Exhibit 99.1
Legato Merger Corp. II
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | F-2 |
Balance Sheet | F-3 |
Notes to the Balance Sheet | F-4 |
F-1
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of
Legato Merger Corp. II
Opinion on the Financial Statement
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Legato Merger Corp. II (the “Company”) as of November 24, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statement”). In our opinion, the financial statement presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of November 24, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
This financial statement is the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statement based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statement is free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statement, 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 statement. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statement. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.
New York, New York
December 1, 2021
F-2
Legato Merger Corp. II
Balance Sheet
November 24, 2021
ASSETS | ||||
Current Assets | ||||
Cash | $ | 1,716,429 | ||
Prepaid expense | 430,645 | |||
Total current assets | 2,147,074 | |||
Cash held in Trust Account | 243,600,000 | |||
Total assets | $ | 245,747,074 | ||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT | ||||
Current liabilities: | ||||
Accounts payable and accrued expenses | $ | 455,984 | ||
Notes payable | 96,500 | |||
Total current liabilities | 552,484 | |||
Deferred underwriting commissions | 8,400,000 | |||
Total liabilities | $ | 8,952,484 | ||
Commitments and contingencies | ||||
Common stock subject to possible redemption, $0.0001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized, 24,000,000 shares at redemption value at $10.15 per share | 243,600,000 | |||
Stockholders’ deficit: | ||||
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding | - | |||
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized, 8,185,000 non-redeemable shares issued and outstanding (excluding 24,000,000 shares subject to possible redemption) | 819 | |||
Additional paid-in capital | - | |||
Accumulated deficit | (6,806,229 | ) | ||
Total stockholders’ deficit | $ | (6,805,410 | ) | |
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit | $ | 245,747,074 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of this financial statement.
F-3
Notes to Financial Statements
November 24, 2021
Note 1 — Organization and Plan of Business Operations
Legato Merger Corp. II (the “Company”) was incorporated in Delaware on July 14, 2021 as a blank check company whose objective is to acquire, through a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination, one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”).
The Company is not limited to a particular industry or sector for purposes of consummating a Business Combination, although we intend to initially focus on target businesses in the infrastructure, engineering and construction, industrial and renewables industries. The Company is an early stage and emerging growth company and, as such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with early stage and emerging growth companies.
As of November 24, 2021, the Company had not yet commenced operations. All activity through November 24, 2021 relates to the Company’s formation and the initial public offering (the “Initial Public Offering”), which is described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income from the proceeds derived from the Initial Public Offering. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on November 22, 2021. On November 24, 2021 the Company consummated the Initial Public Offering of 24,000,000 units at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $240,000,000 which is described in Note 3.
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of 1,045,500 units, at a price of $10.00 per unit in a private placement to certain holders of the Company’s founder shares (“Initial Stockholders”) and EarlybirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in the Initial Public Offering (“EBC”), generating gross proceeds of $10,450,000 (“Private Units”), which is described in Note 4.
Transaction costs amounted to $13,680,526, consisting of $4,800,000 in underwriting fees, $8,400,000 of deferred underwriting fees and $480,526 of other offering costs. In addition, as of November 24, 2021, cash of $1,716,429 was held outside of the Trust Account (as defined below) and is available for the payment of offering costs and for working capital purposes.
Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering on November 24, 2021, $243,600,000 ($10.15 per Unit) from the net proceeds of the sale of the Units in the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Placement Units was placed in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) and will be invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less, or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund selected by the Company meeting the conditions of Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the consummation of a Business Combination; (ii) the redemption of any Public Shares in connection with a stockholder vote to amend the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of its Public Shares if it does not complete an initial Business Combination within 15 months from the consummation of the Initial Public Offering (or 18 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering if the Company has executed a definitive agreement for a Business Combination within such 15-month period) (the “Combination Period”); or (iii) the distribution of the Trust Account, as described below, except that interest earned on the Trust Account can be released to pay the Company’s tax obligations, if the Company is unable to complete an initial Business Combination within the Combination Period or upon any earlier liquidation of the Company.
F-4
The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of its Initial Public Offering and Private Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. NASDAQ rules provide that the Company’s initial Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the Trust Account (less taxes payable) at the time of the signing a definitive agreement in connection with 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.
The Company will provide its stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek stockholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The stockholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then on deposit in the Trust Account (initially approximately $10.15 per Public 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). There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of a Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants.
The Company will proceed with a Business Combination if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 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. If a stockholder vote is not required by law 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, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or the Company decides to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If the Company seeks stockholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the Company’s officers, directors and initial stockholders (the “Insiders”) have agreed to vote their Founder Shares (as defined in Note 5), the shares of common stock included in the Placement Units (the “Placement Shares”) and any Public Shares held by them in favor of approving a Business Combination. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.
The Company will also provide its stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares in connection with any stockholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of Public Shares if it does not complete an initial Business Combination within the Combination Period. The stockholders will be entitled to redeem their shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then on deposit in the Trust Account (initially approximately $10.15 per share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account, net of taxes payable). There will be no redemption rights with respect to the Company’s warrants in connection with such a stockholder vote to approve such an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.
The Company will have until the expiration of the Combination Period to consummate its initial Business Combination. If the Company is unable to consummate a Business Combination within the Combination Period and stockholders do not otherwise extend the Combination Period by approving an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purposes 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 any interest earned on the Trust Account not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses, divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and; (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining stockholders and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to the Company’s obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to the Company’s warrants, which will expire worthless if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period.
F-5
The Insiders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any Founder Shares and Placement Shares, as applicable, (i) in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination, (ii) in connection with a stockholder vote to amend the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption as provided in its charter, and (iii) if the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The Insiders have also agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any Public Shares held by them in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination and in connection with a stockholder vote to amend the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation as described above. However, the Insiders will be entitled to redemption rights with respect to Public Shares if the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination or liquidates within the Combination Period. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the residual assets remaining available for distribution (including Trust Account assets) will be less than the initial public offering price per Unit in the Initial Public Offering. Placing funds in the Trust Account may not protect those funds from third party claims against the Company. Although the Company will seek to have all vendors, service providers (except our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses or other entities it engages, execute agreements with the Company waiving any claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account, there is no guarantee that such persons will execute such agreements. Crescendo Advisors, LLC, an entity affiliated with Mr. Rosenfeld, the Company’s Chief SPAC Officer, has agreed that it will be liable to ensure that the proceeds in the trust account are not reduced below $10.15 per share by the claims of target businesses or claims of vendors or other entities that are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to us. However, we have not independently verified whether Crescendo Advisors LLC has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations, we have not asked it to reserve for such obligations and we do not believe it has any significant liquid assets.
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statement is presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Emerging Growth Company
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the 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.
F-6
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the financial statement in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statement.
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 statement, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be a cash equivalent. The Company had no cash equivalents as of November 24, 2021.
Cash held in Trust Account
At November 24, 2021, the assets held in the Trust Account were held in cash.
Common stock subject to possible redemption
As discussed in Note 1, all of the 24,000,000 common shares sold as parts of the Units in the Initial Public Offering contain a redemption feature. In accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification 480-10-S99-3A “Classification and Measurement of Redeemable Securities”, redemption provisions not solely within the control of the Company require the security to be classified outside of permanent equity. Ordinary liquidation events, which involve the redemption and liquidation of all of the entity’s equity instruments, are excluded from the provisions of ASC 480. The Company classified all of the common stock as redeemable. Immediately upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company recognized the accretion from initial book value to redemption amount value. The change in the carrying value of redeemable common stock resulted in charges against additional paid-in capital and accumulated deficit.
As of November 24, 2021, the common stock reflected on the balance sheet are reconciled in the following table:
As of November 24, 2021 | ||||
Gross Proceeds | $ | 240,000,000 | ||
Less: | ||||
Fair Value of Public Warrants at issuance | (11,160,000 | ) | ||
Common stock issuance costs | (13,680,526 | ) | ||
Plus: | ||||
Accretion of carrying value to redemption value | 28,440,526 | |||
Common stock subject to possible redemption | $ | 243,600,000 |
Offering Costs
The Company complies with the requirements of Financial Accounting Standard Board (FASB) Account Standard Codification (ASC) 340-10-S99-1. Offering costs consist of legal, accounting, underwriting fees and other costs incurred that directly related to the Initial Public Offering and that were charged against the varying value of common stock upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering.
F-7
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 as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of November 24, 2021. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.
The Company may be subject to potential examination by federal, state and city taxing authorities in the areas of income taxes. These potential examinations may include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions and compliance with federal, state and city tax laws. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months. The Company is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception. Deferred tax assets were deemed de minimis as of November 24, 2021.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of a cash account in a financial institution, which, at times, may exceed the Federal Depository Insurance Corporation coverage limit of $250,000. The Company has not experienced losses on this account and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such account.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statement.
Note 3 — Initial Public Offering
Pursuant to the Initial Public Offering, on November 24, 2021, the Company sold 24,000,000 Units, at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one share of common stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”). Each whole Public Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment (see Note 7).
Note 4 — Private Placement
Simultaneously with the Initial Public Offering, the initial stockholders and EBC purchased an aggregate of 1,045,000 Private Units, at $10.00 per Private Unit for a total purchase price of $10,450,000. Each Private Unit consists of one share of common stock or “private share,” and one-half of one warrant or “private warrant”. The proceeds from the Private Units were added to the proceeds from the Initial Public Offering held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the the required time period, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Units will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the Private Warrants will expire worthless. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to the private warrants.
F-8
Note 5 – Related Party Transactions
Founders Shares
In July 2021, the Company issued an aggregate of 5,750,000 shares of common stock (the “Founder Shares”) for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. On November 22, 2021, the Company effected a stock dividend of 0.2 shares for each share outstanding, resulting in 6,900,000 Founder Shares being issued and outstanding. The Founder Shares include an aggregate of up to 900,000 shares subject to forfeiture by the holders to the extent that the over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part, so that the holders will collectively own 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Initial Public Offering (assuming the initial stockholders do not purchase any Public Shares in the Initial Public Offering and excluding the Representative Shares (as defined in Note 7)).
The holders of the Founder Shares have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Founder Shares (except to certain permitted transferees) until (i) the earlier of 180 days after the completion of a Business Combination and the date on which the closing price of the common shares equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after a Business Combination and (ii) if, subsequent to a Business Combination, the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.
Administrative Service Fee
The Company presently occupies office space provided by an entity controlled by Crescendo Advisors II, LLC. Such entity agreed that until the Company consummates a Business Combination, it will make such office space, as well as general and administrative services including utilities and administrative support, available to the Company as may be required by the Company from time to time. The Company will agree to pay an aggregate of $15,000 per month to Crescendo Advisors II, LLC, an entity controlled by a related party for such services commencing on the effective date of the Initial Public Offering. No amounts have been paid or accrued as of November 24, 2021.
Note — Related Party
On August 23, 2021, Eric Rosenfeld, the Company’s Chief SPAC Officer, issued a $65,000 principal amount unsecured promissory note to the Company. The note is non-interest bearing and became payable on the consummation of the Initial Public Offering. Due to the short-term nature of the note, the fair value of the note approximates the carrying amount. As of November 24, 2021, there was $65,000 outstanding under this promissory note, and is due on demand.
On November 5, 2021, Eric Rosenfeld, the Company’s Chief SPAC Officer, issued a $31,500 principal amount unsecured promissory note to the Company. The note is non-interest bearing and became payable on the consummation of the Initial Public Offering. Due to the short-term nature of the note, the fair value of the note approximates the carrying amount. As of November 24, 2021, there was $31,500 outstanding under this promissory note, and is due on demand.
Working Capital Loans
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Initial Shareholders, the Company’s officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds from time to time or at any time, as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). Each Working Capital Loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The Working Capital Loans would either be paid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of the 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. As of November 24, 2021, no Working Capital Loans were outstanding.
F-9
Note 6 — Commitments and Contingencies
Risks and Uncertainties
Management continues to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations, and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of the financial statement. The financial statement does not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Registration Rights
The holders of the founders’ shares and representative shares issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private units and any units our initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us (and all underlying securities), will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the founders’ shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these shares of common stock are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the representative shares, private units and units issued to our initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates in payment of working capital loans made to us (or underlying securities) can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time after we consummate a business combination. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, EBC may only make a demand on one occasion and only during the five-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of a business combination; provided, however, that EBC may participate in a “piggy-back” registration only during the seven-year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
The Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of Initial Public Offering to purchase up to 3,600,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the Initial Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriters were paid a cash underwriting discount of 2.00% of the gross proceeds of the Initial Public Offering, or $4,800,000 upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. The underwriters will be entitled to a cash underwriting discount of 2.00% of the grosss proceeds of any units sold pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment.
The underwriters are also entitled to a deferred underwriting commission of 3.50% of the gross proceeds of the Initial Public Offering.
Note 7 — Stockholders’ Equity
Preferred Stock
The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share with such designation, rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. As of November 24, 2021, there are no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding.
Common Stock
The Company is authorized to issue 50,000,000 shares of common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. At November 24, 2021, there were 6,900,000 Founder Shares outstanding, 240,000 Representative Shares (defined below) outstanding, reflected in permanent equity, and 24,000,000 public shares issued and outstanding, reflected in temporary equity.
F-10
Representative Shares
The Company has issued to the designees of EBC 240,000 shares of common stock (the “Representative Shares”) for a nominal consideration. The Company accounted for the Representative Shares as an offering cost of the Proposed Offering, with a corresponding credit to stockholders’ equity. The Company estimated the fair value of Representative Shares to be $870 based upon the price of the Founder Shares issued to the Initial Stockholders. The holders of the Representative Shares have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any such shares until the completion of a Business Combination. In addition, the holders have agreed (i) to waive their redemption rights with respect to such shares in connection with the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period.
The Representative Shares have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement related to the Proposed Offering pursuant to Rule 5110(e)(1) of FINRA’s NASD Conduct Rules. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), these securities will not be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement related to the Proposed Offering, nor may they be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement related to the Proposed Offering except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the Proposed Offering and their bona fide officers or partners.
Warrants
As of November 24, 2021, the Company has 12,000,000 Public Warrants and 522,500 Private Placement Warrants outstanding. The Public Warrants and Private Placement Warrants are identical except as described below. Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional Warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole Warrants will trade. The Warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination; provided that the Company has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or the Company permits holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement). The Company agreed that as soon as practicable after the closing of a Business Combination, the Company will use its best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the issuance of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, and use its best efforts to cause the same to become effective as soon as possible and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement and a current prospectus relating to those shares until the Warrants expire or are redeemed.
The Warrants have an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustments, and will expire five years after the completion of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Company’s board of directors, and in the case of any such issuance to the Company’s initial stockholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founders’ shares held by them 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 initial Business Combination on the date of the completion of the initial Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day 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.
The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants underlying the Units sold in the Initial Public Offering, except that the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until after the completion of a Business Combination, subject to certain limited exceptions.
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Redemption of Warrants: Once the Warrants become exercisable, the Company may 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 to each warrant holder; and | |
- | if, and only if, the last reported sale price of common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period commencing once the Warrants become exercisable and ending three business days before the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
The Company will not redeem the Warrants as described above unless an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the common stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those of shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period or the Company has elected to require the exercise of the warrants on a “cashless basis”.
Accounting for Warrants:
The Company accounts for warrants as either equity-classified or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the instruments’ specific terms and applicable authoritative guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (“ASC 480”) and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). The assessment considers whether the instruments are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, meet the definition of a liability pursuant to ASC 480, and whether the instruments meet all of the requirements for equity classification under
ASC 815, including whether the instruments are indexed to the Company’s own common shares and whether the instrument holders could potentially require “net cash settlement” in a circumstance outside of the Company’s control, among other conditions for equity classification. This assessment, which requires the use of professional judgment, was conducted at the time of warrant issuance and as of each subsequent quarterly period end date while the instruments are outstanding. The Company has concluded that the Public Warrants and Private Warrants issued pursuant to the warrant agreement qualify for equity accounting treatment.
Note 8 — Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to the date that the financial statement was issued. Other than as described below, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statement.
On November 29, 2021, the underwriters exercised their over-allotment option in full to purchase an additional 3,600,000 Units. As a result, on December 1, 2021, the Company sold an additional 3,600,000 Units at $10.00 per Unit for an aggregate amount of $36,000,000. In connection with the underwriters’ exercise of their over-allotment option, the Company also consummated the sale of an additional 126,000 private units at $10.00 per unit, generating total proceeds of $1,260,000.
Transaction costs associated with the underwriters’ full exercise of their over-allotment option amounted to $15,660,526, consisting of $5,520,000 in cash underwriting fees and $9,660,000 of deferred underwriting fees. A total of $36,540,000 was deposited into the Trust Account, bringing the aggregate proceeds held in the Trust Account to $280,140,000.
As a result of the underwriters’ election to fully exercise their over-allotment option, a total of 900,000 Founder Shares are no longer subject to forfeiture.
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