BACKGROUND
We are a blank check company incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on July 27, 2020 for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this proxy statement as our initial business combination. While we may pursue our initial business combination target in any stage of its corporate evolution or in any industry or sector, we are focusing our search on companies with favorable growth prospects and attractive returns on invested capital.
On November 24, 2020, we consummated our IPO of 11,500,000 units, including the issuance of 1,500,000 units as a result of the underwriters’ full exercise of their over-allotment option. Each unit consists of one share of Class A common stock and three-fourths of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. The units were sold at an offering price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds, before expenses, of $115,000,000. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
Simultaneously with the closing of our IPO, we consummated the sale of 6,481,550 private placement warrants, at $1.00 per private placement warrant, to our Sponsor, generating gross proceeds of $6,481,550.
Transaction costs incurred in connection with our IPO amounted to $1,260,000 in cash and $1,040,000 in the form of 104,000 Units at $10.00 per in underwriting discounts and incurred offering costs of approximately $529,972. In addition, the Underwriters agreed to defer approximately $4,025,000 in underwriting discounts, which amount will be payable when and if a business combination is consummated. The warrants were issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“CST”), as warrant agent, and us.
Following the closing of the IPO on November 24, 2020, an amount of $117,848,550 ($10.00 per unit) from the net proceeds of the sale of the units in the IPO and the sale of the private placement warrants was placed in a trust account (the “Trust Account”), which have been invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), with a maturity of 180 days or less or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund meeting the conditions of Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act. Based upon the amount in the Trust Account as of March 31, 2023, which was approximately $5,773,022 million, we anticipate that the per-share price at which public shares will be redeemed from cash held in the Trust Account will be approximately $[•] at the time of the Special Meeting.
The funds in the Trust Account were previously held only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. government treasury obligations and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. However, to mitigate the risk of us being deemed to have been operating as an unregistered investment company (including under the subjective test of Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended), prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement relating to our initial public offering, we instructed Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the Trust Account, to liquidate the U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds held in the Trust Account and 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, we will likely receive minimal interest, if any, on the funds held in the Trust Account, which would reduce the dollar amount our public stockholders would receive upon any redemption or liquidation of the Company.
Our Sponsor, directors and officers have interests in the proposals that may be different from, or in addition to, your interests as a stockholder. These interests include, among other things, direct or indirect ownership of Class B common stock and warrants that may become exercisable in the future. See the section entitled “The Special Meeting — Interests of our Sponsor, Directors and Officers”.
On the record date of the Special Meeting, there were 3,487,456 shares of common stock outstanding, of which 612,456 were public shares and 2,875,000 were shares of Class B common stock. The Class B common stock carry voting rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal, and we have been informed by our Sponsor, officers, directors, and/or their affiliates,