Table of Contents

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

 

Filed by the Registrant  ☒

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ☐

Check the appropriate box:

 

Preliminary Proxy Statement

 

Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

 

Definitive Proxy Statement

 

Definitive Additional Materials

 

Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12

KENSINGTON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. V

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

 

No fee required.

 

Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

 

Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

KENSINGTON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. V

1400 Old Country Road, Suite 301

Westbury, NY 11590

NOTICE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

TO BE HELD AT 10:00 A.M. EASTERN TIME ON AUGUST 15, 2023

You are cordially invited to attend the extraordinary general meeting (the “Extraordinary General Meeting”) of Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. V, a Cayman Islands exempted company incorporated with limited liability (“Kensington,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”), to be held at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on August 15, 2023, via live webcast at https://www.cstproxy.com/kensington-v/2023, unless postponed or adjourned to a later date. For purposes of Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (the “Articles”), the physical location of the Extraordinary General Meeting will be at the offices of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, One Battery Park Plaza, New York, NY 10004. You will be able to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting online, vote and submit your questions during the Extraordinary General Meeting by visiting https://www.cstproxy.com/kensington-v/2023 or by phone by dialing 1 800-450-7155 (toll-free) within the U.S. and Canada or 1 857-999-9155 (standard rates apply) outside of the U.S. and Canada. When prompted enter the conference ID 7280975#. This option is listen-only, and you will not be able to vote or enter questions during the Extraordinary General Meeting if you choose to participate telephonically.

The accompanying proxy statement (the “Proxy Statement”) is dated July 28, 2023, and is first being mailed to shareholders of the Company on or about July 31, 2023. The sole purpose of the Extraordinary General Meeting is to consider and vote upon the following proposals:

 

   

as a special resolution, a proposal to amend the Articles pursuant to an amendment to the Articles in the form set forth in Annex A to the accompanying Proxy Statement (the “Extension Amendment” and, such proposal, the “Extension Amendment Proposal”) to extend the date by which the Company must consummate a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (a “business combination”), or otherwise it will (i) cease its operations except for the purpose of winding up if it fails to complete such business combination, and (ii) redeem all of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares included as part of the units sold in the Company’s initial public offering that was consummated on August 17, 2021 (the “IPO”), from August 17, 2023 to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our board of directors (the “Board”) to be in the best interests of the Company (the “Extension” and, such date, the “Extended Date”);

 

   

a proposal to amend the Investment Management Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”), dated August 12, 2021, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee (“Continental”), pursuant to an amendment to the Trust Agreement in the form set forth in Annex B to the accompanying Proxy Statement, to extend the date on which Continental must liquidate the Trust Account (the “Trust Account”) established in connection with the IPO if the Company has not completed its initial business combination, from August 17, 2023 to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company (the “Trust Amendment” and, such proposal, the “Trust Amendment Proposal” and, together with the Extension Amendment Proposal, the “Proposals”); and

 

   

by ordinary resolution, a proposal to approve the adjournment of the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates or indefinitely, if necessary, (i) to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal or (ii) if the Board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals (the “Adjournment Proposal”). The Adjournment Proposal will only be presented at the Extraordinary General Meeting if there are not sufficient votes to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal.

Each of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Trust Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal is more fully described in the accompanying Proxy Statement.


Table of Contents

The purpose of the Extension Amendment and the Trust Amendment is to allow us more time to enter into and complete a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination involving the Company with one or more businesses or entities (a “business combination”). Initially, the Company had until August 17, 2022 to consummate an initial business combination. Under the Articles, the Company may, by resolution of the Board and at the option of Kensington Capital Sponsor V LLC (the “Sponsor”), extend the period of time the Company will have to consummate an initial business combination up to two times, each by an additional six months (for a total of up to an additional 12 months), subject to the Sponsor purchasing additional private placement warrants of the Company. On each of August 4, 2022 and February 15, 2023, the Sponsor purchased 3,680,000 such warrants at a price of $0.75 per warrant, generating total proceeds of an aggregate of $5,520,000, which amount was deposited into the Trust Account, thereby extending the date by which the Company must consummate an initial business combination to August 17, 2023. The only way to further extend such date is with a separate shareholder vote.

While we are targeting companies in the industrials sector for our initial business combination, our Board currently believes that it is improbable that we will be able to negotiate and complete our initial business combination before August 17, 2023. Accordingly, our Board believes that, in order for us to potentially consummate an initial business combination, we will need to obtain the Extension.

In connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, shareholders may elect to redeem their Class A ordinary shares for a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned, divided by the number of then outstanding Class A ordinary shares included as part of the units sold in the IPO (the “public shares”), and which election we refer to as the “Election.” An Election can be made regardless of whether such public shareholders vote “FOR” or “AGAINST” the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal and an Election can also be made by holders of public shares (the “public shareholders”) who do not vote, or do not instruct their broker or bank how to vote, at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Public shareholders may make an Election regardless of whether such public shareholders were holders as of the record date. Public shareholders who do not make the Election would be entitled to have their shares redeemed for cash if we have not completed our initial business combination by the Extended Date. In addition, regardless of whether public shareholders vote “FOR” or “AGAINST” the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal, or do not vote, or do not instruct their broker or bank how to vote, at the Extraordinary General Meeting, if the Extension is approved and a public shareholder does not make an Election, they will retain the right to vote on any proposed initial business combination in the future and the right to redeem their public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account as of two business days prior to the consummation of such initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, in the event a proposed business combination is completed. We are not asking you to vote on any proposed business combination at this time. If we enter into a business combination, we intend to file (i) promptly thereafter a current report on Form 8-K with information about the business combination, and (ii) in due course a separate proxy statement/prospectus pursuant to which we will seek approval of the business combination, among other things, at a separate extraordinary general meeting. If the Extension is not approved, we may not be able to enter into, or consummate, a business combination. We urge you to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting regarding the Extension.

Based upon the amount in the Trust Account as of July 25, 2023, which was approximately $293,255,900 we anticipate that the per-share price at which public shares will be redeemed from cash held in the Trust Account will be approximately $10.63 at the time of the Extraordinary General Meeting. The closing price of the public shares on the New York Stock Exchange on July 27, 2023, the most recent practicable closing price prior to the mailing of this Proxy Statement, was $10.61. We cannot assure shareholders that they will be able to sell their shares in the open market, even if the market price per share is higher than the redemption price stated above, as there may not be sufficient liquidity in our securities when such shareholders wish to sell their shares.


Table of Contents

You will be entitled to receive cash for any public shares to be redeemed only if you:

(i) (a) hold public shares or (b) hold public shares as part of units and elect to separate such units into the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising your redemption rights with respect to the public shares; and

(ii) prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 11, 2023 (two business days prior to the vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting), (a) submit a written request to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the Company’s transfer agent, at Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, 1 State Street 30th Floor, New York, New York, 10004, Attn: SPAC Redemption Team, spacredemptions@continentalstock.com, that the Company redeem your public shares for cash and (b) tender or deliver your public shares (and share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms) to the transfer agent, physically or electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s (“DTC”) DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, which election would likely be determined based on the manner in which you hold your shares.

Holders of units must elect to separate the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising redemption rights with respect to the public shares. If holders hold their units in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, holders must notify their broker or bank that they elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and public warrants, or if a holder holds units registered in its, his or her own name, the holder must contact the transfer agent directly and instruct it to do so. Public shareholders may elect to redeem all or a portion of their public shares even if they vote for the Extension Amendment Proposal.

The purpose of the Trust Amendment is to amend the Trust Agreement to extend the date on which Continental must liquidate the Trust Account if we have not completed our initial business combination, from August 17, 2023 to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company.

The Adjournment Proposal, if adopted, will allow our Board to adjourn the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates or indefinitely to permit further solicitation of proxies or if the Board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals. The Adjournment Proposal will only be presented to our shareholders in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by August 17, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in accordance with the Articles, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, holders of our Class B ordinary shares (the “founder shares” and, together with the public shares, the “shares” or “ordinary shares”), all of which are currently held by the Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

The approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of at least two-thirds of the then issued and


Table of Contents

outstanding ordinary shares who, being present, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. The approval of the Trust Amendment Proposal requires the affirmative vote of holders of at least 65% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares. The approval of both the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are essential to the implementation of our Board’s plan to extend the date by which we must consummate an initial business combination. Therefore, our Board will abandon and not implement either amendment unless our shareholders approve both the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal. This means that if one proposal is approved by the shareholders and the other proposal is not, neither proposal will take effect.

The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Our Board has fixed the close of business on July 25, 2023 as the record date for determining the shareholders entitled to receive notice of and vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting and any adjournment thereof. Only holders of record of the ordinary shares on that date are entitled to have their votes counted at the Extraordinary General Meeting or any adjournment thereof.

After careful consideration of all relevant factors, our Board has determined that the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Trust Amendment Proposal and, if presented, the Adjournment Proposal are advisable and recommends that you vote or give instruction to vote “FOR” such proposals.

Under the Articles, no other business may be transacted at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Enclosed is the Proxy Statement containing detailed information concerning the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Trust Amendment Proposal, the Adjournment Proposal and the Extraordinary General Meeting. Whether or not you plan to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, we urge you to read this material carefully and vote your ordinary shares. If you have any questions or need assistance voting your shares, please call our proxy solicitor, Morrow Sodali LLC (“Morrow Sodali”), toll-free at (800) 662-5200, banks and brokers can call collect at (203) 658-9400, or email at KCGI@investor.morrowsodali.com.

July 28, 2023

 

By Order of the Board of Directors

/s/ Justin Mirro

Justin Mirro
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Your vote is important. If you are a shareholder of record, please sign, date and return your proxy card as soon as possible to make sure that your shares are represented at the Extraordinary General Meeting. If you are a shareholder of record, you may also cast your vote in person at the Extraordinary General Meeting (including by virtual means as provided herein). If your shares are held in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, you must instruct your broker or bank how to vote your shares, or you may cast your vote in person at the Extraordinary General Meeting by obtaining a proxy from your brokerage firm or bank (including by virtual means as provided herein). Your failure to vote or instruct your broker or bank how to vote will mean that your ordinary shares will not count towards the quorum requirement for the Extraordinary General Meeting and will not be voted. An abstention or broker non-vote will be counted towards the quorum requirement but will not count as a vote cast at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

TO EXERCISE YOUR REDEMPTION RIGHTS, YOU MUST (1) IF YOU HOLD CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES AS PART OF UNITS, ELECT TO SEPARATE YOUR UNITS INTO THE


Table of Contents

UNDERLYING PUBLIC SHARES AND PUBLIC WARRANTS PRIOR TO EXERCISING YOUR REDEMPTION RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO THE PUBLIC SHARES, (2) SUBMIT A WRITTEN REQUEST TO OUR TRANSFER AGENT AT LEAST TWO BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING THAT YOUR PUBLIC SHARES BE REDEEMED FOR CASH AND (3) DELIVER YOUR CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES TO THE TRANSFER AGENT PHYSICALLY OR ELECTRONICALLY USING THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY’S DEPOSIT WITHDRAWAL AT CUSTODIAN (“DWAC”) SYSTEM, IN EACH CASE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCEDURES AND DEADLINES DESCRIBED IN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT. IF YOU HOLD THE SHARES IN STREET NAME, YOU WILL NEED TO INSTRUCT THE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE AT YOUR BANK OR BROKER TO WITHDRAW THE SHARES FROM YOUR ACCOUNT IN ORDER TO EXERCISE YOUR REDEMPTION RIGHTS.

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Extraordinary General Meeting to be held on August 15, 2023: This notice of extraordinary general meeting and the accompanying Proxy Statement are available at https://www.cstproxy.com/kensington-v/2023.

 


Table of Contents

KENSINGTON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. V

1400 Old Country Road, Suite 301

Westbury, NY 11590

EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

TO BE HELD AT 10:00 A.M. EASTERN TIME ON AUGUST 15, 2023

PROXY STATEMENT

The extraordinary general meeting (the “Extraordinary General Meeting”) of Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. V, a Cayman Islands exempted company incorporated with limited liability (“Kensington,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”), will be held at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on August 15, 2023, via live webcast at https://www.cstproxy.com/kensington-v/2023, unless postponed or adjourned to a later date. For purposes of Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (the “Articles”), the physical location of the Extraordinary General Meeting will be at the offices of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, One Battery Park Plaza, New York, NY 10004. You will be able to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting online, vote and submit your questions during the Extraordinary General Meeting by visiting https://www.cstproxy.com/kensington-v/2023 or by phone by dialing 1 800-450-7155 (toll-free) within the U.S. and Canada or 1 857-999-9155 (standard rates apply) outside of the U.S. and Canada. When prompted enter the conference ID 7280975#. This option is listen-only, and you will not be able to vote or enter questions during the Extraordinary General Meeting if you choose to participate telephonically. The sole purpose of the Extraordinary General Meeting is to consider and vote upon the following proposals:

 

   

as a special resolution, a proposal to amend the Articles pursuant to an amendment to the Articles in the form set forth in Annex A to this Proxy Statement (the “Extension Amendment” and, such proposal, the “Extension Amendment Proposal”) to extend the date by which the Company must consummate a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (a “business combination”), or otherwise it will (i) cease its operations except for the purpose of winding up if it fails to complete such business combination, and (ii) redeem all of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares included as part of the units sold in the Company’s initial public offering that was consummated on August 17, 2021 (the “IPO”), from August 17, 2023 to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our board of directors (the “Board”) to be in the best interests of the Company (the “Extension” and, such date, the “Extended Date”);

 

   

a proposal to amend the Investment Management Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”), dated August 12, 2021, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee (“Continental”), pursuant to an amendment to the Trust Agreement in the form set forth in Annex B to this Proxy Statement, to extend the date on which Continental must liquidate the Trust Account (the “Trust Account”) established in connection with the IPO if the Company has not completed its initial business combination, from August 17, 2023 to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company (the “Trust Amendment” and, such proposal, the “Trust Amendment Proposal” and, together with the Extension Amendment Proposal, the “Proposals”); and

 

   

by ordinary resolution, a proposal to approve the adjournment of the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates or indefinitely, if necessary, (i) to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal or (ii) if the Board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals (the “Adjournment Proposal”). The Adjournment Proposal will only be presented at the Extraordinary General Meeting if there are not sufficient votes to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal.

The purpose of the Extension Amendment and the Trust Amendment is to allow us more time to enter into and complete a business combination. Initially, we had until August 17, 2022 to consummate an initial business

combination. Under the Articles, we may, by resolution of the Board and at the option of Kensington Capital


Table of Contents

Sponsor V LLC (the “Sponsor”), extend the period of time we will have to consummate an initial business combination up to two times, each by an additional six months (for a total of up to an additional 12 months), subject to the Sponsor purchasing additional private placement warrants of the Company. On each of August 4, 2022 and February 15, 2023, the Sponsor purchased 3,680,000 such warrants at a price of $0.75 per warrant, generating total proceeds of an aggregate of $5,520,000, which amount was deposited into the Trust Account, thereby extending the date by which we must consummate an initial business combination to August 17, 2023. The only way to further extend such date is with a separate shareholder vote.

While we are targeting companies in the industrials sector for our initial business combination, our Board currently believes that it is improbable that we will be able to negotiate and complete our initial business combination before August 17, 2023. Accordingly, our Board believes that, in order for us to potentially consummate an initial business combination, we will need to obtain the Extension.

Approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are both a condition to the implementation of the Extension. We are not permitted to redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001. Consequently, we will not proceed with the Extension if redemptions of our public shares in connection with the Extension would cause us to have less than $5,000,001 of net tangible assets following approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal.

In connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, shareholders may elect to redeem their Class A ordinary shares for a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned, divided by the number of then outstanding Class A ordinary shares included as part of the units sold in the IPO (the “public shares”), and which election we refer to as the “Election.” An Election can be made regardless of whether such public shareholders vote “FOR” or “AGAINST” the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal and an Election can also be made by holders of public shares (the “public shareholders”) who do not vote, or do not instruct their broker or bank how to vote, at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Public shareholders may make an Election regardless of whether such public shareholders were holders as of the record date. Public shareholders who do not make the Election would be entitled to have their shares redeemed for cash if we have not completed our initial business combination by the Extended Date. In addition, regardless of whether public shareholders vote “FOR” or “AGAINST” the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal, or do not vote, or do not instruct their broker or bank how to vote, at the Extraordinary General Meeting, if the Extension is approved and a public shareholder does not make an Election, they will retain the right to vote on any proposed initial business combination in the future and the right to redeem their public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account as of two business days prior to the consummation of such initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, in the event a proposed business combination is completed. We are not asking you to vote on any proposed business combination at this time. If we enter into a business combination, we intend to file (i) promptly thereafter a current report on Form 8-K with information about the business combination, and (ii) in due course a separate proxy statement/prospectus pursuant to which we will seek approval of the business combination, among other things, at a separate extraordinary general meeting. If the Extension is not approved, we may not be able to enter into, or consummate, a business combination. We urge you to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting regarding the Extension.

The withdrawal of funds from the Trust Account in connection with the Election will reduce the amount held in the Trust Account following the Election, and the amount remaining in the Trust Account may be only a small fraction of the approximately $293,255,900 that was in the Trust Account as of July 25, 2023. In such event, we may need to obtain additional funds to complete an initial business combination, and there can be no assurance that such funds will be available on terms acceptable to us or at all.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by August 17, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in

 

2


Table of Contents

accordance with the Articles, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, holders of our Class B ordinary shares (the “founder shares” and, together with the public shares, the “shares” or “ordinary shares”), all of which are currently held by the Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

Based upon the amount in the Trust Account as of July 25, 2023, which was $293,255,900, we anticipate that the per-share price at which public shares will be redeemed from cash held in the Trust Account will be approximately $10.63 at the time of the Extraordinary General Meeting. The closing price of the public shares on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) on July 27, 2023, the most recent practicable closing price prior to the mailing of this Proxy Statement, was $10.61. We cannot assure shareholders that they will be able to sell their shares in the open market, even if the market price per share is higher than the redemption price stated above, as there may not be sufficient liquidity in our securities when such shareholders wish to sell their shares.

You will be entitled to receive cash for any public shares to be redeemed only if you:

(i) (a) hold public shares or (b) hold public shares as part of units and elect to separate such units into the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising your redemption rights with respect to the public shares; and

(ii) prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 11, 2023 (two business days prior to the vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting), (a) submit a written request to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the Company’s transfer agent, at Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, 1 State Street 30th Floor, New York, New York, 10004, Attn: SPAC Redemption Team, spacredemptions@continentalstock.com, that the Company redeem your public shares for cash and (b) tender or deliver your public shares (and share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms) to the transfer agent, physically or electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s (“DTC”) DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, which election would likely be determined based on the manner in which you hold your shares.

Holders of units must elect to separate the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising redemption rights with respect to the public shares. If holders hold their units in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, holders must notify their broker or bank that they elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and public warrants, or if a holder holds units registered in its, his or her own name, the holder must contact the transfer agent directly and instruct it to do so. Public shareholders may elect to redeem all or a portion of their public shares even if they vote for the Amendment Extension Proposal.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved, the approval of the Trust Amendment Proposal will constitute consent for us to (i) remove from the Trust Account an amount (the “Withdrawal Amount”) equal to the number of public shares properly redeemed multiplied by the per-share price, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares and (ii) deliver to the holders of such redeemed public shares their pro rata portion of the Withdrawal Amount. The remainder of such funds will remain in the Trust Account and

 

3


Table of Contents

will be available for use by us in connection with consummating an initial business combination on or before the Extended Date. Holders of public shares who do not redeem their public shares now will retain their redemption rights and their ability to vote on any initial business combination through the Extended Date if the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved.

Under the Trust Amendment Proposal, we will amend the Trust Agreement to extend the date on which Continental must liquidate the Trust Account to the Extended Date.

Our Board has fixed the close of business on July 25, 2023 as the record date for determining the shareholders entitled to receive notice of and vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting and any adjournment thereof. Only holders of record of the ordinary shares on that date are entitled to have their votes counted at the Extraordinary General Meeting or any adjournment thereof. On the record date of the Extraordinary General Meeting, there were 34,500,000 ordinary shares outstanding, of which 27,600,000 were public shares and 6,900,000 were founder shares. The founder shares carry voting rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Trust Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal, and we have been informed by the Sponsor, which holds all of the founder shares, that it intends to vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Trust Amendment Proposal and, if presented, the Adjournment Proposal.

This Proxy Statement contains important information about the Extraordinary General Meeting and the proposals. Please read it carefully and vote your shares.

We will pay for the entire cost of soliciting proxies. We have engaged Morrow Sodali LLC (“Morrow Sodali”) to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the Extraordinary General Meeting. We have agreed to pay Morrow Sodali a fee of $27,500. We will also reimburse Morrow Sodali for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and will indemnify it and its affiliates against certain claims, liabilities, losses, damages and expenses. In addition to these mailed proxy materials, our directors and officers may also solicit proxies in person, by telephone or by other means of communication. These parties will not be paid any additional compensation for soliciting proxies. We may also reimburse brokerage firms, banks and other agents for the cost of forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners.

This Proxy Statement is dated July 28, 2023 and is first being mailed to shareholders on or about July 31, 2023.

 

4


Table of Contents


Table of Contents

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Proxy Statement contains statements that are forward-looking and as such are not historical facts. This includes, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these statements. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this Proxy Statement, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “strive,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward- looking. When the Company discusses its strategies or plans, it is making projections, forecasts or forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on the beliefs of, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to, the Company’s management. Actual results and shareholders’ value will be affected by a variety of risks and factors, including, without limitation, international, national and local economic conditions, merger, acquisition and business combination risks, financing risks, geo-political risks, acts of terror or war, and those risk factors described under “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 3, 2023, in this Proxy Statement and in other reports the Company files with the SEC. Many of the risks and factors that will determine these results and shareholders’ value are beyond the Company’s ability to control or predict.

All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Proxy Statement. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on the Company’s behalf are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary note.

 

1


Table of Contents

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

These Questions and Answers are only summaries of the matters they discuss. They do not contain all of the information that may be important to you. You should read carefully the entire document, including the annexes to this Proxy Statement.

 

Q:

Why am I receiving this Proxy Statement?

 

A:

We are a blank check company incorporated on March 19, 2021 as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. On August 17, 2021, we consummated our IPO from which we derived gross proceeds of $276,000,000. Like many blank check companies, the Articles provide for the return of the funds held in trust to the holders of ordinary shares sold in our IPO if there is no qualifying business combination(s) consummated on or before a certain date (in our case, August 17, 2023). Our Board has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to amend the Articles to extend the date we have to consummate a business combination to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company in order to allow us and our Board to evaluate, negotiate and enter into an initial business combination, and subsequently our shareholders, to evaluate the initial business combination and for us to be able to potentially consummate the initial business combination, and is submitting these proposals to our shareholders to vote upon.

 

Q:

What is being voted on?

 

A:

You are being asked to vote on:

 

   

a proposal to amend the Articles to extend the date by which we have to consummate our initial business combination from August 17, 2023 to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company;

 

   

a proposal to amend our Trust Agreement to extend the date on which Continental must liquidate the Trust Account if we have not completed our initial business combination, from August 17, 2023 to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company; and

 

   

a proposal to approve the adjournment of the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates or indefinitely, if necessary, (i) to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal or (ii) if the Board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals.

The approval of both the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are essential to the implementation of our Board’s plan to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. Approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are both a condition to the implementation of the Extension.

We are not asking you to vote on any proposed business combination at this time. If we enter into a business combination, we intend to file (i) promptly thereafter a current report on Form 8-K with information about the business combination, and (ii) in due course a separate proxy statement/prospectus pursuant to which we will seek approval of the business combination, among other things, at a separate extraordinary general meeting. If the Extension is not approved, we may not be able to enter into, or consummate, a business combination. We urge you to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting regarding the Extension.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved, the approval of the Trust Amendment Proposal will constitute consent for us to remove the Withdrawal Amount from the Trust Account and deliver to the holders of redeemed public shares their pro rata portion of the Withdrawal

 

2


Table of Contents

Amount. The remainder of the funds will remain in the Trust Account and will be available for our use in connection with consummating a business combination on or before the Extended Date.

We are not permitted to redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001, and we will not proceed with the Extension if redemptions of our public shares in connection with the Extension would cause us to have less than $5,000,001 of net tangible assets following approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved and the Extension is approved, the removal of the Withdrawal Amount from the Trust Account in connection with the Election will reduce the amount held in the Trust Account following the Election. We cannot predict the amount that will remain in the Trust Account if the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved and the amount remaining in the Trust Account may be only a small fraction of the approximately $293,255,900 that was in the Trust Account as of July 25, 2023. In such event, we may need to obtain additional funds to complete an initial business combination, and there can be no assurance that such funds will be available on terms acceptable or at all.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by August 17, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in accordance with the Articles, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, holders of our founder shares, all of which are currently held by the Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

 

Q:

Why is the Company proposing the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

Under the Articles, we must return the funds held in the Trust Account to the holders of public shares if there is no qualifying business combination(s) consummated on or before August 17, 2023. As we explain below, we may not be able to enter into and complete an initial business combination by that date.

We are asking for an extension of this timeframe in order to have sufficient time to complete a business combination, which our Board believes is in the best interest of our shareholders. We believe that given our expenditure of time, effort and money on searching for potential business combination opportunities, circumstances warrant providing public shareholders an opportunity to participate in a business combination. In the event that we enter into a definitive agreement for an initial business combination prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting, we will issue a press release and file an 8-K announcing the proposed business combination.

Accordingly, our Board is proposing the Extension Amendment Proposal to amend the Articles in the form set forth in Annex A hereto to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination, or otherwise it will (i) cease our operations except for the purpose of winding up if we fail to complete such business combination, and (ii) redeem all the public shares, from August 17, 2023 to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company, and our Board is proposing the Trust Amendment Proposal to amend the Trust Agreement in the form set forth in

 

3


Table of Contents

Annex B to extend the date on which Continental must liquidate the Trust Account established in connection with our IPO if we have not completed a business combination, from August 17, 2023 to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company.

 

Q

Why should I vote “FOR” the Extension Amendment Proposal?

 

A

Under the Articles, if our shareholders approve an amendment to the Articles that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem all of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination before August 17, 2023, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their ordinary shares upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. We believe that this provision of the Articles was included to protect our shareholders from having to sustain their investments for an unreasonably long period if we failed to find a suitable business combination in the timeframe contemplated by the Articles.

The Extension Amendment Proposal would give us the opportunity to complete a business combination, which our Board believes in the best interests of the shareholders. In addition, approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal is a condition to the implementation of the Trust Amendment Proposal. If you do not elect to redeem your public shares, you will retain the right to vote on any proposed initial business combination in the future and the right to redeem your public shares in connection with such initial business combination.

Our Board recommends that you vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal.

 

Q:

Why should I vote “FOR” the Trust Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

As discussed above, our Board believes the opportunity to complete a business combination is in the best interests of the shareholders. In addition, approval of the Trust Amendment Proposal is a condition to the implementation of the Extension Amendment Proposal.

Whether a holder of public shares votes in favor of or against the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal, if such proposals are approved, the holder may, but is not required to, redeem all or a portion of its public shares for a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. We will not proceed with the Extension if redemptions of our public shares would cause us to have less than $5,000,001 of net tangible assets following approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal.

If holders of public shares do not elect to redeem their public shares, such holders will retain redemption rights in connection with any future initial business combination we may propose. Assuming the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved, we will have until the Extended Date to complete our initial business combination.

Our Board recommends that you vote in favor of the Trust Amendment Proposal.

 

Q:

Why should I vote “FOR” the Adjournment Proposal?

 

A:

If the Adjournment Proposal is not approved by our shareholders, our Board may not be able to adjourn the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates or indefinitely in the event that (i) there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal or (ii) the Board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals.

If presented, our Board recommends that you vote in favor of the Trust Amendment Proposal.

 

4


Table of Contents
Q:

When would the Board abandon the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

Our Board will abandon the Extension Amendment and the Trust Amendment if our shareholders do not approve both the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal. Additionally, we are not permitted to redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001, and we will not proceed with the Extension if redemptions of our public shares in connection with the Extension would cause us to have less than $5,000,001 of net tangible assets following approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal.

 

Q:

How do the Company insiders intend to vote their shares?

 

A:

The Sponsor is the sole holder of all of our 6,900,000 founder shares, representing 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares. The founder shares carry voting rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Trust Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal, and we have been informed by the Sponsor that it intends to vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Trust Amendment Proposal and, if presented, the Adjournment Proposal.

In addition, the Sponsor, our directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates may purchase public shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the Trust Account will be used to purchase public shares in such transactions. Any such purchases that are completed after the record date for the Extraordinary General Meeting may include an agreement with a selling shareholder that such shareholder, for so long as it remains the record holder of the shares in question, will vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal and/or will not exercise its redemption rights with respect to the shares so purchased. The purpose of such share purchases and other transactions would be to increase the likelihood that the resolutions to be put to the Extraordinary General Meeting are approved by the requisite number of votes. In the event that such purchases do occur, the purchasers may seek to purchase shares from shareholders who would otherwise have voted against the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal and/or elected to redeem their shares for a portion of the Trust Account. Any such privately negotiated purchases may be effected at purchase prices that are below or in excess of the per-share pro rata portion of the Trust Account. Any public shares held by or subsequently purchased by our affiliates may be voted in favor of the Extension Amendment and the Trust Amendment proposals.

 

Q:

What vote is required to adopt the Extension Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

The approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Approval of the Trust Amendment Proposal is a condition to the implementation of the Extension Amendment Proposal.

 

Q:

What vote is required to approve the Trust Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

The approval of the Trust Amendment Proposal requires the affirmative vote of holders of at least 65% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares. Approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal is a condition to the implementation of the Trust Amendment Proposal.

 

Q:

What vote is required to approve the Adjournment Proposal?

 

A:

The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who,

 

5


Table of Contents
  being present, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

 

Q:

What if I do not want to vote “FOR” the Extension Amendment Proposal or Trust Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

If you do not want the Extension Amendment Proposal to be approved, you must vote “AGAINST” the proposal. If you do not want the Trust Amendment Proposal to be approved, you must abstain, not vote, or vote “AGAINST” the proposal. If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved, and the Extension is approved, then the Withdrawal Amount will be withdrawn from the Trust Account and paid pro rata to the redeeming holders. You will still be entitled to make the Election if you abstain, do not vote or vote against the Extension Amendment Proposal and/or the Trust Amendment Proposal.

Broker non-votes and abstentions, while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast and will have no effect on the outcome of the vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal. The failure to vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal will have no effect with respect to the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and will not be considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum. Broker non-votes, abstentions or the failure to vote on the Trust Amendment Proposal will have the same effect as votes “AGAINST” the Trust Amendment Proposal.

 

Q:

What happens if the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal is not approved?

 

A:

Our Board will abandon the Extension Amendment and the Trust Amendment if our shareholders do not approve both the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by August 17, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in accordance with the Articles, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, holders of our founder shares, all of which are currently held by the Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

 

Q:

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved, what happens next?

 

A:

We will continue our efforts to consummate an initial business combination.

Upon approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal by the requisite number of votes, the amendments to the Articles that are set forth in Annex A hereto will become effective. We will remain a reporting company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and our units, public shares and warrants will remain publicly traded.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved, the removal of the Withdrawal Amount from the Trust Account will reduce the amount remaining in the Trust Account and

 

6


Table of Contents

increase the percentage interest of our ordinary shares held by the Sponsor as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved but we do not complete our initial business combination by the Extended Date (or, if such date is further extended at a duly called extraordinary general meeting, such later date), we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, holders of our founder shares, all of which are currently held by the Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, we will not proceed with the Extension if redemptions of our public shares would cause us to have less than $5,000,001 of net tangible assets following approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal, and the consequences will be the same as if the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal were not approved, as described above.

 

Q:

What happens to the Company warrants if the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal is not approved?

 

A:

If the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal is not approved and we have not consummated a business combination by August 17, 2023, there will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, and our warrants will expire worthless in the event of our winding up.

 

Q:

What happens to the Company warrants if the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved?

 

A:

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved, we will retain the blank check company restrictions previously applicable to us and continue to attempt to consummate an initial business combination until the Extended Date. Our warrants will remain outstanding and only become exercisable 30 days after the completion of an initial business combination, provided we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), covering the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares 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 we permit holders to exercise warrants on a cashless basis).

 

Q:

How are the funds in the Trust Account currently being held?

 

A:

With respect to the regulation of special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) like the Company, on March 30, 2022, the SEC issued proposed rules (the “SPAC Rule Proposals”) relating to, among other items, disclosures in business combination transactions involving SPACs and private operating companies; the condensed financial statement requirements applicable to transactions involving shell companies; the use

 

7


Table of Contents
  of projections by SPACs in SEC filings in connection with proposed business combination transactions; the potential liability of certain participants in proposed business combination transactions; and the extent to which SPACs could become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), including a proposed rule that would provide SPACs a safe harbor from treatment as an investment company if they satisfy certain conditions that limit a SPAC’s duration, asset composition, business purpose and activities.

With regard to the SEC’s investment company proposals included in the SPAC Rule Proposals, while the funds in the Trust Account have, since our IPO, been held only 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 money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, to mitigate the risk of being viewed as operating as an unregistered investment company (including pursuant to the subjective test of Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act), we will, on or shortly prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement relating to our IPO, instruct Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the Trust Account, to liquidate the U.S. government securities or money market funds held in the Trust Account and thereafter to hold all funds in the Trust Account in cash until the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination or liquidation. As a result, following such liquidation, we will likely receive minimal interest, if any, on the funds held in the Trust Account, which would reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption of public shares or liquidation of the Company.

 

Q:

If I do not exercise my redemption rights now, would I still be able to exercise my redemption rights in connection with any future initial business combination?

 

A:

Unless you elect to redeem your shares at this time, you will be able to exercise redemption rights in respect of any future initial business combination subject to any limitations set forth in the Articles.

 

Q:

How do I change my vote once I have voted?

 

A:

You may change your vote by sending a later dated, signed proxy card to the Company at Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. V, 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 301, Westbury, NY 11590, so that it is received prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting or by attending the Extraordinary General Meeting in person (including by virtual means as provided below) and voting. You also may revoke your proxy by sending a notice of revocation to the same address, which must be received by our Secretary prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting. Your attendance at the meeting alone will not revoke your proxy or change your vote.

Please note, however, that if on the record date your shares were held, not in your name, but rather in an account at a brokerage firm, custodian bank, or other nominee then you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” and these proxy materials are being forwarded to you by that organization. If your shares are held in street name, and you wish to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting and vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, you must bring to the Extraordinary General Meeting a legal proxy from the broker, bank or other nominee holding your shares, confirming your beneficial ownership of the shares and giving you the right to vote your shares.

Any shareholder wishing to attend the virtual meeting should register for the meeting by August 8, 2023 (one week prior to the meeting date). To register for the Extraordinary General Meeting, please follow these instructions as applicable to the nature of your ownership of ordinary shares:

 

   

If your shares are registered in your name with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and you wish to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting online, go to https://www.cstproxy.com/kensington-v/2023, enter the control number included on your proxy card or notice of the meeting and click on the “Click here to preregister for the online meeting” link at the top of the page. Just prior to the start of the meeting you will need to log back into the meeting site using your control number. Pre-registration is recommended but is not required in order to attend.

 

8


Table of Contents
   

Beneficial shareholders (those holding shares through a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other holder of record) who wish to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting online and vote must obtain a legal proxy by contacting their account representative at the bank, broker, or other nominee that holds their shares and e-mail a copy (a legible photograph is sufficient) of their legal proxy to proxy@continentalstock.com. Continental will issue a control number and email it back with the meeting information.

Q: How are votes counted?

 

A:

Votes will be counted by the inspector of election appointed for the Extraordinary General Meeting, who will separately count “FOR” and “AGAINST” votes, abstentions and broker non-votes. A shareholder’s failure to vote by proxy or to vote in person at the Extraordinary General Meeting means that such shareholder’s ordinary shares will not count towards the quorum requirement for the Extraordinary General Meeting and will not be voted. An abstention or broker non-vote will be counted towards the quorum requirement but will not count as a vote cast at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

The Extension Amendment Proposal must be approved as a special resolution under Cayman Islands law and the Articles, being the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. The Trust Amendment Proposal must be approved by the affirmative vote of holders of at least 65% of the outstanding shares as of the record date.

The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Island law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

 

Q:

If my shares are held in “street name,” will my broker automatically vote them for me?

 

A:

No. Under the rules of various national and regional securities exchanges, your broker, bank, or nominee cannot vote your shares with respect to non-discretionary matters unless you provide instructions on how to vote in accordance with the information and procedures provided to you by your broker, bank, or nominee.

We believe all the proposals presented to the shareholders will be considered non-discretionary and therefore your broker, bank, or nominee cannot vote your shares without your instruction. Your bank, broker, or other nominee can vote your shares only if you provide instructions on how to vote. You should instruct your broker to vote your shares in accordance with directions you provide. If your shares are held by your broker as your nominee, which we refer to as being held in “street name,” you may need to obtain a proxy form from the institution that holds your shares and follow the instructions included on that form regarding how to instruct your broker to vote your shares.

 

Q:

What is a Quorum requirement?

 

A:

A quorum of our shareholders is necessary to hold a valid Extraordinary General Meeting. A quorum will be present at the Extraordinary General Meeting if the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting are represented in person or by proxy or if a corporation by its duly authorized representative. As of the record date for the Extraordinary General Meeting, the holders of at least 17,250,001 ordinary shares would be required to achieve a quorum.

Your shares will be counted towards the quorum only if you submit a valid proxy (or one is submitted on your behalf by your broker, bank or other nominee) or if you vote in person at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted towards the quorum requirement, but will not count as a vote cast at the Extraordinary General Meeting. In the absence of a quorum, the chairman of the meeting has power to adjourn the Extraordinary General Meeting.

 

9


Table of Contents
Q:

Who can vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting?

 

A:

Only holders of record of our ordinary shares at the close of business on July 25, 2023 are entitled to have their vote counted at the Extraordinary General Meeting and any adjournments thereof. On this record date, 34,500,000 ordinary shares were outstanding and entitled to vote.

Shareholder of Record: Shares Registered in Your Name. If on the record date your shares were registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, then you are a shareholder of record. As a shareholder of record, you may vote in person at the Extraordinary General Meeting or vote by proxy. Whether or not you plan to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting in person, we urge you to fill out and return the enclosed proxy card to ensure your vote is counted.

Beneficial Owner: Shares Registered in the Name of a Broker or Bank. If on the record date your shares were held, not in your name, but rather in an account at a brokerage firm, bank, dealer, or other similar organization, then you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” and these proxy materials are being forwarded to you by that organization. As a beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker or other agent on how to vote the shares in your account. You are also invited to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting. However, since you are not the shareholder of record, you may not vote your shares in person at the Extraordinary General Meeting unless you request and obtain a valid proxy from your broker or other agent.

 

Q:

Does the Board recommend voting for the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Trust Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal?

 

A:

Yes. After careful consideration of the terms and conditions of these proposals, our Board has determined that the Extension Amendment, the Trust Amendment and, if presented, the Adjournment Proposal are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The Board recommends that our shareholders vote “FOR” the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Trust Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal.

 

Q:

What interests do the Sponsor, the Company’s directors and officers have in the approval of the proposals?

 

A:

The Sponsor, our directors and officers have interests in the proposals that may be different from, or in addition to, your interests as a shareholder. These interests include, among other things, director or indirect ownership of founder shares and warrants that may become exercisable in the future and advances that will not be repaid in the event of our winding up and the possibility of future compensatory arrangements. See the section entitled “The Extraordinary General Meeting — Interests of our Sponsor, Directors and Officers.”

 

Q:

Do I have dissenters’ or appraisal rights if I object to the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

Our shareholders do not have dissenters’ rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal under Cayman Islands law.

Our shareholders do not have appraisal rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal.

 

Q:

What do I need to do now?

 

A:

We urge you to read carefully and consider the information contained in this Proxy Statement, including the annexes, and to consider how the proposals will affect you as a shareholder. You should then vote as soon as possible in accordance with the instructions provided in this Proxy Statement and on the enclosed proxy card.

 

10


Table of Contents
Q:

How do I vote?

 

A:

If you are a holder of record of our ordinary shares, you may vote in person (including by virtual means as provided herein) at the Extraordinary General Meeting or by submitting a proxy for the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Whether or not you plan to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting in person (including by virtual means), we urge you to vote by proxy to ensure your vote is counted. You may submit your proxy by completing, signing, dating and returning the enclosed proxy card in the accompanying pre-addressed postage paid envelope. You may still attend the Extraordinary General Meeting and vote at the meeting if you have already voted by proxy.

If your ordinary shares are held in “street name” by a broker or other agent, you have the right to direct your broker or other agent on how to vote the shares in your account. You are also invited to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting. However, since you are not the shareholder of record, you may not vote your shares at the Extraordinary General Meeting unless you request and obtain a valid proxy from your broker or other agent.

 

Q:

How do I redeem my ordinary shares?

 

A:

Each of our public shareholders may submit an election that, if the Extension is approved, such public shareholder elects to redeem all or a portion of its 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, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. You will also be able to redeem your public shares in connection with any proposed initial business combination or if we have not consummated our initial business combination by the Extended Date. You will be entitled to receive cash for any public shares to be redeemed only if you:

(i) (a) hold public shares or (b) hold public shares as part of units and elect to separate such units into the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising your redemption rights with respect to the public shares; and

(ii) prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 11, 2023 (two business days prior to the vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting), (a) submit a written request to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the Company’s transfer agent, at Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, 1 State Street 30th Floor, New York, New York, 10004, Attn: SPAC Redemption Team, spacredemptions@continentalstock.com, that the Company redeem your public shares for cash and (b) tender or deliver your public shares (and share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms) to the transfer agent, physically or electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s (“DTC”) DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, which election would likely be determined based on the manner in which you hold your shares.

Holders of units must elect to separate the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising redemption rights with respect to the public shares. If holders hold their units in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, holders must notify their broker or bank that they elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and public warrants, or if a holder holds units registered in its, their own name, the holder must contact the transfer agent directly and instruct it to do so. Public shareholders may elect to redeem all or a portion of their public shares even if they vote for the Extension Amendment Proposal.

 

Q:

How do I withdraw my election to redeem my ordinary shares?

 

A:

If you tendered your ordinary shares (and/or delivered your share certificate(s) (if any) and other redemption forms) for redemption to our transfer agent and decide prior to the vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting not to redeem your shares, you may request that our transfer agent return the shares (physically or electronically). You may make such request by contacting our transfer agent at the address listed below.

 

11


Table of Contents
Q:

What should I do if I receive more than one set of voting materials?

 

A:

You may receive more than one set of voting materials, including multiple copies of this Proxy Statement and multiple proxy cards or voting instruction cards, if your shares are registered in more than one name or are registered in different accounts. For example, if you hold your shares in more than one brokerage account, you will receive a separate voting instruction card for each brokerage account in which you hold shares. Please complete, sign, date and return each proxy card and voting instruction card that you receive in order to cast a vote with respect to all of your shares.

 

Q:

Who is paying for this proxy solicitation?

 

A:

We will pay for the entire cost of soliciting proxies. We have engaged Morrow Sodali to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the Extraordinary General Meeting. We have agreed to pay Morrow Sodali a fee of $27,500. We will also reimburse Morrow Sodali for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and will indemnify it and its affiliates against certain claims, liabilities, losses, damages and expenses. In addition to these mailed proxy materials, our directors and officers may also solicit proxies in person, by telephone or by other means of communication. These parties will not be paid any additional compensation for soliciting proxies. We may also reimburse brokerage firms, banks and other agents for the cost of forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners.

 

Q:

Who can help answer my questions?

 

A:

If you have questions about the proposals or if you need additional copies of the Proxy Statement or the enclosed proxy card you should contact our proxy solicitor Morrow Sodali:

Morrow Sodali LLC

333 Ludlow Street, 5th Floor, South Tower

Stamford, CT 06902

Individuals call toll-free (800) 662-5200

Banks and brokers call (203) 658-9400

Email: KCGI@investor.morrowsodali.com

If you have questions regarding the certification of your position or tendering your ordinary shares (and/or delivering your share certificate(s) (if any) and other redemption forms), please contact:

Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company

1 State Street

30th Floor

New York, New York 10004

Attention: SPAC Redemption Team

Email: spacredemptions@continentalstock.com

You may also obtain additional information about us from documents we file with the SEC by following the instructions in the section entitled “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

12


Table of Contents

RISK FACTORS

You should consider carefully all of the risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 3, 2023 and in the other reports we file with the SEC before making a decision to invest in our securities. Furthermore, if any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected or we could face liquidation. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. The risks and uncertainties described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results or result in our liquidation.

If we were deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we may be forced to abandon our efforts to consummate an initial business combination and instead be required to liquidate the Company. To avoid that result, on or shortly prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement relating to our IPO, we will liquidate securities held in the Trust Account and instead hold all funds in the Trust Account in cash. As a result, following such liquidation, we will likely receive minimal interest, if any, on the funds held in the Trust Account, which would reduce the dollar amount that our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption or liquidation of the Company.

On March 30, 2022, the SEC issued the SPAC Rule Proposals, relating, among other things, to circumstances in which SPACs such as us could potentially be subject to the Investment Company Act and the regulations thereunder. The SPAC Rule Proposals would provide a safe harbor for such companies from the definition of “investment company” under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act, provided that a SPAC satisfies certain criteria. To comply with the duration limitation of the proposed safe harbor, a SPAC would have a limited time period to announce and complete a de-SPAC transaction. Specifically, to comply with the safe harbor, the SPAC Rule Proposals would require a SPAC to file a report on Form 8-K announcing that it has entered into an agreement with a target company for an initial business combination no later than 18 months after the effective date of the registration statement relating to the SPAC’s initial public offering. Such SPAC would then be required to complete its initial business combination no later than 24 months after the effective date of the registration statement relating to its initial public offering.

There is currently uncertainty concerning the applicability of the Investment Company Act to a SPAC, including a company like ours, that has not entered into a definitive agreement within 18 months after the effective date of the registration statement relating to its initial public offering or that does not consummate its initial business combination within 24 months after such date. We have not entered into a definitive business combination agreement within 18 months after the effective date of the registration statement relating to our IPO, and do not expect to complete our initial business combination within 24 months of such date. As a result, it is possible that a claim could be made that we have been operating as an unregistered investment company. If we were deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we might be forced to abandon our efforts to consummate an initial business combination and instead be required to liquidate. If we are required to liquidate, our investors would not be able to realize the benefits of owning shares in a successor operating business, including the potential appreciation in the value of our shares and warrants following such a transaction, and our warrants would expire worthless.

The funds in the Trust Account have, since our IPO, been held only 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 money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. However, to mitigate the risk of being viewed as operating as an unregistered investment company (including pursuant to the subjective test of Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act), we will, on or shortly prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement relating to our IPO, instruct Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee

 

13


Table of Contents

with respect to the Trust Account, to liquidate the U.S. government securities or money market funds held in the Trust Account and thereafter to hold all funds in the Trust Account in cash until the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination or liquidation. As a result, following such liquidation, we will likely receive minimal interest, if any, on the funds held in the Trust Account, which would reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption of public shares or liquidation of the Company.

In addition, even prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement relating to our IPO, we may be deemed to be an investment company. The longer that the funds in the Trust Account are held in short-term U.S. government securities or in money market funds invested exclusively in such securities, even prior to the 24-month anniversary, there is a greater risk that we may be considered an unregistered investment company, in which case we may be required to liquidate. Accordingly, we may determine, in our discretion, to liquidate the securities held in the Trust Account at any time, even prior to the 24-month anniversary, and instead hold all funds in the Trust Account in cash, which would further reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption of our public shares or liquidation of the Company.

There are no assurances that the Extension will enable us to complete an initial business combination.

Approving the Extension involves a number of risks. Even if the Extension is approved, the Company can provide no assurances that an initial business combination will be consummated prior to the Extended Date. Our ability to consummate any initial business combination is dependent on a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control. If the Extension is approved, the Company expects to seek shareholder approval of an initial business combination. We are required to offer shareholders the opportunity to redeem shares in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, and we will be required to offer shareholders redemption rights again in connection with any shareholder vote to approve an initial business combination. Even if the Extension or an initial business combination are approved by our shareholders, it is possible that redemptions will leave us with insufficient cash to consummate an initial business combination on commercially acceptable terms, or at all. The fact that we will have separate redemption periods in connection with the Extension and an initial business combination vote could exacerbate these risks. Other than in connection with a redemption offer or liquidation, our shareholders may be unable to recover their investment except through sales of our shares on the open market. The price of our shares may be volatile, and there can be no assurance that shareholders will be able to dispose of our shares at favorable prices, or at all.

A new 1% U.S. federal excise tax could be imposed on us in connection with future redemptions by us of public shares.

On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IR Act”) was signed into federal law. The IR Act provides for, among other things, a new U.S. federal 1% excise tax on certain repurchases (including redemptions) of stock by “covered corporations”, which are publicly-traded domestic (i.e., U.S.) corporations and certain domestic subsidiaries of publicly-traded foreign corporations, occurring on or after January 1, 2023. The excise tax is imposed on the repurchasing corporation itself, not its shareholders, from which shares are repurchased. The amount of the excise tax is generally 1% of the fair market value of the shares repurchased at the time of the repurchase. However, for purposes of calculating the excise tax, repurchasing corporations are permitted to net the fair market value of certain new stock issuances against the fair market value of stock repurchases during the same taxable year. In addition, certain exceptions apply to the excise tax. The U.S. Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) has been given authority to provide regulations and other guidance to carry out, and prevent the abuse or avoidance of the excise tax. On December 27, 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) issued a notice of its intention to issue proposed regulations providing additional guidance with respect to the excise tax. The notice states that the excise tax does not apply to repurchases that occur in the taxable year in which the publicly traded corporation liquidates and dissolves.

Because we are a “blank check” Cayman Islands corporation with no subsidiaries or previous merger or acquisition activity, we are not currently a “covered corporation” for this purpose. If we were to become a

 

14


Table of Contents

covered corporation in the future, whether in connection with the consummation of our business combination with a U.S. company (including if we were to redomicile as a U.S. corporation in connection therewith) or otherwise, whether and to what extent we would be subject to the excise tax on a redemption of our stock would depend on a number of factors, including (i) the fair market value of the redemptions and repurchases in connection with a business combination or otherwise, (ii) the structure of the business combination, (iii) any redemptions or repurchases within the same taxable year as the business combination, (iv) the nature and amount of any “PIPE” or other equity issuances (whether in connection with our business combination or otherwise) issued within the same taxable year of a redemption treated as a repurchase of stock, and (iv) the content of regulations and other guidance from Treasury.

If the excise tax is due, it would be payable by the Company and not by the redeeming holder. The mechanics of any required payment of the excise tax have not been determined; however, under the Trust Agreement, the principal amount placed in the Trust Account in connection with the Company’s IPO and any additional amounts deposited into the Trust Account, including any interest earned thereon, cannot be used to pay for potential excise taxes due under the IR Act. The imposition of the excise tax on us could, however, cause a reduction in the cash available on hand to complete our business combination and may affect our ability to complete our business combination or fund future operations.

 

15


Table of Contents

BACKGROUND

We are a blank check company incorporated on March 19, 2021 as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities.

On August 17, 2021, we consummated the IPO of 27,600,000 units (the “units”), with each unit consisting of one Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share, which we refer to as the “public shares,” and three-fourths of one redeemable warrant, which included the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase an additional 3,600,000 units to cover over-allotments, generating gross proceeds of $276,000,000.

Simultaneously with the closing of the IPO, we consummated the private placement (the “initial private placement” and together with the additional private placements (as defined below), the “private placements”) of 11,360,000 warrants (each, a “private placement warrant” and collectively with the additional private placements warrants (as defined below), the “private placement warrants”), at a purchase price of $0.75 per private placement warrant, to the Sponsor, generating total proceeds of $8,520,000. The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in the IPO except that, so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees: (i) they will not be redeemable by us; (ii) they (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of these warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the Sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination; (iii) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis; and (iv) they (including the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of these warrants) are entitled to registration rights.

Following the closing of the IPO, a total of $276,000,000 from the net proceeds of the sale of the units in the IPO and the private placement warrants in the initial private placement was placed in the Trust Account. The proceeds held in the Trust Account may be invested by the trustee only 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 money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. However, to mitigate the risk of being viewed as operating as an unregistered investment company (including pursuant to the subjective test of Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act), we will, on or shortly prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement relating to our IPO, instruct Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the Trust Account, to liquidate the U.S. government securities or money market funds held in the Trust Account and thereafter to hold all funds in the Trust Account in cash until the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination or liquidation. As a result, following such liquidation, we will likely receive minimal interest, if any, on the funds held in the Trust Account, which would reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption of public shares or liquidation of the Company.

On each of August 4, 2022 and February 15, 2023, we consummated a private placement (each, an “additional private placement” and collectively, the “additional private placements”) of 3,680,000 warrants (each, an “additional private placement warrant” and collectively, the “additional private placement warrants”) at a price of $0.75 per additional private placement warrant, generating total proceeds of an aggregate of $5,520,000.

The proceeds received by us in connection with the issuance of the additional private placement warrants have been deposited in the Trust Account. In accordance with the Articles, the date by which we must consummate an initial business combination was extended by 12 months in the aggregate to August 17, 2023. As of July 25, 2023, funds held in the Trust Account totaled approximately $293,255,900.

On April 6, 2023, we entered into a business combination agreement with Arrival, an inventor of a new method of design and production of electric vehicles. The business combination agreement was terminated by mutual agreement of the parties on July 3, 2023.

 

16


Table of Contents

The Sponsor, our directors and officers have interests in the proposals that may be different from, or in addition to, your interests as a shareholder. These interests include, among other things, director or indirect ownership of founder shares and warrants that may become exercisable in the future and advances that will not be repaid in the event of our winding up and the possibility of future compensatory arrangements. See the section entitled “The Extraordinary General Meeting — Interests of our Sponsor, Directors and Officers.”

On the record date of the Extraordinary General Meeting, there were 34,500,000 ordinary shares outstanding, of which 27,600,000 were public shares and 6,900,000 were founder shares. The founder shares carry voting rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Trust Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal, and we have been informed by the Sponsor, the sole holder of all of our 6,900,000 founder shares, that it intends to vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Trust Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal.

Our principal executive offices are located at 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 301, Westbury, NY 11590 and our telephone number is (703) 674-6514.

 

17


Table of Contents

THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

Date, Time and Place

The Extraordinary General Meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on August 15, 2023, via live webcast at https://www.cstproxy.com/kensington-v/2023, unless postponed or adjourned to a later date. For purposes of Cayman Islands law and the Articles, the physical location of the Extraordinary General Meeting will be at the offices of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, One Battery Park Plaza, New York, NY 10004. You will be able to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting online, vote and submit your questions during the Extraordinary General Meeting by visiting https://www.cstproxy.com/kensington-v/2023 or by phone by dialing 1 800-450-7155 (toll-free) within the U.S. and Canada or 1 857-999-9155 (standard rates apply) outside of the U.S. and Canada. When prompted enter the conference ID 7280975#. This option is listen-only, and you will not be able to vote or enter questions during the Extraordinary General Meeting if you choose to participate telephonically.

Voting Power; Record Date

You will be entitled to vote or direct votes to be cast at the Extraordinary General Meeting, if you owned the ordinary shares at the close of business on July 25, 2023, the record date for the Extraordinary General Meeting. You will have one vote per proposal for each ordinary share you owned at that time. Our warrants do not carry voting rights.

Votes Required

The approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. The approval of the Trust Amendment Proposal requires the affirmative vote of holders of at least 65% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares. The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes, while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as a vote cast at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

On the record date of the Extraordinary General Meeting, there were 34,500,000 ordinary shares outstanding, of which 27,600,000 were public shares and 6,900,000 were founder shares. The founder shares carry voting rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Trust Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal, and we have been informed by the Sponsor, the sole holder of all of our founder shares, that it intends to vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Trust Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal.

If you do not want the Extension Amendment Proposal to be approved, you must vote “AGAINST” the proposal. If you do not want the Trust Amendment Proposal to be approved, you must abstain, not vote, or vote “AGAINST” the proposal. If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved, and the Extension is approved, then the Withdrawal Amount will be withdrawn from the Trust Account and paid pro rata to the redeeming holders. You will still be entitled to make the Election if you abstain, do not vote or vote against the Extension Amendment Proposal and/or the Trust Amendment Proposal.

Broker non-votes and abstentions, while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast and will have no effect on the outcome of the vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal. The failure to vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal will have no effect with respect to the approval of the

 

18


Table of Contents

Extension Amendment Proposal and will not be considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum. Broker non-votes, abstentions or the failure to vote on the Trust Amendment Proposal will have the same effect as votes “AGAINST” the Trust Amendment Proposal.

Proxies; Board Solicitation; Proxy Solicitor

Your proxy is being solicited on behalf of our Board on the proposals to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal being presented to shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting. We have engaged Morrow Sodali to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the Extraordinary General Meeting. No recommendation is being made as to whether you should elect to redeem your shares. Proxies may be solicited in person, by telephone or other means of communication. If you grant a proxy, you may still revoke your proxy and vote your shares in person (including by virtual means as provided herein) at the Extraordinary General Meeting. You may contact Morrow Sodali at:

Morrow Sodali LLC

333 Ludlow Street, 5th Floor, South Tower

Stamford, CT 06902

Individuals call toll-free (800) 662-5200

Banks and brokers call (203) 658-9400

Email: KCGI@investor.morrowsodali.com

 

19


Table of Contents

THE EXTENSION AMENDMENT AND THE TRUST AMENDMENT PROPOSALS

The Extension Amendment Proposal

We are proposing to amend the Articles to extend the date by which we have to consummate a business combination to the Extended Date.

The approval of both the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are essential to the implementation of our Board’s plan to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. Approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are both a condition to the implementation of the Extension.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal is not approved and we have not consummated a business combination by August 17, 2023, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, holders of our founder shares, all of which are currently held by the Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

The purpose of the Extension Amendment and the Trust Amendment is to allow us more time to enter into and complete an initial business combination, which our Board believes is in the best interest of our shareholders. Under the Articles, we have until August 17, 2023 to complete our initial business combination. While we are targeting companies in the industrials sector for our initial business combination, our Board currently believes that it is improbable that we will be able to negotiate and complete our initial business combination before August 17, 2023. Accordingly, our Board believes that in order for us to potentially consummate an initial business combination, we will need to obtain the Extension.

A copy of the proposed amendments to the Articles of the Company is attached to this Proxy Statement in Annex A.

Trust Amendment Proposal

The purpose of the Trust Amendment is to amend the Trust Agreement to extend the date on which Continental must liquidate the Trust Account if we have not completed our initial business combination, from August 17, 2023 to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company. A copy of the proposed amendments to the Trust Agreement is attached to this Proxy Statement in Annex B.

Reasons for the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal

The Articles provide that if our shareholders approve an amendment to the Articles that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem all of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination before August 17, 2023, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their ordinary shares upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the

 

20


Table of Contents

aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. We believe that this provision of the Articles was included to protect our shareholders from having to sustain their investments for an unreasonably long period if we failed to find a suitable business combination in the timeframe contemplated by the Articles. In addition, approval of the Trust Amendment Proposal is a condition to the implementation of the Extension Amendment Proposal.

The purpose of the Extension Amendment and the Trust Amendment is to allow us more time to enter into and complete a business combination. While we are targeting companies in the industrials sector for our initial business combination, our Board currently believes that it is improbable that we will be able to negotiate and complete our initial business combination before August 17, 2023.

Accordingly, our Board believes that in order for us to potentially consummate an initial business combination, we will need to obtain the Extension. In addition, approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal is a condition to the implementation of the Trust Amendment Proposal. If you do not elect to redeem your public shares, you will retain the right to vote on any proposed initial business combination in the future and the right to redeem your public shares in connection with such initial business combination.

If Either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal Is Not Approved

The approval of both the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are essential to the implementation of our Board’s plan to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. Therefore, our Board will abandon and not implement either amendment unless our shareholders approve both the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by August 17, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in accordance with the Articles, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, holders of our founder shares, all of which are currently held by the Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal Are Approved

Upon approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal by the requisite number of votes, the amendments to the Articles that are set forth in Annex A hereto will become effective. We will remain a reporting company under the Exchange Act, and our units, public shares and warrants will remain publicly traded.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved and the Extension is approved, the removal of the Withdrawal Amount from the Trust Account in connection with the Election will reduce the amount held in the Trust Account following the Election. We cannot predict the amount that will

 

21


Table of Contents

remain in the Trust Account if the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved and the amount remaining in the Trust Account may be only a small fraction of the approximately $293,255,900 that was in the Trust Account as of July 25, 2023. In such event, we may need to obtain additional funds to complete our initial business combination, and there can be no assurance that such funds will be available on terms acceptable or at all.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved but we do not complete our initial business combination by the Extended Date (or, if such date is further extended at a duly called extraordinary general meeting, such later date), we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. We cannot assure you that the per share distribution from the Trust Account, if we liquidate, will not be less than $10.00 due to unforeseen claims of creditors. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, holders of our founder shares, all of which are currently held by the Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, we will not proceed with the Extension if redemptions of our public shares would cause us to have less than $5,000,001 of net tangible assets following approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal, and the consequences will be the same as if the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal were not approved, as described above.

Redemption Rights

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are approved, and the Extension is approved, each of our public shareholders may submit an election that, if the Extension is approved, such public shareholder elects to redeem all or a portion of its 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, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. You will also be able to redeem your public shares in connection with any proposed initial business combination or if we have not consummated our initial business combination by the Extended Date.

TO DEMAND REDEMPTION, YOU MUST ENSURE YOUR BANK OR BROKER COMPLIES WITH THE REQUIREMENTS IDENTIFIED HEREIN, INCLUDING SUBMITTING A WRITTEN REQUEST THAT YOUR SHARES BE REDEEMED FOR CASH TO THE TRANSFER AGENT AND DELIVERING YOUR SHARES TO THE TRANSFER AGENT PRIOR TO 5:00 P.M. EASTERN TIME ON AUGUST 11, 2023 (TWO BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING).

You will be entitled to receive cash for any public shares to be redeemed only if you:

(i)    (a) hold public shares or (b) hold public shares as part of units and elect to separate such units into the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising your redemption rights with respect to the public shares; and

(ii)    prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 11, 2023 (two business days prior to the vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting), (a) submit a written request to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company,

 

22


Table of Contents

the Company’s transfer agent, at Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, 1 State Street 30th Floor, New York, New York, 10004, Attn: SPAC Redemption Team, spacredemptions@continentalstock.com, that the Company redeem your public shares for cash and (b) tender or deliver your public shares (and share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms) to the transfer agent, physically or electronically using DTC’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, which election would likely be determined based on the manner in which you hold your shares.

Holders of units must elect to separate the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising redemption rights with respect to the public shares. If holders hold their units in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, holders must notify their broker or bank that they elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and public warrants, or if a holder holds units registered in its, his or her own name, the holder must contact the transfer agent directly and instruct it to do so. Public shareholders may elect to redeem all or a portion of their public shares even if they vote for the Extension Proposal.

Through the DWAC system, this electronic delivery process can be accomplished by the shareholder, whether or not it is a record holder or its shares are held in “street name,” by contacting the transfer agent or its broker and requesting delivery of its shares through the DWAC system. Delivering shares physically may take significantly longer. In order to obtain a physical share certificate, a shareholder’s broker and/or clearing broker, DTC and our transfer agent will need to act together to facilitate this request. 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 a tendering broker fee and the broker would determine whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. It is our understanding that shareholders should generally allot at least two weeks to obtain physical certificates from the transfer agent. We do not have any control over this process or over the brokers or DTC, and it may take longer than two weeks to obtain a physical share certificate. Such shareholders will have less time to make their investment decision than those shareholders that tender their shares through the DWAC system.

Shareholders who request physical share certificates and wish to redeem may be unable to meet the deadline for tendering their shares before exercising their redemption rights and thus will be unable to redeem their shares.

Certificates that have not been tendered in accordance with these procedures prior to the vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal at the Extraordinary General Meeting will not be redeemed for cash held in the Trust Account on the redemption date. In the event that a public shareholder tenders its shares and decides prior to the vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting that it does not want to redeem its shares, the shareholder may withdraw the tender. If you tendered your ordinary shares (and/or delivered your share certificate(s) (if any) and other redemption forms) for redemption to our transfer agent and decide prior to the vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting not to redeem your shares, you may request that our transfer agent return the shares (physically or electronically). You may make such request by contacting our transfer agent at the address listed above. In the event that a public shareholder tenders shares and the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are not approved, these shares will not be redeemed and the physical certificates representing these shares will be returned to the shareholder promptly following the determination that the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal will not be approved. The transfer agent will hold the certificates of public shareholders that make the Election until such shares are redeemed for cash or returned to such shareholders.

If properly demanded, we will redeem each public share for a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Based upon the amount in the Trust Account as of July 25, 2023, which was approximately $293,255,900, we anticipate that the per-share price at which public shares will be redeemed from cash held in the Trust Account will be approximately $10.63 at the time of the Extraordinary General Meeting. The closing price of the public shares on the NYSE on July 27, 2023, the most recent practicable closing price prior to the mailing of this Proxy Statement, was $10.61. We cannot assure shareholders that they will be able to

 

23


Table of Contents

sell their shares in the open market, even if the market price per share is higher than the redemption price stated above, as there may not be sufficient liquidity in our securities when such shareholders wish to sell their shares.

If you exercise your redemption rights, you will be exchanging your ordinary shares for cash and will no longer own the shares. You will be entitled to receive cash for these shares only if you properly demand redemption and tender your ordinary shares (and/or deliver your share certificate(s) (if any) and other redemption forms) to our transfer agent prior to the vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal at the Extraordinary General Meeting. We anticipate that a public shareholder who tenders ordinary shares (and/or deliver share certificate(s) (if any) and other redemption forms) for redemption in connection with the vote to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal would receive payment of the redemption price for such shares soon after the completion of the Extension Amendment.

United States Federal Income Tax Considerations for Shareholders Exercising Redemption Rights

The following is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to U.S. Holders (as defined below) that make an Election if the Extension is approved. Because the components of a unit are generally separable at the option of the holder, the holder of a unit generally should be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as the owner of the underlying public share and three-fourths of one redeemable warrant. As a result, the discussion below with respect to holders of public shares and warrants should also apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying public shares and warrants that constitute the units). This discussion applies only to public shares that are held as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes (generally, property held for investment). This discussion is a summary only and does not describe all of the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to holders in light of their particular circumstances or status, including:

 

   

the Sponsor, our directors and officers;

 

   

financial institutions or financial services entities;

 

   

broker-dealers;

 

   

taxpayers that are subject to the mark-to-market method of accounting;

 

   

tax-exempt entities;

 

   

S corporations;

 

   

governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof;

 

   

insurance companies;

 

   

regulated investment companies or real estate investment trusts;

 

   

expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States;

 

   

persons that actually or constructively own five percent or more of our voting shares or five percent or more of the total value of all classes of our shares;

 

   

persons that acquired Class A ordinary shares pursuant to an exercise of employee share options or upon payout of a restricted stock unit, in connection with employee share incentive plans or otherwise as compensation or in connection with the performance of services;

 

   

persons that hold public shares as part of a straddle, constructive sale, hedging, conversion or other integrated or similar transaction; or

 

   

persons whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar

This discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), proposed, temporary and final Treasury Regulations promulgated under the Code, and judicial and administrative

 

24


Table of Contents

interpretations thereof, all as of the date hereof. All of the foregoing is subject to change, which change could apply retroactively and could affect the tax considerations described herein. This discussion does not address the alternative minimum tax or U.S. federal taxes other than those pertaining to U.S. federal income taxation (such as estate or gift taxes, or the Medicare tax on investment income), nor does it address any aspects of U.S. state or local taxation or non-U.S. taxation.

We have not and do not intend to seek any rulings from the IRS regarding the exercise of redemption rights. There can be no assurance that the IRS will not take positions inconsistent with the considerations discussed below or that any such positions would not be sustained by a court. Moreover, there can be no assurance that future legislation, regulations, administrative rulings or court decisions will not adversely affect the accuracy of the statements in this discussion. You are urged to consult your tax advisor with respect to the application of U.S. federal tax laws to your particular situation, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. jurisdiction.

This discussion does not consider the tax treatment of partnerships or other pass-through entities or persons who hold public shares through such entities. If a partnership (or any entity or arrangement so characterized for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds public shares, the tax treatment of such partnership and a person treated as a partner of such partnership will generally depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Partnerships holding any public shares and persons that are treated as partners of such partnerships should consult their tax advisors as to the particular U.S. federal income tax consequences of an Election to them.

THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, IS ONLY A SUMMARY OF CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXERCISE OF REDEMPTION RIGHTS, AND IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR CAREFUL TAX PLANNING. EACH HOLDER SHOULD CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO SUCH HOLDER OF AN EXERCISE OF REDEMPTION RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE EFFECTS OF U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AND NON-U.S. TAX LAWS.

As used herein, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of public shares who or that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

  1.

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

  2.

a corporation (or other entity that is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that is created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

 

  3.

an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or

 

  4.

a trust if (i) a U.S. court can exercise primary supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more United States persons (as defined in the Code) have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (ii) it has in effect under applicable Treasury Regulations a valid election to be treated as a United States person.

Redemption of Public Shares

Subject to the passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) considerations discussed below under “PFIC Considerations,” the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the redemption of a U.S. Holder’s public shares pursuant to an Election will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as a sale of such shares redeemed under Section 302 of the Code or is treated as a distribution under Section 301 of the Code.

If the redemption qualifies as a sale of public shares, a U.S. Holder will be treated as described below under the section entitled “Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Public Shares.” If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of public shares, a U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a distribution with the tax consequences described below under the section entitled “Taxation of Distributions.”

 

25


Table of Contents

The redemption of public shares will generally qualify as a sale of the public shares that are redeemed if such redemption (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the redeeming U.S. Holder, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of such U.S. Holder’s interest or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to such U.S. Holder. These tests are explained more fully below.

For purposes of such tests, a U.S. Holder takes into account not only ordinary shares actually owned by such U.S. Holder, but also ordinary shares that are constructively owned by such U.S. Holder. A redeeming U.S. Holder may constructively own, in addition to ordinary shares owned directly, ordinary shares owned by certain related individuals and entities in which such U.S. Holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. Holder, as well as any ordinary shares such U.S. Holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include shares that could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants.

In order to meet the “substantially disproportionate” test, the percentage of our outstanding voting shares that such U.S. Holder actually or constructively owns immediately after the redemption must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our outstanding voting shares that such U.S. Holder actually or constructively owned immediately before the redemption. Prior to an initial business combination, the public shares may not be treated as voting shares for this purpose and, consequently, this substantially disproportionate test may not be applicable. There will be a complete termination of such U.S. Holder’s interest if either (i) all of the public shares actually or constructively owned by such U.S. Holder are redeemed or (ii) all of the public shares actually owned by such U.S. Holder are redeemed and such U.S. Holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of public shares owned by certain family members and such U.S. Holder does not constructively own any other public shares. The redemption of public shares will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if it results in a “meaningful reduction” of such U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in the respective entity. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction in such U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest will depend on the particular facts and circumstances applicable to it. The IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority shareholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.”

If none of the foregoing tests are satisfied, then the redemption of public shares will be treated as a distribution to the redeemed U.S. Holder and the tax effects to such U.S. Holder will be as described below under the section entitled “Taxation of Distributions.” After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the U.S. Holder in the redeemed public shares will be added to such holder’s adjusted tax basis in its remaining stock, or, if it has none, to such holder’s adjusted tax basis in its warrants or possibly in other stock constructively owned by it.

U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a redemption, including any special reporting requirements.

Taxation of Distributions

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below under “PFIC Considerations,” if the redemption of a U.S. Holder’s public shares is treated as a distribution, as discussed above, such distribution will generally be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Such dividends will be taxable to a corporate U.S. Holder at regular rates and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally allowed to domestic corporations in respect of dividends received from other domestic corporations.

With respect to non-corporate U.S. Holders, dividends will generally be taxed at preferential long-term capital gains rates only if (i) public shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States or eligible for the benefits of an applicable income tax treaty, (ii) the Company is not treated as a PFIC in the taxable year in which the dividend was paid or in any previous year, and (iii) certain holding period and other

 

26


Table of Contents

requirements are met. Because we believe it is likely that we were a PFIC for our prior taxable year ended December 31, 2022, as discussed further below under “PFIC Considerations,” it is likely that the lower applicable long-term capital gains rate would not apply to any redemption proceeds treated as a distribution.

Moreover, it is unclear whether redemption rights with respect to the public shares may prevent the holding period of such shares from commencing prior to the termination of such rights. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability of the lower rate for any redemption treated as a dividend with respect to public shares.

Subject to the PFIC rules described below, distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits will generally constitute a return of capital that will be applied against and reduce (but not below zero) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our public shares. Any remaining excess will be treated as gain realized on the sale or other disposition of the public shares and will be treated as described below under the section entitled “Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Public Shares.”

Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Public Shares

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below under “PFIC Considerations,” if the redemption of a U.S. Holder’s public shares is treated as a sale or other taxable disposition, as discussed above, a U.S. Holder will generally recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (i) the amount realized and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the public shares redeemed.

Under tax law currently in effect, long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate U.S. Holders are generally subject to U.S. federal income tax at a reduced rate of tax. Capital gain or loss will constitute long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the public shares exceeds one year. However, it is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to the public shares described in this proxy statement may prevent the holding period of the public shares from commencing prior to the termination of such rights. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to various limitations. U.S. Holders who hold different blocks of public shares (public shares purchased or acquired on different dates or at different prices) should consult their tax advisor to determine how the above rules apply to them.

PFIC Considerations

A foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) corporation will be classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes if either (i) at least 75% of its gross income, including its pro rata share of the gross income of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, in a taxable year is passive income or (ii) at least 50% of its assets in a taxable year of the foreign corporation (ordinarily determined based on fair market value and averaged quarterly over the year), including its pro rata share of the assets of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, are held for the production of, or produce, passive income. Passive income generally includes dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other than certain rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of assets giving rise to passive income.

We believe it is likely that we were a PFIC for our prior taxable years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022. Further, we believe it is likely that we will be a PFIC for the taxable year ending December 31, 2023, unless a business combination is completed prior to the end of such year, subject to the timing and structure of such business combination. However, because our PFIC status for our current taxable year depends on certain facts and circumstances that may not be known until the close of our current taxable year, there can be no assurances with respect to our PFIC status for such year. Even if we are not a PFIC for our current taxable year, a determination that we were a PFIC for any prior taxable year will continue to apply to any U.S. Holders who held public shares during such prior taxable years, absent certain elections described below.

 

27


Table of Contents

If we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in a U.S. Holder’s holding period for public shares and the U.S. Holder did not make a timely and effective “qualified electing fund” election for each of our taxable years as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder held (or was deemed to hold) public shares (“QEF Election”), a QEF Election along with a purging election, or a “mark-to-market” election, then such U.S. Holder will generally be subject to special and adverse rules (the “Default PFIC Regime”) with respect to:

 

   

any gain recognized by the U.S. Holder on the sale or other disposition of its public shares; and

 

   

any “excess distribution” made to the U.S. Holder (generally, any distributions to such U.S. Holder during a taxable year of the U.S. Holder that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received by such U.S. Holder in respect of its public shares during the three preceding taxable years of such U.S. Holder or, if shorter, such U.S. Holder’s holding period for such public shares).

Under the Default PFIC Regime:

 

   

the U.S. Holder’s gain or excess distribution will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for its public shares;

 

   

the amount of gain allocated to the U.S. Holder’s taxable year in which the U.S. Holder recognized the gain or received the excess distribution, or to the period in the U.S. Holder’s holding period before the first day of the first taxable year in which we are a PFIC, will be taxed as ordinary income;

 

   

the amount of gain allocated to other taxable years (or portions thereof) of the U.S. Holder and included in such U.S. Holder’s holding period will be taxed at the highest tax rate in effect for that year and applicable to the U.S. Holder without regard to such U.S. Holder’s other items of income and loss for such taxable year; and

 

   

an additional tax equal to the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed on the U.S. Holder in respect of the tax attributable to each such other taxable year of such U.S. Holder.

In general, a U.S. Holder may avoid the PFIC tax consequences described above in respect of public shares if it made a timely and valid QEF Election effective for the year in which it acquired the shares or, if the U.S. Holder made a QEF Election along with a purging election in a later year, to include in income its pro rata share of our net capital gains (as long-term capital gain) and other earnings and profits (as ordinary income), on a current basis, in each case whether or not distributed, in the taxable year of the U.S. Holder in which or with which our taxable year ends. One type of purging election creates a deemed sale of the U.S. Holder’s public shares at their then fair market value and requires the U.S. Holder to recognize gain pursuant to such purging election subject to the excess distribution regime described above. As a result of any such purging election, the U.S. Holder would increase the adjusted tax basis in its public shares by the amount of the gain recognized and, solely for purposes of the PFIC rules, would have a new holding period in its public shares.

If a U.S. Holder made a QEF Election with respect to public shares, any gain recognized on the sale of public shares generally will be taxable as capital gain and no additional tax or interest charge will be imposed under the PFIC rules. As discussed above, if we are a PFIC for any taxable year, a U.S. Holder of public shares that has made a QEF Election will be currently taxed on its pro rata share of our earnings and profits, whether or not distributed for such year. A subsequent distribution of such earnings and profits that were previously included in income generally should not be taxable when distributed to such U.S. Holder. The tax basis of a U.S. Holder’s shares in a QEF will be increased by amounts that are included in income, and decreased by amounts distributed but not taxed as dividends, under the above rules. In addition, if we are not a PFIC for any taxable year, such U.S. Holder will not be subject to the QEF inclusion regime with respect to public shares for such taxable year.

The QEF Election is made on a shareholder-by-shareholder basis and, once made, can be revoked only with the consent of the IRS. A U.S. Holder generally makes a QEF Election by attaching a completed IRS Form 8621

 

28


Table of Contents

(Information Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund), including the information provided in a PFIC Annual Information Statement, to a timely filed U.S. federal income tax return for the tax year to which the election relates. Retroactive QEF elections generally may be made only by filing a protective statement with such return and if certain other conditions are met or with the consent of the IRS. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a retroactive QEF election under their particular circumstances. In order to comply with the requirements of a QEF Election, a U.S. Holder must receive a PFIC Annual Information Statement from us. If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, upon written request, we will endeavor to provide to a U.S. Holder such information as the IRS may require, including a PFIC Annual Information Statement, in order to enable the U.S. Holder to make and maintain a QEF Election. However, there is no assurance that we will timely provide such required information or that we will continue to endeavor to provide such information following an initial business combination. There is also no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of our status as a PFIC in the future or of the required information to be provided.

Alternatively, if we are a PFIC and the public shares constitute “marketable stock,” a U.S. Holder may avoid the adverse PFIC tax consequences discussed above if such U.S. Holder, at the close of the first taxable year in which it holds (or is deemed to hold) public shares, made a mark-to-market election with respect to such shares. Such U.S. Holder generally will include for each of its taxable years as ordinary income the excess, if any, of the fair market value of its public shares at the end of such year over its adjusted basis in its public shares. The U.S. Holder also will recognize an ordinary loss in respect of the excess, if any, of its adjusted basis of its public shares over the fair market value of its public shares at the end of its taxable year (but only to the extent of the net amount of previously included income as a result of the mark-to-market election). The U.S. Holder’s basis in its public shares will be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss amounts, and any further gain recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition of its public shares will be treated as ordinary income. The mark-to-market election is available only for “marketable stock,” generally, stock that is regularly traded on a national securities exchange that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the NYSE, or on a foreign exchange or market that the IRS determines has rules sufficient to ensure that the market price represents a legitimate and sound fair market value. If made, a mark-to-market election would be effective for the taxable year for which the election was made and for all subsequent taxable years unless the public shares ceased to qualify as “marketable stock” for purposes of the PFIC rules or the IRS consented to the revocation of the election. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a mark-to-market election with respect to public shares under their particular circumstances.

A U.S. Holder that owns (or is deemed to own) shares in a PFIC during any taxable year of the U.S. Holder, may have to file an IRS Form 8621 (whether or not a QEF or market-to-market election is made) and such other information as may be required by the U.S. Treasury Department. Failure to do so, if required, will extend the statute of limitations until such required information is furnished to the IRS.

THE PFIC RULES ARE VERY COMPLEX AND ARE IMPACTED BY VARIOUS FACTORS IN ADDITION TO THOSE DESCRIBED ABOVE. ALL U.S. HOLDERS ARE URGED TO CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF THE PFIC RULES TO THE REDEMPTION OF PUBLIC SHARES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, WHETHER A QEF ELECTION, A PURGING ELECTION, A MARK-TO-MARKET ELECTION, OR ANY OTHER ELECTION IS AVAILABLE AND THE CONSEQUENCES TO THEM OF MAKING OR HAVING MADE ANY SUCH ELECTION, AND THE IMPACT OF ANY PROPOSED OR FINAL PFIC TREASURY REGULATIONS.

 

29


Table of Contents

Interests of our Sponsor, Directors and Officers

When you consider the recommendation of our Board, you should keep in mind that the Sponsor, our directors and officers have interests that may be different from, or in addition to, your interests as a shareholder. These interests include, among other things, the interests listed below:

 

   

If the Extension is not approved and we do not consummate an initial business combination by August 17, 2023, the 6,900,000 founder shares held by the Sponsor will be worthless (as the Sponsor has waived liquidation rights with respect to such shares), as will the 18,720,000 private placement warrants held by the Sponsor. The Sponsor paid $25,000 and $14,040,000 for such founder shares and private placement warrants, respectively.

 

   

Our directors and executive officers may continue to be directors and officers of any acquired business after the consummation of an initial business combination. As such, in the future they will receive any cash fees, stock options or stock awards that a post-business combination board of directors determines to pay to its directors and officers if they continue as directors and officers following such initial business combination.

 

   

The Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (except for our independent public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or by a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our IPO against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

Required Vote

The approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Approval of the Trust Amendment Proposal is a condition to the implementation of the Extension Amendment Proposal. The approval of the Trust Amendment Proposal requires the affirmative vote of holders of at least 65% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares.

Approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal is a condition to the implementation of the Trust Amendment Proposal. The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by August 17, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in accordance with the Articles, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our

 

30


Table of Contents

obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. We cannot assure you that the per share distribution from the Trust Account, if we liquidate, will not be less than $10.00 due to unforeseen claims of creditors. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, holders of our founder shares, all of which are currently held by the Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

The approval of both the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal are essential to the implementation of our Board’s plan to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. Therefore, our Board will abandon and not implement either amendment unless our shareholders approve both the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal.

This means that if one proposal is approved by the shareholders and the other proposal is not, neither proposal will take effect. Additionally, we will not proceed with the Extension if redemptions of our public shares would cause us to have less than $5,000,001 of net tangible assets following approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal.

In addition, the Sponsor, our directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates may purchase public shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the Trust Account will be used to purchase public shares in such transactions. Any such purchases that are completed after the record date for the Extraordinary General Meeting may include an agreement with a selling shareholder that such shareholder, for so long as it remains the record holder of the shares in question, will vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal and/or will not exercise its redemption rights with respect to the shares so purchased. The purpose of such share purchases and other transactions would be to increase the likelihood that the resolutions to be put to the Extraordinary General Meeting are approved by the requisite number of votes. In the event that such purchases do occur, the purchasers may seek to purchase shares from shareholders who would otherwise have voted against the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal and/or elected to redeem their shares for a portion of the Trust Account. Any such privately negotiated purchases may be effected at purchase prices that are below or in excess of the per-share pro rata portion of the Trust Account. Any public shares held by or subsequently purchased by our affiliates may be voted in favor of the Extension Amendment and the Trust Amendment proposals. The Sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates will be restricted from making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or during a restricted period under Regulation M under the Exchange Act.

The Board’s Reasons for the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposals and Its Recommendation

As discussed above, after careful consideration of all relevant factors, our Board has determined that the Extension Amendment and Trust Amendment are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. Our Board has approved and declared advisable adoption of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal, and recommends that you vote “FOR” such proposals.

Under the Articles, if our shareholders approve an amendment to the Articles that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem all of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by such date, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their ordinary shares upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. We believe that this provision of the Articles was included to protect our shareholders from having to sustain their investments for an unreasonably long period if we failed to find a suitable business combination in

 

31


Table of Contents

the timeframe contemplated by the Articles. In addition, approval of the Trust Amendment Proposal is a condition to the implementation of the Extension Amendment Proposal.

We believe that it is in the best interests of our shareholders to extend the date that we have to consummate a business combination to the Extended Date in order to allow us to enter into an initial business combination, our shareholders to then evaluate the initial business combination and for us to be able to potentially consummate the initial business combination. In addition, approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal is a condition to the implementation of the Trust Amendment Proposal.

After careful consideration of all relevant factors, our Board determined that the Extension Amendment and the Trust Amendment are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

Resolutions to be Voted Upon

The full text of the resolution to be proposed in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal is as set out in Annex A.

The full text of the resolution to be proposed in connection with the Trust Amendment Proposal is as follows:

“RESOLVED, with the approval of the affirmative vote of holders of at least 65% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of the Company, that the Company is authorized to enter into the Amendment No. 1 to the Investment Management Trust Agreement by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation, in the form set forth in Annex B to this Proxy Statement.”

Recommendation of the Board

Our Board unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” both the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal.

 

32


Table of Contents

THE ADJOURNMENT PROPOSAL

Overview

The Adjournment Proposal, if adopted, will allow our Board to adjourn the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates or indefinitely to permit further solicitation of proxies or if the Board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals. The Adjournment Proposal will only be presented to our shareholders in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Trust Amendment Proposal. In no event will our Board adjourn the Extraordinary General Meeting for more than 30 days.

Consequences if the Adjournment Proposal is Not Approved

If the Adjournment Proposal is not approved by our shareholders, our Board may not be able to adjourn the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal.

Resolution to be Voted Upon

The full text of the resolution to be proposed is as follows:

“RESOLVED, as an ordinary resolution, that the adjournment of the general meeting to a later date or dates or indefinitely to be determined by the chairman of the general meeting, if necessary, (i) to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies or (ii) if the Board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals be confirmed, ratified and approved in all respects.”

Vote Required for approval

The Adjournment Proposal must be approved as an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes, while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as a vote cast at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Recommendation of the Board

If presented, our Board unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” the approval of the Adjournment Proposal.

 

33


Table of Contents

BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of the ordinary shares as of July 25, 2023, based on information obtained from the persons named below, with respect to the beneficial ownership of shares of the ordinary shares, by:

 

   

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

 

   

each of our executive officers and directors; and

 

   

all our executive officers and directors as a group.

As of the record date, there were a total of 34,500,000 ordinary shares outstanding. Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all ordinary shares beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants as these are not exercisable within 60 days of July 25, 2023.    

 

     Class B ordinary shares     Class A ordinary shares        

Name of Beneficial Owners(1)

   Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned(2)
     Approximate
Percentage
of Class
    Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned(2)
     Approximate
Percentage
of Class
    Approximate
Percentage
of Ordinary
Shares
 

Kensington Capital Sponsor LLC (the Sponsor)(3)

     6,900,000        100.0     —          —         20.0

Justin Mirro(3)

     6,900,000        100.0     —          —         20.0

John Arney

     —          —         —          —         —    

Daniel Huber

     —          —         —          —         —    

Julian Ameler

     —          —         —          —         —    

Peter Goode

     —          —         —          —         —    

Anders Pettersson

     —          —         —          —         —    

Mitchell Quain

     —          —         —          —         —    

Mark Robertshaw

     —          —         —          —         —    

Nickolas Vande Steeg

     —          —         —          —         —    

William E. Kassling

     —          —         —          —         —    

Barclays PLC(4)

     —          —         1,963,364        7.1     5.7

Adage Capital Partners, L.P.(5)

     —          —         1,452,605        5.3     4.2

Highbridge Capital Management, LLC(6)

     —          —         2,531,966        9.2     7.3

All directors and executive officers as a group (ten individuals)

     6,900,000        100.0     —          —         20.0

 

(1)

Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following entities or individuals is c/o Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. V, 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 301, Westbury, New York 11590.

(2)

Unless otherwise noted, all shares are Class A ordinary Shares. Holders of Class A ordinary shares and holders of Class B ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders and vote together as a single class, except as required by law; provided that holders of our Class B ordinary shares have the right to elect all of our directors prior to our initial business combination and holders of our Class A ordinary shares are not entitled to vote on the election of directors during such time.

(3)

The Sponsor is the record holder of such shares. Justin Mirro, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, is the managing member of the managing member of the Sponsor. Consequently, such person may be deemed the beneficial owner of the shares held by the Sponsor and have voting and dispositive control over such securities. Such person disclaims beneficial ownership of any shares other than to the extent he may have a pecuniary interest therein, directly or indirectly. Each of our other officers and directors are non-managing members of our sponsor.

 

34


Table of Contents
(4)

Based solely on the Schedule 13G filed jointly by Barclays PLC and Barclays Bank PLC with the SEC on February 11, 2022, each of Barclays PLC and Barclays Bank PLC may be deemed to beneficially own 1,963,364 Class A ordinary shares. The address of the principal business office of each of the above reporting persons is 1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP, England.

(5)

Based solely on the Schedule 13G/A filed jointly by Adage Capital Partners, L.P., Adage Capital Partners GP, L.L.C., Adage Capital Advisors, L.L.C., Robert Atchinson and Phillip Gross with the SEC on February 10, 2022, each of the above reporting persons may be deemed to beneficially own 1,452,605 Class A ordinary shares. The address of the principal business office of each of the above reporting persons is 200 Clarendon Street, 52nd Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02116.

(6)

Based solely on the Schedule 13G/A filed by Highbridge Capital Management, LLC with the SEC on January 31, 2023, Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, the address of its business office is 277 Park Avenue, 23rd Floor, New York, New York 10172.

 

35


Table of Contents

HOUSEHOLDING INFORMATION

Unless we have received contrary instructions, we may send a single copy of this Proxy Statement to any household at which two or more shareholders reside if we believe the shareholders are members of the same family. This process, known as “householding,” reduces the volume of duplicate information received at any one household and helps to reduce our expenses. However, if shareholders prefer to receive multiple sets of our disclosure documents at the same address this year or in future years, the shareholders should follow the instructions described below. Similarly, if an address is shared with another shareholder and together both of the shareholders would like to receive only a single set of our disclosure documents, the shareholders should follow these instructions:

 

   

if the shares are registered in the name of the shareholder, the shareholder should contact us at our offices located at 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 301, Westbury, NY 11590; or

 

   

if a bank, broker or other nominee holds the shares, the shareholder should contact the bank, broker or other nominee directly.

 

36


Table of Contents

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC as required by the Exchange Act. You can read our SEC filings, including this Proxy Statement, at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

If you would like additional copies of this Proxy Statement or if you have questions about the proposals to be presented at the Extraordinary General Meeting, you should contact our proxy solicitor, Morrow Sodali, at the following address and telephone number:

Morrow Sodali LLC

333 Ludlow Street, 5th Floor, South Tower

Stamford, CT 06902

Individuals call toll-free (800) 662-5200

Banks and brokers call (203) 658-9400

Email: KCGI@investor.morrowsodali.com

You may also obtain these documents by requesting them in writing from us by addressing such request to us at Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. V, 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 301, Westbury, NY 11590, Attention: Secretary.

If you are a shareholder of the Company and would like to request documents, please do so by August 8, 2023 (one week prior to the meeting date), in order to receive them before the Extraordinary General Meeting. If you request any documents from us, we will mail them to you by first class mail, or another equally prompt means.

 

37


Table of Contents

ANNEX A

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS

TO THE

AMENDED AND RESTATED

MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

OF

KENSINGTON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. V

KENSINGTON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. V

(the “Company”)

RESOLUTIONS OF THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY

RESOLVED, as a special resolution THAT, effective immediately, the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company be amended by amending Article 49.7 by deleting the following introduction of such sub-section:

“In the event that the Company does not consummate a Business Combination within 12 months from the consummation of the IPO, or such later time as the Members may approve in accordance with the Articles, the Company shall:”

and replacing it with the following:

“In the event that the Company does not consummate a Business Combination by August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by the Board of Directors to be in the best interests of the Company, or such later time as the Members may approve in accordance with the Articles, the Company shall:”.

 

A-1


Table of Contents

ANNEX B

FORM OF AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT TRUST AGREEMENT

THIS AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO THE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT TRUST AGREEMENT (this “Amendment”) is made as of                , 2023, by and between Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. V, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation (the “Trustee”). Capitalized terms contained in this Amendment, but not specifically defined in this Amendment, shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Original Agreement (as defined below).

WHEREAS, on August 17, 2021, the Company consummated an initial public offering (the “Offering”) of units of the Company, each of which is composed of one of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (“Ordinary Shares”), and three-fourths of one warrant, each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Ordinary Share;

WHEREAS, $276,000,000 of the net proceeds of the Offering and sale of the Private Placement Warrants (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) were delivered to the Trustee to be deposited and held in the segregated Trust Account located in the United States for the benefit of the Company and the holders of Ordinary Shares included in the Units issued in the Offering pursuant to the investment management trust agreement made effective as of August 12, 2021, by and between the Company and the Trustee (the “Original Agreement”);

WHEREAS, the Company has sought the approval of the holders of its Ordinary Shares and holders of its Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class B Ordinary Shares”), at an extraordinary general meeting to: (i) extend the date before which the Company must complete a business combination from August 17, 2023 to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by the Board to be in the best interests of the Company (the “Extension Amendment”) and (ii) extend the date on which the Trustee must liquidate the Trust Account if the Company has not completed its initial business combination from August 17, 2023 to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company (the “Trust Amendment”);

WHEREAS, holders of at least sixty-five percent (65%) of the then issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Shares, voting together as a single class, approved the Trust Amendment;

WHEREAS, holders of at least two-thirds of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote at an extraordinary general meeting, voted at the extraordinary general meeting to approve the Extension Amendment; and

WHEREAS, the parties desire to amend the Original Agreement to, among other things, reflect amendments to the Original Agreement contemplated by the Trust Amendment.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Amendment to Trust Agreement. Section 1(i) of the Original Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety as follows:

“(i) Commence liquidation of the Trust Account only after and promptly after (x) receipt of, and only in accordance with, the terms of a letter from the Company (“Termination Letter”) in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as either Exhibit A or Exhibit B, as applicable, signed on behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary or Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) or other authorized officer of the Company, and complete the liquidation of the Trust Account and

 

B-1


Table of Contents

distribute the Property in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of any taxes payable and less up to $100,000 of interest that may be released to the Company to pay dissolution expenses, if applicable, it being understood that the Trustee has no obligation to monitor or question the Company’s position that an allocation has been made for taxes payable), only as directed in the Termination Letter and the other documents referred to therein, or (y) upon (i) August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company or (ii) such later date as may be approved by the Company’s shareholders in accordance with the Company’s Amended and Restate Memorandum and Articles of Association, as amended, if a Termination Letter has not been received by the Trustee prior to such date, in which case the Trust Account shall be liquidated in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Termination Letter attached as Exhibit B and the Property in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of any taxes payable and less up to $100,000 of interest that may be released to the Company to pay dissolution expenses, it being understood that the Trustee has no obligation to monitor or question the Company’s position that an allocation has been made for taxes payable), shall be distributed to the Public Shareholders of record as of such date; provided, however, that in the event the Trustee receives a Termination Letter in a form substantially similar to Exhibit B hereto, or if the Trustee begins to liquidate the Property because it has received no such Termination Letter by August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company, the Trustee shall keep the Trust Account open until twelve (12) months following the date the Property has been distributed to the Public Shareholders;”.

2. Miscellaneous Provisions.

2.1. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Amendment by or for the benefit of the Company or the Trustee shall bind and inure to the benefit of their permitted respective successors and assigns.

2.2. Severability. This Amendment shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Amendment or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Amendment a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be valid and enforceable.

2.3. Applicable Law. This Amendment shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

2.4. Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in several original or facsimile counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original, and together shall constitute but one instrument.

2.5. Effect of Headings. The section headings herein are for convenience only and are not part of this Amendment and shall not affect the interpretation thereof.

2.6. Entire Agreement. The Original Agreement, as modified by this Amendment, constitutes the entire understanding of the parties and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings, arrangements, promises and commitments, whether written or oral, express or implied, relating to the subject matter hereof, and all such prior agreements, understandings, arrangements, promises and commitments are hereby canceled and terminated.

[Signature page follows]

 

B-2


Table of Contents

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Trustee
By:    
 

Name:

 

Title:

 

Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. V
By:    
 

Name:

 

Title:

[Signature Page to Amendment to Investment Management Trust Agreement]

 

B-3


Table of Contents

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. PLEASE VOTE TODAY.

 

Vote by Internet – QUICK LOGO LOGO LOGO EASY

IMMEDIATE – 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week or by Mail

 

KENSINGTON CAPITAL

ACQUISITION CORP. V

 

 

PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THE PROXY CARD

IF YOU ARE VOTING ELECTRONICALLY.

Your Internet vote authorizes the named proxies to vote your shares in the same manner as if you marked, signed and returned your proxy card. Votes submitted electronically over the Internet must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on August 14, 2023.

 

LOGO

 

INTERNET –

www.cstproxyvote.com

  Use the Internet to vote your proxy. Have your proxy card available when you access the above website. Follow the prompts to vote your shares.

LOGO

  Vote at the Meeting –
  If you plan to attend the virtual online extraordinary general meeting, you will need your 12 digit control number to vote electronically at the extraordinary general meeting. To attend:
 

https://www.cstproxy.com/

kensington-v/2023.

LOGO

 

MAIL – Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope provided.

 

 
p FOLD HERE • DO NOT SEPARATE • INSERT IN ENVELOPE PROVIDED p

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” PROPOSAL 1, PROPOSAL 2

AND PROPOSAL 3

   Please mark your votes like this    LOGO

LOGO

Proposal 1 – Extension Amendment Proposal

Amend the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association to extend the date that the Company has to consummate a business combination from August 17, 2023 to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company pursuant to the following resolution:

“RESOLVED, as a special resolution THAT, effective immediately, the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company be amended by amending Article 49.7 by deleting the following introduction of such sub-section:

“In the event that the Company does not consummate a Business Combination within 12 months from the consummation of the IPO, or such later time as the Members may approve in accordance with the Articles, the Company shall:” and replacing it with the following:

“In the event that the Company does not consummate a Business Combination by August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by the Board of Directors to be in the best interests of the Company, or such later time as the Members may approve in accordance with the Articles, the Company shall:”.

 

LOGO

Proposal 2 – Trust Amendment Proposal

Amend the Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated August 12, 2021, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“Continental”), to extend the date on which Continental must liquidate the Trust Account established in connection with the Company’s initial public offering if the Company has not completed its initial business combination from August 17, 2023 to August 17, 2024 or such earlier date as is determined by our Board to be in the best interests of the Company pursuant to the following resolution:

“RESOLVED, with the approval of the affirmative vote of holders of at least 65% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of the Company, that the Company is authorized to enter into the Amendment No. 1 to the Investment Management Trust Agreement by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation, in the form set forth in Annex B to this Proxy Statement.”

Proposal 2 is conditioned on the approval of Proposal 1. If Proposal 2 is approved by the shareholders and Proposal 1 is not, neither proposal will take effect.

LOGO

Proposal 3 – Adjournment Proposal

Adjourn the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates or indefinitely, if necessary, (i) to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of Proposal 1 or Proposal 2 or (ii) if the Board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals pursuant to the following resolution:

“RESOLVED, as an ordinary resolution, that the adjournment of the general meeting to a later date or dates or indefinitely to be determined by the chairman of the general meeting, if necessary, (i) to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies or (ii) if the Board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals be confirmed, ratified and approved in all respects.”

 

Check here for address change and indicate the correct address below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTROL NUMBER

    

 

Signature___________________________ Signature, if held jointly_______________________________ Date_____________, 2023

Signature should agree with name printed hereon. If shares are held in the name of more than one person, EACH joint owner should sign. Executors, administrators, trustees, guardians and attorneys should indicate the capacity in which they sign. Attorneys should submit powers of attorney.


Table of Contents

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of

Proxy Materials for the Extraordinary General Meeting

to be held at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on August 15, 2023:

The Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting

and the accompanying Proxy Statement are available at

https://www.cstproxy.com/kensington-v/2023.

 

p FOLD HERE • DO NOT SEPARATE • INSERT IN ENVELOPE PROVIDED p

KENSINGTON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. V

THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING TO BE HELD AT

10:00 A.M. EASTERN TIME ON AUGUST 15, 2023

The undersigned, revoking any previous proxies relating to these shares with respect to the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Trust Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal hereby acknowledges receipt of the Notice and Proxy Statement, dated July 28, 2023, in connection with the Extraordinary General Meeting to be held at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on August 15, 2023, via live webcast at https://www.cstproxy.com/kensington-v/2023 and at the offices of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, One Battery Park Plaza, New York, NY 10004, unless postponed or adjourned to a later date, for the sole purpose of considering and voting upon the following proposals, and hereby appoints Justin Mirro and Daniel Huber, and each of them (with full power to act alone), the attorneys and proxies of the undersigned, with power of substitution to each, to vote all of the ordinary shares of Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. V (the “Company”) registered in the name provided, which the undersigned is entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, and at any adjournments thereof, with all the powers the undersigned would have if personally present. Without limiting the general authorization hereby given, said proxies are, and each of them is, instructed to vote or act as follows on the proposals set forth on the reverse side.

THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS PROXY WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED WILL BE VOTED IN THE MANNER DIRECTED HEREIN BY THE UNDERSIGNED SHAREHOLDER. IF YOU RETURN A SIGNED AND DATED PROXY BUT NO DIRECTION IS MADE, YOUR ORDINARY SHARES WILL BE VOTED “FOR” THE PROPOSALS SET FORTH BELOW. PLEASE MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE PROXY CARD PROMPTLY.

(Continued and to be marked, dated and signed on reverse side)


Kensington Capital Acqui... (NYSE:KCGI)
Historical Stock Chart
From Nov 2024 to Dec 2024 Click Here for more Kensington Capital Acqui... Charts.
Kensington Capital Acqui... (NYSE:KCGI)
Historical Stock Chart
From Dec 2023 to Dec 2024 Click Here for more Kensington Capital Acqui... Charts.