit the transaction.

Director Independence

Nasdaq 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 Ms. Davis and Messrs. Olton, Guggenheimer and Diamandis are “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors 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 period from May 9, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019 totaled $36,565. 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 period from May 9, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019.

Tax Fees. We did not pay Marcum for tax planning and tax advice for the period from May 9, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019.

All Other Fees. We did not pay Marcum for other services for the period from May 9, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019.

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).


Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

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

(1)Financial Statements:

Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting FirmF-2
Balance SheetF-3
Statement of OperationsF-4
Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ EquityF-5
Statement of Cash FlowsF-6
Notes to Financial StatementsF-7

(2)Financial Statement Schedules:

None.

(3)Exhibits

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

Item 16. Form 10-K Summary.

Not applicable.

48

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
No.
Description
1.1Underwriting Agreement, dated November 19, 2019, by and among the Company and B. Riley FBR, Inc. (1)
3.1Certificate of Incorporation. (3)
3.2Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation. (1)
3.3Bylaws. (3)
4.1Warrant Agreement, dated November 19, 2019, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent.(1)

4.2

Description of the Company’s Securities
10.1Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated November 19, 2019, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee. (1)
10.2Registration Rights Agreement, dated November 19, 2019, by and between the Company and the Sponsor. (1)
10.3Letter Agreement, dated November 19, 2019, by and among the Company, its officers, its directors and the Sponsor. (1)
10.4Administrative Support Agreement, dated November 19, 2019, by and between the Company and the Sponsor. (1)
10.5Securities Subscription Agreement, dated June 25, 2019, between the Registrant and Software Acquisition Holdings LLC. (2)
10.7Private Placement Warrant Purchase Agreement, dated November 19, 2019, by and between the Company and the Sponsor. (1)
31.1Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a).*
32.1Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer required by Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) and 18 U.S.C. 1350.**

101.INSXBRL Instance Document*
101.SCH  XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema*
101.CAL  XBRL Taxonomy Calculation Linkbase*
101.LAB  XBRL Taxonomy Label Linkbase*
101.PREXBRL Definition Linkbase Document*
101.DEFXBRL Definition Linkbase Document*

*Filed herewith
**Furnished herewith

(1)Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on November 25, 2019.
(2)Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form S-1, filed with the Commission on November 8, 2019.
(3)Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form S-1, filed with the Commission on October 25, 2019.

49

SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting FirmF-2
Financial Statements:Consolidated Balance Sheets 
Balance SheetF-3
StatementConsolidated Statements of OperationsF-4
StatementConsolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ EquityComprehensive LossF-5
StatementStatements of Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)F-6
Consolidated Statements of Cash FlowsF-6F-7
Notes to Consolidated Financial StatementsF-7 to F-16F-8


REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRMReport of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the ShareholdersStockholders and the Board of Directors of
Software Acquisition Group CuriosityStream Inc.

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheetsheets of Software Acquisition GroupCuriosityStream Inc. (the “Company”)Company) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of operations, changes incomprehensive loss, redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity (deficit) and cash flows for each of the two years in the period from May 9, 2019 (inception) throughended December 31, 2019,2020, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial“consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as ofat December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period from May 9, 2019 (inception) throughended December 31, 2019,2020, in conformity with accounting principlesU.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Restatement of 2020 Financial Statements

As discussed in Note 2 to the United States of America.consolidated financial statements, the 2020 consolidated financial statements have been restated to correct a misstatement.

 

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.audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”)(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 auditaudits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit,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 auditaudits 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 auditaudits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit providesaudits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

/s/ MarcumErnst & Young LLP
MarcumLLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2019.
New York, NY
March 20, 2020

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

Baltimore, Maryland

March 31, 2021, except for Note 2, as to which the date is May 7, 2021


SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.CuriosityStream Inc.

BALANCE SHEETConsolidated Balance Sheets

DECEMBER 31, 2019(in thousands, except par value)

 

ASSETS   
Current assets   
Cash $1,093,408 
Prepaid expenses  128,133 
Total Current Assets  1,221,541 
     
Marketable securities held in Trust Account  149,719,910 
Total Assets $150,941,451 
     
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY    
Current liabilities    
Accrued expenses $179,881 
Income taxes payable  1,952 
Total Current Liabilities  181,833 
     
Deferred underwriting fee payable  5,232,500 
Total Liabilities  5,414,333 
     
Commitments    
     
Common stock subject to possible redemption, 14,044,440 shares at redemption value  140,527,112 
     
Stockholders’ Equity    
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding   
Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 905,560 issued and outstanding (excluding 14,044,440 shares subject to possible redemption)  91 
Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 3,737,500 shares issued and outstanding  374 
Additional paid-in capital  4,992,200 
Retained earnings  7,341 
Total Stockholders’ Equity  5,000,006 
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity $150,941,451 
  December 31, 
  2020  2019 
Assets As Restated  As Restated 
       
Current assets      
Cash and cash equivalents $11,203  $8,819 
Restricted cash  6,181   - 
Short-term investments  22,171   35,525 
Accounts receivable  7,222   1,777 
Other current assets  4,467   2,510 
Total current assets  51,244   48,631 
         
Investments  2,825   15,654 
Property and equipment, net  1,346   1,451 
Content assets, net  32,926   16,627 
Other assets  254   151 
Total assets $88,595  $82,514 
         
Liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock, and stockholders’ equity (deficit)        
         
Current liabilities        
Current content liabilities $2,116  $3,306 
Accounts payable  3,577   5,245 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities  3,313   2,180 
Deferred revenue  12,678   7,101 
Total current liabilities  21,684   17,832 
         
Warrant liability  20,843   - 
Non-current deferred rent liability  1,027   824 
Other liabilities  67   - 
         
Total liabilities  43,621   18,656 
         
Commitments and contingencies        
         
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, zero and 18,383 shares authorized at December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively; aggregate liquidation preference of $0 and $162,514 as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively  -   155,174 
         
Stockholders’ equity (deficit)        
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value – 1,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2020; zero shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and 2019  -   - 
Common stock, $0.0001 par value – 125,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2020 and 2019; 40,289 shares issued and 39,542 outstanding as of December 31, 2020; 13,165 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2019  4   1 
Additional paid-in capital  197,507   - 
Accumulated other comprehensive income  10   189 
Accumulated deficit  (152,547)  (91,506)
Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)  44,974   (91,316)
         
Total liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock, and stockholders’ equity (deficit) $88,595  $82,514 

 

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


CuriosityStream Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(in thousands)

  Year ended December 31, 
  2020  2019 
  As Restated  As Restated 
       
Revenues $39,621  $18,026 
         
Operating expenses        
Cost of revenues  15,418   6,810 
Advertising and marketing  42,152   41,492 
General and administrative  20,851   14,319 
   78,421   62,621 
Operating loss  (38,800)  (44,595)
         
Other income (expense)        
Change in fair value of warrant liability  (10,120)  - 
Interest and other income  500   2,072 
Loss before income taxes  (48,420)  (42,523)
Provision for income taxes  179   142 
Net loss $(48,599) $(42,665)
         
Less preferred dividends and accretion of issuance costs  (13,788)  (15,897)
Net loss attributable to common stockholders $(62,387) $(58,562)
         
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders        
Basic and diluted        
  $(3.30) $(4.45)
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding        
Basic and diluted  18,931   13,165 

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


CuriosityStream Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss

(in thousands)

  Year ended December 31, 
  2020  2019 
  As Restated  As Restated 
       
Net loss $(48,599) $(42,665)
Other comprehensive income (loss)        
Unrealized gain (loss) on available for sale securities:  (179)  184 
         
Total comprehensive loss $(48,778) $(42,481)

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


SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.CuriosityStream Inc.

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONSStatement of Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit) (1)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM MAY 9, 2019 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2019(in thousands)

 

Operating and formation costs $210,617 
Loss from operations  (210,617)
     
Other income:    
Interest income  219,910 
     
Income before provision for income taxes  9,293 
Provision for income taxes  (1,952)
Net income $7,341 
     
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted(1)  3,535,964 
     
Basic and diluted net loss per common share(2) $(0.02)

  Redeemable
Convertible
Series A
           Additional   Accumulated
Other
     Total
Stockholders’
 
  Preferred Stock  Common Stock  Preferred Stock  Paid-in  Comprehensive Accumulated  Equity 
  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount  Capital  Income (Loss)  Deficit  (Deficit) 
Balance at December 31, 2018  14,557  $139,277   20,000  $200   -   -  $-  $5  $(34,435) $(34,230)
Retroactive application of the recapitalization  3,826   -   (6,835)  (199)  -   -   -   -   199   - 
Balance at December 31, 2018 (As Adjusted)  18,383  $139,277   13,165  $1   -  $-  $-  $5  $(34,236) $(34,230)
Net loss (As Restated)  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   (42,665)  (42,665)
Stock-based compensation (As Restated)  -   -   -   -   -   -   1,292   -   -   1,292 
Redeemable convertible preferred stock adjustment to redemption value (As Restated)  -   15,897   -   -   -   -   (1,292)  -   (14,605)  (15,897)
Other comprehensive income  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   184   -   184 
Balance at December 31, 2019 (As Restated)  18,383  $155,174   13,165  $1   -  $-  $-  $189  $(91,506) $(91,316)
Net loss (As Restated)  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   (48,599)  (48,599)
Stock-based compensation (As Restated)  -   -   -   -   -   -   4,300   -   -   4,300 
Redeemable convertible preferred stock adjustment to redemption value (As Restated)  -   13,788   -   -   -   -   (1,346)  -   (12,442)  (13,788)
Recapitalization of redeemable convertible preferred stock into common stock  (18,383)  (168,962)  18,383   2   -   -   168,960   -   -   168,962 
Net Cash Contribution from Business Combination and PIPE financing, net of warrant liability (As Restated)  -   -   8,638   1   -   -   24,864   -   -   24,865 
Exercise of Options  -   -   62   -   -   -   253   -   -   253 
Exercise of Warrants  -   -   41   -   -   -   476   -   -   476 
Other comprehensive loss  -   -   -   -   -   -       (179)  -   (179)
Balance as of December 31, 2020 (As Restated)  -  $-   40,289  $4   -  $-  $197,507  $10  $(152,547) $44,974 

 

(1)Excludes an aggregate of up to 14,044,440 shares subject to possible redemption.
(2)Net loss per share – basic and diluted excludes income attributable to common stock subject to possible redemption of $81,958Retroactively restated for the period from May 9, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019.reverse recapitalization as described in Notes 4 and 8.

 

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


SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

FOR THE PERIOD FROM MAY 9, 2019 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2019

 

  Class A
Common Stock
  Class B
Common Stock
  Additional
Paid-in
  Retained  Total
Stockholders’
 
  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount  Capital  Earnings  Equity 
Balance – May 9, 2019 (inception)    $     $  $  $  $ 
                             
Issuance of common stock to Sponsor        3,737,500   374   24,626      25,000 
                             
Sale of 14,950,000 Units, net of underwriting discounts and offering expenses  14,950,000   1,495         140,753,282      140,754,777 
                             
Sale of 4,740,000 Private Placement Warrants              4,740,000      4,740,000 
                             
Common stock subject to possible redemption  (14,044,440)  (1,404)        (140,525,708)     (140,527,112)
                             
Net income                   7,341   7,341 
                             
Balance – December 31, 2019  905,560  $91   3,737,500  $374  $4,992,200  $7,341  $5,000,006 

CuriosityStream Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands)

  For the year ended December 31, 
  2020  2019 
  As Restated  As Restated 
Cash flows from operating activities      
Net loss $(48,599) $(42,665)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities        
Change in fair value of warrant liability  9,521   - 
Additions to content assets  (25,994)  (16,002)
Change in content liabilities  (1,190)  1,136 
Amortization of content assets  9,695   3,815 
Stock-based compensation  4,300   1,292 
Amortization, depreciation and accretion  573   142 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities        
Accounts receivable  (5,445)  (502)
Other assets  (1,584)  (534)
Accounts payable  (1,527)  2,357 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities  1,093   834 
Deferred revenue  5,644   5,416 
Net cash used in operating activities  (53,513)  (44,711)
         
Cash flows from investing activities        
Purchases of property and equipment  (367)  (767)
Sales of investments  43,190   32,580 
Maturities of investments  10,750   7,947 
Purchase of investments  (28,118)  (48,746)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities  25,455   (8,986)
         
Cash flows from financing activities        
Exercise of stock options  253   - 
Proceeds from Business Combination and PIPE financing  41,506   - 
Payment of offering costs  (5,136)  - 
Borrowings on line of credit  9,758   - 
Repayments on line of credit  (9,758)  - 
Net cash provided by financing activities  36,623   - 
         
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash  8,565   (53,697)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period  8,819   62,516 
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period $17,384  $8,819 
         
         
Supplemental schedule of non-cash financing activities:        
Preferred dividends and accretion of issuance costs $13,788  $15,897 
Supplemental disclosure:        
Interest payments $17  $- 
Accrued expenses for PP&E $-  $141 
Cash paid for taxes $253  $44 

 

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


SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE PERIOD FROM MAY 9, 2019 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2019

Cash Flows from Operating Activities:   
Net income $7,341 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities:    
Interest earned on marketable securities held in Trust Account  (219,910)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:    
Prepaid expenses  (128,133)
Accrued expenses  179,881 
Income taxes payable  1,952 
Net cash used in operating activities  (158,869)
     
Cash Flows from Investing Activity:    
Investment of cash in Trust Account  (149,500,000)
Net cash used in investing activity  (149,500,000)
     
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:    
Proceeds from issuance of Class B common stock to Sponsor  25,000 
Proceeds from sale of Units, net of underwriting discounts paid  146,510,000 
Proceeds from sale of Private Placement Warrants  4,740,000 
Proceeds from promissory note – related party  235,540 
Repayment of promissory note – related party  (235,540)
Payment of offering costs  (522,723)
Net cash provided by financing activities  150,752,277 
     
Net Change in Cash  1,093,408 
Cash – Beginning   
Cash – Ending $1,093,408 
     
Non-cash investing and financing activities:    
Initial classification of common stock subject to possible redemption $140,516,760 
Change in value of common stock subject to possible redemption $10,352 
Deferred underwriting fee payable $5,232,500 

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


SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUPCURIOSITYSTREAM INC.


NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2019
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS OPERATIONSNote 1 — Organization and business

 

On October 14, 2020 (the “Closing Date”), CuriosityStream Inc., a Delaware corporation (formerly named Software Acquisition Group Inc. (or “SAQN ”), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company) consummated a merger pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), dated August 10, 2020, by and among Software Acquisition Group Inc., CS Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Software Acquisition Group Inc. (“Merger Sub”), CuriosityStream Operating Inc., a Delaware corporation (formerly named CuriosityStream Inc.) (“Legacy CuriosityStream”), and Hendricks Factual Media LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“HFM”).

Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, a business combination between Software Acquisition Group Inc. and Legacy CuriosityStream was effected through the merger of Merger Sub with and into Legacy CuriosityStream, with Legacy CuriosityStream surviving as the surviving company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Software Acquisition Group Inc. (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated“Merger” and collectively with the other transactions described in Delaware on May 9, 2019. The Company was formed for the purpose of effectuating a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses (theMerger Agreement, the “Business Combination”). The Company is an early stageOn the Closing Date, Software Acquisition Group Inc. changed its name to CuriosityStream Inc. (the “Company” or “CuriosityStream”) and emerging growth companyLegacy CuriosityStream changed its name to CuriosityStream Operating Inc., and as such, the Company is subjecthas subsequently changed its name to all of the risks associated with early stage and emerging growth companies.

As of December 31, 2019, the Company had not yet commenced any operations. All activity for the period May 9, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019 relates to the Company’s formation, the initial public offering (the “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 proceeds derived from the Initial Public Offering.Curiosity Inc.

 

The registration statements forprincipal business of CuriosityStream is to provide customers with access to high quality factual content via a direct subscription video on-demand (SVoD) platform accessible by internet connected devices, or indirectly via distribution partners who deliver CuriosityStream content via the Company’s Initial Public Offering were declared effective on November 19, 2019. On November 22, 2019, the Company consummated the Initial Public Offering of 14,950,000 units (the “Units” and, with respect to the shares of Class A common stock included in the Units sold, the “Public Shares”), which includes the full exercise by the underwriter of the over-allotment option to purchase an additional 1,950,000 Units, at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $149,500,000, which is described in Note 3.

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of 4,740,000 warrants (the “Private Placement Warrants”) at a price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant in a private placement to Software Acquisition Holdings, LLC (the “Sponsor”), generating gross proceeds of $4,740,000, which is described in Note 4.

Transaction costs amounted to $8,745,223 consisting of $2,990,000 of underwriting fees, $5,232,500 of deferred underwriting fees and $522,723 of other offering costs. In addition, As of December 31, 2019, cash of $1,093,408 was held outside of the Trust Account (as defined below) and isdistributor’s platform or system. The online library available for streaming spans the paymententire category of offering costsfactual entertainment including science, history, society, nature, lifestyle, and for working capital purposes.

Following the closingtechnology. The library is composed of the Initial Public Offering on November 22, 2019, an amount of $149,500,000 ($10.00 per Unit)more than three thousand accessible on-demand and ad-free productions and includes shows and series from the net proceeds of the sale of the Units in the Initial Public Offering, and the sale of the Private Warrants was placed in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) and invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less, or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund meeting the conditions of Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the consummation of a Business Combination or (ii) the distribution of the funds in the Trust Account to the Company’s stockholders, as described below.


SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2019leading non-fiction producers.

 

The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect tocontent assets are available directly through its owned and operated website (“O&O Service”), mobile applications developed for iOS and Android operating systems (“App Services”), and via the specific applicationplatforms and systems of third-party partners in exchange for license fees. The Company offers subscribers a monthly or annual subscription. The price for a subscription varies depending on the streaming resolution (e.g., HD or 4K) and the length of the net proceedssubscription (e.g., monthly or annual) selected by the customer. As an additional part of the Initial Public OfferingCompany’s App Services, it has built applications to make its service accessible on almost every major customer device, including streaming media players like Roku, Apple TV and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, although substantiallyAmazon Fire TV, all of the net proceedsmajor smart TV brands (e.g., LG, Vizio, Samsung, Sony) and gaming consoles. In addition, CuriosityStream has affiliate agreement relationships with, and its content assets are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. NASDAQ rules provide that the Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the Trust Account (less any deferred underwriting commissionsavailable through, major multichannel video programming distributors (“MVPDs”) and taxes payable on interest earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the signing of a definitive agreement to enter 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 outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination.virtual MVPDs (“vMVPDs”).

 

The Company will provide its holdersNote 2 – Restatement of the outstanding Public Shares (the “public stockholders”) with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. In connection with a proposed Business Combination, the Company may seek stockholder approval of a Business Combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which stockholders may seek to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against a Business Combination. The Company will proceed with a Business Combination only if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon such consummation of a Business Combination and, if the Company seeks stockholder approval, a majority of the outstanding shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination.Financial Statements

 

IfOn April 12, 2021, the Company seeks stockholder approval of a Business Combination and it does not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that, a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to 20% or more of the Public Shares without the Company’s prior written consent.

The public stockholders will be entitled to redeem their shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account ($10.00 per share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations). The per-share amount to be distributed to stockholders who redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions the Company will pay to the underwriter (as discussed in Note 6). There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of a Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants.

If a stockholder vote is not required and the Company does not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, the Company will, pursuant to its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, offer such redemption pursuant to the tender offer rulesstaff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) issued a public statement entitled “Staff Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”)” (the “SEC Staff Statement”). In the SEC Staff Statement, the SEC staff expressed its view that certain terms and conditions common to SPAC warrants may require the warrants to be classified as liabilities on the balance sheet as opposed to equity. Specifically, the SEC Staff Statement focused in part on provisions in warrant agreements that provide for potential changes to the settlement amounts dependent upon the characteristics of the warrant holder and because the holder of a warrant is not an input into the pricing of a fixed-for-fixed option on equity shares, such provision would preclude the warrant from being classified in equity and thus the warrant should be classified as a liability.

After considering the SEC Staff Statement, the Company re-evaluated its historical accounting for its warrants and concluded that the Company should restate its previously issued consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. Specifically, the Company has revised its accounting treatment of the private placement warrants (the “Private Placement Warrants”) issued to Software Acquisition Holdings LLC, the former sponsor of Software Acquisition Group Inc. (“SAQN”), in connection with a private placement that closed concurrently with the initial public offering of SAQN, and file tender offer documents containing substantiallyrecorded in the same informationCompany’s consolidated financial statements as woulda result of the business combination between SAQN and CuriosityStream Operating Inc. (formerly named CuriosityStream Inc.) (the “Merger”) and the reverse recapitalization that occurred on October 14, 2020. At that time, the Private Placement Warrants were presented within equity and did not impact any reporting periods prior to the Merger. Based on the Company’s reassessment, it determined that the Private Placement Warrants should have been classified as liabilities measured at fair value on the closing date of the Merger, with subsequent changes in fair value reported in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations each reporting period. The Company has also concluded that a portion of the transaction costs which directly related to the Merger, which were previously charged to shareholders’ equity (deficit), should be includedallocated to the Private Placement Warrants based on their relative fair value to the total fair value of the Private Placement Warrants and other equity securities issued by the Company in connection with the Merger, and recognized as transaction costs in the statements of operations.


CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 2 – Restatement of Financial Statements (cont.)

Impact of the Restatement

See below for a proxy statementreconciliation from the previously reported to the restated amounts as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020. The previously reported amounts were derived from our Annual Report on Form 10-K as of and for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 filed with the SEC on March 31, 2021. These amounts are labeled as “As Previously Reported” in the tables below. The amounts labeled “Restatement Adjustment” represent the effects of this restatement due to the change in classification of the Private Placement Warrants from shareholders’ equity (deficit) to liability on the balance sheet, with subsequent changes in the respective fair value recognized in the statement of operations at each reporting date. Also included in the amounts labeled “Restatement Adjustment” is the effect of expensing transaction costs in the statement of operations that were previously charged to shareholders’ equity (deficit) and have been allocated to the Private Placement Warrants. Finally, the amounts labeled “Restatement Adjustment” also include the correction of certain other immaterial items that were previously recorded during the year ended December 31, 2020 that should have been reflected in the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019. The impact of correcting these other immaterial items on the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 was an increase in net loss of $0.1 million.

The correction of this misstatement related to the change in fair value of the warrant liability and the related expensing of allocated transaction costs resulted in an expense to the Company’s statement of operations of $10.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

The following presents a reconciliation of the impacted financial statement line items as previously reported to the restated amounts as of December 31, 2020 and for the year then ended:

  As of December 31, 2020 
  As Previously
Reported
  Restatement
Adjustment
  As Restated 
Consolidated Balance Sheet:         
          
Warrant liability $-  $20,843  $20,843 
Total liabilities $22,778  $20,843  $43,621 
Additional paid-in capital $208,230  $(10,723) $197,507 
Accumulated deficit $(142,427) $(10,120) $(152,547)
Total stockholders’ equity (deficit) $65,817  $(20,843) $44,974 

  Year ended December 31, 2020 
  As Previously
Reported
  Restatement
Adjustment
  As Restated 
Consolidated Statement of Operations:         
          
Advertising and marketing $42,016  $136  $42,152 
General and administrative $21,135  $(284) $20,851 
Total operating expenses $78,569  $(148) $78,421 
Operating loss $(38,948) $148  $(38,800)
Change in fair value of warrant liability $-  $(10,120) $(10,120)
Loss before income taxes $(38,448) $(9,972) $(48,420)
Net loss $(38,627) $(9,972) $(48,599)
Net loss attributable to common stockholders $(52,415) $(9,972) $(62,387)
             
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders            
Basic and diluted $(2.77) $(0.53) $(3.30)

The impact of these errors on the consolidated statement of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2020 was an increase in net cash used in operating activities of $0.6 million and an increase in net cash provided by financing activities of $0.6 million. 

The remainder of the notes to the Company’s consolidated financial statements have been updated and restated, as applicable, to reflect the impacts of the restatement described above.

F-9

CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 3 — Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies

Basis of presentation

The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of CuriosityStream Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the merger between Merger Sub and Legacy CuriosityStream was accounted for as a reverse recapitalization in accordance with U.S. GAAP (the “Reverse Recapitalization”). Under this method of accounting, Software Acquisition Group Inc. was treated as the “acquired” company and Legacy CuriosityStream is treated as the acquirer for financial reporting purposes.

Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the Reverse Recapitalization was treated as the equivalent of Legacy CuriosityStream issuing stock for the net assets of Software Acquisition Group Inc., accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of Software Acquisition Group Inc. are stated at historical cost, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded.

Legacy CuriosityStream was determined to be the accounting acquirer based on the following predominant factors:

Legacy CuriosityStream’s existing stockholders have the greatest voting interest in the Company;

The largest individual stockholder in the Company was an existing stockholder of Legacy CuriosityStream;

Legacy CuriosityStream’s directors represented the majority of the new board of directors of the Company;

Legacy CuriosityStream’s senior management is the senior management of the Company; and

Legacy CuriosityStream is the larger entity based on historical revenue and has the larger employee base.

The consolidated assets, liabilities and results of operations prior to completing athe Reverse Recapitalization are those of Legacy CuriosityStream. The shares and corresponding capital amounts and losses per share, prior to the Reverse Recapitalization, have been retroactively restated based on shares reflecting the exchange ratio of 0.626 established in the Business Combination.

 

The Company’s Sponsor has agreed (a) to vote its Founder Shares (as defined in Note 5) and any Public Shares purchased during or after the Initial Public Offering in favor of a Business Combination, (b) not to propose an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with respect to the Company’s pre-Business Combination activities prior to the consummation of a Business Combination unless the Company provides dissenting public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares in conjunction with any such amendment; (c) not to redeem any shares (including the Founder Shares) and Private Placement Warrants (including underlying securities) into the right to receive cash from the Trust Account in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a Business Combination (or to sell any shares in a tender offer in connection with a Business Combination if the Company does not seek stockholder approval in connection therewith) or a vote to amend the provisions of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation relating to stockholders’ rights of pre-Business Combination activity and (d) that the Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants (including underlying securities) shall not participate in any liquidating distributions upon winding up if a Business Combination is not consummated. However, the Sponsor will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any Public Shares purchased during or after the Initial Public Offering if the Company fails to complete its Business Combination.

If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination by May 22, 2021 (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 ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining stockholders and the Company’s board of directors, proceed to commence a voluntary liquidation and thereby a formal dissolution of the Company, subject in each case to its obligations to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of applicable law. The underwriter has agreed to waive its rights to the deferred underwriting commission 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).


SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2019

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 a prospective target business with which the Company has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or similar agreement or Business Combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per Public Share and (ii) the actual amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the day of liquidation of the Trust Account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to monies held in the Trust Account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriter of the Initial Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). However, the Company has not asked the Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor has the Company independently verified whether the Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities of the Company. Therefore, the Company cannot assure its stockholders that the Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. None of the Company’s officers or directors will indemnify the Company for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers, 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.

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.

Emerging growth company

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

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


SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2019

Use of estimates

 

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of theconsolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.

Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actualaccompanying notes. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates. Significant areas in which management uses estimates include content asset amortization, the assessment of the recoverability of the content assets, and common stock and share-based awards.

 

Concentration of risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist principally of cash, cash equivalents, investments, and accounts receivable. The Company maintains its cash, cash equivalents, and investments with high credit quality financial institutions; at times, such balances with the financial institutions may exceed the applicable FDIC-insured limits.

Accounts receivable are typically unsecured and are derived from revenues earned from customers primarily located in the United States.

During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the top three customers accounted for 41% and 35% of the Company’s revenues, respectively. Of these customers, one customer accounted for 26% of the Company’s revenues during the year ended December 31, 2020, and a different customer accounted for 21% of the Company’s revenues during the year ended December 31, 2019.

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash

 

The Company considers all highly liquid short-term investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have any cash equivalents as of December 31, 2019.

Marketable securities held in Trust Account

 

At December 31, 2019,2020, restricted cash represents cash deposits required by a bank as a collateral related to the assets heldCompany’s line of credit for $4,500 and corporate credit card agreements of $500. In addition, as result of the Merger, the Company was required to reserve funds of $1,181 related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan (see Note 7) in an escrow account until the PPP loan is forgiven.


CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 3 — Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies (cont.)

Fair value measurement of financial instruments

Fair value is defined as the exit price, or the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants as of the measurement date. The applicable accounting guidance establishes a hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available. Observable inputs are inputs market participants would use in valuing the asset or liability and are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the Company’s assumptions about the factors market participants would use in valuing the asset or liability. The guidance establishes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 — Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

Assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurements. The Company reviews the fair value hierarchy classification at each reporting period. Changes in the Trust Account were substantially heldobservability of valuation inputs may result in a money market fund that invests primarily in U.S. Treasury Bills.reclassification of levels for certain securities within the fair value hierarchy.

 

Common stock subjectThe Company’s assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis include its investments in money market funds, government debt securities, and corporate debt securities. Level 1 inputs were derived by using unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets in active markets and were used to possible redemptionvalue the Company’s investments in money market funds and government debt securities. Level 2 inputs were derived using prices for similar investments and were used to value the Company’s investments in corporate debt securities.

The Company’s liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis include its Private Placement Warrants. The fair value of the Private Placement Warrants is considered a Level 3 valuation and is determined using the Black-Scholes valuation model. Refer to Note 9 for significant assumptions which the Company used in the fair value model for the Private Placement Warrants.

The Company’s remaining financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses and other liabilities, are carried at cost, which approximates fair value because of the short-term maturity of these instruments.

Investments

 

The Company holds investments in money market funds, government debt securities and corporate debt securities which the Company classifies as available-for-sale. The investments are therefore carried at fair value based on unadjusted quoted market prices (Level 1) and quoted prices for comparable assets (Level 2), as noted below:

  As of December 31, 2020  As of December 31, 2019 
  Cash and Cash Equivalents  Short-term Investments  Investments (non-current)  Total  Cash Equivalents  Short-term Investments  Investments (non-current)  Total 
Level 1 Securities                        
Money market funds $2,165  $-  $-  $2,165  $2,973  $-  $-  $2,973 
Government debt securities  5,999   12,892   -   18,891   -   25,996   -   25,996 
Total Level 1 Securities  8,164   12,892   -   21,056   2,973   25,996   -   28,969 
                                 
Level 2 Securities                                
Corporate debt securities  -   8,054   2,825   10,879   -   9,529   15,654   25,183 
Municipal debt securities  -   1,225   -   1,225   -   -   -   - 
Total Level 2 Securities  -   9,279   2,825   12,104   -   9,529   15,654   25,183 
                                 
Total $8,164  $22,171  $2,825  $33,160  $2,973  $35,525  $15,654  $54,152 

CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 3 — Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies (cont.)

Unrealized gains and losses are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income or loss, a component of stockholders’ equity (deficit). Realized gains and losses are reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income or loss into earnings as a component of net income or loss. Realized gains reported in interest and other income in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations were $114 and nil for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company evaluates unrealized losses on investments, if any, to determine if other-than-temporary impairment is required to be recognized. No such other-than-temporary impairments were recognized during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. Investments in debt securities that will mature within one year of the balance sheet dates are reflected as Short-term investments in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

The following tables summarize the Company’s corporate and government debt securities:

  As of December 31, 2020 
  Amortized Cost  Gross Unrealized Gains  Gross Unrealized Losses  Estimated Fair Value 
Debt Securities:            
Corporate $10,867  $14  $   (2) $10,879 
U.S. Government  18,892   1   (2)  18,891 
Municipalities  1,226   -   (1)  1,225 
                 
Total $30,985  $15  $(5) $30,995 

  As of December 31, 2019 
  Amortized Cost  Gross Unrealized Gains  Gross Unrealized Losses  Estimated Fair Value 
Debt Securities:            
Corporate $24,994  $189  $   -  $25,183 
U.S. Government  25,996   -   -   25,996 
                 
Total $50,990  $189  $-  $51,179 

The table below summarizes the Company’s maturities for corporate and government debt securities at December 31, 2020 by contractual maturity periods.

  December 31, 2020 
  Amortized Cost  Estimated Fair Value 
       
Due in one year or less $28,174  $28,170 
Due after one year through five years  2,811   2,825 
Due after five years  -   - 
         
Total $30,985  $30,995 

Warrants

As described in Note 8, the Private Placement Warrants are classified as a non-current liability and reported at fair value at each reporting period. The fair value of the Private Placement Warrants as of December 31, 2020 was as follows:

  Warrant Liability 
  Non-current 
  (Restated) 
Level 3   
Private Placement Warrants $20,843 
Total Level 3 $20,843 

CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 3 — Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies (cont.)

Accounts receivable

Accounts receivable is comprised of receivables from subscriptions, license fees, and program sales. The Company records accounts receivable net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. The allowance is determined based on a review of the estimated collectability of the specific accounts and historical loss experience and existing economic conditions. Uncollectible amounts are written off against the allowance for doubtful accounts once management determines collection of an amount, or a portion thereof, to be less than probable. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, allowance for doubtful accounts amounted to $14 and nil, respectively.

Content assets, net

The Company acquires, licenses and produces content, including original programming, in order to offer members unlimited viewing of factual entertainment content. The content licenses are for a fixed fee and specific windows of availability. Payments for content, including additions to content assets and the changes in related liabilities, are classified within “Net cash used in operating activities” on the consolidated statements of cash flows.

The Company recognizes its content assets (licensed and produced) as “Content assets, net” on the consolidated balance sheets. For licenses, the Company capitalizes the fee per title and records a corresponding liability at the gross amount of the liability when the license period begins, the cost of the title is known, and the title is accepted and available for streaming. For productions, the Company capitalizes costs associated with the production, including development costs, direct costs and production overhead.

Based on factors including historical and estimated viewing patterns, the Company amortizes the content assets (licensed and produced) in “Cost of revenues” on the consolidated statements of operations on a straight-line basis over the shorter of each title’s contractual window of availability or estimated period of use, beginning with the month of first availability. The Company reviews factors impacting the amortization of content assets on an ongoing basis and will record amortization on an accelerated basis when there is more upfront use of a title, for instance due to significant program sales.

The Company’s business model is subscription based as opposed to a model generating revenues at a specific title level. Content assets (licensed and produced) are predominantly monetized as a group and therefore are reviewed in aggregate at a group level when an event or change in circumstances indicates a change in the expected usefulness of the content or that the fair value may be less than unamortized cost. If such changes are identified, the aggregated content assets will be stated at the lower of unamortized cost or fair value. In addition, unamortized costs for assets that have been, or are expected to be, abandoned are written off.

Property and equipment

Property and equipment are stated at historical cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the non-cancelable lease term or the estimated useful lives. Repairs and maintenance expenses are expensed as incurred.

Long-lived assets

The Company reviews its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of these assets is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount to the future undiscounted cash flows the assets are expected to generate. If long-lived assets are considered impaired, an impairment charge is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair value. No impairment charge related to long-lived assets was recognized for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.

Warrant liability

The Company classifies its Private Placement Warrants as liabilities as the terms of these warrants provide for potential changes to the settlement amounts dependent upon the characteristics of the warrant holder and because the holder of a warrant is not an input into the pricing of a fixed-for-fixed option on equity shares, such provision would preclude the warrant from being classified in equity and thus the warrant should be classified as a liability. The Private Placement Warrants are recorded at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets and changes in the fair value of the Company’s Private Placement Warrants in each period are reported in earnings.


CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 3 — Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies (cont.)

Revenue recognition

The following table sets forth the Company’s revenues disaggregated by type for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, as well as the relative percentage of each revenue type to total revenue.

  Year Ended December 31, 
  2020  2019 
             
Subscriptions – O&O Service $13,031   33% $7,087   39%
Subscriptions – App Services  3,477   9%  2,706   15%
Subscriptions – Total  16,508   42%  9,793   54%
                 
License Fees – Affiliates  16,832   42%  7,769   43%
License Fees – Program Sales  5,691   15%  450   3%
License Fees – Total  22,523   57%  8,219   46%
                 
Other – Total(a)    590   1%  14   0%
                 
Total Revenues $39,621      $18,026     

(a)We executed and recognized revenue related to two sponsorship campaigns during the year ended December 31, 2020. These sponsorship campaigns offer companies the chance to be associated with CuriosityStream content in a variety of forms, including short and long form program integration, branded social media promotional videos, broadcast advertising spots, and digital display ads.

Subscriptions — O&O Service

The Company generates revenue from monthly subscription fees from its O&O Service. CuriosityStream subscribers enter into non-refundable, month-to-month or annual subscriptions with the Company. The Company bills the monthly subscriber on each subscriber’s monthly anniversary date and recognizes the revenue ratably over each monthly membership period. The annual subscription fees are collected by the Company at the start of the annual subscription period and are recognized ratably over the subsequent twelve month period. Revenues are presented net of the taxes that are collected from subscribers and remitted to governmental authorities.

The Company also offers gift certificates for use on a future date. The Company recognizes revenue from gift certificates when the services have been provided. The gift certificates do not expire.

Subscription — App Services

The Company also earns subscription revenues through its App Services. These subscriptions are similar to the O&O Service subscriptions, but are generated based on agreements with certain streaming media players as well as with Smart TV brands and gaming consoles (see Note 1). Under these agreements, the streaming media player typically bills the subscriber directly and then remits the collected subscriptions to the Company, net of a distribution fee. The Company recognizes the gross subscription revenues when earned and simultaneously recognizes the corresponding distribution fees as an expense. The Company is the principal in these relationships as the Company retains control over service delivery to its subscribers.

Licensing — Affiliates

The Company generates license fee revenues from MVPDs such as Altice, Comcast and Cox as well as from vMVPDs such as Amazon and Sling TV (MVPDs and vMVPDs are also referred to as affiliates). Under the terms of the agreements with these affiliates, the Company receives license fees based upon contracted programming rates and subscriber levels reported by the affiliates. In exchange, the Company licenses its content to the affiliates for distribution to their subscribers. The Company earns revenue under these agreements either based on the total number of subscribers multiplied by rates specified in the agreements or based on fixed fee arrangements. These revenues are recognized over the term of each agreement when earned.


CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 3 — Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies (cont.)

Licensing — Program Sales

The Company has distribution agreements which grant a licensee limited distribution rights to the Company’s programs for varying terms, generally in exchange for a fixed license fee. Revenue is recognized once the content is made available for the licensee to use.

The Company’s performance obligations include (1) access to its SVoD platform via the Company’s O&O Service and App Services, (2) access to the Company’s content assets, and (3) licenses of specific program titles. In contracts containing the right to access the Company SvoD platform, the performance obligation is satisfied as access to the SvoD platform is provided post any free trial period. In contracts which contain access to the Company’s content assets, the performance obligation is satisfied as access to the content is provided. For contracts with licenses of specific program titles, the performance obligation is satisfied as that content is made available for the customer to use.

Payments terms for access to the Company’s SvoD services require payment in advance on or prior to the date access to the service is provided. Payments for contracts providing access to the Company’s content assets are paid either in advance, over the license term, or on a sales and usage basis. Payments for licenses of specific program titles are paid either upfront or over the license term on a fixed fee basis, or on a sales and usage basis. To date, there has been no financing component associated with the Company’s revenue arrangements and such arrangements do not contain rights of return provisions.

Revenues expected to be recognized in the future related to performance obligations that are unsatisfied at December 31, 2020 are as follows:

  Year ending December 31,       
  2021  2022  2023  2024  Thereafter  Total 
Remaining Performance Obligations $20,618  $8,134  $1,274  $78  $44  $30,148 

These amounts include only fixed consideration or minimum guarantees and do not include amounts related to (i) contracts with an original expected term of one year or less or (ii) licenses of content that are solely based on sales or usage-based royalties.

Contract liabilities (i.e. deferred revenue) consists of subscriber and affiliate license fees billed that have not been recognized, amounts contractually billed or collected for program sales in advance of the related content being made available to the customer, and unredeemed gift certificates and other prepaid subscriptions that have not been redeemed. Total deferred revenues were $12,745 and $7,101 at December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. The increase in deferred revenues is primarily due to the growth in annual subscriptions from O&O and App Services, which requires upfront annual payments, as well as an increase in the volume of program sales activity.

Revenues of $6,944 were recognized during the year ended December 31, 2020 related to the balance of deferred revenue at December 31, 2019.

Cost of revenues

Cost of revenues primarily includes content asset amortization, streaming delivery costs, payment processing costs and distribution fees.

Advertising and marketing

Advertising and marketing expenses include brand awareness, digital and television types of costs. The Company expenses advertising and marketing costs as incurred. The Company incurred advertising and marketing expenses totaling $42,152 and $41,492 for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. These expenses are included in advertising and marketing costs in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

F-15

CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 3 — Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies (cont.)

Stock-based compensation

The Company measures the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant date fair value of the award. The fair value is recognized in earnings over the period during which an employee is required to provide the service. The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur. See Note 10 for further details.

Income taxes

The Company uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes, in which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to the differences between the carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities as reported in the consolidated balance sheets and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be reversed. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized as income in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is established if it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized.

The Company’s tax positions are subject to income tax audits. The Company recognizes the tax benefit of an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the position is sustainable upon examination by the taxing authority, based on the technical merits. The tax benefit recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit which is more likely than not (greater than 50% likely) to be realized upon settlement with the taxing authority. The Company recognizes interest accrued and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in its tax provision.

The Company calculates the current and deferred income tax provision based on estimates and assumptions that could differ from the actual results reflected in income tax returns filed in subsequent years. Adjustments based on filed income tax returns are recorded when identified. The amount of income tax paid is subject to examination by U.S. federal and state tax authorities. The estimate of the potential outcome of any uncertain tax issue is subject to management’s assessment of the relevant risks, facts, and circumstances existing at that time. To the extent the assessment of such tax position changes, the change in estimate is recorded in the period in which the determination is made.

Recently issued financial accounting standards

As an emerging growth company (“EGC”), the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (“JOBS Act”) allows the Company to delay adoption of new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are applicable to private companies. The Company has elected to use this extended transition period under the JOBS Act until such time as the Company is no longer considered to be an EGC. 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires lessees to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for those leases classified as operating leases under current U.S. GAAP. ASU 2016-02 requires that a lessee should recognize a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term on the balance sheet. The new guidance also requires qualitative and quantitative disclosures related to the nature, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The guidance is effective for the Company’s fiscal year beginning January 1, 2022, with early adoption permitted, and is required to be implemented using a modified retrospective approach. The Company is currently assessing the impact of the new standard on its consolidated financial statements, but anticipates a material increase in assets and liabilities due to the recognition of the required right-of-use asset and corresponding lease liability for all lease obligations that are currently classified as operating leases, such as real estate leases for corporate headquarters, as well as additional disclosure on all its lease obligations. The income statement recognition of lease expense is not expected to significantly change from the current methodology.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments — Credit Losses (Topic 326), which requires that an entity measure and recognize expected credit losses for financial assets held at amortized cost and replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology in current U.S. GAAP with a methodology that requires consideration of a broader range of information to estimate credit losses. The guidance also modifies the impairment model for available-for-sale debt securities. ASU 2016-13 is effective for the Company’s fiscal year beginning January 1, 2023. The Company is continuing to assess the potential impacts of ASU 2016-13 on its consolidated financial statements.


CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 4 – Business Combination

As discussed in Note 1, on October 14, 2020, the Company consummated the Merger Agreement dated August 10, 2020, with Legacy CuriosityStream surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

Legacy CuriosityStream common stock subjectissued and outstanding were cancelled and converted into the right to possiblereceive 0.626 shares (the “Exchange Ratio”) of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”). Unless otherwise stated, the Exchange Ratio was applied to the number of shares and share prices of Legacy CuriosityStream throughout these consolidated financial statements.

At the effective time of the Merger (the “Effective Time”), all (100%) of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Legacy CuriosityStream were converted into an aggregate of 31,556,837 shares (the “Merger Shares”) of Common Stock. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, 1,501,758 Merger Shares issued by the Company at closing will be held in escrow for a period of twelve (12) months after the Closing Date to satisfy indemnification obligations and an additional 19,924 Merger Shares will be held in escrow pending final working capital calculations (collectively, the “Escrow Shares”).

In connection with the Closing, and pursuant to the terms of a PIPE Subscription Agreement entered into by the Company with certain third-party investors (the “PIPE Investors”) in connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, the Company completed the issuance of an aggregate of 2,500,000 newly-issued shares of Common Stock for an aggregate purchase price of $25.0 million (the “PIPE”). The shares of Common Stock issued by the Company pursuant to the PIPE were issued concurrently with the Closing of the Merger on the Closing Date.

Upon the closing of the Merger:

12,549,512 shares of SAQN Class A Common Stock held by shareholders prior to the Merger were redeemed with cash from SAQN’s trust account, leaving 2,400,488 shares of pre-existing SAQN Class A Common Stock outstanding after redemption, which were then converted into an equivalent amount of shares of Common Stock.

all issued and outstanding shares of Legacy CuriosityStream capital stock converted into an aggregate of 31,556,837 shares of Common Stock (inclusive of the Escrow Shares);

all of the 3,737,500 outstanding shares of SAQN’s Class B Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, held by Software Acquisition Holdings, LLC (the “Sponsor”), converted into an aggregate of 3,737,500 shares of Common Stock, 2,242,500 of which are subject to certain vesting conditions;

of the 4,740,000 Private Placement Warrants held by the Sponsor immediately prior to the Effective Time, (i) 711,000 were forfeited by the Sponsor and (ii) an aggregate of 353,000 were forfeited by the Sponsor and reissued by the Company to certain PIPE Investors and holders of Common Stock existing prior to the Effective Time;

all of the outstanding options to acquire Legacy CuriosityStream common stock were converted into options to acquire an aggregate of 2,214,246 shares of Common Stock; and

the Company issued an aggregate of 2,500,000 shares of Common Stock to the PIPE Investors pursuant to the closing of the PIPE.

The Company received $16.5 million in cash from the SAQN trust account, net of redemptions of Class A Common Stock as well as transaction costs paid at Closing of $3.1 million. In addition, the Company also received $25.0 million from the PIPE investors related to the issuance of 2,500,000 shares of Common Stock. The Company paid a total of $2.6 million of additional transaction costs related to the Business Combination in addition to the $3.1 million transaction costs deducted from the merger proceeds above, totaling $5.7 million of transaction costs.


CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 4 – Business Combination (cont.)

As a result of the foregoing transactions, as of the Closing Date and immediately following the completion of the Merger and the PIPE, the Company had the following outstanding securities:

40,194,825 shares of Common Stock (inclusive of the Escrow Shares);

options to acquire an aggregate of 2,214,246 shares of Common Stock; and

7,786,589 Public Warrants (inclusive of 353,000 PIPE Warrants) and 3,676,000 Private Placement Warrants, each exercisable for one share of Common Stock at a price of $11.50 per share.

Note 5 — Content assets

Content assets consisted of the following:

  December 31, 
  2020  2019 
       
Licensed content, net      
Released, less amortization $9,985  $7,880 
Prepaid and unreleased  3,022   2,685 
   13,007   10,565 
         
Produced content, net        
Released, less amortization  9,071   3,970 
In production  10,848   1,889 
In development and pre-production  -   203 
   19,919   6,062 
         
Total $32,926  $16,627 

As of December 31, 2020, $4,772, $2,891, and $1,171 of the $9,985 unamortized cost of the licensed content that has been released is expected to be amortized in each of the next three years. As of December 31, 2020, $2,172 of the $9,071 unamortized cost of the produced content that has been released is expected to be amortized in each of the next three years.

In accordance with its accounting policy for content assets, the Company amortized licensed content costs and produced content costs during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, as follows:

  Year Ended December 31, 
  2020  2019 
       
Licensed content $6,800  $3,279 
Produced content  2,895   536 
  $9,695  $3,815 


CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 6 — Property and equipment

Property and equipment, net are summarized by major classifications as follows:

  Estimated      
  useful lives December 31, 
  (in years) 2020  2019 
         
Furniture and fixtures 10 to 15 $108  $108 
Equipment 5  967   961 
Computer and software 3 to 5  625   534 
Website and application development 3  687   687 
Leasehold improvements Lesser of lease term or useful lives  703   614 
Work-in-progress -  85   51 
Property and equipment, gross   $3,175  $2,955 
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization    1,829   1,504 
Property and equipment, net   $1,346  $1,451 

Depreciation expense related to the property and equipment above, including the amortization of leasehold improvements, was $330 and $332 for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Note 7 — Line of Credit and Paycheck Protection Program Loan

On February 12, 2020, the Company obtained a one-year $4,500 line of credit facility from a bank. The line of credit calls for interest-only monthly payments at a rate equal to the LIBOR Daily Floating Rate plus 2.25%. The loan carries an unused fee of 0.25% annually on all committed but unused capital, payable quarterly in arrears. The entire unpaid principal balance was scheduled to be due upon the original loan maturity date of February 28, 2021. The line of credit facility is collateralized by cash of $4,500. At December 31, 2020, there was no balance drawn and owed under the facility. During February 2021, the loan maturity date was extended to February 28, 2022. Refer to Note 16.

On May 1, 2020, the Company applied for and received funding from the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) in the amount of $1,158 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) (the “PPP Loan”). The PPP Loan matures in May 2022 and bears interest at a rate of 1.0% per annum. Monthly amortized principal and interest payments are deferred for six months after the date of disbursement. The PPP provides that the use of the PPP Loan amount shall be limited to certain qualifying expenses and may be partially or wholly forgiven in accordance with the guidancerequirements set forth in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilitiesthe CARES Act. The amount of loan proceeds eligible for forgiveness takes into account a number of factors, including the amount of loan proceeds used by the Company during the specified period after the loan origination for certain purposes including payroll costs, rent payments on certain leases, and certain qualified utility payments.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, all $1,158 of loan proceeds were applied to covered payroll and non-payroll expenses per the PPP. The Company has elected to recognize earnings as funds are applied to covered expenses and classify the application of funds as a reduction of the related expense in the consolidated statement of operations. As a result, general and administrative expenses during the year ended December 31, 2020 within the consolidated statement of operations are reduced by these amounts. Should the Company’s loan forgiveness application be rejected, the Company may be required to repay all or a portion of the funds received under the PPP under an amortization schedule through May 2025 with an annual interest rate of 1%.

The Company believes it has met all the requirements under the PPP, has submitted an application for loan forgiveness, and anticipates that it will not be required to repay any portion of the grant.

The consolidated statements of redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity (deficit) reflect the Business Combination as defined in Note 1 as of October 14, 2020. As Legacy CuriosityStream was deemed the accounting acquirer in the Business Combination with Software Acquisition Group Inc., all periods prior to the consummation date reflect the balances and activity of Legacy CuriosityStream. The balances as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 from Equity.” the financial statements of Legacy CuriosityStream as of that date, share activity (redeemable convertible preferred stock, common stock, additional paid in capital, and accumulated deficit) and per share amounts were retroactively adjusted, where applicable, using the recapitalization exchange ratio of 0.626.


CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 8 — Redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity

Common Stock

In connection with the Business Combination, the Company amended and restated its certificate of incorporation. As of December 31, 2020, the Company has authorized the issuance of 126,000,000 shares of capital stock, par value of $0.0001 per share, consisting of (a) 125,000,000 shares of common stock, and (b) 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock.

Warrants

As of December 31, 2020, the Company had 7,786,589 Public Warrants, including 353,000 PIPE warrants and 3,676,000 Private Placement Warrants outstanding. Private Placement Warrants are liability-classified and the Public Warrants and PIPE Warrants are equity-classified.

Following the consummation of the Business Combination, holders of the public, private placement, and PIPE warrants are entitled to acquire common stock of the Company. Each whole warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one share of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, beginning 30 days after the Closing Date. All Warrants will expire five years after the completion of the Business Combination.

Once the Public Warrants and PIPE Warrants became exercisable, the Company has the right to redeem the outstanding warrants in whole and not in part at a price of $0.01 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, if and only if the last sale price of the Company’s common stock matched or exceeded $18.00 per share 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 sent the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.

The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants except that, so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees: (i) they will not be redeemable by the Company; (ii) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis; and (iii) they are subject to mandatory redemption is classified as aregistration rights.

Warrant Type Cash Exercise Price per Share  Warrants Outstanding on Closing Date  Warrants Exercised from Closing Date to 12/31/20  Warrants Outstanding 12/31/20 
             
Public Warrants (CURIW) and PIPE Warrants $11.50   7,827,991   (41,402)  7,786,589 
Private Placement Warrants $11.50   3,676,000   -   3,676,000 
Total      11,503,991   (41,402)  11,462,589 

The warrant liability instrument andrelated to the Private Placement Warrants is measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemablevalue at each reporting period with the change in fair value reported to other income (expense) in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations as “Change in fair value of warrant liability” until the warrants are exercised, expired or other facts and circumstances lead the warrant liability to be reclassified to stockholder’s equity (deficit). The fair value of the warrant liability for the Private Placement Warrants was estimated using a Black-Scholes pricing model using Level 3 inputs. The significant assumptions used in preparing the Black-Scholes option pricing model are as follows (as restated):

  As of
October 14,
2020
at Initial
Measurement
  As of
December 31,
2020
 
Exercise Price $11.50  $11.50 
Stock Price (CURI) $10.10  $13.95 
Expected volatility  39.63%  39.63%
Expected warrant term (years)  5.00   4.78 
Risk-free interest rate  0.30%  0.36%
Dividend yield  0%  0%
Fair Value per Private Warrants $3.08  $5.67 

The change in fair value of the warrant liability through December 31, 2020 is as follows (as restated):

Private Placement Warrants liability - October 14, 2020 (Closing Date) $11,322 
Change in fair value - Closing Date through December 31, 2020 (1)  9,521 
Private Placement Warrants liability - December 31, 2020 $20,843 

(1) In addition to this amount, $0.6 million of transaction costs incurred as part of the Merger were allocated to the warrant liability and included in the total Change in fair value of warrant liability of $10.1 million included in the consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020. 

F-20

CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 8 — Redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity (cont.)

Legacy CuriosityStream Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock

During November and December 2018, in connection with a private placement equity offering, Legacy CuriosityStream issued 14,557,000 shares of Series A Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series A Preferred Stock”) in exchange for gross proceeds of $145,570. Legacy CuriosityStream incurred equity issuance costs of $8,027 in connection with this offering, which were reflected as a reduction to the initial carrying value of the Series A Preferred Stock balance.

The holders of the Series A Preferred Stock had the right, exercisable at any time prior to the Closing Date, to convert all or any of such shares into a number of shares of Class A Common Stock equal to the Accrued Value divided by the then-current Conversion Price. The Accrued Value was equal to the original liquidation preference of $10.00 per share of Series A Preferred Stock plus an additional amount equal to the dollar amount of any accrued but unpaid dividends (see below). The Conversion Price was initially $10.00 per share, but was subject to certain anti-dilution adjustments. Holders of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled to vote on an as-converted basis on all matters on which holders of Legacy CuriosityStream common stock (includingvoted.

Holders of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled to dividends equal to 10% of the Accrued Value per annum. Such dividends were cumulative and accrued daily in arrears. Cash dividends were payable when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors. If the Board of Directors did not declare a cash dividend in respect of all or a portion of the dividend when due, the Accrued Value of the Series A Preferred Stock was increased by a corresponding amount. No such dividends were declared through the Closing Date. As of October 14, 2020 and December 31, 2019, cumulative dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock totaled $30,216 and $16,945, respectively.

Immediately prior to the effective date of a Fundamental Change, the Series A Preferred Stock would automatically convert into a number of shares of Legacy CuriosityStream’s Class A Common Stock equal to the Accrued Value (plus any other accrued but unpaid dividends), divided by the lesser of (1) the applicable acquisition or sale price or (2) the then-current Conversion Price on the date of closing such transaction. A Fundamental Change was defined in the Certificate of Designations for the Series A Preferred Stock as any consolidation or merger of the Company or similar transaction or any sale, lease or other transfer of all or substantially all the assets of the Company, pursuant to which its common stock was converted into, or received a distribution of the proceeds in, cash, securities or other property, other than pursuant to a transaction in which the shareholders of the Company prior to the transaction continue to own a majority of the total voting power of the surviving company following such transaction. On August 10, 2020, Legacy CuriosityStream amended the Certificate of Designations to allow for the Merger Agreement to qualify as a Fundamental Change.

The Company classifies preferred shares that featuresfeature redemption rights that isare either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) is classifiedcontrol, as temporary equity. At all other times, common stock is classified as stockholders’ equity. The Company’s common stock features certainGiven the redemption rights that are considered to be outside ofcontained within the Company’s control and subject to occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, commonSeries A Preferred Stock, the Company accounted for the outstanding preferred stock subject to possible redemption is presented at redemption value as temporary equity outsidein the accompanying consolidated balance sheets through the Closing Date. Series A Preferred Stock, was initially recorded at its fair value, net of transaction costs, at issuance date. At each reporting period prior to the Closing Date, the amount was adjusted by accreting changes in the redemption value over the period from the date of issuance to the earliest redemption date. The recorded redemption value ($168,961 and $155,174 at the Closing Date and December 31, 2019, respectively) includes accrued but unpaid dividends and accretion of issuance costs.

Immediately prior to the completion of the stockholders’ equity sectionBusiness Combination on October 14, 2020, all outstanding shares of Legacy CuriosityStream’s Series A Preferred Stock converted into 29,365,570 shares of Legacy CuriosityStream Class A Common Stock, which were then converted into Common Stock of the Company’s balance sheet.Company as a result of the Business Combination using the recapitalization Exchange Ratio. The redeemable convertible preferred stock was also reclassified into permanent equity as a result of the Business Combination on the Closing Date.


CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

Income taxes

The Company complies with the accounting and reporting requirements of ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes,” which requires an asset and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed for differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities that will result in future taxable or deductible amounts, based on enacted tax laws and rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

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


SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2019

Net lossNote 9 — Earnings (loss) per common share

 

Net lossBasic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net loss bycalculations are calculated on the basis of the weighted average number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding during the year. Diluted earnings (loss) per share give effect to all dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method for stock options and the if-converted method for redeemable convertible preferred stock. In computing diluted earnings (loss) per share, the average fair value of the Company’s common stock for the period is used to determine the number of shares assumed to be purchased from the exercise price of the options. Purchases of treasury stock reduce the outstanding shares commencing on the date that the stock is purchased. Common stock equivalents are excluded from the calculation when a loss is incurred as their effect would be anti-dilutive.

  Year ended
December 31,
 
  2020  2019 
  (Restated)  (Restated) 
Numerator:      
Net loss $(48,599) $(42,665)
Less preferred dividends and accretion of issuance costs  (13,788)  (15,897)
Net loss attributable to common stockholders $(62,387) $(58,562)
         
Denominator:        
         
Weighted-average shares - basic  18,931,456   13,164,675 
         
Effect of dilutive securities:        
Warrants  -   - 
Options  -   - 
Restricted Stock Units  -   - 
         
Weighted-average shares - diluted  18,931,456   13,164,675 
         
Basic and diluted loss per share $(3.30) $(4.45)

For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the following share equivalents were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share as the inclusion of such shares would be anti-dilutive primarily due to the net loss incurred during each period. Common shares issuable for warrants, options, and restricted stock units represent the total amount of outstanding warrants, stock options, and restricted stock units at December 31, 2020 and 2019.

Antidilutive shares excluded: December 31, 
  2020  2019 
Warrants  11,462,589   - 
Options  4,710,717   2,292,820 
Restricted Stock Units  413,277   - 
Series A Preferred Stock  -   18,382,848 
   16,586,583   20,675,668 

Note 10 — Stock-based compensation

The Company appliesmeasures the two-class methodcost of employee services received in calculatingexchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant date fair value of the award. The fair value is recognized in earnings over the period during which an employee is required to provide the service. The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur.

Legacy CuriosityStream Stock Option Plan

Prior to the Business Combination, Legacy CuriosityStream maintained a stock-based compensation plan. The Legacy CuriosityStream Stock Option Plan provided for the grant of options to purchase shares of common stock to employees, non-employee directors, consultants and independent contractors at option exercise prices and vesting terms as determined by the Legacy CuriosityStream Board of Directors.


CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share. Sharesshare data)

Note 10 — Stock-based compensation (cont.)

Each Legacy CuriosityStream option from the Legacy CuriosityStream Stock Option Plan that was outstanding immediately prior to the Business Combination, whether vested or unvested, was converted into an option to acquire a number of shares of Common Stock (each such option, an “Exchanged Option”) equal to the product (rounded down to the nearest whole number) of (i) the number of shares of Legacy CuriosityStream common stock subject to possible redemptionsuch Legacy CuriosityStream option immediately prior to the Business Combination and (ii) the Exchange Ratio, at December 31, 2019, which are not currently redeemable and are not redeemable at fair value, have been excluded from the calculation of basic lossan exercise price per share since such shares, if redeemed, only participate in their pro rata(rounded up to the nearest whole cent) equal to (A) the exercise price per share of such Legacy CuriosityStream option immediately prior to the Trust Account earnings. The Company has not consideredconsummation of the effect of warrants to purchase 12,215,000 shares of common stock that were soldBusiness Combination, divided by (B) the Exchange Ratio. Except as specifically provided in the Initial Public OfferingMerger Agreement, following the Business Combination, each Exchanged Option will continue to be governed by the same terms and conditions (including vesting and exercisability terms) as were applicable to the private placement incorresponding former Legacy CuriosityStream option immediately prior to the calculation of diluted loss per share, since the exerciseconsummation of the warrants is contingent uponBusiness Combination. All stock option activity was retroactively restated to reflect the occurrence of future events. As a result, diluted loss per share is the same as basic loss per share for the period presented.Exchanged Options.

 

ReconciliationCuriosityStream 2020 Omnibus Plan

In October 2020, the Board of net loss per commonDirectors of the Company adopted the CuriosityStream 2020 Omnibus Plan (the “2020 Plan”). The 2020 Plan became effective upon consummation of the Business Combination and succeeds the Legacy CuriosityStream Stock Option Plan. Upon adoption of the 2020 Plan, a total of 7,725,000 shares were approved to be issued as stock options, share appreciation rights, restricted stock units and restricted stock.

 

The Company’s net income isfollowing table summarizes stock option and restricted stock unit (RSU) activity, prices, and values adjusted by the Exchange Ratio, for the portionyears ended December 31, 2020 and 2019: 

     Stock Options  Restricted Stock Units 
  Number of Shares Available for Issuance Under the Plan  Number of Shares  Weighted-
Average Exercise Price
  Weighted-
Average Remaining Contractual Term (in Years)
  Aggregate Intrinsic Value(1)  Number of Shares  Weighted-
Average Grant Date Fair Value
 
                      
Outstanding at December 31, 2019  567,435   3,632,565  $2.57   9.1  $278   -  $- 
Recapitalization Impact  1,339,745   (1,339,745)  1.51                 
Outstanding at December 31, 2019  1,907,180   2,292,820  $4.08   9.1  $278   -   - 
                             
Additional Shares Authorized  3,525,000   -   -   -   -  -   - 
Granted(2)  (3,414,407)  3,162,955   8.53   -   -   251,452  $9.21 
Options exercised and RSUs vested  -   (62,358)  4.04   -   -   -   - 
Forfeited or expired  352,993   (347,851)  4.05   -   -   (5,142) $9.21 
Options cancelled in exchange for RSUs  334,849   (334,849)  4.20   -   -   -   - 
RSUs issued as replacement for cancelled options  (166,967)  -   -   -   -   166,967  $9.21 
                             
Outstanding at December 31, 2020  2,538,648   4,710,717  $7.06   8.5  $32,349   413,277  $9.21 
                             
Exercisable at December 31, 2019      273,958  $4.04   8.9  $43         
Exercisable at December 31, 2020      1,275,524  $7.36   6.6  $8,320         
Unvested at December 31, 2019      2,018,862  $4.09   9.2  $235         
Unvested at December 31, 2020      3,435,193  $6.96   9.2  $24,029         

(1)Intrinsic value is based on the difference between the exercise price of in-the-money-stock options and the fair value of the Company’s Common Stock as of the respective balance sheet date.
(2)Included in options granted during the year ended December 31, 2020 is a total of 558,642 fully vested options with an exercise price of $11.50 and a five-year contractual term, which resulted in compensation expense totaling $2.1 million being recorded upon grant.

The total grant-date fair value of income that is attributable to common stock subject to possible redemption, as these shares only participate options vested during the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $2,967 and $313, respectively.

The intrinsic value of options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2020 was $373. There were no options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2019.

F-23

CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in the earningsthousands, except share and per share data)

Note 10 — Stock-based compensation (cont.)

Options and  RSUs generally have a four-year vesting period with 25% of the Trust Account and notshares vesting on each anniversary date. When options are exercised, the income or lossesCompany’s policy is to issue previously unissued shares of the Company. Accordingly, basic and diluted loss per commonCommon Stock to satisfy share is calculated as follows:

  For the
Period from
May 9,
2019
(inception)
through
 
  December 31,
2019
 
Net income $7,341 
Less: Income attributable to shares subject to redemption  (81,958)
Adjusted net loss $(74,617)
     
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted  3,535,964 
     
Basic and diluted net loss per share $(0.02)

Concentration of credit risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist of cash accounts in a financial institution, which, at times may exceed the Federal Depository Insurance Corporation coverage limit of $250,000. The Company had not experienced losses on these accounts and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such accounts.

Fair value of financial instrumentsoption exercises.

 

The fair value of stock option awards is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which includes a number of assumptions including Company’s assetsestimates of stock price volatility, employee stock option exercise behaviors, future dividend payments, and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.

Recently issued accounting standards

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

NOTE 3. INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING

Pursuant to the Initial Public Offering, the Company sold 14,950,000 Units, which included the full exercise by the underwriter of its option to purchase an additional 1,950,000 Units at $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one share of the Company’s Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, and one-half of one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”). Each Public Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share (see Note 7).


SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2019

NOTE 4. PRIVATE PLACEMENT

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 4,740,000 Private Placement Warrants at a price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant for an aggregate purchase price of $4,740,000. Each Private Placement Warrant is exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. The proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants were added to the net proceeds from the Initial Public Offering held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement 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 June 2019, the Company issued an aggregate of 3,593,750 shares (the “Founder Shares”) to the Sponsor for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash. On November 19, 2019, the Company effected a stock dividend for 0.04 share for each Founder Share outstanding, resulting in the Sponsor holding an aggregate of 3,737,500 Founder Shares. The 3,737,500 Founder Shares included an aggregate of up to 487,500 shares subject to forfeiture by the Sponsor to the extent that the underwriter’s over-allotment was not exercised in full or in part, so that the Sponsor will collectively own, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Offering (assuming the Sponsor does not purchase any Public Shares in the Initial Public Offering and excluding the Private Placement Warrants and underlying securities). As a result of the underwriter’s election to fully exercise its over-allotment option, 487,500 Founder Shares are no longer subject to forfeiture.risk-free interest rates.

 

The initial stockholders have agreed notexpected term of options granted is the estimated period of time from the beginning of the vesting period to transfer, assign or sell any of their Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of a Business Combination or (B) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or similar transaction that results in the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securitiesexpected exercise or other property. Notwithstandingsettlement, based on historical exercises and post-vesting terminations. The Company generally estimates expected term based on the foregoing, ifmidpoint between the last sale pricevesting date and the end of the Company’s Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations andcontractual term, the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days aftersimplified method, given the Business Combination, the Founder Shares will be released from the lock-up.

Promissory Note — Related Party

On June 25, 2019, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregatelack of up to $300,000 to cover expenses related to the Initial Public Offering pursuant to a promissory note (the “Note”). The Note was non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of December 31, 2019 or the completion of the Initial Public Offering. The borrowings outstanding under the Note of $235,540 were repaid upon the consummation of the Initial Public Offering on November 22, 2019.

Related Party Loans

In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Company’s Sponsor, an affiliate of the Sponsor, or the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (the “Working Capital Loans”). Such Working Capital Loans would be evidenced by promissory notes. The notes would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1,500,000 of notes may be converted upon consummation of a Business Combination into warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant. The warrants will be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. 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.


SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2019

Administrative Support Agreementhistorical exercise behavior.

 

The Company uses historical volatility of similar public companies for estimating volatility. The risk-free interest rate is estimated using the rate of return on U.S. Treasury securities with maturities that approximate to the expected term of the option. The Company does not currently anticipate declaring any dividends.

Assumptions used to value the options granted and the resulting weighted-average grant date fair value and stock-based compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:

  2020 2019
     
Dividend yield 0% 0%
Expected volatility 60% 60%
Expected term (years) 5.00-6.25 6.25
Risk-free interest rate 0.38% to 1.71% 1.71% to 2.54%
Weighted-average grant date fair value $4.15 $1.04
Stock-based compensation – Options (As Restated) $4,171 $1,292
Stock-based compensation – RSUs $129 $-

Stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date, based on the fair value of the award, and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period.

The following table summarizes the total remaining unrecognized compensation cost as of December 31, 2020 related to non-vested stock options and restricted stock units and the weighted average remaining years over which the cost will be recognized:

  Total Unrecognized Compensation Cost  Weighted Average Remaining Years
Stock Options $12,398  3.5
Restricted Stock Units  3,583  3.4
Total $15,981   


CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 11 — Segment and geographic information

The Company operates as one operating segment. The Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) is its chief executive officer, who reviews financial information presented on an entry-wide basis for purposes of making operating decisions, assessing financial performance and allocating resources.

All long-lived tangible assets are located in the United States.

Revenue by geographic location, based on the location of the customers, with no foreign country individually comprising greater than 10% of total revenue, is as follows.

  Year Ended December 31, 
  2020  2019 
             
United States $31,123   79% $14,062   78%
International  8,498   21%  3,964   22%
  $39,621   100% $18,026   100%

Note 12 — Related party transactions

Operating lease

The Company sublets a portion of its office space back to a related party (see Note 14). Related party sublease rental income recognized on a straight-line basis totaled $53 for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, and is included in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. The related party deferred rent receivable related to the straight-line rent accrual was $67 and $46 at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and is included in other assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Production agreements

The Company has entered into an agreement whereby, commencing on November 19, 2019 throughvarious agreements with a production company for which the earlierCompany’s Chief Executive Officer has a less than 10% ownership interest. Under the terms of the Company’s consummationagreements entered into during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company paid a total of a Business Combination and its liquidation,$3,038 during the year ended December 31, 2020 upon the different milestones stated in the agreements. Under these agreements, the Company will pay additional amounts totaling $993, payable upon the Sponsor a totalattainment of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. For the period from May 9, 2019 (inception) throughremaining milestones which are expected to be achieved during the year ending December 31, 2019, the Company incurred $15,000 2021.

F-25

CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in fees for these services, which is included in accrued expenses in the accompanying balance sheet.thousands, except share and per share data)

 

NOTE 6. COMMITMENTS

Registration Rights

Pursuant to a registration rights agreement entered into on November 19, 2019, the holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and any warrants that may be issued upon conversion of the Working Capital Loans (and any shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans and upon conversion of the Founder Shares) will be entitled to registration rights, requiring the Company to register such securities for resale (in the case of the Founder Shares, only after conversion to our Class A common stock). The holders of the majority 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 consummation of a Business Combination and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

Underwriter’s AgreementNote 13 — Retirement Plan

 

The underwriter is entitled toCompany administers and participates in a deferred fee401(k) plan that covers employees 21 years of age or older with three and half percent (3.50%)months or greater of service. The plan permits elective deferrals by the gross proceeds of the Initial Public Offering, or $5,232,500. The deferred fee will become payableemployees from each participant’s compensation up to the underwriter from the amounts heldmaximum allowed by law. The Company matches employee deferrals at 100% on up to 3% of compensation and 50% of employee deferrals between 3 – 5% of compensation. Participants are immediately vested in the Trust Account solely in the event thattheir elective deferrals and the Company completes a Business Combination, subject tocontributions. The Company made matching contributions of $211 and $215 for the terms of the underwriting agreement.years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

NOTE 7. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Preferred StockNote 14 The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 shares of $0.0001 par value preferred stock. At December 31, 2019, there were no preferred shares issued or outstanding.Commitments and contingencies

 

Class A Common StockContent commitments

The Company had $26,022 and $10,858 of content obligations as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, comprised of $2,116 and $3,306 included in current content liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $23,906 and $7,552 of obligations that are not reflected in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively as they did not yet meet the asset recognition criteria for content assets (see Note 3). Of the content obligations that are not reflected in the consolidated balance sheets, $22,356 and $1,550 of these amounts are expected to be paid during the years ending December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Content obligations include amounts related to licensed, commissioned and internally produced streaming content. An obligation for the production of content includes non-cancelable commitments under creative talent and employment agreements. An obligation for the licensed and commissioned content is authorizedincurred at the time the Company enters into an agreement to issue upobtain future titles. Once a title becomes available, a content liability is generally recorded. Certain agreements include the obligation to 100,000,000 shares of Class A, $0.0001 par value common stock. Holderslicense rights for unknown future titles, the ultimate quantity and/or fees for which are not yet determinable as of the Company’s common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. At December 31, 2019, there were 905,560 shares of Class A common stock issued or outstanding, excluding 14,044,440 shares of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption.reporting date.

 

Class B Common StockAdvertising commitments — The Company is authorized to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of Class B, $0.0001 par value common stock. Holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. The shares of Class B common stock will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of the Business Combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock, or equity linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts offered in the Initial Public Offering and related to the closing of a Business Combination, the ratio at which shares of Class B common stock shall convert into shares of Class A common stock will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class B common stock agree to waive such adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all shares of Class B common stock will equal, in the aggregate, on an as converted basis, 20% of the sum of the total number of all shares of common stock outstanding upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering plus all shares of Class A common stock and equity linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with a Business Combination (excluding any shares or equity linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in a 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 shares of Class B common stock into an equal number of shares of Class A common stock, subject to adjustment as provided above, at any time.


SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2019

At December 31, 2019, there were 3,737,500 shares of Class B common stock issued and outstanding.

 

The Company may issue additional common stock or preferred stockhas certain commitments with regards to complete its Business Combination or under an employee incentive plan after completionfuture advertising and marketing expenses as stated in the various licensee agreements. Certain of its Business Combination.the agreements do not specify the amount of advertising and marketing commitment; however, the total commitments for agreements which do specify the amount are $35,399 as of December 31, 2019, and $17,917 as of December 31, 2020, of which $11,917 and $6,000 is expected to be paid in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

 

Warrants —Operating leasesThe Public Warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) 30 days after the consummation of a Business Combination or (b) 12 months from the effective date of the registration statement relating to the Initial Public Offering. No Public Warrants will be exercisable for cash unless the Company has an effective and current registration statement covering the common shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants and a current prospectus relating to such common shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the Class A common shares issuable upon the exercise of the Public Warrants is not effective within 60 days from the consummation of a Business Combination, the 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 the Public Warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to an available exemption from registration under the Securities Act. If an exemption from registration is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their Public Warrants on a cashless basis. The Public Warrants will expire five years from the consummation of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.

 

The Company may callleases corporate office space in Silver Spring, Maryland. The lease was set to expire April 30, 2027 with an accelerated expiration option on either July 31, 2021 or July 31, 2023, which required payment of an accelerated payment as defined in the Public Warrants for redemption (excluding the Private Placement Warrants), in whole and not in part, at a price of $0.01 per warrant:lease agreement.

 

upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each Public Warrant holder,
if, and only if, the last sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, 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.

On August 1, 2020, the lease was amended to extend the term of the lease for an additional 70 months from the previous expiration date of April 30, 2027 to now expire on February 28, 2033. The terms of the lease include a rent abatement period of ten months and a tenant improvement allowance of $93 and $295 for 2020 and 2021, respectively.

F-26

 

The Private Placement Warrants are identical toCURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

Note 14 — Commitments and contingencies (cont.)

Total rent paid under the Public Warrants underlyingterms of the Units soldlease was $317 and $530 for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Rent expense has been calculated on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. Accordingly, rent expense included in general and administrative expenses in the Initial Public Offering, except thataccompanying consolidated statements of operations totaled $528 and $532 for the Private Placement Warrants willyears ended December 31, 2020 and the common shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or saleable until 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 will be non-redeemable 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.2019, respectively.

 

The exercise priceCuriosityStream office rent and number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exerciserelated party sublease rental income future minimum lease payments for the above operating lease is as follows:

Year Ending December 31, CuriosityStream
rent
  Sublease rental
income
  Net rent 
          
2021 $304  $(30) $274 
2022  530   (53)  477 
2023  543   (54)  489 
2024  557   (56)  501 
2025  571   (57)  514 
Thereafter  4,531   (453)  4,078 
             
  $7,036  $(703) $6,333 

Note 15 — Income taxes

The components of the warrants may be adjusted provision for income taxes are as follows:

  For the year ended December 31, 
  2020  2019 
Provision for income taxes:      
Current:      
Federal $  —  $   — 
State and local  25   12 
Foreign  154   130 
Total current provision $179  $142 
         
Deferred:        
Federal $  $ 
State and local      
Foreign      
Total deferred provision $  $ 
Total tax provision $179  $142 

F-27

CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in certain circumstances including in the event of athousands, except share dividend, or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. 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 warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution fromper share data)

Note 15 — Income taxes (cont.)

The following table reconciles the Company’s assets held outside ofeffective income tax rate to the Trust Account with the respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless. If the Company calls the Public Warrants for redemption, management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise the Public Warrants to do so on a “cashless basis,” as described in the warrant agreement. The exercise price and number of common shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, extraordinary dividend or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.U.S. federal statutory income tax rate.

 


SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2019

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

NOTE 8. INCOME TAX

  For the year ended December 31, 
  

2020

(Restated)

  

2019

(Restated)

 
US federal statutory income tax provision $(10,168)  21.0% $(8,928)  21.0%
Permanent items  1,541   (3.2)%  (17)  0.0%
State and local income taxes, net of federal tax benefit  (1,994)  4.1%  (2,599)  6.1%
Change in valuation allowance  9,758   (20.2)%  11,944   (28.0)%
Return to provision adjustments  888   (1.8)%  230   (0.5)%
Foreign withholding tax  154   (0.3)%  130   (0.3)%
Change in state tax rate  -   -%  (616)  1.4%
Other  -   -%  (2)  0.0%
Total Tax Expense $179   (0.4)% $142   (0.3)%

  

The Company didhas recorded a $179 and $142 current provision primarily related to foreign withholding income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company’s provision for income taxes differs from the federal statutory rate primarily due to the Company being in a full valuation allowance position and not have anyrecognizing a benefit for either federal or state income tax purposes.

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effect of temporary differences between the amounts recorded for financial reporting purposes and the bases recognized for tax purposes.

The major components of deferred tax assets orand liabilities at December 31, 2019.are as follows:

 

The income tax provision for the period from May 9, 2019 (inception) through December 31, 2019 consists of the following:

  December 31, 
  2020  2019 
Deferred Tax Assets (Restated)  (Restated) 
Net operating loss carryforwards $24,875  $15,868 
Accrued expenses and reserves  494   - 
Intangibles and content assets  2,712   3,573 
Deferred rent  260   231 
Stock based compensation  1,384   296 
Other  93   140 
Total deferred tax asset  29,818   20,108 
Deferred Tax Liability        
Unrealized gain  (3)  (51)
         
Valuation allowance  (29,815)  (20,057)
         
Net deferred tax assets (liability) $-  $- 

CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

Federal   
Current $1,952 
Deferred   
     
State    
Current $ 
Deferred   
Change in valuation allowance   
Income tax provision $1,952 

Note 15 — Income taxes (cont.)

 

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company did not have any U.S. federal and statemaintained a full valuation allowance on its net operating loss carryovers (“NOLs”) available to offset future taxable income.

In assessing the realization of thedeferred tax assets. The deferred tax assets management considerspredominantly relate to operating losses, intangibles and content assets, and stock-based compensation. As a result of Legacy CuriosityStream’s conversion from an LLC to a C corporation in 2018, Legacy CuriosityStream recognized a partial step-up in the tax basis of intangibles and content assets that will be recovered as those assets are sold or the basis is amortized. On the date of the conversion, Legacy CuriosityStream recorded an estimated net deferred tax asset relating to this partial step-up in tax basis. The valuation allowance was determined in accordance with applicable accounting guidance, which requires an assessment of both positive and negative evidence when determining whether it is more likely than not that some portion of all of the deferred tax assets will notare recoverable. Such assessment is required on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis. The Company’s history of cumulative losses, along with expected future U.S. losses, required that a full valuation allowance be realized.recorded against all net deferred tax assets. The ultimate realization ofCompany intends to maintain a full valuation allowance on net deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which temporary differences representing net future deductible amounts become deductible. Management considers the scheduleduntil sufficient positive evidence exists to support a reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment.the valuation allowance.

 

A reconciliationAs of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company had federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $97,227 and $59,430, respectively, which do not expire. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company had gross state net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $77,047 and $55,964, respectively, which begin to expire in 2024. All of the federal incomeand state net operating losses may be subject to change of ownership limitations provided by the Internal Revenue Code and similar state provisions. An annual loss limitation may result in the expiration or reduced utilization of the net operating losses.

No liability related to uncertain tax ratepositions has been recorded in the consolidated financial statements. The Company recognizes the tax benefit of an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the position is sustainable upon examination by the taxing authority, based on the technical merits. The tax benefit recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit which is more likely than not (greater than 50% likely) to be realized upon settlement with the taxing authority. The Company recognizes interest accrued and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in its tax provision.

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) was signed into law in response to the Company’s effectiveCOVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act provides numerous tax rate at December 31, 2019 is as follows:provisions and stimulus measures, including temporary changes regarding the prior and future utilization of net operating losses, temporary changes to the prior and future limitations on interest deductions, and technical corrections from prior tax legislation for tax depreciation of certain qualified improvement property. The Company has evaluated the provisions of the CARES Act relating to income taxes which will not result in material impact on its consolidated financial statements. 

Statutory federal income tax rate21.0%
State taxes, net of federal tax benefit0.0%
Income tax provision21.0%

 

The Company fileshas not been audited by the Internal Revenue Service or any state income or franchise tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction in various state and local jurisdictions and is subjectagency. All tax years remain open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions to which the various taxing authorities.Company is subject.

Note 16 — Subsequent events

On February 8, 2021, the Company consummated an underwritten public offering (the “Offering”) of 6,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value per share $0.0001 (“Common Stock”), plus an over-allotment option to purchase up to 975,000 additional shares of Common Stock granted to the underwriters who participated in the Offering, which over-allotment option was exercised by the underwriters in full on February 5, 2021. The Company’s tax returns since inception remain opennet proceeds to the Company from the Offering were $94.1 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and subjectcommissions and offering expenses payable by us in connection with the Offering.

Subsequent to examination.December 31, 2020, the Company received funds of approximately $55 million for the exercise of 4.8 million warrants.

Effective February 28, 2021, the maturity of the line of credit agreement was extended to February 28, 2022. All other terms of the line of credit agreement remained unchanged.

F-29

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

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is (1) recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and (2) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. As of December 31, 2020 (the “Evaluation Date”), our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act).

Based upon their evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief 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 as of December 31, 2020, due solely to the material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting associated with the restatement of our consolidated financial statements related to the accounting for our Private Placement Warrants, as described in Note 2 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included herein. In light of this material weakness, we performed additional analysis as deemed necessary to ensure that our consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Accordingly, management believes that the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A present fairly in all material respects our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the period presented.

Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

This Annual Report does not include a report of management’s assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting as allowed by the SEC for reverse acquisitions between an issuer and a private operating company when it is not possible to conduct an assessment of the private operating company’s internal control over financial reporting in the period between the consummation date of the reverse acquisition and the date of management’s assessment of internal control over financial reporting (see Section 215.02 of the SEC Division of Corporation Finance’s Regulation S-K Compliance& Disclosure Interpretations). As discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, we completed the Business Combination on October 14, 2020 pursuant to which we acquired Legacy CuriosityStream. Prior to the Business Combination, we were a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. As a result, previously existing internal controls are no longer applicable or comprehensive enough as of the assessment date, as our operations prior to the Business Combination were insignificant compared to those of the consolidated entity post-Business Combination. As a result, management was unable, without incurring unreasonable effort or expense, to complete an assessment of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, due solely to the events that led to the restatement of our consolidated financial statements, management has identified a material weakness in internal controls related to the accounting for the Private Placement Warrants, as described in Note 2 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included herein.

Changes in Internal Control

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting, as identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rule 13a-15(d) and Rule 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act, that occurred during the last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting, as the circumstances that led to the restatement of our consolidated financial statements described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A had not yet been identified. Due solely to the events that led to the restatement of our consolidated financial statements, management has identified a material weakness in internal controls related to the accounting for the Private Placement Warrants, as described in Note 2 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included herein. Management has implemented remediation steps to address the material weakness and to improve our internal control over financial reporting. Specifically, we expanded and improved our review process for complex securities and related accounting standards, including the determination of the appropriate accounting classification of our financial instruments. We plan to further improve this process by enhancing access to accounting literature and the identification of third-party professionals with whom to consult regarding complex accounting applications. These remediation measures may be time consuming and costly. In addition, there is no assurance that we will be successful in remediating the material weakness.

We have not experienced any material impact to our internal controls over financial reporting despite the fact that certain of our employees are working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are continually monitoring and assessing the COVID-19 situation and our internal controls to minimize any impact on their design and operating effectiveness.

Item 9B. Other Information

None.

 

F-1546

 

 

SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2019Part III

 

NOTE 9. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTSWe filed a definitive proxy statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting (“2021 Proxy Statement”) with the SEC, pursuant to Regulation 14A, on April 29, 2021. Accordingly, certain information required by Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A has been omitted pursuant to General Instruction G(3) of Form 10-K/A. Only those sections of the 2021 Proxy Statement that specifically address the items set forth herein are incorporated by reference.

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

Code of Ethics

Our Board has adopted a written Code of Ethics and Business Conduct applicable to all officers, directors and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. We have posted a current copy of our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct on our website at www.curiositystream.com in the “Governance” section under “Governance Documents.” We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K regarding amendment to, or waiver from, a provision of our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, as well as NASDAQ’s requirement to disclose waivers with respect to directors and executive officers, by posting such information on our website at the address and location specified above. The information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A.

 

The Company followsremaining information required by this item is included in our 2021 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 11. Executive Compensation

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined under the guidance in ASC 820 for its financial assetsJOBS Act, and liabilities that are re-measured and reported at fair value at each reporting period, and non-financial assets and liabilities that are re-measured and reported at fair value at least annually.therefore not required to provide certain disclosures regarding executive compensation required of larger public companies or hold a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation or obtain stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

 

The fair valueinformation required by this item is included in our 2021 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 12. Security Ownership of the Company’s financial assetsCertain Beneficial Owners and liabilities reflects management’s estimate of amounts that the Company would have receivedManagement and Related Stockholder Matters

The information required by this item is included in connection with the sale of the assets or paidour 2021 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

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

The information required by this item is included in connection with the transfer of the liabilitiesour 2021 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services

The information required by this item is included in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In connection with measuring the fair value of its assetsour 2021 Proxy Statement and liabilities, the Company seeks to maximize the use of observable inputs (market data obtained from independent sources) and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs (internal assumptions about how market participants would price assets and liabilities). is incorporated herein by reference.

47

Part IV

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

The following fair value hierarchy is useddocuments are filed as part of this report:

1.Consolidated Financial Statements. Reference is made to the Index to Consolidated Financial Statements beginning on Page F-1 hereof.

2.Financial Statement Schedules.

No financial statement schedules are required to classify assets and liabilities based on the observable inputs and unobservable inputs used in order to value the assets and liabilities:be filed as part of this Annual Report.

 

 Level 1:3.Quoted prices in active markets for identical assetsExhibits. The following exhibits are filed, furnished or liabilities. An active market for an asset or liability is a market in which transactions for the asset or liability occur with sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing informationincorporated by reference as part of this Annual Report on an ongoing basis.
Level 2:Observable inputs other than Level 1 inputs. Examples of Level 2 inputs include quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities and quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in markets that are not active.
Level 3:Unobservable inputs based on our assessment of the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.Form 10-K/A.

 

The following table presents information about the Company’s assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2019, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation inputs the Company utilized to determine such fair value:

    Incorporated By Reference  
Exhibit No. Description Form File No. Exhibit Filing Date Filed Herewith
2.1 Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of August 10, 2020, by and among the Company, CS Merger Sub Inc., CuriosityStream Operating Inc. and Hendricks Factual Media LLC 8-K 001-39139  2.1 August 11, 2020  
3.1 Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation 8-K 001-39139  3.1 October 14, 2020  
3.2 Amended and Restated Bylaws 8-K 001-39139  3.2 October 14, 2020  
4.1 Specimen Common Stock Certificate S-1/A 001-39139 4.2 November 8, 2019  
4.2 Specimen Warrant Certificate. S-1/A 001-39139 4.3 November 8, 2019  
4.3 Warrant Agreement, dated November 19, 2019, by and between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC and the Company 8-K 001-39139  4.1 November 25, 2019  
4.4 Amendment No. 1 to Warrant Agreement, dated March 30, 2021, by and between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC and the Company 10-K  001-39139 4.4 March 31, 2021  
4.5 Description of the Company’s Securities  10-K 001-39139 4.5 March 31, 2021  
10.1 Letter Agreement, dated November 19, 2019, by and among the Company, the Company’s officers and directors, and Software Acquisition Holdings LLC 8-K 001-39139 10.1 November 25, 2019  
10.2 Registration Rights Agreement, dated November 19, 2019, by and among the Company and the security holders party thereto 8-K 001-39139 10.3 November 25, 2019  
10.3 Securities Subscription Agreement, dated June 25, 2019, by and between the Company and Software Acquisition Holdings LLC S-1/A 333-234327 10.5 November 8, 2019  
10.4 Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement, dated November 19, 2019, by and between the Company and Software Acquisition Holdings LLC 8-K 001-39139 10.5 November 25, 2019  
10.5 Form of Subscription Agreement 8-K 001-39139 10.1 August 11, 2020  
10.6 Employment Agreement, dated August 7, 2020, by and between CuriosityStream Operating Inc. and Clint Stinchcomb 8-K 001-39139 10.10 October 14, 2020  
10.7 Registration Rights Agreement, dated November 20, 2018, by and between CuriosityStream Operating Inc. and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company Inc. 8-K 001-39139 10.11 October 14, 2020  
10.8 Investor Rights Agreement, dated October 14, 2020, by and among the Company, CuriosityStream Operating Inc., Hendricks Factual Media LLC, Software Acquisition Holdings LLC and the officers and directors of CuriosityStream Operating Inc. party thereto 8-K 001-39139 10.12 October 14, 2020  
10.9 Warrant Forfeiture Letter, dated October 14, 2020, by and between the Company and Software Acquisition Holdings LLC 8-K 001-39139 10.13 October 14, 2020  
10.10 CuriosityStream Inc. 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan 8-K 001-39139 10.14 October 14, 2020  

 

Description Level  December 31,
2019
 
Assets:      
Marketable securities held in Trust Account  1  $149,719,910 

10.11 Form of Rollover Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement 8-K 001-39139 10.15 October 14, 2020  
10.12 Form of Indemnification Agreement 8-K 001-39139 10.16 October 14, 2020  
10.13 Restricted Stock Agreement, dated October 14, 2020, by and between the Company and Software Acquisition Holdings LLC 8-K 001-39139 10.17 October 14, 2020  
10.14 Loan Agreement, dated February 12, 2020, by and between Bank of America, N.A. and CuriosityStream Inc. 8-K 001-39139 10.18 October 14, 2020  
10.15 Promissory Note, dated May 1, 2020, executed by CuriosityStream Operating Inc. in favor of Bank of America, N.A. 8-K 001-39139 10.19 October 14, 2020  
10.16 Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement 8-K 001-39139 10.1 March 19, 2021  
10.17 Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement 8-K 001-39139 10.2 March 19, 2021  
10.18 Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement 8-K 001-39139 10.3 March 19, 2021  
14.1 Code of Ethics and Business Conduct 8-K 001-39139 14.1 October 14, 2020  
16.1 Letter from Marcum LLP to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission dated October 14, 2020 8-K 001-39139 16.1 October 14, 2020  
21.1 Subsidiaries of the Company 8-K 001-39139 21.1 October 14, 2020  
23.1 Consent of Ernst & Young LLP         X
24.1 Powers of Attorney 10-K 001-39139 24.1 March 31, 2021  
31.1 Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002         X
31.2 Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002         X
32.1 Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002         X
101.INS XBRL Instance Document         X
101.SCH XBRLTaxonomy Extension Schema Document         X
101.CAL XBRLTaxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document         X
101.LAB XBRLTaxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document         X
101.PRE XBRLTaxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document         X
101.DEF XBRLTaxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document         X
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (as formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)         X

 

NOTE 10. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Item 16. Form 10-K/A Summary

 

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.None.

 

F-1649

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

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

 

March 20, 2020SOFTWARE ACQUISITION GROUP INC.CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.
  
Dated: May 7, 2021By:/s/Jonathan S. Huberman Clint Stinchcomb
 Name:Jonathan S. HubermanClint Stinchcomb
 Title:

President and Chief Executive Officer

Chief Financial Officer and

Chairman of the Board of Directors
(Principal Executive Officer)

Dated: May 7, 2021By:/s/ Jason Eustace
Name:Jason Eustace
Title:Chief Financial Officer and

Treasurer
(Principal Financial and AccontingAccounting Officer)

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and 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.

 

NameDate: May 7, 2021 Position/s/ Clint Stinchcomb
 Name: Clint Stinchcomb
Title:DatePresident and Chief Executive Officer, Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
   
/s/Jonathan S. HubermanDate: May 7, 2021 Chief Executive Officer, /s/ Jason Eustace
Name:Jason Eustace
Title:Chief Financial Officer and Chairman of the Board of DirectorsMarch 20, 2020
Jonathan S. HubermanTreasurer
((Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
  
Date: May 7, 2021*
Name:John Hendricks
Title:Chairman of the Board, Director
   
/s/Mike NikzadDate: May 7, 2021 Vice President of Acquisitions and Director*
 March 20, 2020Name: Elizabeth Hendricks
Mike NikzadTitle:Director
   
Date: May 7, 2021 *
Name:Patrick Keeley
Title:Director
   
/s/Andrew K. NikouDate: May 7, 2021 Director*
 March 20, 2020Name:Matthew Blank
Andrew K. NikouTitle:Director
   
Date: May 7, 2021 *
Name:Jonathan Huberman
Title:Director
   
/s/C. Matthew OltonDate: May 7, 2021 Director*
 March 20, 2020Name:Mike Nikzad
C. Matthew OltonTitle:Director
   
Date: May 7, 2021 *
 Name:Andrew Hendricks
Title:Director

/s/Stephanie Davis

 Director*By:/s/ Clint Stinchcomb
 March 20, 2020
Stephanie DavisName: Clint Stinchcomb
  
/s/Steven GuggenheimerDirectorMarch 20, 2020
Steven Guggenheimer
/s/Dr. Peter H. DiamandisDirectorMarch 20, 2020
Dr. Peter H. DiamandisAs Attorney-in-Fact

  

50