Attached files
file | filename |
---|---|
EX-5.1 - EX-5.1 - Garnero Group Acquisition Co | d31445_ex5-1.htm |
EX-10.8 - EX-10.8 - Garnero Group Acquisition Co | d31445_ex10-8.htm |
EX-23.1 - EX-23.1 - Garnero Group Acquisition Co | d31445_ex23-1.htm |
As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
June 19, 2014
Registration No. 333-196117
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
AMENDMENT NO. 2 TO
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
GARNERO GROUP ACQUISITION COMPANY
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its
constitutional documents)
Cayman Islands |
6770 |
N/A |
||||||||
(State
or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
Av Brig. Faria Lima
1485-19 Andar
Brasilinvest Plaza CEP 01452-002
Sao Paulo
Brazil
(55) 1130947970
1485-19 Andar
Brasilinvest Plaza CEP 01452-002
Sao Paulo
Brazil
(55) 1130947970
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of registrants principal executive offices)
Mario Garnero, Chief Executive Officer
Garnero Group Acquisition Company
Av Brig. Faria Lima
1485-19 Andar
Brasilinvest Plaza CEP 01452-002
Sao Paulo
Brazil
(55) 1130947970
Garnero Group Acquisition Company
Av Brig. Faria Lima
1485-19 Andar
Brasilinvest Plaza CEP 01452-002
Sao Paulo
Brazil
(55) 1130947970
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone
number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
David Alan Miller, Esq. Jeffrey M. Gallant, Esq. Graubard Miller The Chrysler Building 405 Lexington Avenue New York, New York 10174 (212) 818-8800 (212) 818-8881 Facsimile |
Robert J. Mittman, Esq. Brad L. Shiffman, Esq. Blank Rome LLP The Chrysler Building 405 Lexington Avenue New York, New York 10174 (212) 885-5000 (212) 885-5001 Facsimile |
---|
Approximate date of commencement of
proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.
If any of the securities being
registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following
box. þ
If this Form is filed to register
additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a post-effective
amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of
the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a post-effective
amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of
the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
Indicate by check mark whether the
registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of
large accelerated filer, accelerated filer and smaller reporting company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check
one):
Large
accelerated filer o |
Accelerated filer o |
|||||
Non-accelerated filer þ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) |
Smaller reporting company o |
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of each Class of Security being registered |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1) |
Amount of Registration Fee |
||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Units, each
consisting of one Ordinary Share, $.0001 par value, one Right and one Warrant(2) |
$ | 143,750,000 | $ | 18,515 | ||||||
Ordinary Shares
included as part of the Units(2) |
| | ||||||||
Rights included
as part of the Units |
| | ||||||||
Warrants
included as part of the Units(2) |
| | ||||||||
Shares
underlying Rights included as part of Units |
| | ||||||||
Representatives Unit Purchase Option |
$ | 100 | | |||||||
Units underlying
the Representatives Unit Purchase Option (Representatives Units) |
$ | 12,500,000 | $ | 1,610 | ||||||
Ordinary Shares
included as part of the Representatives Units |
| | ||||||||
Rights included
as part of a Representatives Units |
| | ||||||||
Warrants
included as part of the Representatives Units |
| | ||||||||
Shares
underlying Rights included as part of Representatives Units |
| | ||||||||
Total
|
$ | 156,250,100 | $ | 20,125.00 | (3) |
(1) |
Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o). |
(2) |
Includes Units and Ordinary Shares, Warrants and Rights underlying such Units which may be issued on exercise of a 45-day option granted to the Underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any. |
(3) |
The filing fee has previously been paid. |
The registrant
hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a
further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the
Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a),
may determine.
The information in this preliminary prospectus is not
complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is
effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer
or sale is not permitted.
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
|
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, JUNE 19, 2014 |
$125,000,000
Garnero Group Acquisition Company
12,500,000 Units
Garnero Group
Acquisition Company is a Cayman Islands exempted company incorporated as a blank check company for the purpose of entering into a merger, share
exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities.
Our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region of the world although we
initially intend to focus on target businesses located in Latin America (with a particular emphasis on Brazil) or Europe operating in the energy
(including renewables) and biotechnology industries or target businesses in such industries operating outside of those geographic locations which we
believe would benefit from expanding their operations to such locations. We do not have any specific business combination under consideration and we
have not (nor has anyone on our behalf), directly or indirectly, contacted any prospective target business or had any discussions, formal or otherwise,
with respect to such a transaction.
This is an initial public offering of
our securities. Each unit that we are offering has a price of $10.00 and consists of one ordinary share, one right to receive one-tenth (1/10) of an
ordinary share automatically on the consummation of an initial business combination and one warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder thereof to
purchase one-half of one ordinary share. We will not issue fractional shares. As a result, you must exercise warrants in multiples of two warrants, at
a price of $11.50 per full share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus, to validly exercise your warrants. Each warrant will become
exercisable on the later of the completion of an initial business combination or 12 months from the date of this prospectus, and will expire five years
after the completion of an initial business combination, or earlier upon redemption.
We have granted EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.,
the representative of the underwriters, a 45-day option to purchase up to 1,875,000 units (over and above the 12,500,000 units referred to above)
solely to cover over-allotments, if any.
An affiliate of Mario Garnero, our
Chief Executive Officer, and EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) have committed to purchase from us an aggregate of 563,750 units (501,250 units by
Mr. Garneros affiliate and 62,500 units by EarlyBirdCapital), or private units, at $10.00 per unit (for a total purchase price of
$5,637,500). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. This affiliate and
EarlyBirdCapital have also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, they will purchase from us at a price of $10.00
per unit an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 70,313 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option
exercised so that at least $10.05 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is
exercised in full or part. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of
units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. All of the proceeds we receive from these purchases will be placed in the trust
account.
There is presently no public market for
our units, ordinary shares, rights or warrants. We have applied to have our units listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol
GGACU on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. The
ordinary shares, rights and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 90th day after the date of this prospectus unless
EarlyBirdCapital determines that an earlier date is acceptable, subject to our filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, or SEC, containing an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering and issuing a press release
announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the ordinary shares, rights and
warrants will be traded on Nasdaq under the symbols GGAC, GGACR and GGACW, respectively. We cannot assure you that
our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq after this offering.
We are an emerging growth
company as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting
requirements.
Investing in our securities involves
a high degree of risk. See Risk Factors beginning on page 19 of this prospectus for a discussion of information that should be considered
in connection with an investment in our securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange
Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or
complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
No offer or invitation to subscribe
for units may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands.
Public Offering Price |
Underwriting Discount and Commissions(1) |
Proceeds, Before Expenses, to us |
||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Per unit
|
$ | 10.00 | $ | 0.325 | $ | 9.675 | ||||||||
Total
|
$ | 125,000,000 | $ | 4,062,500 | $ | 120,937,500 |
(1) |
Please see the section titled Underwriting for further information relating to the underwriting arrangements agreed to between us and the underwriters in this offering. |
Upon consummation of the offering,
$10.05 per unit sold to the public in this offering (whether or not the over-allotment option has been exercised in full or part) will be deposited
into a United States-based account at Barclays, maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee. Except as
described in this prospectus, these funds will not be released to us until the earlier of the completion of our initial business combination and our
liquidation upon our failure to consummate a business combination within the required time period.
We are offering the units for sale on a
firm-commitment basis. EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., acting as representative of the underwriters, expects to deliver our securities to investors in the
offering on or about ____________, 2014.
EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.
Sole Book-Running Manager
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. |
Aegis Capital Corp |
I-Bankers Securities, Inc. |
_______________, 2014
GARNERO GROUP ACQUISITION COMPANY
Page |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ||||||
18 | ||||||
19 | ||||||
37 | ||||||
38 | ||||||
42 | ||||||
43 | ||||||
45 | ||||||
46 | ||||||
50 | ||||||
64 | ||||||
71 | ||||||
74 | ||||||
77 | ||||||
87 | ||||||
89 | ||||||
99 | ||||||
104 | ||||||
104 | ||||||
105 | ||||||
F-1 |
This summary highlights certain
information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. For a more complete understanding of this offering, you should read the entire prospectus
carefully, including the risk factors and the financial statements. Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus:
|
we, us or our company refers to Garnero Group Acquisition Company; |
|
initial shareholders refers to all of our shareholders immediately prior to the date of this prospectus, including all of our officers and directors to the extent they hold such shares; |
|
insider shares refers to the 3,593,750 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders prior to this offering (including up to an aggregate of 468,750 ordinary shares subject to compulsory repurchase by us to the extent that the underwriters over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part); |
|
private units refer to the units we are selling privately to an affiliate of Mario Garnero, our Chief Executive Officer, and EarlyBirdCapital (and/or their designees) upon consummation of this offering and references to private shares, private rights and private warrants refers to the ordinary shares, rights and warrants included within the private units; |
|
US Dollars and $ refer to the legal currency of the United States; |
|
Companies Law refers to the Companies Law (2013 Revision) of the Cayman Islands as the same may be amended from time to time; |
|
the term public shareholders means the holders of the ordinary shares which are being sold as part of the units in this public offering (whether they are purchased in the public offering or in the aftermarket), including any of our initial shareholders to the extent that they purchase such shares; and |
|
the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option. |
You should rely only on the
information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of these
securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.
We are a Cayman Islands company
incorporated on February 11, 2014 as an exempted company with limited liability. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies wishing to conduct
business outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Law. As an exempted company, we
have applied for and received a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with section 6 of the Tax Concessions
Law (2011 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 20 years from the date of the undertaking, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands
imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations shall apply to us or our operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied
on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax shall be payable (i) on or in respect of our
shares, debentures or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of dividend or other distribution of income
or capital by us to our shareholders or a payment of principal or interest or other sums due under a debenture or other obligation of
us.
We were formed for the purpose of
entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with one or
more businesses or entities, which we refer to as a target business. While our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not
necessarily be limited to a particular industry or geographic region of the world, we initially intend to focus our search on target businesses located
in Latin America (with a particular emphasis on Brazil) or Europe operating in the energy (including renewables) and biotechnology industries or target
businesses in such industries operating outside of those geographic locations which we believe would benefit from expanding their operations to such
locations.
1
We do not have any specific business
combination under consideration and we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf), directly or indirectly, contacted any prospective target business or
had any discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to such a transaction.
We will have until 21 months from the
date of this prospectus (or 24 months from the date of this prospectus if we have executed a definitive agreement for an initial business combination
within 21 months from the date of this prospectus but have not completed the initial business combination within such 21-month period) to consummate
our initial business combination. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within such time period, we will liquidate the trust
account and distribute the proceeds held therein to our public shareholders and dissolve. If we are forced to liquidate, we anticipate that we would
distribute to our public shareholders the amount in the trust account calculated as of the date that is two days prior to the distribution date
(including any accrued interest). Prior to such distribution, we would be required to assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us by
our creditors for amounts they are actually owed and make provision for such amounts, as creditors take priority over our public shareholders with
respect to amounts that are owed to them. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. As
such, our shareholders could potentially be liable for any claims of creditors to the extent of distributions received by them as an unlawful payment
in the event we enter an insolvent liquidation.
Pursuant to the Nasdaq listing rules,
our initial business combination must be with a target business or businesses whose collective fair market value is at least equal to 80% of the
balance in the trust account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for such business combination, although this may entail
simultaneous acquisitions of several target businesses. The fair market value of the target will be determined by our board of directors based upon one
or more standards generally accepted by the financial community (such as actual and potential sales, earnings, cash flow and/or book value). The target
business or businesses that we acquire may have a collective fair market value substantially in excess of 80% of the trust account
balance.
We are not required to obtain an
opinion from an unaffiliated third party that the target business we select has a fair market value in excess of at least 80% of the balance of the
trust account unless our board of directors cannot make such determination on its own. We are also not required to obtain an opinion from an
unaffiliated third party indicating that the price we are paying is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view unless the target is
affiliated with our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates.
We currently anticipate structuring our
initial business combination to acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our
initial business combination where we merge directly with the target business or where we acquire less than 100% of such interests or assets of the
target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such
business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise
acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company
Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of
the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on
valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a
substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling
interest in the target; however, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial
business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the
equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, only the portion of such business
or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test.
2
Management Operating and Investing
Experience
We believe that our executive officers
and directors possess the experience, skills and contacts necessary to source, evaluate, and execute an attractive business combination. Additionally,
members of our board of directors have significant professional relationships with the governmental, legislative, and diplomatic communities. We intend
to leverage these contacts and relationships of our executive officers and directors to source, evaluate and execute business combination
opportunities. Specifically:
|
Mario Garnero, our Chief Executive Officer, founded the Brasilinvest Group, a merchant bank based in Brazil, in 1975. Brasilinvest Group has attracted direct investments to Brazil of approximately $16 billion and gathered partners and business associates from 28 different countries. |
|
Javier Riva, our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Investment Officer, previously was the Executive Director of Guggenheim Partners LLC, a global financial services firm with more than $190 billion in assets under management. |
|
John Tonelli is the Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Global Investments, Ltd., a private investment-company with holdings in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. |
|
Amir Adnani is the co-founder of Uranium Energy Corp., a company engaged in uranium mining and related activities, including exploration, pre-extraction, extraction and processing, on uranium projects located in the United States and Paraguay, and serves as its President, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer and is a member of the board of directors. |
|
Nelson Filho is the Director of the Agencia Nacional do Petróleo, or ANP, the Brazilian regulatory agency for the oil, natural gas and biofuels industry. |
Our executive officers and directors
have strong reputations in the business community and long-term relationships with senior executives and decision-makers. We believe that these
relationships will provide us with an important advantage in sourcing and structuring potential business combinations. For a complete discussion of the
experience and background of our officers and directors, see the section titled Management Directors and Executive
Officers.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, none of
our officers or directors has been a principal of a public company that completed a business plan similar to our business plan. Accordingly, there is
no assurance that we will be able to complete an initial business combination. Furthermore, the past successes of our executive officers and directors
do not guarantee that we will successfully consummate an initial business combination.
As more fully discussed in
Management Conflicts of Interest, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity
that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he has pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations, he may be required to present
such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us. All of our officers and directors
currently have certain pre-existing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations.
Emerging Growth Company Status
We are an emerging growth company as
defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (which we refer to herein as the JOBS Act) and will remain such for up to five years.
However, if our non-convertible debt issued within a three-year period or our total revenues exceed $1 billion or the market value of our ordinary
shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million on the last day of the second fiscal quarter of any given fiscal year, we would cease to be
an emerging growth company as of the following fiscal year. As an emerging growth company, we have elected, under Section 107(b) of the JOBS Act, to
take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, for
complying with new or revised accounting standards.
Private Placements
In February and March 2014, our initial
shareholders purchased an aggregate of 3,593,750 ordinary shares, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as the insider shares, for
an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.01 per share. The insider shares held by our initial shareholders include
an
3
aggregate of up to 468,750 shares subject to compulsory repurchase for an aggregate purchase price of $0.01 to the extent that the underwriters over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that our initial shareholders will collectively own 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (excluding the sale of the private units and assuming our initial shareholders do not purchase units in this offering). None of our initial shareholders has indicated any intention to purchase units in this offering.
The insider shares are identical to the
ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering. However, our initial shareholders have agreed (A) to vote their insider shares (as
well as any public shares acquired in or after this offering) in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of,
an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association with respect to our pre-business combination activities prior to the
consummation of such a business combination, (C) not to convert any insider shares (as well as any other shares acquired in or after this offering)
into the right to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination or a
vote to amend the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to shareholders rights or pre-business
combination activity and (D) that the insider shares shall not participate in any liquidating distribution upon winding up if a business combination is
not consummated. Additionally, our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the insider shares (except to certain
permitted transferees) until (1) with respect to 50% of the insider shares, the earlier of one year after the date of the consummation of our initial
business combination and the date on which the closing price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $13.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits,
share dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business
combination and (2) with respect to the remaining 50% of the insider shares, one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business
combination, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we consummate a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or
other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other
property.
In addition, an affiliate of Mario
Garnero, our Chief Executive Officer, and EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) have committed to purchase an aggregate of 563,750 private units at a
price of $10.00 per unit ($5,637,500 in the aggregate) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. This
affiliate and EarlyBirdCapital have also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, they will purchase from us at a
price of $10.00 per unit an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 70,313 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment
option exercised so that at least $10.05 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option
is exercised in full or part. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase
of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The proceeds from the private placement of the private units will be added to the
proceeds of this offering and placed in an account in the United States at Barclays, maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust
Company, as trustee.
The private units are identical to the
units sold in this offering except the private warrants will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they
continue to be held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees. Additionally, the holders have agreed (A) to vote their private shares in
favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association with respect to our pre-business combination activities prior to the consummation of such a business combination, (C) not to convert any
private shares into the right to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve our proposed initial business
combination or a vote to amend the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to shareholders rights
or pre-business combination activity and (D) that the private shares shall not participate in any liquidating distribution upon winding up if a
business combination is not consummated. The purchasers have also agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private units or underlying
securities (except to the same permitted transferees as the insider shares and provided the transferees agree to the same terms and restrictions as the
permitted transferees of the insider shares must agree to, each as described above) until the completion of our initial business
combination.
4
The holders of our insider shares
issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private units (and all underlying securities) and any securities
issued to our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates in payment of working capital loans made to us as described in this
prospectus, will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The
holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the
insider shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these ordinary shares are
to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the private units and securities issued in payment of working capital loans (or underlying
securities) can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time after we consummate a business combination. In addition, the holders have
certain piggy-back registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of a business
combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
We have also agreed to sell to
EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees), for $100, an option to purchase up to a total of 1,250,000 units exercisable at $10.00 per unit (or an
aggregate exercise price of $12,500,000) commencing on the later of the consummation of a business combination and one year from the date of this
prospectus. Since the option is not exercisable until at the earliest the consummation of a business combination, and the rights included in the units
will automatically entitle the holder to receive ordinary shares upon consummation of a business combination, the option will effectively represent the
right to purchase 1,375,000 ordinary shares (which includes the 125,000 ordinary shares that will be issued for the rights included in the units) and
1,250,000 warrants to purchase 625,000 shares at $11.50 per full share, for $12,500,000.
Our principal executive offices are
located at Av Brig. Faria Lima, 1485-19 Andar, Brasilinvest Plaza CEP 01452-002, Sao Paulo, Brazil and our telephone number is (55)
1130947970.
5
The Offering
In making your decision on whether
to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the backgrounds of the members of our management team, but also the special risks we
face as a blank check company and the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act.
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. You should carefully consider these and the
other risks set forth in the section below entitled Risk Factors beginning on page 19 of this prospectus.
Securities
offered |
12,500,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of one ordinary share, one right and one warrant |
|||||
Each
right entitles the holder to automatically receive one-tenth (1/10) of a share upon consummation of our initial business combination. Each warrant
entitles the holder thereof to purchase one-half of one ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per full share, subject to adjustment as described in this
prospectus. |
||||||
This
is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include one share and one warrant to purchase one share. Our management believes that
investors in similarly structured blank check offerings, and those likely to invest in this offering, have come to expect the units of such companies
to include one share and one or more other securities which would allow the holders to acquire additional shares. Without the ability to acquire such
additional shares, our management believes that investors would not be willing to purchase units in such companies initial public offerings. In
this offering, by offering rights as part of the units that automatically entitle the holder to receive only one-tenth of a share and warrants that
entitle the holder to purchase one-half of one share, as opposed to warrants included in units of similarly structured blank check offerings that most
often entitle the holder to receive a full share, our management believes we have reduced the number of shares that we would be obligated to issue
after the offering. This unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if they included a warrant to purchase one full share. Furthermore,
no fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. Accordingly, unless you acquire at least two warrants, you will not be able to
receive a share upon exercise of your warrants. |
||||||
Listing of
our securities and proposed symbols |
We
anticipate the units, and the ordinary shares, rights and warrants once they begin separate trading, will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols
GGACU, GGAC GGACR and GGACW, respectively. |
|||||
Each
of the ordinary shares, rights and warrants may trade separately on the 90th day after the date of this prospectus unless EarlyBirdCapital determines
that an earlier date is acceptable (based upon, among other things, its assessment of the relative strengths of the |
6
securities markets and small capitalization and blank check companies in general, and the trading pattern of, and demand for, our securities
in particular). In no event will EarlyBirdCapital allow separate trading of the ordinary shares, rights and warrants until we file an audited balance
sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering. |
||||||
Once
the ordinary shares, rights and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into
the component pieces. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into separately trading
ordinary shares, rights and warrants. |
||||||
We
will file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC, including an audited balance sheet, promptly upon the consummation of this offering, which is
anticipated to take place three business days from the date the units commence trading. The audited balance sheet will reflect our receipt of the
proceeds from the exercise of the over-allotment option if the over-allotment option is exercised on the date of this prospectus. If the over-allotment
option is exercised after the date of this prospectus, we will file an amendment to the Form 8-K or a new Form 8-K to provide updated financial
information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. We will also include in the Form 8-K, or amendment thereto, or in a subsequent Form
8-K, information indicating if EarlyBirdCapital has allowed separate trading of the ordinary shares, rights and warrants prior to the 90th day after
the date of this prospectus. |
||||||
Ordinary
shares: |
||||||
Number
outstanding before this offering |
3,593,750 shares1 |
|||||
Number to
be outstanding after this offering and sale of private units |
16,188,750 shares2 |
|||||
Warrants: |
||||||
Number
outstanding before this offering |
0
warrants |
|||||
Number to
be outstanding after this offering and sale of private units |
13,063,750 warrants |
|||||
Exercisability |
Each
warrant is exercisable for one-half of one ordinary share. Because the warrants may only be exercised for whole numbers of shares, only an even number
of warrants may be exercised at any given time. |
1 |
This number includes an aggregate of up to 468,750 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders that are subject to compulsory repurchase by us if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters in full. |
2 |
Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 468,750 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders have been compulsorily repurchased by us. |
7
Exercise
price |
$11.50 per whole share. No public warrants will be exercisable for cash unless we have an effective and current registration statement
covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to such ordinary shares. It is our current
intention to have an effective and current registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current
prospectus relating to such ordinary shares in effect promptly following consummation of an initial business combination. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the public warrants is not effective within 90 days
following the consummation of our initial business combination, public warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration
statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis
pursuant to an available exemption from registration under the Securities Act. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering
the warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying
the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the fair market value (defined below) by (y) the
fair market value. The fair market value shall mean the average reported last sale price of the ordinary shares for the 10 trading days
ending on the day prior to the date of exercise. For example, if a holder held 300 warrants to purchase 150 shares and the fair market value on the
date prior to exercise was $15.00, that holder would receive 35 shares without the payment of any additional cash consideration. If an exemption from
registration is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. |
|||||
Exercise
period |
The
warrants will become exercisable on the later of the completion of an initial business combination or 12 months from the date of this prospectus. The
warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the fifth anniversary of our completion of an initial business combination, or earlier upon
redemption. |
|||||
Redemption |
We
may redeem the outstanding warrants (excluding the private warrants but including any outstanding warrants issued upon exercise of the unit purchase
option issued to EarlyBirdCapital), in whole and not in part, at a price of $0.01 per warrant: |
|||||
at any time while the warrants are exercisable, |
8
upon a minimum of 30 days prior written notrice of redemption, |
||||||
if, and only if, the last sales price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $21.00 per share for any 20 trading days
within a 30 trading day period ending three business days before we send the notice of redemption, and |
||||||
if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the ordinary shares underlying such
warrants at the time of redemption and for the entire 30-day trading period referred to above and continuing each day thereafter until the date of
redemption. |
||||||
If
the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption, each warrant holder can exercise his, her or its warrant prior to the
scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the ordinary shares may fall below the $21.00 trigger price as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise
price after the redemption notice is issued. |
||||||
The
redemption criteria for our warrants have been established at a price which is intended to provide warrant holders a reasonable premium to the initial
exercise price and provide a sufficient differential between the then-prevailing share price and the warrant exercise price so that if the share price
declines as a result of our redemption call, the redemption will not cause the share price to drop below the exercise price of the
warrants. |
||||||
If we
call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so
on a cashless basis. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of ordinary
shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the
difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the fair market value (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The
fair market value shall mean the average reported last sale price of the ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third
trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. Whether we will exercise our option to require all
holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis will depend on a variety of factors including the price of our ordinary shares at
the time the warrants are called for redemption, our cash needs at such time and concerns regarding dilutive share issuances. |
9
Rights: |
||||||
Number
outstanding before this offering |
0
rights |
|||||
Number to be
outstanding after this offering and sale of private units |
13,063,750 rights |
|||||
Terms of
the Rights |
Each
holder of a right will automatically receive one-tenth (1/10) of a share upon consummation of our initial business combination. If we are unable to
complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we redeem the public shares for the funds held in the trust account,
holders of rights will not receive any of such funds for their rights and the rights will expire worthless. Because we will only issue a whole number
of shares, you will not receive any fractional shares to the extent the number of rights held by you upon consummation of our initial business
combination is not divisible by ten. |
|||||
Offering
proceeds to be held in trust |
$119,987,500 of the net proceeds of this offering (or $138,128,125 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), plus the $5,637,500 we
will receive from the sale of the private units (or $6,340,625 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), for an aggregate of $125,625,000 (or
an aggregate of $144,468,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), or $10.05 per unit sold to the public in this offering (regardless of
whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part) will be placed in a trust account at Barclays in the United States,
maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee pursuant to an agreement to be signed on the date of this prospectus.
The remaining $475,000 of net proceeds of this offering will not be held in the trust account. |
|||||
Except as set forth below, the proceeds in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of the completion of an initial business
combination within the required time period or our entry into liquidation if we have not completed a business combination in the required time period.
Therefore, unless and until an initial business combination is consummated, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be available for our use
for any expenses related to this offering or expenses which we may incur related to the investigation and selection of a target business and the
negotiation of an agreement to acquire a target business. |
||||||
Notwithstanding the foregoing, there can be released to us from the trust account (i) any interest earned on the funds in the trust account
that we need to pay our income or other tax obligations and (ii) up to an additional $500,000 of any remaining interest earned on the
funds |
10
in
the trust account that we need for our working capital requirements. With these exceptions, expenses incurred by us may be paid prior to a business
combination only from the net proceeds of this offering not held in the trustaccount (estimated to initially be $475,000); provided, however, that in
order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering if the funds not held in the trust account and interest earned on
the funds held in the trust account available to us are insufficient, our initial shareholders, officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are
not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be
evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the
lenders discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private units at a
price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 55,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted
since the 50,000 rights included in the private units would result in the issuance of 5,000 ordinary shares upon the closing of our business
combination, as well as 50,000 warrants to purchase 25,000 shares). Our shareholders have approved the issuance of the units (and underlying
securities) upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert them at the time of the consummation of our initial business
combination. If we do not complete a business combination, the loans would not be repaid. |
||||||
Limited
payments to insiders |
Prior
to the consummation of a business combination, there will be no fees, reimbursements or other cash payments paid to our initial shareholders, officers,
directors or their affiliates prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of a business combination (regardless
of the type of transaction that it is) other than: |
|||||
repayment at the closing of this offering of a $125,000 non-interest loan made by Brasilinvest International LLC, an
affiliate of Mario Garnero, our Chief Executive Officer; |
||||||
payment of $10,000 per month to Brasilinvest Group, another affiliate of Mario Garnero, for office space and related
services; and |
||||||
reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as
identifying and investigating possible business targets and business combinations. |
11
There
is no limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us; provided, however, that to the extent such expenses exceed the available
proceeds not deposited in the trust account and the interest income earned on the amounts held in the trust account available to us, suchexpenses would
not be reimbursed by us unless we consummate an initial business combination. Our audit committee will review and approve all reimbursements and
payments made to any initial shareholder or member of our management team, or our or their respective affiliates, and any reimbursements and payments
made to members of our audit committee will be reviewed and approved by our Board of Directors, with any interested director abstaining from such
review and approval. |
||||||
Shareholder
approval of initial business combination |
In
connection with any proposed initial business combination, we will seek shareholder approval of such initial business combination at a meeting called
for such purpose at which shareholders may seek to convert their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business
combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, less any taxes then due but not yet paid
(initially anticipated to be $10.05 per share). We will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least
$5,000,001 upon such consummation and a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business
combination. |
|||||
We
have determined not to consummate any business combination unless we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation in order to
avoid being subject to Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. However, if we seek to consummate a
business combination with a target business that imposes any type of working capital closing condition or requires us to have a minimum amount of funds
available from the trust account upon consummation of such business combination, the net tangible asset requirement may limit our ability to consummate
such a business combination and may force us to seek third party financing which may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all. As a result,
we may not be able to consummate such business combination and we may not be able to locate another suitable target within the applicable time period,
if at all. |
||||||
Our
initial shareholders have agreed (i) to vote their insider shares, private shares and any public shares purchased in or after this offering in favor of
any proposed business combination and (ii) not to convert any shares (including the insider shares) in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a
proposed initial business |
12
combination. None of our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates has indicated any intention to purchase units in this
offering or any units or ordinary shares in the open market or in private transactions. However, if a significant number of shareholders vote, or
indicate an intention to vote, against a proposed businesscombination, our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates could make
such purchases in the open market or in private transactions in order to influence the vote. There is no limit on the amount of shares that may be
purchased by the insiders. Any purchases would be made in compliance with federal securities laws, including the fact that all material information
will be made public prior to such purchase, and no purchases would be made if such purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the
Exchange Act, which are rules designed to stop potential manipulation of a companys stock. |
||||||
If
the business combination is not consummated, public shareholders will not be entitled to convert their shares. Public shareholders who convert their
shares will still receive one tenth of a share for each right held (provided that we will not issue any fractional shares to the extent that the number
of rights held by a holder is not divisible by ten) and continue to have the right to exercise any warrants they may hold if the business combination
is consummated. |
||||||
Conversion
rights |
In
connection with any shareholder meeting called to approve a proposed initial business combination, each public shareholder will have the right,
regardless of whether he is voting for or against such proposed business combination, to demand that we convert his shares into a pro rata share of the
trust account upon consummation of the business combination. |
|||||
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of his or any other person with whom he is acting in concert
or as a group (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) will be restricted from seeking conversion rights with respect to 30% or
more of the ordinary shares sold in this offering. Accordingly, all shares purchased by a holder in excess of 30% of the shares sold in this offering
will not be converted to cash. We believe this restriction will prevent an individual shareholder or group from accumulating large blocks
of shares before the vote held to approve a proposed business combination and attempt to use the conversion right as a means to force us or our
management to purchase its shares at a significant premium to the then current market price. By limiting a shareholders ability to convert no
more than 30% of the |
13
ordinary shares sold in this offering, we believe we have limited the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to
block a transaction which is favored by our other public shareholders. |
||||||
We
may also require public shareholders, whether they are a record holder or hold their shares in street name, to either tender their
certificates to our transfer agent at any time through the vote on the business combination or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent
electronically using Depository Trust Companys DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holders option. There is a nominal
cost associated with this tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC system. The transfer agent will
typically charge the tendering broker $45 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the converting
holder. |
||||||
The
foregoing is different from the procedures used by traditional blank check companies. In order to perfect conversion rights in connection with their
business combinations, many traditional blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the shareholders vote on an initial business
combination, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was
seeking to exercise its conversion rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such shareholder to arrange for it to
deliver its certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the shareholder then had an option window after the consummation of the business
combination during which it could monitor the price of the companys stock in the market. If the price rose above the conversion price, it could
sell its shares in the open market before actually delivering his shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the conversion rights, to which
shareholders were aware they needed to commit before the shareholder meeting, would become an option right surviving past the consummation
of the business combination until the converting holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the
closing of the shareholder meeting ensures that a holders election to convert is irrevocable once the business combination is
completed. |
||||||
If we
require public shareholders who wish to convert their ordinary shares to comply with specific delivery requirements for conversion described above and
such proposed business combination is not consummated, we will promptly return such certificates to the tendering public
shareholders. |
14
Please see the risk factors titled We may require shareholders who wish to convert their shares in connection with a proposed
business combination to comply with specific requirements for conversion that maymake it more difficult for them to exercise their conversion rights
prior to the deadline for exercising their rights and If we require public shareholders who wish to convert their ordinary shares to
comply with the delivery requirements for conversion, such converting shareholders may be unable to sell their securities when they wish to in the
event that the proposed business combination is not approved. |
||||||
Once
the shares are converted by the beneficial holder, and effectively repurchased by us under Cayman Islands law, the transfer agent will then update our
Register of Shareholders to reflect all conversions. |
||||||
Automatic
liquidation if no business combination |
As
described above, if we fail to consummate a business combination within 21 months from the date of this prospectus (or 24 months from the date of this
prospectus if we have executed a definitive agreement for a business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering but have not
completed such business combination with the 21-month period), it will trigger our automatic winding up, dissolution and liquidation pursuant to the
terms of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. As a result, this has the same effect as if we had formally gone through a
voluntary liquidation procedure under the Companies Law. Accordingly, no vote would be required from our shareholders to commence such a voluntary
winding up, dissolution and liquidation. |
|||||
The
amount in the trust account (less $1,250 representing the aggregate nominal par value of the shares of our public shareholders) under the Companies Law
will be treated as share premium which is distributable under the Companies Law provided that immediately following the date on which the proposed
distribution is to be made, we are able to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. If we are forced to liquidate, we
anticipate that we would distribute to our public shareholders the amount in the trust account calculated as of the date that is two days prior to the
distribution date (including any accrued interest). Prior to such distribution, we would be required to assess all claims that may be potentially
brought against us by our creditors for amounts they are actually owed and make provision for such amounts, as creditors take priority over our public
shareholders with respect to amounts that are owed to them. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially
brought against us. As such, our shareholders could potentially be |
15
liable for any claims of creditors to the extent of distributions received by them as an unlawful payment in the event we enter an insolvent
liquidation. Furthermore, while we will seek to have all vendors and serviceproviders (which would include any third parties we engaged to assist us in
any way in connection with our search for a target business) and prospective target businesses execute agreements with us waiving any right, title,
interest or claim of any kind they may have in or to any monies held in the trust account, there is no guaranteethat they will execute such agreements.
Nor is there any guarantee that, even if such entities execute such agreements with us, they will not seek recourse against the trust account or that a
court would conclude that such agreements are legally enforceable. |
||||||
The
holders of the insider shares and private units will not participate in any liquidation distribution with respect to their insider shares or private
shares. |
||||||
Mario
Garnero has contractually agreed that, if we liquidate the trust account prior to the consummation of a business combination, he will be personally
liable to ensure that the proceeds in the trust account are not reduced by the claims of target businesses or claims of vendors or other entities that
are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to us. Accordingly, if a claim brought by a target business or vendor did
not exceed the amount of funds available to us outside of the trust account or available to be released to us from interest earned on the trust account
balance, Mr. Garnero would not have any personal obligation to indemnify such claims as they would be paid from such available funds. However, if a
claim exceeded such amounts, the only exceptions to the obligations of Mr. Garnero to pay such claim would be if the party executed an agreement
waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they have in or to any monies held in the trust account. We cannot assure you that Mr. Garnero
will be able to satisfy these obligations if he is required to do so. Therefore, we cannot assure you that the per-share distribution from the trust
account, if we liquidate the trust account because we have not completed a business combination within the required time periods, will not be less than
$10.05. |
||||||
We
will pay the costs of liquidating the trust account from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, Mario
Garnero has contractually agreed to advance us the funds necessary to complete such liquidation (currently anticipated to be no more than approximately
$15,000) and has contractually agreed not to seek repayment for such expenses. |
16
Risks
In making your decision on whether to
invest in our securities, you should take into account the special risks we face as a blank check company, as well as the fact that this offering is
not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and, therefore, you
will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. For additional information concerning how Rule
419 blank check offerings differ from this offering, please see Proposed Business Comparison to offerings of blank check companies
subject to Rule 419. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section entitled Risk
Factors beginning on page 19 of this prospectus.
17
The following table summarizes the
relevant financial data for our business and should be read with our financial statements, which are included in this prospectus. We have not had any
significant operations to date, so only balance sheet data are presented.
March 27, 2014 |
|||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Actual |
As Adjusted(1) |
||||||||||
Balance
Sheet Data: |
|||||||||||
Working
capital (deficiency) |
$ | (60,242 | ) | $ | 126,116,377 | ||||||
Total assets
|
151,509 | 126,116,377 | |||||||||
Total
liabilities |
135,232 | | |||||||||
Value of
ordinary shares which may be converted into cash |
| 121,116,376 | |||||||||
Shareholders equity |
$ | 16,277 | $ | 5,000,001 |
(1) |
Includes the $5,637,500 we will receive from the sale of the private units. |
The as adjusted information
gives effect to the sale of the units we are offering, including the application of the related gross proceeds and the payment of the estimated
remaining costs from such sale and the repayment of the accrued and other liabilities required to be repaid.
The as adjusted working
capital and total assets amounts include the $125,625,000 to be held in the trust account, which, except for limited situations described in this
prospectus, will be available to us only upon the consummation of a business combination within the time period described in this prospectus. If a
business combination is not so consummated, the trust account, less amounts we are permitted to withdraw as described in this prospectus, will be
distributed solely to our public shareholders (subject to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of
creditors).
We will consummate our initial business
combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares voted
are voted in favor of the business combination.
18
An investment in our securities
involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the material risks described below, which we believe represent the material risks related
to the offering, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, before making a decision to invest in our units. This prospectus
also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the
forward-looking statements as a result of specific factors, including the risks described below.
Risks Associated with Our Business
We are a development stage company with no operating history and, accordingly, you will not have any basis on which to evaluate our
ability to achieve our business objective.
We are a development stage company with
no operating results to date. Therefore, our ability to commence operations is dependent upon obtaining financing through the public offering of our
securities. Since we do not have an operating history, you will have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective,
which is to acquire an operating business. We have not conducted any discussions and we have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any
prospective acquisition candidates. We will not generate any revenues until, at the earliest, after the consummation of a business
combination.
Our independent registered public accounting firms
report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going
concern.
The report of our independent
registered public accountants on our financial statements includes an explanatory paragraph stating that our ability to continue as a going concern is
dependent on the consummation of this offering. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to
consummate this offering or our ability to continue as a going concern. Moreover, there is no assurance that we will consummate our initial business
combination. These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
If we are unable to consummate a business combination, our
public shareholders may be forced to wait more than 24 months before receiving liquidation distributions.
We have 21 months from the date of this
prospectus, or 24 months if the period of time within which we can complete a business combination has been extended, in which to complete a business
combination. We have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to such date unless we consummate a business combination prior thereto and only
then in cases where investors have sought to convert their shares. Only after the expiration of this full time period will public shareholders be
entitled to liquidation distributions if we are unable to complete a business combination. Accordingly, investors funds may be unavailable to
them until after such date and to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your securities potentially at a loss.
The requirement that we complete an initial business
combination within 21 months from the date of this prospectus (or up to 24 months if the period of time we have to complete a business combination has
been extended) may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business transaction.
We have 21 months from the date of this
prospectus (or up to 24 months if the period of time we have to complete a business combination has been extended) to complete an initial business
combination. Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware of this requirement.
Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete a business
combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete a business combination with any other target business. This risk will
increase as we get closer to the time limits referenced above.
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded
to investors of blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of this offering
are intended to be used to complete a business combination with a target business that has not been identified, we may be deemed to be a blank
check company under the United States securities laws. However, since we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000
upon
19
the successful consummation of this offering and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors of blank check companies such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules which would, for example, completely restrict the transferability of our securities, require us to complete a business combination within 18 months of the effective date of the initial registration statement and restrict the use of interest earned on the funds held in the trust account. Because we are not subject to Rule 419, our units will be immediately tradable, we will be entitled to withdraw amounts from the funds held in the trust account prior to the completion of a business combination and we will have a longer period of time to complete such a business combination than we would if we were subject to such rule.
We may issue ordinary or preferred shares or debt
securities to complete a business combination, which would reduce the equity interest of our shareholders and likely cause a change in control of our
ownership.
Our memorandum and articles of
association currently authorize the issuance of up to 120,000,000 ordinary shares, par value $.0001 per share. We will amend and restate our memorandum
and articles of association in connection with this offering to also provide for the authorization to issue 1,000,000 preferred shares, par value
$.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering and the purchase of the private units (assuming no exercise of the underwriters over-allotment
option), there will be 93,973,000 authorized but unissued ordinary shares available for issuance (after appropriate reservation for the issuance of the
shares underlying the public and private rights, upon full exercise of our outstanding warrants and the issuance of the securities underlying the
underwriters purchase option). Although we have no commitment as of the date of this offering, we may issue a substantial number of additional
ordinary shares or preferred shares, or a combination of ordinary shares and preferred shares, to complete a business combination. The issuance of
additional ordinary shares or preferred shares:
|
may significantly reduce the equity interest of investors in this offering; |
|
may subordinate the rights of holders of ordinary shares if we issue preferred shares with rights senior to those afforded to our ordinary shares; |
|
may cause a change in control if a substantial number of ordinary shares are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and |
|
may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our ordinary shares. |
Similarly, if we issue debt securities,
it could result in:
|
default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after a business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations; |
|
acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant; |
|
our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand; and |
|
our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt security is outstanding. |
The funds held in the trust account may not earn
significant interest and, as a result, we may be limited to the funds held outside of the trust account to fund our search for target businesses, to
pay our tax obligations and to complete our initial business combination.
Of the net proceeds of this offering,
approximately $475,000 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. We will depend on
sufficient interest being earned on the proceeds held in the trust account to provide us with additional working capital we will need to
identify
20
one or more target businesses and to complete our initial business combination, as well as to pay any tax obligations that we may owe. Interest rates on permissible investments for us have been less than 1% over the last several years. Accordingly, if we do not earn a sufficient amount of interest on the funds held in the trust account and use all of the funds held outside of the trust account, we may not have sufficient funds available with which to structure, negotiate or close an initial business combination. In such event, we may be forced to cease searching for a target business.
We may be unable to obtain additional financing, if
required, to complete a business combination or to fund the operations and growth of the target business, which could compel us to restructure or
abandon a particular business combination.
Although we believe that the net
proceeds of this offering will be sufficient to allow us to consummate a business combination, because we have not yet identified any prospective
target business, we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction. If the net proceeds of this offering prove to be
insufficient, either because of the size of the business combination, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, or
the obligation to convert into cash a significant number of shares from dissenting shareholders, we will be required to seek additional financing. Such
financing may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to
consummate a particular business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business
combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. In addition, if we consummate a business combination, we may require additional
financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on
the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us
in connection with or after a business combination.
If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held
in trust could be reduced and the per-share liquidation price received by shareholders may be less than $10.05.
Our placing of funds in trust may not
protect those funds from third party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors and service providers we engage and prospective
target businesses we negotiate with execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the
trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, they may not execute such agreements. Furthermore, even if such entities execute such
agreements with us, they may seek recourse against the monies held in the trust account. A court may not uphold the validity of such agreements.
Accordingly, the proceeds held in trust could be subject to claims which could take priority over those of our public shareholders. If we liquidate the
trust account before the completion of a business combination, Mario Garnero has agreed that he will be personally liable to ensure that the proceeds
in the trust account are not reduced by the claims of target businesses or claims of vendors or other entities that are owed money by us for services
rendered or contracted for or products sold to us and which have not executed a waiver agreement. However, he may not be able to meet such obligation.
Therefore, the per-share distribution from the trust account in such a situation may be less than $10.05, plus interest, due to such
claims.
Additionally, if we are forced to file
a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which is not dismissed, or if we otherwise enter compulsory or court supervised
liquidation, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and
subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust
account, we may not be able to return to our public shareholders at least $10.05.
Our shareholders may be held liable for claims by third
parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them.
Our amended and restated memorandum and
articles of association provide that we will continue in existence only until 21 months from the date of this prospectus, or 24 months if the period to
complete our business combination has been extended, if a business combination has not been consummated by such time.
21
As such, our shareholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them pursuant to such process and any liability of our shareholders may extend beyond the date of such distribution. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that third parties, or us under the control of an official liquidator, will not seek to recover from our shareholders amounts owed to them by us.
If we are unable to consummate a
transaction within the required time period, upon notice from us, the trustee of the trust account will distribute the amount in our trust account to
our public shareholders. Concurrently, we shall pay, or reserve for payment, from funds not held in trust, our liabilities and obligations, although we
cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. If there are insufficient funds held outside the trust account for such
purpose, Mario Garnero has agreed that he will be personally liable to ensure that the proceeds in the trust account are not reduced by the claims of
target businesses or claims of vendors or other entities that are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to us and
which have not executed a waiver agreement.
If we are forced to enter into an
insolvent liquidation, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed as an unlawful payment if it was proved that immediately following
the date on which the distribution was made, we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. As a result, a
liquidator could seek to recover all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary
duties to us or our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing themselves and our company to claims, by paying public
shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for
these reasons. We and our directors and officers who knowingly and willfully authorized or permitted any distribution to be paid out of our share
premium account while we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business would be guilty of an offence and may be
liable to a fine of US$15,000 and to imprisonment for five years in the Cayman Islands.
Unlike other blank check companies, our units are comprised
of ordinary shares, warrants to purchase one-half of one ordinary share and rights, rather than units comprised of ordinary shares and warrants to
purchase one ordinary share.
Unlike other blank check companies that
sell units comprised of shares and warrants to purchase one share in their initial public offerings, we are selling units comprised of ordinary shares,
warrants to purchase one-half of one ordinary share and rights automatically entitling the holder to receive one-tenth of a share upon consummation of
our initial business combination. Neither the rights nor the warrants will have any voting rights and each will expire and be worthless if we do not
consummate an initial business combination. Furthermore, no fractional shares will be issued upon exercises of the warrants. As a result, unless you
acquire at least two warrants, you will not be able to receive a share upon exercise of your warrants. Accordingly, investors in this offering will not
be issued as many shares as part of their investment as they may have in other blank check company offerings, which may have the effect of limiting the
potential upside value of your investment in our company.
Holders of rights and warrants will not have redemption
rights if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period.
If we are unable to complete an initial
business combination within the required time period and we redeem the funds held in the trust account, the rights and warrants will expire and holders
will not receive any of such proceeds with respect to such rights and warrants, respectively.
If we do not maintain a current and effective prospectus
relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, public holders will only be able to exercise such warrants on a cashless
basis which would result in a fewer number of shares being issued to the holder had such holder exercised the warrants for
cash.
If we do not maintain a current and
effective prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the public warrant at the time that holders wish to exercise such
warrants, they will only be able to exercise them on a cashless basis provided that an exemption from registration is available. As a
result,
22
the number of ordinary shares that a holder will receive upon exercise of its public warrants will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised its warrant for cash. Further, if an exemption from registration is not available, holders would not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis and would only be able to exercise their warrants for cash if a current and effective prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is available. Under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed to use our best efforts to meet these conditions and to maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so. If we are unable to do so, the potential upside of the holders investment in our company may be reduced or the warrants may expire worthless. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the private warrants may be exercisable for unregistered ordinary shares for cash even if the prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not current and effective.
An investor will only be able to exercise a warrant if the
issuance of ordinary shares upon such exercise has been registered or qualified or is deemed exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence
of the holder of the warrants.
No public warrants will be exercisable
for cash and we will not be obligated to issue ordinary shares unless the ordinary shares issuable upon such exercise has been registered or qualified
or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the holder of the warrants. At the time that the warrants become
exercisable, we expect to continue to be listed on a national securities exchange, which would provide an exemption from registration in every state.
However, we cannot assure you of this fact. If the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not qualified or exempt from
qualification in the jurisdictions in which the holders of the warrants reside, the warrants may be deprived of any value, the market for the warrants
may be limited and they may expire worthless if they cannot be sold.
Our managements ability to require holders of our
warrants to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis will cause holders to receive fewer ordinary shares upon their exercise of the warrants than
they would have received had they been able to exercise their warrants for cash.
If we call our public warrants for
redemption after the redemption criteria described elsewhere in this prospectus have been satisfied, our management will have the option to require any
holder that wishes to exercise his warrant (including any warrants held by our initial shareholders or their permitted transferees) to do so on a
cashless basis. If our management chooses to require holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, the number of ordinary shares
received by a holder upon exercise will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised his warrant for cash. This will have the effect of
reducing the potential upside of the holders investment in our company.
We may amend the terms of the warrants in a way that may be
adverse to holders with the approval by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding warrants.
Our warrants will be issued in
registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement
provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision. The
warrant agreement requires the approval by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding warrants (including the private warrants) in order to make
any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders.
Since we have not yet selected a particular industry or
target business with which to complete a business combination, we are unable to currently ascertain the merits or risks of the industry or business in
which we may ultimately operate.
While we intend to focus our search for
target businesses on specific locations and industries as described in this prospectus, we are not limited to those locations or industries and may
consummate a business combination with a company in any location or industry we choose. Accordingly, there is no current basis for
23
you to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the particular industry in which we may ultimately operate or the target business which we may ultimately acquire. To the extent we complete a business combination with a financially unstable company or an entity in its development stage, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations of those entities. If we complete a business combination with an entity in an industry characterized by a high level of risk, we may be affected by the currently unascertainable risks of that industry. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular industry or target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors in this offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a target business.
The requirement that the target business or businesses that
we acquire must collectively have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance of the funds in the trust account at the time of the
execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination may limit the type and number of companies that we may complete such a
business combination with.
Pursuant to the Nasdaq listing rules,
the target business or businesses that we acquire must collectively have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance of the funds in the
trust account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination. This restriction may limit the type and
number of companies that with which may complete a business combination. If we are unable to locate a target business or businesses that satisfy this
fair market value test, we may be forced to liquidate and you will only be entitled to receive your pro rata portion of the funds in the trust
account.
Our ability to successfully effect a business combination
and to be successful thereafter will be totally dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following a business
combination. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after a business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of
these individuals will prove to be correct.
Our ability to successfully effect a
business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our key
personnel, at least until we have consummated our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain with us
for the immediate or foreseeable future. In addition, none of our officers are required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs and,
accordingly, they will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential
business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence. We do not have employment agreements with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of
our officers. The unexpected loss of the services of our key personnel could have a detrimental effect on us.
The role of our key personnel in the
target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management
or advisory positions following a business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place.
While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after a business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these
individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a public company which could cause us to
have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to
various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.
Our officers and directors may not have significant
experience or knowledge regarding the jurisdiction or industry of the target business we may seek to acquire.
We may consummate a business
combination with a target business in any geographic location or industry we choose. We cannot assure you that our officers and directors will have
enough experience or have sufficient knowledge relating to the jurisdiction of the target or its industry to make an informed decision regarding a
business combination. If we become aware of a potential business combination outside of the geographic location or industry where our officers and
directors have their most experience, our management may determine to retain consultants and advisors with experience in such industries to assist in
the evaluation
24
of such business combination and in our determination of whether or not to proceed with such a business combination. However, our management is not required to engage such consultants and advisors in any situation. If they do not engage any consultants or advisors to assist them in the evaluation of a particular target business or business combination, our management may not properly analyze the risks attendant with such target business or business combination. As a result, we may enter into a business combination that is not in our shareholders best interests.
Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting
agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation
following a business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination
is the most advantageous.
Our key personnel will be able to
remain with the company after the consummation of a business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements or
other appropriate arrangements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of
the business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services
they would render to the company after the consummation of the business combination. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may
influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business.
Our officers and directors will allocate their time to
other businesses thereby potentially limiting the amount of time they devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on
our ability to consummate our initial business combination.
Our officers and directors are not
required to commit their full time to our affairs, which could create a conflict of interest when allocating their time between our operations and
their other commitments. We presently expect each of our employees to devote such amount of time as they reasonably believe is necessary to our
business. We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the consummation of our initial business combination. All of our officers and
directors are engaged in several other business endeavors and are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our affairs. If our
officers and directors other business affairs require them to devote more substantial amounts of time to such affairs, it could limit their
ability to devote time to our affairs and could have a negative impact on our ability to consummate our initial business combination. We cannot assure
you these conflicts will be resolved in our favor.
Our officers and directors have pre-existing fiduciary and
contractual obligations and accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be
presented.
Our officers and directors have
pre-existing fiduciary and contractual obligations to other companies, including companies that are engaged in business activities similar to those
intended to be conducted by us. Accordingly, they may participate in transactions and have obligations that may be in conflict or competition with our
consummation of our initial business combination. As a result, a potential target business may be presented by our management team to another entity
prior to its presentation to us and we may not be afforded the opportunity to engage in a transaction with such target business. For a more detailed
description of the pre-existing fiduciary and contractual obligations of our management team, and the potential conflicts of interest that such
obligations may present, see the section titled Management Conflicts of Interest.
Our officers and directors personal and
financial interests may influence their motivation in determining whether a particular target business is appropriate for a business
combination.
Our officers and directors have waived
their right to convert their insider shares, private shares or any other ordinary shares acquired in this offering or thereafter, or to receive
distributions with respect to their insider shares or private shares upon our liquidation if we are unable to consummate our initial business
combination. Accordingly, these securities will be worthless if we do not consummate our initial business combination. Their private rights, private
warrants and any other rights or warrants they acquire will also be
25
worthless if we do not consummate an initial business combination. In addition, our officers and directors may loan funds to us after this offering and may be owed reimbursement for expenses incurred in connection with certain activities on our behalf which would only be repaid if we complete an initial business combination. The personal and financial interests of our directors and officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and selecting a target business and completing a business combination. Consequently, our directors and officers discretion in identifying and selecting a suitable target business may result in a conflict of interest when determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our shareholders best interest. If this were the case, it would be a breach of their fiduciary duties to us as a matter of Cayman Islands law and we might have a claim against such individuals. However, we might not ultimately be successful in any claim we may make against them for such reason.
Nasdaq may delist our securities from quotation on its
exchange which could limit investors ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading
restrictions.
We anticipate that our securities will
be listed on Nasdaq, a national securities exchange, upon consummation of this offering. Although, after giving effect to this offering, we meet on a
pro forma basis the minimum initial listing standards of Nasdaq, which generally only requires that we meet certain requirements relating to
shareholders equity, market capitalization, aggregate market value of publicly held shares and distribution requirements, we cannot assure you
that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq in the future prior to an initial business combination. Additionally, in connection with our
initial business combination, it is likely that Nasdaq will require us to file a new initial listing application and meet its initial listing
requirements as opposed to its more lenient continued listing requirements. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing
requirements at that time.
If Nasdaq delists our securities from
trading on its exchange, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
|
a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; |
|
reduced liquidity with respect to our securities; |
|
a determination that our ordinary shares are penny stock which will require brokers trading in our ordinary shares to adhere to more stringent rules, possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our ordinary shares; |
|
a limited amount of news and analyst coverage for our company; and |
|
a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. |
We may only be able to complete one business combination
with the proceeds of this offering, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or
services.
We may only be able to complete one
business combination with the proceeds of this offering. By consummating a business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification
may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from
the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations
in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
|
solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, or |
|
dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services. |
This lack of diversification may
subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular
industry in which we may operate subsequent to a business combination.
26
Alternatively, if we determine to
simultaneously acquire several businesses and such businesses are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our
purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and
delay our ability, to complete the business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional
burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional
risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business.
If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.
The ability of our shareholders to exercise their
conversion rights may not allow us to effectuate the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.
If our business combination requires us
to use substantially all of our cash to pay the purchase price, because we will not know how many shareholders may exercise conversion rights, we may
either need to reserve part of the trust account for possible payment upon such conversion, or we may need to arrange third party financing to help
fund our business transaction. In the event that the business combination involves the issuance of our shares as consideration, we may be required to
issue a higher percentage of our shares to make up for a shortfall in funds. Raising additional funds to cover any shortfall may involve dilutive
equity financing or incurring indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. This may limit our ability to effectuate the most attractive business
combination available to us.
We may be unable to consummate a business combination if a
target business requires that we have cash in excess of the minimum amount we are required to have at closing and public shareholders may have to
remain shareholders of our company and wait until our liquidation to receive a pro rata share of the trust account or attempt to sell their shares in
the open market.
A potential target may make it a
closing condition to our business combination that we have a certain amount of cash in excess of the $5,000,001 of net tangible assets we are required
to have pursuant to our organizational documents available at the time of closing. If the number of our shareholders electing to exercise their
conversion rights has the effect of reducing the amount of money available to us to consummate a business combination below such minimum amount
required by the target business and we are not able to locate an alternative source of funding, we will not be able to consummate such business
combination and we may not be able to locate another suitable target within the applicable time period, if at all. In that case, public shareholders
may have to remain shareholders of our company and wait the full 21 months (or 24 months if we have executed a definitive agreement for a business
combination within 21 months from the date of this prospectus) in order to be able to receive a pro rata portion of the trust account, or attempt to
sell their shares in the open market prior to such time, in which case they may receive less than a pro rata share of the trust account for their
shares.
We will offer each public shareholder the option to vote in
favor of a proposed business combination and still seek conversion of his, her or its shares, which may make it more likely that we will consummate a
business combination.
In connection with any meeting held to
approve an initial business combination, we will offer each public shareholder (but not our initial shareholders) the right to have his, her or its
ordinary shares converted to cash (subject to the limitations described elsewhere in this prospectus) regardless of whether such shareholder votes for
or against such proposed business combination. This is different than other similarly structured blank check companies where shareholders are offered
the right to convert their shares only when they vote against a proposed business combination. Furthermore, we will consummate our initial business
combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and a majority of the outstanding shares voted are voted
in favor of the business combination. Accordingly, public shareholders owning shares sold in this offering may exercise their conversion rights and we
could still consummate a proposed business combination so long as a majority of shares voted at the meeting are voted
27
in favor of the proposed business combination. This is different than other similarly structured blank check companies where shareholders are offered the right to convert their shares only when they vote against a proposed business combination. This is also different than other similarly structured blank check companies where there is a specific number of shares sold in the offering which must not exercise conversion rights for the company to complete a business combination. This threshold and the ability to seek conversion while voting in favor of a proposed business combination may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination.
Public shareholders, together with any affiliates of theirs
or any other person with whom they are acting in concert or as a group, will be restricted from seeking conversion rights with respect to
more than 30% of the shares sold in this offering.
In connection with any meeting held to
approve an initial business combination, we will offer each public shareholder (but not holders of our insider shares) the right to have his, her, or
its ordinary shares converted into cash. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public shareholder, together with any of its affiliates or any other person
with whom it is acting in concert or as a group will be restricted from seeking conversion rights with respect to more than 30% of the
shares sold in this offering. Accordingly, if you hold more than 30% of the shares sold in this offering and a proposed business combination is
approved, you will not be able to seek conversion rights with respect to the full amount of your shares and may be forced to hold such shares following
the business combination over 30% or sell them in the open market. We cannot assure you that the value of such shares will appreciate over time
following a business combination or that the market price of our ordinary shares will exceed the per-share conversion price.
We may require shareholders who wish to convert their
shares in connection with a proposed business combination to comply with specific requirements for conversion that may make it more difficult for them
to exercise their conversion rights prior to the deadline for exercising their rights.
In connection with any shareholder
meeting called to approve a proposed initial business combination, each public shareholder will have the right, regardless of whether it is voting for
or against such proposed business combination, to demand that we convert its shares into a share of the trust account. Such conversion will be
effectuated under Cayman Islands law as a repurchase of the shares, with the repurchase price to be paid being the applicable pr-rata portion of the
monies held in the trust account. We may require public shareholders who wish to convert their shares in connection with a proposed business
combination to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent at any time prior to the vote taken at the shareholder meeting relating to such
business combination or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Companys DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal
At Custodian) System. In order to obtain a physical share certificate, a shareholders broker and/or clearing broker, DTC and our transfer agent
will need to act to facilitate this request. It is our understanding that shareholders should generally allot at least two weeks to obtain physical
certificates from the transfer agent. However, because we do not have any control over this process or over the brokers or DTC, it may take
significantly longer than two weeks to obtain a physical share certificate. While we have been advised that it takes a short time to deliver shares
through the DWAC System, this may not be the case. Accordingly, if it takes longer than we anticipate for shareholders to deliver their shares,
shareholders who wish to convert may be unable to meet the deadline for exercising their conversion rights and thus may be unable to convert their
shares.
If we require public shareholders who wish to convert their
ordinary shares to comply with the delivery requirements for conversion, such converting shareholders may be unable to sell their securities when they
wish to in the event that the proposed business combination is not approved.
If we require public shareholders who
wish to convert their ordinary shares to comply with specific delivery requirements for conversion described above and such proposed business
combination is not consummated, we will promptly return such certificates to the tendering public shareholders. Accordingly, investors who attempted to
convert their shares in such a circumstance will be unable to sell their securities after the failed acquisition until we have returned their
securities to them. The market price for our shares may
28
decline during this time and you may not be able to sell your securities when you wish to, even while other shareholders that did not seek conversion may be able to sell their securities.
Because of our limited resources and structure, other
companies may have a competitive advantage and we may not be able to consummate an attractive business combination.
We expect to encounter intense
competition from entities other than blank check companies having a business objective similar to ours, including venture capital funds, leveraged
buyout funds and operating businesses competing for acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience in
identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other
resources than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe
that there are numerous potential target businesses that we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering, our ability to compete in acquiring
certain sizable target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage
in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, seeking shareholder approval of a business combination may delay the
consummation of a transaction. Additionally, our outstanding warrants and unit purchase options, and the future dilution they potentially represent,
may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Any of the foregoing may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a
business combination.
Our initial shareholders control a substantial interest in
us and thus may influence certain actions requiring a shareholder vote.
Upon consummation of our offering, our
initial shareholders will collectively own approximately 22.4% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares (assuming they do not purchase any units
in this offering). None of our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates has indicated any intention to purchase units in this
offering or any units or ordinary shares from persons in the open market or in private transactions. However, our officers, directors, initial
shareholders or their affiliates could determine in the future to make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions, to the extent
permitted by law, in order to assist us in consummating our initial business combination. In connection with any vote for a proposed business
combination, all of our initial shareholders, as well as all of our officers and directors, have agreed to vote the ordinary shares owned by them
immediately before this offering as well as any ordinary shares acquired in this offering or in the aftermarket in favor of such proposed business
combination.
Our board of directors is and will be
divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year.
There is no requirement under the Companies Law for us to hold annual or general meetings or elect directors. Accordingly, shareholders would not have
the right to such a meeting or election of directors, unless the holders of not less than 10% in par value capital of our company requests such a
meeting. As a result, it is unlikely that there will be an annual meeting of shareholders to elect new directors prior to the consummation of a
business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the consummation of the business combination.
Accordingly, you may not be able to exercise your voting rights for up to 24 months. If there is an annual meeting, as a consequence of our
staggered board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for election and our initial shareholders,
because of their ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. Accordingly, our initial shareholders will continue to
exert control at least until the consummation of a business combination.
Our initial shareholders paid an aggregate of $25,000, or
approximately $0.01 per share, for the insider shares and an affiliate of one of our initial shareholders and EarlyBirdCapital (and/or their designees)
will pay $10.00 per unit for the private units, resulting in an aggregate average price of approximately $1.51 per share (assuming the issuance of 0.1
of a share for each right outstanding, no exercise of the private warrants, the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of
468,750 insider shares have been forfeited as a result thereof), and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the
purchase of our ordinary shares.
The difference between the public
offering price per share and the pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering constitutes the dilution to the investors in this
offering. For the purposes of the
29
dilution calculation, we have assumed the issuance of 0.1 of a share for each right outstanding, as such issuance will occur automatically upon an initial business combination without the payment of additional consideration, but have assumed no exercise of the private warrants. Accordingly, for the purposes of the dilution calculation, the number of shares included in the units offered hereby will be deemed to be 13,750,000, the price per share in this offering will be deemed to be approximately $9.09 and the number of shares included in the private units will be deemed to be 620,125. Our initial shareholders acquired their insider shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon consummation of this offering, you and the other new investors will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 89.9% or $8.17 per share (the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share $0.92, and the initial offering price of $10.00 per unit). This is because investors in this offering will be contributing approximately 95.7% of the total amount paid to us for our outstanding securities after this offering but will only own approximately 78.6% of our outstanding securities. Accordingly, the per-share purchase price you will be paying substantially exceeds our per share net tangible book value.
Our outstanding rights, warrants and unit purchase options
may have an adverse effect on the market price of our ordinary shares and make it more difficult to effect a business
combination.
We will be issuing rights that will
result in the issuance of an additional 1,250,000 ordinary shares as part of the units offered by this prospectus, warrants to purchase 6,250,000
ordinary shares as part of the units offered by this prospectus, private rights that will result in the issuance of an additional 56,375 ordinary
shares and the private warrants to purchase 281,875 ordinary shares. We will also issue unit purchase options to purchase 1,250,000 units to the
representative of the underwriters which, if exercised, will result in the issuance of 1,250,000 ordinary shares and 1,250,000 rights and 1,250,000
warrants (which, together could result in the issuance of an additional 750,000 shares). To the extent we issue ordinary shares to effect a business
combination, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional shares upon exercise of these warrants could make us a less
attractive acquisition vehicle in the eyes of a target business. Such securities, when exercised, will increase the number of issued and outstanding
ordinary shares and reduce the value of the shares issued to complete the business combination. Accordingly, our warrants and unit purchase options may
make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business. Additionally, the sale, or even the
possibility of sale, of the shares underlying the warrants and unit purchase options could have an adverse effect on the market price for our
securities or on our ability to obtain future financing. If and to the extent these warrants and options are exercised, you may experience dilution to
your holdings.
We may redeem the warrants at a time that is not beneficial
to public investors.
We may call the public warrants for
redemption at any time after the redemption criteria described elsewhere in this prospectus have been satisfied. If we call the public warrants for
redemption, public shareholders may be forced to accept a nominal redemption price or sell or exercise the warrants when they may not wish to do
so.
If our shareholders exercise their registration rights with
respect to their securities, it may have an adverse effect on the market price of our ordinary shares and the existence of these rights may make it
more difficult to effect a business combination.
Our initial shareholders are entitled
to make a demand that we register the resale of their insider shares at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which their shares may be
released from escrow. Additionally, the purchasers of the private units and our initial shareholders, officers and directors are entitled to demand
that we register the resale of the private units (and the underlying ordinary shares and warrants) and any securities our initial shareholders,
officers, directors or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us at any time after we consummate a business
combination. The presence of these additional securities trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities.
In addition, the existence of these rights may make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target
business, as the shareholders of the target business
30
may be discouraged from entering into a business combination with us or will request a higher price for their securities because of the potential effect the exercise of such rights may have on the trading market for our ordinary shares.
If we are deemed to be an investment company, we may be
required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete a
business combination.
A company that, among other things, is
or holds itself out as being engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, trading or holding
certain types of securities would be deemed an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Since we will invest the proceeds held in
the trust account, it is possible that we could be deemed an investment company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we do not believe that our anticipated
principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act of 1940. To this end, the proceeds held in trust may be invested by the trustee only
in United States government treasury bills, notes or bonds having a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting the applicable
conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and that invest solely in United States treasuries. By restricting the
investment of the proceeds to these instruments, we intend to meet the requirements for the exemption provided in Rule 3a-1 promulgated under the
Investment Company Act of 1940.
If we are nevertheless deemed to be an
investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, we may be subject to certain restrictions that may make it more difficult for us to
complete a business combination, including:
|
restrictions on the nature of our investments; and |
|
restrictions on the issuance of securities. |
In addition, we may have imposed upon
us certain burdensome requirements, including:
|
registration as an investment company; |
|
adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and |
|
reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy, compliance policies and procedures and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations. |
Compliance with these additional
regulatory burdens would require additional expense for which we have not allotted.
We may not seek an opinion from an unaffiliated third party
as to the fair market value of the target business we acquire or that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our shareholders from a
financial point of view.
We are not required to obtain an
opinion from an unaffiliated third party that the target business we select has a fair market value in excess of at least 80% of the balance of the
trust account unless our board of directors cannot make such determination on its own. We are also not required to obtain an opinion from an
unaffiliated third party indicating that the price we are paying is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view unless the target is
affiliated with our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates. If no opinions are obtained, our shareholders will be relying on the
judgment of our board of directors, whose collective experience in business evaluations for blank check companies like ours is not significant.
Furthermore, our directors may have a conflict of interest in analyzing the transaction due to their personal and financial interests.
The determination for the offering price of our units is
more arbitrary compared with the pricing of securities for an operating company in a particular industry.
Prior to this offering there has been
no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the rights and warrants were negotiated between us
and the representative of the underwriters. Factors considered in determining the prices and terms of the units, including the ordinary shares, rights
and warrants underlying the units, include:
31
|
the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies; |
|
prior offerings of those companies; |
|
our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values; |
|
our capital structure; |
|
the per share amount of net proceeds being placed in the trust account; |
|
an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies; and |
|
general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering. |
However, although these factors were
considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities for an operating company in a particular industry
since we have no historical operations or financial results to compare them to.
Because we are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman
Islands, you may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. Federal courts may be
limited.
We are an exempted company incorporated
under the laws of the Cayman Islands. In addition, certain of our directors and officers are nationals or residents of jurisdictions other than the
United States and all or a substantial portion of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to
effect service of process within the United States upon our directors or executive officers, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts
against our directors or officers.
Our corporate affairs will be governed
by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Law (as the same may be supplemented or amended from time to time) or
the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the
fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The
common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English common
law, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders
and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial
precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the
United States, and certain states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, Cayman
Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholders derivative action in a Federal court of the United States.
We have been advised by our Cayman
Islands legal counsel that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United
States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions
brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the
United States or any state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is no
statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognise and enforce a
foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent
foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For
a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and must not be in
respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud
or obtained in a manner, and or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands
(awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if
concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere. There is recent Privy Council authority (which is binding on the Cayman Islands Court) in the
context of a
32
reorganisation plan approved by the New York Bankruptcy Court which suggests that due to the universal nature of bankruptcy/insolvency proceedings, foreign money judgments obtained in foreign bankruptcy/insolvency proceedings may be enforced without applying the principles outlined above. However, a more recent English Supreme Court authority (which is highly persuasive but not binding on the Cayman Islands Court), has expressly rejected that approach in the context of a default judgment obtained in an adversary proceeding brought in the New York Bankruptcy Court by the receivers of the bankruptcy debtor against a third party, and which would not have been enforceable upon the application of the traditional common law principles summarised above and held that foreign money judgments obtained in bankruptcy/insolvency proceedings should be enforced by applying the principles set out above, and not by the simple exercise of the Courts discretion. Those cases have now been considered by the Cayman Islands Court. The Cayman Islands Court was not asked to consider the specific question of whether a judgment of a bankruptcy court in an adversary proceeding would be enforceable in the Cayman Islands, but it did endorse the need for active assistance of overseas bankruptcy proceedings. We understand that the Cayman Islands Courts decision in that case has been appealed and it remains the case that the law regarding the enforcement of bankruptcy/insolvency related judgments is still in a state of uncertainty.
As a result of all of the above, public
shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or
controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a United States company.
Foreign currency fluctuations could adversely affect our
business and financial results.
A target business with which we may
combine may do business and generate sales within other countries. Foreign currency fluctuations may affect the costs that we incur in such
international operations. It is also possible that some or all of our operating expenses may be incurred in non-U.S. dollar currencies. The
appreciation of non-U.S. dollar currencies in those countries where we have operations against the U.S. dollar would increase our costs and could harm
our results of operations and financial condition.
If we effect a business combination with a company located
outside of the United States, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our business operations and financial
results.
Our efforts to identify a prospective
target business will not be limited to a particular geographic region of the world although we initially intend to focus on target businesses located
in Latin America (with a particular emphasis on Brazil) or Europe. If we consummate a business combination with a target business in one of these
areas, or another location outside of the United States, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating
in the target business governing jurisdiction, including any of the following:
|
rules and regulations or currency redemption or corporate withholding taxes on individuals; |
|
tariffs and trade barriers; |
|
regulations related to customs and import/export matters; |
|
longer payment cycles; |
|
inflation; |
|
economic policies and market conditions; |
|
unexpected changes in regulatory requirements; |
|
challenges in managing and staffing international operations; |
|
tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States; |
|
currency fluctuations; |
|
challenges in collecting accounts receivable; |
33
|
cultural and language differences; |
|
protection of intellectual property; and |
|
employment regulations. |
We cannot assure you that we would be
able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, our operations might suffer.
If we effect a business combination with a company located
outside of the United States, the laws applicable to such company will likely govern all of our material agreements and we may not be able to enforce
our legal rights.
If we effect a business combination
with a company located outside of the United States, the laws of the country in which such company operates will govern almost all of the material
agreements relating to its operations. We cannot assure you that the target business will be able to enforce any of its material agreements or that
remedies will be available in this new jurisdiction. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws in such jurisdiction may not be as certain
in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could
result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital. Additionally, if we acquire a company located outside of the United
States, it is likely that substantially all of our assets would be located outside of the United States and some of our officers and directors might
reside outside of the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for investors in the United States to enforce their legal rights, to effect
service of process upon our directors or officers or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal
penalties of our directors and officers under Federal securities laws.
If we effect a business combination with a target business
located in Latin America or Europe, we would be subject to all of the risks attendant to operating in such jurisdictions.
We intend to focus our efforts to
identify a prospective target business on companies located in Latin America (with a particular emphasis on Brazil) or Europe or that would benefit
from expanding their operations to such locations. If we are successful in consummating such a business combination, we would be subject to all of the
risks attendant to operating in such jurisdictions. For instance, companies operating in Brazil are subject to various risks such as political turmoil
and instability and changes in the state of relations with the United States. Companies operating in Europe face risks on downward pressure on the
Euro, issues with sovereign debt and ability to pay debts when due and additional taxes, such as value added taxes. We cannot assure you that we would
be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, our operations might suffer.
Because we must furnish our shareholders with financial
statements of the target business prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP or IFRS or reconciled to U.S. GAAP, we may not be able to complete an initial
business combination with some prospective target businesses.
The federal proxy rules require that a
proxy statement with respect to a vote on a business combination meeting certain financial significance tests include historical and/or pro forma
financial statement disclosure in periodic reports. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to,
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, or international financial reporting standards as promulgated by the
International Accounting Standards Board, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be
audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB. These financial statement
requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire.
Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 will require
substantial financial and management resources and may increase the time and costs of completing an acquisition.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
of 2002 requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls and may require us to have such system audited by an independent
registered public accounting firm. If we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, we could be subject to regulatory
34
scrutiny, civil or criminal penalties and/or shareholder litigation. Any inability to provide reliable financial reports could harm our business. A target may also not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition. Furthermore, any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in the implementation of adequate controls over our financial processes and reporting in the future, could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. Inferior internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our securities.
We are an emerging growth company and we cannot
be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our securities less attractive to
investors.
We are an emerging growth
company, as defined in the JOBS Act. We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years. However, if our non-convertible
debt issued within a three-year period or revenues exceeds $1 billion, or the market value of our ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates
exceeds $700 million on the last day of the second fiscal quarter of any given fiscal year, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of the
following fiscal year. As an emerging growth company, we are not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of section 404 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we have reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and we
are exempt from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute
payments not previously approved. Additionally, as an emerging growth company, we have elected to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting
standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until those standards apply to private companies. As such, our financial
statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates. We cannot predict if investors will find our shares less
attractive because we may rely on these provisions. If some investors find our shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading
market for our shares and our share price may be more volatile.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS
Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that
is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the
Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out
of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is
irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has
different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, will not adopt the new or revised standard until the
time private companies are required to adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public
company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period
difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accountant standards used.
An investment in this offering may involve adverse U.S.
federal income tax consequences.
There is a risk that an investors
entitlement to receive payments in excess of the investors initial tax basis in our ordinary shares upon exercise of the investors
conversion right or upon our liquidation of the trust account will result in constructive income to the investor, which could affect the timing and
character of income recognition and result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the investor without the investors receipt of cash from us.
Prospective investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to these and other tax consequences when purchasing, holding or
disposing of our securities.
We have also not sought a ruling from
the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, as to any U.S. federal income tax consequences described in this prospectus. The IRS may disagree with the
descriptions of U.S. federal income tax consequences described herein, and its determination may be upheld by a court. Any such
35
determination could subject an investor or our company to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences that would be different than those described in this prospectus. Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult a tax advisor with respect to the specific tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our securities, including the applicability and effect of state, local, or foreign tax laws, as well as U.S. federal tax laws.
We may qualify as a passive foreign investment company,
which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors.
In general, we will be treated as a
passive foreign investment company (PFIC) for any taxable year in which either (1) at least 75% of our gross income (looking through
certain 25% or more-owned corporate subsidiaries) is passive income or (2) at least 50% of the average value of our assets (looking through certain 25%
or more-owned corporate subsidiaries) is attributable to assets that produce, or are held for the production of, passive income. Passive income
generally includes, without limitation, dividends, interest, rents, royalties, and gains from the disposition of passive assets. If we are determined
to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. holder of our units, ordinary shares or
warrants, the U.S. holder may be subject to increased U.S. federal income tax liability and may be subject to additional reporting requirements. Our
actual PFIC status for our current taxable year may depend on whether we qualify for the PFIC start-up exception (see the section of this prospectus
captioned Taxation United States Federal Income Taxation Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules). Our actual PFIC
status for any taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year (or after the end of the start-up period, if
later). Accordingly, there can be no assurance with respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year. We
urge U.S. investors to consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules.
Target businesses in the energy and biotechnology
industries are subject to special considerations and risks.
Business combinations with companies
with operations in the energy (including renewables) and biotechnology industries entail special considerations and risks. If we are successful in
completing a business combination with a target business with operations in these industries, we will be subject to, and possibly adversely affected
by, the following risks:
|
fluctuations in energy prices; |
|
creation of new and alternative energy sources; |
|
changes in technology; and |
|
adherence to existing or newly promulgated government regulations; |
36
The statements contained in this
prospectus that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements
regarding our or our managements expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that
refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking
statements. The words anticipates, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect,
intends, may, might, plan, possible, potential, predicts,
project, should, 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. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about
our:
|
ability to complete our initial business combination; |
|
limited operating history; |
|
success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination; |
|
potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete a business combination; |
|
pool of prospective target businesses; |
|
the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential investment opportunities; |
|
potential change in control if we acquire one or more target businesses for shares; |
|
our public securities potential liquidity and trading; |
|
regulatory or operational risks associated with acquiring a target business; |
|
use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance; |
|
financial performance following this offering; or |
|
listing or delisting of our securities from Nasdaq or the ability to have our securities listed on Nasdaq following our initial business combination. |
The forward-looking statements
contained in this prospectus are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There
can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of
risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially
different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those
factors described under the heading Risk Factors. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our
assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise,
except
37
We estimate that the net proceeds of
this offering, in addition to the funds we will receive from the sale of the private units (all of which will be deposited into the trust account),
will be as set forth in the following table:
Without Over-Allotment Option |
Over-Allotment Option Exercised |
|||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gross
proceeds |
||||||||||
From offering
|
$ | 125,000,000 | $ | 143,750,000 | ||||||
From private
placement |
5,637,500 | 6,340,625 | ||||||||
Total gross
proceeds |
130,637,500 | 150,090,625 | ||||||||
Offering
expenses(1) |
||||||||||
Underwriting
discount (3.25% of gross proceeds from offering) |
4,062,500 | (2) | 4,671,875 | (2) | ||||||
Legal fees
and expenses |
270,000 | 270,000 | ||||||||
Nasdaq
listing fee |
75,000 | 75,000 | ||||||||
Printing and
engraving expenses |
45,000 | 45,000 | ||||||||
Accounting
fees and expenses |
30,000 | 30,000 | ||||||||
FINRA filing
fee |
24,000 | 24,000 | ||||||||
SEC
registration fee |
20,125 | 20,125 | ||||||||
Miscellaneous
expenses |
10,875 | 10,875 | ||||||||
Total
offering expenses |
4,537,500 | 5,146,875 | ||||||||
Net
proceeds |
||||||||||
Held in trust
|
125,625,000 | 144,468,750 | ||||||||
Not held in
trust |
475,000 | 475,000 | ||||||||
Total net
proceeds |
$ | 126,100,000 | $ | 144,943,750 | ||||||
Use of net
proceeds not held in trust and amounts available from interest income earned on the trust account(4)(5) |
||||||||||
Legal,
accounting and other third party expenses attendant to the search for target businesses and to the due diligence investigation, structuring and
negotiation of a business combination |
$ | 130,000 | (21.7%) | |||||||
Due diligence
of prospective target businesses by officers, directors and initial shareholders |
20,000 | (3.3%) | ||||||||
Legal and
accounting fees relating to SEC reporting obligations |
100,000 | (16.6%) | ||||||||
Payment of
administrative fee to Brasilinvest Group ($10,000 per month for up to 24 months) |
240,000 | (40.0%) | ||||||||
Working
capital to cover miscellaneous expenses, D&O insurance, general corporate purposes, liquidation obligations and reserves |
110,000 | (18.4%) | ||||||||
Total
|
$ | 600,000 | (100.0%) |
(1) |
A portion of the offering expenses, including the SEC registration fee, the FINRA filing fee, the non-refundable portion of the Nasdaq listing fee and a portion of the legal and audit fees, have been paid from the funds we received from Brasilinvest International LLC described below. These funds will be repaid out of the proceeds of this offering available to us. |
(2) |
No discounts or commissions will be paid with respect to the purchase of the private units. |
(3) |
The amount of proceeds not held in trust will remain constant at $475,000 even if the over-allotment is exercised. In addition, interest income earned on the amounts held in the trust account (after payment of taxes owed on such interest income) of up to $500,000 will be available to us to pay for our working capital requirements. We estimate the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $125,000 over a 24-month period assuming an interest rate of approximately 0.05% per year. |
38
(4) |
These are estimates only. Our actual expenditures for some or all of these items may differ from the estimates set forth herein. For example, we may incur greater legal and accounting expenses than our current estimates in connection with negotiating and structuring our initial business combination based upon the level of complexity of that business combination. We do not anticipate any change in our intended use of proceeds, other than fluctuations among the current categories of allocated expenses, which fluctuations, to the extent they exceed current estimates for any specific category of expenses, would be deducted from our excess working capital. |
An affiliate of Mario Garnero and
EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) have committed to purchase an aggregate of 563,750 private units at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,637,500 in
the aggregate) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. This affiliate and EarlyBirdCapital have also
agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, they will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per unit an additional
number of private units (up to a maximum of 70,313 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least
$10.05 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part. All
of the proceeds we receive from these purchases will be placed in the trust account described below.
$125,625,000, or $144,468,750 if the
over-allotment option is exercised in full, of net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units will be placed in an account at
Barclays in the United States, maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, New York, New York, as trustee. The funds held in
trust will be invested only in United States government treasury bills, bonds or notes having a maturity of 180 days or less, or in money market funds
meeting the applicable conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and that invest solely in United States
government treasuries, so that we are not deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Except with respect to (i) interest
earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our income or other tax obligations and (ii) up to $500,000 of any
remaining interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us for our working capital requirements, the proceeds will not
be released from the trust account until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or our liquidation. The proceeds held in the trust
account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we complete a business combination. Any amounts not paid as
consideration to the sellers of the target business may be used to finance operations of the target business.
The payment to Brasilinvest Group, an
affiliate of Mario Garnero, our Chief Executive Officer, of a monthly fee of $10,000 is for general and administrative services including office space,
utilities and secretarial support. This arrangement is being agreed to by Brasilinvest Group for our benefit and is not intended to provide Mr. Garnero
compensation in lieu of a salary. We believe, based on rents and fees for similar services in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that the fee charged by Brasilinvest
Group is at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an unaffiliated person. This arrangement will terminate upon completion of a business
combination or our liquidation.
Other than the $10,000 monthly
administrative fee, no compensation of any kind (including finders, consulting or other similar fees) will be paid to any of our existing
officers, directors, shareholders, or any of their affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of
the business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, such individuals will receive reimbursement for any out-of-pocket
expenses incurred by them in connection with activities on our behalf, such as identifying potential target businesses, performing business due
diligence on suitable target businesses and business combinations as well as traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of
prospective target businesses to examine their operations. Since the role of present management after a business combination is uncertain, we have no
ability to determine what remuneration, if any, will be paid to those persons after a business combination.
Regardless of whether the
over-allotment option is exercised in full, the net proceeds from this offering available to us out of trust for our working capital requirements in
searching for a business combination will be approximately $475,000. In addition, up to $500,000 of interest earned on the funds held in the trust
account (after payment of taxes owed on such interest income) may be released to us to fund our working capital requirements in searching for a
business combination. We intend to use the excess working capital
39
available for miscellaneous expenses such as paying fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business and for director and officer liability insurance premiums, with the balance being held in reserve in the event due diligence, legal, accounting and other expenses of structuring and negotiating business combinations exceed our estimates, as well as for reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by our initial shareholders, officers and directors in connection with activities on our behalf as described above. We will also be entitled to have interest earned on the funds held in the trust account released to us to pay any tax obligations that we may owe. We intend to use the after-tax interest earned for miscellaneous expenses such as paying fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business and for director and officer liability insurance premiums, with the balance being held in reserve in the event due diligence, legal, accounting and other expenses of structuring and negotiating business combinations exceed our estimates, as well as for reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by our initial shareholders, officers and directors in connection with activities on our behalf as described below.
The allocation of the net proceeds
available to us outside of the trust account, along with the available interest earned on the funds held in the trust account, represents our best
estimate of the intended uses of these funds. In the event that our assumptions prove to be inaccurate, we may reallocate some of such proceeds within
the above described categories. If our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating our initial business combination is
less than the actual amount necessary to do so, or the amount of interest available from the trust account is insufficient as a result of the current
low interest rate environment, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable.
In this event, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from members of our management team, but such members of
our management team are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.
We will likely use a substantial
portion of the net proceeds of this offering, including the funds held in the trust account, to acquire a target business and to pay our expenses
relating thereto, including a fee payable to EarlyBirdCapital of $4,600,000 (exclusive of any applicable finders fees which might become payable)
upon consummation of our initial business combination for assisting us in connection with our initial business combination, as described under the
section titled Underwriting Business Combination Marketing Agreement. To the extent that our share capital is used in whole
or in part as consideration to effect a business combination, the proceeds held in the trust account which are not used to consummate a business
combination will be disbursed to the combined company and will, along with any other net proceeds not expended, be used as working capital to finance
the operations of the target business. Such working capital funds could be used in a variety of ways including continuing or expanding the target
business operations, for strategic acquisitions and for marketing, research and development of existing or new products.
To the extent we are unable to
consummate a business combination, we will pay the costs of liquidating our trust account from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. If
such funds are insufficient, Mario Garnero has agreed to advance us the funds necessary to complete such liquidation (currently anticipated to be no
more than $15,000) and has agreed not to seek repayment of such expenses.
As of February 18, 2014, Brasilinvest
International LLC loaned to us an aggregate of $125,000 to be used to pay a portion of the expenses of this offering referenced in the line items above
for SEC registration fee, FINRA filing fee, the non-refundable portion of the Nasdaq listing fee and a portion of the legal and audit fees and
expenses. The loan is payable without interest on the earlier of (i) February 18, 2015, (ii) the date on which we consummate our initial public
offering or (iii) the date on which we determine to not proceed with our initial public offering. The loan will be repaid out of the proceeds of this
offering available to us for payment of offering expenses.
We believe that, upon consummation of
this offering, we will have sufficient available funds (which includes amounts that may be released to us from the trust account) to operate for the
next 24 months, assuming that a business combination is not consummated during that time. However, if necessary, in order to meet our working capital
needs following the consummation of this offering, our initial shareholders, officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to,
loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a
promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination,
40
without interest, or, at the lenders discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 55,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted since the 50,000 rights included in the private units would result in the issuance of 5,000 shares upon the closing of our business combination, as well as 50,000 warrants to purchase 25,000 shares). Our shareholders have approved the issuance of the units and underlying securities upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert them at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. If we do not complete our initial business combination, the loans would not be repaid.
A public shareholder will be entitled
to receive funds from the trust account (including interest earned on his, her or its portion of the trust account to the extent not previously
released to us) only in the event of (i) our liquidation if we have not completed a business combination within the required time period or (ii) if
that public shareholder converts such shares in connection with a business combination which we consummate. In no other circumstances will a public
shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
41
We have not paid any cash dividends on
our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of an initial business combination. The payment of cash
dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to
completion of a business combination. The payment of any dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our board of
directors at such time. It is the present intention of our board of directors to retain all earnings, if any, for use in our business operations and,
accordingly, our board of directors does not anticipate declaring any dividends in the foreseeable future. In addition, our board of directors is not
currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any share dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of the offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, in which case we will effect a share dividend immediately prior to the consummation of the offering
in such amount as to maintain our initial shareholders ownership at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of
this offering (excluding ownership of the private units). Further, if we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by
restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
42
The difference between the public
offering price per share, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units we are offering by this prospectus and included in the
private units, and the pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such
calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with the sale and exercise of warrants, including the private warrants. Net tangible book value
per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities (excluding the value of
ordinary shares which may be converted into cash), by the number of outstanding ordinary shares. For the purposes of the dilution calculations, we have
assumed the issuance of 0.1 of a share for each right outstanding, as such issuance will occur automatically upon a business combination without the
payment of additional consideration. Accordingly, for the purposes of the dilution calculation, the number of shares included in the units offered
hereby will be deemed to be 13,750,000, the price per share in this offering will be deemed to be $9.09 and the number of shares included in the
private units will be deemed to be 620,125.
At March 27, 2014, our net tangible
book value was $(60,242), or approximately $(0.02) per share. After giving effect to the sale of 12,500,000 ordinary shares included in the units we
are offering by this prospectus, and the deduction of underwriting discounts and estimated expenses of this offering, and the sale of the private
units, and assuming the issuance of 1,250,000 shares for the outstanding rights, our pro forma net tangible book value at March 27, 2014 would have
been $5,000,001 or $0.92 per share, representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $0.94 per share to the initial shareholders and an
immediate dilution of 89.9% per share or $8.17 to new investors not exercising their conversion rights. For purposes of presentation, our pro forma net
tangible book value after this offering is $121,116,376 less than it otherwise would have been because if we effect a business combination, the ability
of public shareholders (but not our initial shareholders) to exercise conversion rights may result in the conversion of up to 12,051,381 shares sold in
this offering.
The following table illustrates the
dilution to the new investors on a per-share basis, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units and the private
warrants:
Public
offering price |
$ | 9.09 | ||||||||
Net tangible
book value before this offering |
$ | (0.02 | ) | |||||||
Increase
attributable to new investors and private sales |
0.94 | |||||||||
Pro forma net
tangible book value after this offering |
0.92 | |||||||||
Dilution to
new investors |
$ | 8.17 | ||||||||
Percentage of
dilution to new investors |
89.9 | % |
The following table sets forth
information with respect to our initial shareholders and the new investors:
Shares Purchased |
Total Consideration |
Average Price per Share |
|||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number |
Percentage |
Amount |
Percentage |
||||||||||||||||||||
Initial
shareholders and underwriters |
3,745,125 | (1) | 21.4 | % | $ | 5,662,500 | 4.3 | % | $ | 1.51 | |||||||||||||
New
investors |
13,750,000 | 78.6 | % | 125,000,000 | 95.7 | % | $ | 9.09 | |||||||||||||||
17,495,125 | 100.0 | % | $ | 130,662,500 | 100.0 | % |
(1) |
Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 468,750 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders have been compulsorily repurchased by us as a result thereof. |
43
The pro forma net tangible book value
after the offering is calculated as follows:
Numerator: |
||||||
Net tangible
book value before the offering |
$ | (60,242 | ) | |||
Net proceeds
from this offering and private placement of private units |
126,100,000 | |||||
Plus:
Offering costs accrued for and paid in advance, excluded from tangible book value before this offering |
76,519 | |||||
Plus:
Proceeds from sale of unit purchase option to underwriters |
100 | |||||
Less:
Proceeds held in trust subject to conversion |
(121,116,376 | ) | ||||
$ | 5,000,001 | |||||
Denominator: |
||||||
Ordinary
shares outstanding prior to this offering |
3,125,000 | (1) | ||||
Ordinary
shares to be sold in this offering |
12,500,000 | |||||
Ordinary
shares underlying the rights to be sold in this offering |
1,250,000 | |||||
Ordinary
shares to be sold in private placement |
563,750 | |||||
Ordinary
shares underlying the rights to be sold in private placement |
56,375 | |||||
Less: Shares
subject to conversion |
(12,051,381 | ) | ||||
5,443,744 |
(1) |
Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 468,750 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders have been compulsorily repurchased by us as a result thereof. |
44
The following table sets forth our
capitalization at March 27, 2014 and as adjusted to give effect to the sale of our units and the private units and the application of the estimated net
proceeds derived from the sale of such securities.
March 27, 2014 |
|||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Actual |
As Adjusted(1) |
||||||||||
Note payable
to related party(2) |
$ | 125,000 | $ | | |||||||
Ordinary
shares, $.0001 par value, -0- and 12,051,381 shares which are subject to possible conversion |
| 121,116,376 | |||||||||
Shareholders equity: |
|||||||||||
Preferred
shares, $.0001 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding |
| | |||||||||
Ordinary
shares, $.0001 par value, 120,000,000 shares authorized; 3,593,750 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 4,137,369 shares issued and
outstanding(3) (excluding 12,051,381 shares subject to possible conversion), as adjusted |
359 | 414 | |||||||||
Additional
paid-in capital |
24,641 | 5,008,310 | |||||||||
Deficit
accumulated during the development stage |
(8,723 | ) | (8,723 | ) | |||||||
Total
shareholders equity: |
$ | 16,277 | $ | 5,000,001 | |||||||
Total
capitalization |
$ | 141,277 | $ | 126,116,377 |
(1) |
Includes the $5,637,500 we wil receive from the sale of the private units. |
(2) |
Note payable to related party is a promissory note issued in the aggregate amount of $125,000 to Brasilinvest International LLC. The note is non-interest bearing and is payable on the earliest to occur of (i) February 18, 2015, (ii) the consummation of this offering or (iii) the date on which we determine not to proceed with this offering. |
(3) |
Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 468,750 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders have been compulsorily repurchased by us as a result thereof. |
45
We were formed on February 11, 2014 as
a Cayman Islands exempted company to serve as a vehicle to effect a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization,
reorganization or similar business combination with one or more target businesses. Our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be
limited to a particular industry or geographic region of the world although we initially intend to focus on target businesses located in Latin America
(with a particular emphasis on Brazil) or Europe operating in the energy (including renewables) and biotechnology industries or target businesses in
such industries operating outside of those geographic locations which we believe would benefit from expanding their operations to such locations. We
intend to utilize cash derived from the proceeds of this offering, our securities, debt or a combination of cash, securities and debt, in effecting a
business combination. The issuance of additional ordinary shares or preferred shares:
|
may significantly reduce the equity interest of our shareholders; |
|
may subordinate the rights of holders of ordinary shares if we issue preferred shares with rights senior to those afforded to our ordinary shares; |
|
will likely cause a change in control if a substantial number of our ordinary shares are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and most likely will also result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and |
|
may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our securities. |
Similarly, if we issue debt securities,
it could result in:
|
default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after a business combination are insufficient to pay our debt obligations; |
|
acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we have made all principal and interest payments when due if the debt security contains covenants that required the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves and we breach any such covenant without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant; |
|
our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand; and |
|
our inability to obtain additional financing, if necessary, if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain additional financing while such security is outstanding. |
We have neither engaged in any
operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our entire activity since inception has been to prepare for our proposed fundraising through an offering
of our equity securities.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As indicated in the accompanying
financial statements, at March 27, 2014, we had $74,990 in cash and cash equivalents and a working capital deficiency of $60,242. Further, we have
incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of our financing and acquisition plans. Managements plans to address this
uncertainty through this offering are discussed above. Our plans to raise capital or to consummate our initial business combination may not be
successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our liquidity needs have been satisfied
to date through receipt of $25,000 from the sale of the insider shares and a loan from Brasilinvest International LLC, an affiliate of Mario Garnero,
in an aggregate amount of $125,000 that is more fully described below. We estimate that the net proceeds from (1) the sale of the units in this
offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $475,000 and underwriting discounts and commissions of $4,062,500 (or $4,671,875 if the
over-allotment option is exercised in full) and (2) the sale of the private units for a purchase price of $5,637,500 (or $6,340,625 if the
over-allotment
46
option is exercised in full), will be $126,100,000 (or $144,943,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). $125,625,000 (or $144,468,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be held in the trust account. The remaining $475,000 (whether or not the over-allotment option is exercised in full) will not be held in the trust account.
We intend to use substantially all of
the net proceeds of this offering, including the funds held in the trust account, to acquire a target business or businesses and to pay our expenses
relating thereto, including a cash fee of $4,600,000 payable to EarlyBirdCapital upon consummation of our initial business combination for assisting us
in connection with such business combination. To the extent that our share capital is used in whole or in part as consideration to effect our initial
business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account as well as any other net proceeds not expended will be used as working capital
to finance the operations of the target business. Such working capital funds could be used in a variety of ways including continuing or expanding the
target business operations, for strategic acquisitions and for marketing, research and development of existing or new products. Such funds could
also be used to repay any operating expenses or finders fees which we had incurred prior to the completion of our initial business combination if
the funds available to us outside of the trust account were insufficient to cover such expenses.
We believe that, upon consummation of
this offering, the $475,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account plus the interest earned on the trust account balance that may be released to
us to fund our working capital requirements (which we anticipate will be approximately $125,000 assuming an interest rate of approximately 0.05% per
year) will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months, assuming that a business combination is not consummated during that
time. Over this time period, we will be using these funds for identifying and evaluating prospective acquisition candidates, performing business due
diligence on prospective target businesses, traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses, reviewing
corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, selecting the target business to acquire and structuring, negotiating and
consummating the business combination. We anticipate that we will incur approximately:
|
$130,000 of expenses for the search for target businesses and for the legal, accounting and other third-party expenses attendant to the due diligence investigations, structuring and negotiating of a business combination; |
|
$20,000 of expenses for the due diligence and investigation of a target business by our officers, directors and initial shareholders; |
|
$100,000 of expenses in legal and accounting fees relating to our SEC reporting obligations; |
|
$240,000 for the administrative fee payable to Brasilinvest Group ($10,000 per month for up to 24 months); and |
|
$110,000 for general working capital that will be used for miscellaneous expenses, including director and officer liability insurance premiums. |
If our estimates of the costs of
undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating our initial business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, or the amount of
interest available to us from the trust account is less than we expect as a result of the current interest rate environment, we may have insufficient
funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to
consummate our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon consummation of our
initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. Subject to
compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only consummate such financing simultaneously with the consummation of our initial business
combination. Following our initial business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet
our obligations.
47
Related Party Transactions
As of February 18, 2014, Brasilinvest
International LLC loaned an aggregate of $125,000 to us, on a non-interest bearing basis, for payment of offering expenses on our behalf. The loan is
payable without interest on the earlier of (i) February 18, 2015, (ii) the date on which we mmate our initial public offering or (iii) the date on
which we determine to not proceed with our initial public offering. The loan will be repaid out of the proceeds of this offering not being placed in
the trust account.
We are obligated, commencing on the
date of this prospectus, to pay Brasilinvest Group, an affiliate of Mario Garnero, a monthly fee of $10,000 for general and administrative
services.
An affiliate of Mario Garnero and
EarlyBirdCapital (and/or their designees) have committed to purchase an aggregate of 563,750 private units at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,637,500 in
the aggregate) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. This affiliate and EarlyBirdCapital have also
agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, they will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per unit an additional
number of private units (up to a maximum of 70,313 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least
$10.05 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part.
These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the
exercise of the over-allotment option.
We do not believe we will need to raise
additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, in order to finance
transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may,
but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of
the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts, but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such
repayment. Such loans would be evidenced by promissory notes. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination,
without interest, or, at the lenders discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into
additional private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 55,000 ordinary shares if $500,000
of notes were so converted since the 50,000 rights included in the private units would result in the issuance of 5,000 shares upon the closing of our
business combination, as well as 50,000 warrants to purchase 25,000 shares). We believe the purchase price of these units will approximate the fair
value of such units when issued. However, if it is determined, at the time of issuance, that the fair value of such units exceeds the purchase price,
we would record compensation expense for the excess of the fair value of the units on the day of issuance over the purchase price in accordance with
ASC 718 Compensation Stock Compensation.
Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to
maintain an effective system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal
control requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not completed
an assessment, nor have our auditors tested our systems, of internal controls. We expect to assess the internal controls of our target business or
businesses prior to the completion of our initial business combination and, if necessary, to implement and test additional controls as we may determine
are necessary in order to state that we maintain an effective system of internal controls. A target business may not be in compliance with the
provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. Target businesses we may consider for our initial business
combination may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:
|
staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties; |
|
reconciliation of accounts; |
|
proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate; |
|
evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions; |
48
|
documentation of processes, assumptions and conclusions underlying significant estimates; and |
|
documentation of accounting policies and procedures. |
Because it will take time, management
involvement and perhaps outside resources to determine what internal control improvements are necessary for us to meet regulatory requirements and
market expectations for our operation of a target business, we may incur significant expense in meeting our public reporting responsibilities,
particularly in the areas of designing, enhancing, or remediating internal and disclosure controls. Doing so effectively may also take longer than we
expect, thus increasing our exposure to financial fraud or erroneous financing reporting.
Once our managements report on
internal controls is complete, we will retain our independent auditors to audit and render an opinion on such report when required by Section 404. The
independent auditors may identify additional issues concerning a target businesss internal controls while performing their audit of internal
control over financial reporting.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market
Risk
The net proceeds of this offering,
including amounts in the trust account, will be invested in United States government treasury bills, bonds or notes having a maturity of 180 days or
less, or in money market funds meeting the applicable conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and that invest
solely in U.S. treasuries. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate
risk.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual
Obligations; Quarterly Results
As of the date of this prospectus, we
did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K and did not have any commitments or contractual
obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus as we have conducted no operations to date.
JOBS Act
On April 5, 2012, the JOBS Act was
signed into law. The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We
will qualify as an emerging growth company and under the JOBS Act will be allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements
based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards,
and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for
non-emerging growth companies. As such, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective
dates.
49
Introduction
We are a Cayman Islands exempted
company incorporated on February 11, 2014 for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase,
recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more target businesses. Our efforts to identify a prospective target
business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region of the world although we initially intend to focus on target businesses
located in Latin America (with a particular emphasis on Brazil) or Europe operating in the energy (including renewables) and biotechnology industries
or target businesses in such industries operating outside of those geographic locations which we believe would benefit from expanding their operations
to such locations.
Competitive Advantages
We believe our competitive strengths to
be the following:
Status as a Public
Company
We believe our structure will make us
an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the
traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination. In this situation, the owners of the target business would exchange
their shares in the target business for our shares or for a combination of shares and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific
needs of the sellers. We believe target businesses might find this method a more certain and cost effective method to becoming a public company than
the typical initial public offering. In a typical initial public offering, there are additional expenses incurred in marketing, roadshow and public
reporting efforts that will likely not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us. Furthermore, once the business
combination is consummated, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the
underwriters ability to complete the offering as well as general market conditions that could prevent the offering from occurring. Once public,
we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital and an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with
stockholders interests than it would have as a privately-held company. It can offer further benefits by augmenting a companys profile among
potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
While we believe that our status as a
public company will make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view the inherent limitations in our status as a blank
check company as a deterrent and may prefer to effect a business combination with a more established entity or with a private company.
Financial
Position
With funds held in trust available for
our initial business combination initially in the amount of $125,625,000 (or $144,468,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), we offer
a target business a variety of options such as providing the owners of a target business with shares in a public company and a public means to sell
such shares, providing cash for stock, and providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance
sheet by reducing its debt ratio. Because we are able to consummate our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a
combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid
to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, since we have no specific business combination under consideration, we have not taken any
steps to secure third party financing and it may not be available to us.
Management Operating and
Investing Experience
We believe that our executive officers
and directors possess the experience, skills and contacts necessary to source, evaluate, and execute an attractive business combination. Additionally,
members of our board of directors have extensive professional relationships with the governmental, legislative, and diplomatic
50
communities. We intend to leverage these extensive contacts and relationships of our executive officers and directors to source, evaluate and execute business combination opportunities.
Mario Garnero, our Chief Executive
Officer, founded the Brasilinvest Group, a merchant bank based in Brazil, in 1975. Brasilinvest Group has investments in the energy, alternate energy,
real estate, transportation, agriculture, information technology and telecommunication industries. Mr. Garnero was previously Chairman of NEC do Brazil
S/A, and Chairman of ITT-Standard Electric S/A, the Brazil subsidiaries of NEC Corporation and ITT Corporation. Mr. Garnero has also served as
President of the Automotive Vehicle Manufacturers Association of Brazil and served as a member of the National Energy Commission of Brazil, among
other industry organization affiliations.
Javier Martin Riva previously was the
Executive Director of Guggenheim Partners LLC, a global financial services firm with more than $190 billion in assets under management. He was
previously the Managing Director of Wealth Management Structured Solutions and Asset Management Group Executive Director of Derivative Products at
Goldman Sachs International and an Executive Director of the Equities Division of Barclays Capital.
John Tonelli is the Chief Executive
Officer of Advanced Global Investments, Ltd., a private investment-company with holdings in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. He is
also Chairman of Advanced Global Securities, a FINRA registered Broker-Dealer based in New York. Mr. Tonelli has over twenty years of experience in
finance, working both as an investment banker and as an attorney, previously serving with companies such as J.P. Morgan & Co., Inc. and Bear
Stearns & Co. Inc.
Amir Adnani is an entrepreneur with an
extensive background in business development and marketing. He is the co-founder of Uranium Energy Corp., a company engaged in uranium mining and
related activities, including exploration, pre-extraction, extraction and processing, on uranium projects located in the United States and Paraguay,
and serves as its President, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer and is a member of its board of directors.
Nelson Filho is the Director of the
Agencia Nacional do Petróleo, or ANP, the Brazilian regulatory agency for the oil, natural gas and biofuels industry. Prior to this, he held
positions as Global Director of Halliburton Angola and as General Manager in Angola and Brazil for ABB Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals, an engineering,
drilling and production equipments company.
Our executive officers and directors
have strong reputations in the business community and long-term relationships with senior executives and decision-makers. We believe that these
relationships will provide us with an important advantage in sourcing and structuring potential business combinations. Additionally, our executive
officers and directors have extensive contacts with consultants, investment bankers, attorneys, and accountants, among others. While the past successes
of our executive officers and directors do not guarantee that we will successfully consummate an initial business combination, they will play an
important role in assisting us to identify strong potential targets and negotiate an agreement for our initial business combination and, to the extent
that our executive officers and directors continue with us following the consummation of an initial business combination, we believe that their
experience will help us operate the combined company. However, if we consummate a business combination in an industry or geographic location that our
officers or directors do not have experience in, the foregoing competitive advantages may not be applicable to us.
Offering Structure
Unlike other blank check companies that
sell units comprised of shares and warrants to purchase a full share in their initial public offerings, we are selling units comprised of shares,
warrants to purchase one-half of one share and rights automatically entitling the holder to receive one-tenth of a share upon consummation of our
initial business combination. Our management believes that investors in similarly structured blank check offerings, and those likely to invest in this
offering, have come to expect the units of such companies to include one share and another security which would allow the holders to acquire additional
shares. Without the ability to acquire such additional shares, our management believes the investors would not be willing to purchase units in such
companies initial public offerings. Accordingly, because the number of shares
51
ordinarily issuable upon exercise of the warrants found in the typical structure of other blank check initial public offerings is lessened in our case (since such warrants most often entitle the holder to receive a full share as opposed to the one-tenth of a share the rights entitle a holder to receive and the one-half of one share that each warrantholder is entitled to purchase), although not completely eliminated, our management believes we will be viewed more favorably by potential target companies when determining which company to engage in a business combination with. However, our management may be incorrect in this belief.
Effecting a Business Combination
General
We are not presently engaged in, and we
will not engage in, any substantive commercial business for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to utilize cash derived
from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of private units, our share capital, debt or a combination of these in effecting a
business combination. Although substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering and the private placement of private units are intended to be
applied generally toward effecting a business combination as described in this prospectus, the proceeds are not otherwise being designated for any more
specific purposes. Accordingly, investors in this offering are investing without first having an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks
of any one or more business combinations. A business combination may involve the acquisition of, or merger with, a company which does not need
substantial additional capital but which desires to establish a public trading market for its shares, while avoiding what it may deem to be adverse
consequences of undertaking a public offering itself. These include time delays, significant expense, loss of voting control and compliance with
various Federal and state securities laws. In the alternative, we may seek to consummate a business combination with a company that may be financially
unstable or in its early stages of development or growth. While we may seek to effect simultaneous business combinations with more than one target
business, we will probably have the ability, as a result of our limited resources, to effect only a single business combination.
We Have Not Identified a Target
Business
To date, we have not selected any
target business on which to concentrate our search for a business combination. None of our officers, directors, initial shareholders and other
affiliates has engaged in discussions on our behalf with representatives of other companies regarding the possibility of a potential merger, share
exchange, asset acquisition or other similar business combination with us, nor have we, nor any of our agents or affiliates, been approached by any
candidates (or representatives of any candidates) with respect to a possible business combination with our company. Additionally, we have not, nor has
anyone on our behalf, taken any measure, directly or indirectly, to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate, nor have we engaged or
retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate such an acquisition candidate. We have also not conducted any research with respect to
identifying the number and characteristics of the potential acquisition candidates. As a result, we cannot assure you that we will be able to locate a
target business or that we will be able to engage in a business combination with a target business on favorable terms or at all.
Subject to the limitations that a
target business have a fair market value of at least 80% of the balance in the trust account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for
our initial business combination, as described below in more detail, we will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting a
prospective acquisition candidate. We have not established any other specific attributes or criteria (financial or otherwise) for prospective target
businesses. Accordingly, there is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we
may ultimately complete a business combination. To the extent we effect a business combination with a financially unstable company or an entity in its
early stage of development or growth, including entities without established records of sales or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks
inherent in the business and operations of financially unstable and early stage or potential emerging growth companies. Although our management will
endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant
risk factors.
52
Sources of Target Businesses
While we have not yet identified any
acquisition candidates, we believe based on our managements business knowledge and past experience that there are numerous acquisition candidates
available. We anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment
bankers, venture capital funds, private equity funds, leveraged buyout funds, management buyout funds and other members of the financial community.
Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us through calls or mailings which
will not commence until after the completion of this offering. These sources may also introduce us to target businesses they think we may be interested
in on an unsolicited basis, since many of these sources will have read this prospectus and know what types of businesses we are targeting. Our officers
and directors, as well as their respective affiliates, may also bring to our attention target business candidates that they become aware of through
their business contacts as a result of formal or informal inquiries or discussions they may have, as well as attending trade shows or conventions.
While we do not presently anticipate engaging the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions on any
formal basis (other than EarlyBirdCapital as described in this prospectus), we may engage these firms or other individuals in the future, in which
event we may pay a finders fee, consulting fee or other compensation to be determined in an arms length negotiation based on the terms of
the transaction. In no event, however, will any of our existing officers, directors, special advisors or initial shareholders, or any entity
with which they are affiliated, be paid any finders fee, consulting fee or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order
to effectuate, the consummation of a business combination (regardless of the type of transaction). If we decide to enter into a business combination
with a target business that is affiliated with our officers, directors or initial shareholders, we will do so only if we have obtained an opinion from
an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated shareholders from a financial point of view. However,
as of the date of this prospectus, there is no affiliated entity that we consider a business combination target.
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of a
Business Combination
Subject to the limitations that a
target business have a fair market value of at least 80% of the balance in the trust account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for
our initial business combination, as described below in more detail, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and
selecting a prospective target business. We have not established any other specific attributes or criteria (financial or otherwise) for prospective
target businesses. In evaluating a prospective target business, our management may consider a variety of factors, including one or more of the
following:
|
financial condition and results of operation; |
|
growth potential; |
|
experience and skill of management and availability of additional personnel; |
|
capital requirements; |
|
competitive position; |
|
barriers to entry; |
|
stage of development of its products, processes or services; |
|
degree of current or potential market acceptance of the products, processes or services; |
|
proprietary features and degree of intellectual property or other protection for its products, processes or services; |
|
regulatory environment of the industry; and |
|
costs associated with effecting the business combination. |
53
We believe such factors will be
important in evaluating prospective target businesses, regardless of the location or industry in which such target business operates. However, this
list is not intended to be exhaustive. Furthermore, we may decide to enter into a business combination with a target business that does not meet these
criteria and guidelines.
Any evaluation relating to the merits
of a particular business combination will be based, to the extent relevant, on the above factors as well as other considerations deemed relevant by our
management in effecting a business combination consistent with our business objective. In evaluating a prospective target business, we will conduct an
extensive due diligence review which will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and inspection of facilities, as well as
review of financial and other information which is made available to us. This due diligence review will be conducted either by our management or by
unaffiliated third parties we may engage, although we have no current intention to engage any such third parties.
The time and costs required to select
and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete the business combination cannot presently be ascertained with any degree of certainty. Any
costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which a business combination is not ultimately
completed will result in a loss to us and reduce the amount of capital available to otherwise complete a business combination.
Fair Market Value of Target
Business
Pursuant to Nasdaq listing rules, the
target business or businesses that we acquire must collectively have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance of the funds in the trust
account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination, although we may acquire a target business whose
fair market value significantly exceeds 80% of the trust account balance. We currently anticipate structuring a business combination to acquire 100% of
the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure a business combination where we merge directly with the
target business or where we acquire less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target
management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or
acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it
not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or
more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the
post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a
transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital of a target. In this case, we would
acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders
immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business
combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction
company, only the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test.
In order to consummate such an acquisition, we may issue a significant amount of our debt or equity securities to the sellers of such businesses and/or
seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities. Since we have no specific business combination under
consideration, we have not entered into any such fund raising arrangement and have no current intention of doing so. The fair market value of the
target will be determined by our board of directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community (such as actual and
potential sales, earnings, cash flow and/or book value). If our board is not able to independently determine that the target business has a sufficient
fair market value, we will obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated, independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly
renders valuation opinions on the type of target business we are seeking to acquire, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We will not be
required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on
the type of target business we are seeking to acquire, as to the fair market value if our board of directors independently determines that the target
business complies with the 80% threshold.
54
Lack of Business Diversification
Our business combination must be with a
target business or businesses that collectively satisfy the minimum valuation standard at the time of such acquisition, as discussed above, although
this process may entail the simultaneous acquisitions of several operating businesses at the same time. Therefore, at least initially, the prospects
for our success may be entirely dependent upon the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities which may have the resources to
complete several business combinations of entities operating in multiple industries or multiple areas of a single industry, it is probable that we will
not have the resources to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses. By consummating a business
combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
|
subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to a business combination, and |
|
result in our dependency upon the performance of a single operating business or the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services. |
If we determine to simultaneously
acquire several businesses and such businesses are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its
business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other acquisitions, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to
complete the business combination. With multiple acquisitions, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect
to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the
subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business.
Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target Business
Management
Although we intend to scrutinize the
management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting a business combination, we cannot assure you that our
assessment of the target business management will prove to be correct. In addition, we cannot assure you that the future management will have the
necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of our officers and directors, if any, in the
target business following a business combination cannot presently be stated with any certainty. While it is possible that some of our key personnel
will remain associated in senior management or advisory positions with us following a business combination, it is unlikely that they will devote their
full time efforts to our affairs subsequent to a business combination. Moreover, they would only be able to remain with the company after the
consummation of a business combination if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination.
Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for them to receive compensation
in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to the company after the consummation of the business combination.
While the personal and financial interests of our key personnel may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business, their
ability to remain with the company after the consummation of a business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or
not we will proceed with any potential business combination. Additionally, our officers and directors may not have significant experience or knowledge
relating to the operations of the particular target business.
Following a business combination, we
may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the
ability to recruit additional managers, or that any such additional managers we do recruit will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience
necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
Shareholder Approval of Business
Combination
In connection with any proposed
business combination, we will seek shareholder approval of an initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which shareholders
may seek to convert their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro
rata
55
share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, less any taxes then due but not yet paid. In such event, the conversion rights will be effected under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and Cayman Islands law as repurchases. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.05 per share.
We will consummate our initial business
combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares voted
are voted in favor of the business combination. We chose our net tangible asset threshold of $5,000,001 to ensure that we would avoid being subject to
Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. However, if we seek to consummate an initial business combination with a target
business that imposes any type of working capital closing condition or requires us to have a minimum amount of funds available from the trust account
upon consummation of such initial business combination, our net tangible asset threshold may limit our ability to consummate such initial business
combination (as we may be required to have a lesser number of shares converted) and may force us to seek third party financing which may not be
available on terms acceptable to us or at all. As a result, we may not be able to consummate such initial business combination and we may not be able
to locate another suitable target within the applicable time period, if at all. Public shareholders may therefore have to wait 21 months from the date
of this prospectus (or 24 months from the date of this prospectus if we have executed a definitive agreement for a business combination within 21
months from the date of this prospectus but have not consummated the business combination with such 21-month period) in order to be able to receive a
pro rata share of the trust account.
Our initial shareholders and our
officers and directors have agreed (1) to vote any ordinary shares owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination and (2) not to convert
any ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination or a vote to amend the provisions of our
amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to shareholders rights or pre-business combination
activity.
None of our officers, directors,
initial shareholders or their affiliates has indicated any intention to purchase units or ordinary shares in this offering or from persons in the open
market or in private transactions. However, if we hold a meeting to approve a proposed business combination and a significant number of shareholders
vote, or indicate an intention to vote, against such proposed business combination, our officers, directors, initial shareholders or their affiliates
could make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions in order to influence the vote. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our officers,
directors, initial shareholders and their affiliates will not make purchases of ordinary shares if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule
10b-5 of the Exchange Act, which are rules designed to stop potential manipulation of a companys stock.
Conversion Rights
At any meeting called to approve an
initial business combination, public shareholders may seek to convert their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed
business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, less any taxes then due but not yet paid.
In such event, the conversion rights will be effected under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and Cayman Islands law as
repurchases. A holder will always have the ability to vote against a proposed business combination and not seek conversion of his
shares.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public
shareholder, together with any affiliate of his or any other person with whom he is acting in concert or as a group (as defined in Section
13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) will be restricted from seeking conversion rights with respect to 30% or more of the ordinary shares sold in this
offering. Accordingly, all shares in excess of 30% of the shares sold in this offering held by a holder will not be converted to cash. We believe this
restriction will prevent shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares before the vote held to approve a proposed business combination and
attempt to use the conversion right as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then current
market price. By limiting a shareholders ability to convert no more than 30% of the ordinary shares sold in this offering, we believe we have
limited the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block a transaction which is favored by our other public
shareholders.
56
Our initial shareholders will not have
conversion rights with respect to any ordinary shares owned by them, directly or indirectly, whether acquired prior to this offering or purchased by
them in this offering or in the aftermarket. EarlyBirdCapital will not have conversion rights with respect to the private shares.
We may also require public
shareholders, whether they are a record holder or hold their shares in street name, to either tender their certificates to our transfer
agent at any time through the vote on the business combination or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust
Companys DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holders option. Once the shares are converted by the beneficial holder, and
effectively repurchased by us under Cayman Island law, the transfer agent will then update our Register of Shareholders to reflect all
conversions.
There is a nominal cost associated with
this tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC system. The transfer agent will typically charge the
tendering broker $45 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the converting holder. However, this fee would be incurred
regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise conversion rights. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising
conversion rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated. However, in the event we require shareholders seeking to exercise
conversion rights prior to the consummation of the proposed business combination and the proposed business combination is not consummated this may
result in an increased cost to shareholders.
Any request to convert such shares once
made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the vote on the proposed business combination. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered his
certificate in connection with an election of their conversion and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such
rights, he may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically).
If the initial business combination is
not approved or completed for any reason, then our public shareholders who elected to exercise their conversion rights would not be entitled to convert
their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any shares delivered by public
holders.
Automatic Liquidation of Trust Account if No Business
Combination
If we do not complete a business
combination within 21 months from the date of this prospectus, or up to 24 months if the extension criteria have been satisfied, it will trigger our
automatic winding up, dissolution and liquidation pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. As a
result, this has the same effect as if we had formally gone through a voluntary liquidation procedure under the Companies Law. Accordingly, no vote
would be required from our shareholders to commence such a voluntary winding up, dissolution and liquidation.
The amount in the trust account (less
$1,250 representing the aggregate nominal par value of the shares of our public shareholders) under the Companies Law will be treated as share premium
which is distributable under the Cayman Companies Law provided that immediately following the date on which the proposed distribution is proposed to be
made, we are able to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. If we are forced to liquidate the trust account, we anticipate
that we would distribute to our public shareholders the amount in the trust account calculated as of the date that is two days prior to the
distribution date (including any accrued interest). Prior to such distribution, we would be required to assess all claims that may be potentially
brought against us by our creditors for amounts they are actually owed and make provision for such amounts, as creditors take priority over our public
shareholders with respect to amounts that are owed to them. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially
brought against us. As such, our shareholders could potentially be liable for any claims of creditors to the extent of distributions received by them
as an unlawful payment in the event we enter an insolvent liquidation. Furthermore, while we will seek to have all vendors and service providers (which
would include any third parties we engaged to assist us in any way in connection with our search for a target business) and prospective target
businesses execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in or to any monies held in the trust
account, there is no guarantee that they will execute such
57
agreements. Nor is there any guarantee that, even if such entities execute such agreements with us, they will not seek recourse against the trust account or that a court would conclude that such agreements are legally enforceable.
Each of our initial shareholders has
agreed to waive its rights to participate in any liquidation of our trust account or other assets with respect to the insider shares and private shares
and to vote their insider shares and private shares in favor of any dissolution and plan of distribution which we submit to a vote of shareholders.
There will be no distribution from the trust account with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless.
If we are unable to complete an initial
business combination and expend all of the net proceeds of this offering, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking
into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the initial per-share distribution from the trust account would be $10.05.
The proceeds deposited in the trust
account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would be prior to the claims of our public shareholders. Although we will
seek to have all vendors, including lenders for money borrowed, prospective target businesses or other entities we engage execute agreements with us
waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, there
is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims
against the trust account, including but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as
claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with a claim against our assets, including the funds
held in the trust account. If any third party refused to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, we would
perform an analysis of the alternatives available to us if we chose not to engage such third party and evaluate if such engagement would be in the best
interest of our shareholders if such third party refused to waive such claims. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that
refused to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be
significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a provider of
required services willing to provide the waiver. In any event, our management would perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and would
only enter into an agreement with a third party that did not execute a waiver if management believed that such third partys engagement would be
significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may
have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust
account for any reason.
Mario Garnero has personally agreed
that, if we liquidate the trust account prior to the consummation of a business combination, he will be liable to pay debts and obligations to target
businesses or vendors or other entities that are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to us in excess of the net
proceeds of this offering not held in the trust account, but only to the extent necessary to ensure that such debts or obligations do not reduce the
amounts in the trust account and only if such parties have not executed a waiver agreement. However, we cannot assure you that Mr. Garnero will be able
to satisfy those obligations if he is required to do so. Accordingly, the actual per-share distribution could be less than $10.05, plus interest, due
to claims of creditors. Additionally, if we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which is not
dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and
subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust
account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return to our public shareholders at least $10.05 per share.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and
selecting a target business, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours. Many of these
entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Many
of
58
these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources than us and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there may be numerous potential target businesses that we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering, our ability to compete in acquiring certain sizable target businesses may be limited by our available financial resources.
The following also may not be viewed
favorably by certain target businesses:
|
our obligation to seek shareholder approval of a business combination may delay the completion of a transaction; |
|
our obligation to convert ordinary shares held by our public shareholders may reduce the resources available to us for a business combination; |
|
Nasdaq may require us to file a new listing application and meet its initial listing requirements to maintain the listing of our securities following a business combination; |
|
our outstanding warrants and unit purchase options, and the potential future dilution they represent; |
|
our obligation to either repay or issue private units upon conversion of up to $500,000 of working capital loans that may be made to us by our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates; |
|
our obligation to register the resale of the insider shares, as well as the private units (and underlying securities) and any securities issued to our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates upon conversion of working capital loans; and |
|
the impact on the target business assets as a result of unknown liabilities under the securities laws or otherwise depending on developments involving us prior to the consummation of a business combination. |
Any of these factors may place us at a
competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. Our management believes, however, that our status as a public entity and
potential access to the United States public equity markets may give us a competitive advantage over privately-held entities having a similar business
objective as ours in acquiring a target business with significant growth potential on favorable terms. Furthermore, the fact that we will not be
required to pay our underwriters any deferred compensation upon consummation of an initial business combination may give us a competitive advantage
over other similarly structured blank check companies.
If we succeed in effecting a business
combination, there will be, in all likelihood, intense competition from competitors of the target business. We cannot assure you that, subsequent to a
business combination, we will have the resources or ability to compete effectively.
Facilities
We maintain our principal executive
offices at Av Brig. Faria Lima, 1485-19 Andar, Brasilinvest Plaza CEP 01452-002, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The cost for this space is included in the $10,000
per-month fee Brasilinvest Group will charge us for general and administrative services commencing on the effective date of this prospectus pursuant to
a letter agreement between us and Brasilinvest Group. We believe, based on rents and fees for similar services in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that the fee
charged by Brasilinvest Group is at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an unaffiliated person. We consider our current office space,
combined with the other office space otherwise available to our executive officers, adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We have two executive officers. These
individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters and intend to devote only as much time as they deem necessary to
our affairs. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for the business
combination and the stage of the business combination process the company is in. Accordingly, once management locates a suitable target business to
acquire, they will spend more time investigating such target business and negotiating and processing the business combination (and
consequently
59
spend more time to our affairs) than they would prior to locating a suitable target business. We presently expect each of our executive officers to devote such amount of time as they reasonably believe is necessary to our business. We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the consummation of a business combination.
Periodic Reporting and Audited Financial
Statements
We have registered our units, ordinary
shares and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports
with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual report will contain financial statements audited and reported on by
our independent registered public accountants.
We will provide shareholders with
audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of any proxy solicitation sent to shareholders to assist them in assessing the
target business. In all likelihood, the financial statements included in the proxy solicitation materials will need to be prepared in accordance with
U.S. GAAP and/or IFRS, or reconciled to U.S. GAAP. We cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential acquisition
candidate will have the necessary financial statements. To the extent that this requirement cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed
target business.
We may be required to have our internal
control procedures audited for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. A target company may not be in
compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any
such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such
acquisition.
We are an emerging growth company as
defined in the JOBS Act and will remain such for up to five years. However, if our non-convertible debt issued within a three-year period or our total
revenues exceed $1 billion or the market value of our ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million on the last day of the
second fiscal quarter of any given fiscal year, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of the following fiscal year. As an emerging growth
company, we have elected, under Section 107(b) of the JOBS Act, to take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of
the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards.
Comparison to Offerings of Blank Check Companies Subject to
Rule 419
The following table compares and
contrasts the terms of our offering and the terms of an offering of blank check companies under Rule 419 promulgated by the SEC assuming that the gross
proceeds, underwriting discounts and underwriting expenses for the Rule 419 offering are the same as this offering and that the underwriters will not
exercise their over-allotment option. None of the terms of a Rule 419 offering will apply to this offering because we will be listed on a national
securities exchange, we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,001 upon the successful consummation of this offering and will file a Current
Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact.
Terms of the Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
|||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Escrow of
offering proceeds |
$125,625,000 of the net offering proceeds and proceeds from the sale of the private units will be deposited into a trust account at
Barclays in the United States, maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee |
$108,843,750 of the offering proceeds would be required to be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution
or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker-dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in
the account. |
60
Terms of the Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Investment
of net proceeds |
The
$125,625,000 of the net offering proceeds and proceeds from the sale of the private units held in trust will only be invested in United States
government treasury bills, bonds or notes with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting the applicable conditions under Rule
2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and that invest solely in United States government treasuries. |
Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act of 1940
or in securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal or interest by, the United States. |
||||||||
Limitation
on fair value or net assets of target business |
The
initial target business that we acquire must have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in our trust account at the time of the
execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination. |
We
would be restricted from acquiring a target business unless the fair value of such business or net assets to be acquired represent at least 80% of the
maximum offering proceeds. |
||||||||
Trading of
securities issued |
The
units may commence trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin to trade
separately on the 90th day after the date of this prospectus unless EarlyBirdCapital informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading
(based upon its assessment of the relative strengths of the securities markets and small capitalization and blank check companies in general, and the
trading pattern of, and demand for, our securities in particular), provided we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K, which includes an
audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the proceeds of this offering. |
No
trading of the units or the underlying ordinary shares and warrants would be permitted until the completion of a business combination. During this
period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account. |
||||||||
Exercise of
the warrants |
The
warrants cannot be exercised until the completion of a business combination and, accordingly, will be exercised only after the trust account has been
terminated and distributed. |
The
warrants could be exercised prior to the completion of a business combination, but securities received and cash paid in connection with the exercise
would be deposited in the escrow or trust account. |
61
Terms of the Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Election to
remain an investor |
We
will give our shareholders the opportunity to vote on the business combination. We will send each shareholder a proxy statement containing information
required by the SEC. |
A
prospectus containing information required by the SEC would be sent to each investor. Each investor would be given the opportunity to notify the
company, in writing, within a period of no less than 20 business days and no more than 45 business days from the effective date of the post-effective
amendment, to decide whether he or she elects to remain a shareholder of the company or require the return of his or her investment. If the company has
not received the notification by the end of the 45th business day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow
account would automatically be returned to the shareholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all of the deposited
funds in the escrow account must be returned to all investors and none of the securities will be issued. |
||||||||
Business
combination deadline |
Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, if we do not complete an initial business combination within 21
months from the date of this prospectus (or up to 24 months if the period to complete our business combination has been extended as described elsewhere
in this prospectus), it will trigger our automatic winding up, dissolution and liquidation. |
If an
acquisition has not been consummated within 18 months after the effective date of the initial registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow
account would be returned to investors. |
||||||||
Interest
earned on the funds in the trust account |
There
can be released to us, from time to time, (i) any interest earned on the funds in the trust account that we may need to pay our tax obligations and
(ii) up to $500,000 of any remaining interest earned on the funds in the trust account that we need for our working capital requirements. The remaining
interest earned on the funds in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination and our entry into
liquidation upon failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. |
All
interest earned on the funds in the trust account will be held in trust for the benefit of public shareholders until the earlier of the completion of a
business combination and our liquidation upon failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. |
62
Terms of the Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Release of
funds |
Except for (i) any amounts that we may need to pay our tax obligations and (ii) any remaining interest that we may need for our working
capital requirements that may be released to us from the interest earned on the trust account balance described above, the proceeds held in the trust
account will not be released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination and the liquidation of our trust account upon failure to
effect a business combination within the allotted time. |
The
proceeds held in the escrow account would not be released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or the failure to effect a
business combination within the allotted time. |
63
Directors and Executive Officers
Our current directors and executive
officers are as follows:
Name |
Age |
Position |
||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mario Garnero
|
76 | Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer |
||||||||
Javier Martin
Riva |
46 | Chief Financial Officer, Chief Investment Officer and Director |
||||||||
John Tonelli
|
49 | Director |
||||||||
Amir Adnani
|
36 | Director |
||||||||
Nelson Narciso
Filho |
58 | Director |
Mario Garnero has served as our
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since our inception. We believe Mr. Garnero is well-qualified to serve as a member of the Board due
to his business leadership, operational experience and contacts, as well as his diverse activities in Brazil. Mr. Garnero is the Chairman and Founder
of the Brasilinvest Group. The Brasilinvest Group is a business organization established in 1975 as a private business enterprise operating along the
lines of a classic banquet daffaires or merchant bank. The establishment of the Brasilinvest Group, with activities in energy,
alternative energy, real estate, transportation, agriculture, information technology and telecommunications, has over the years attracted direct
investments to Brazil of approximately $16 billion, and gathered partners and business associates from 28 different countries, many of which are still
minority shareholders of Brasilinvest. Mr. Garnero is also the President of Jurisul the Interamerican Institute for Juridical Studies on
Mercosur, Fórum das Américas a think-tank group established in 1978 to promote and improve global awareness of environmental
issues, and President of the United Nations Association-Brazil, a non-governmental, non-profit organization formed to improve ties between Brazil and
the United Nations. Mr. Garnero was formerly the co-non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Green Power Enterprises, Inc., a blank check company formed
to complete a business combination with one or more businesses or entities. Due to market conditions, Green Power Enterprises, Inc. never completed its
initial public offering and never engaged in any substantive operations. From 1981 to 1991, Mr. Garnero served as Chairman of the Board of NEC do
Brasil S/A, a joint-venture between the Brasilinvest Group and the Japanese NEC, telecommunication company specializing in heavy switchboards and
mobile phone technology. From 1982 to 1984, Mr. Garnero served as President of the National Confederation of Brazilian Industries (CNI), the
representative body from the industrial sector in Brazil, responsible for the first business plan on Ethanol Transportation. During this period a
document which contained the signatures of over 800 prominent leaders of the Brazilian economy, all in support of the production of the ethanol
empowered automobile was produced by CNI. From 1979 to 1981, Mr. Garnero served as President of the National Association of Automotive Vehicle
Manufacturers of Brazil, which included the most important automotive producers in Brazil, such as General Motors, Ford, FIAT and Volkswagen. From 1981
to 1982, Mr. Garnero served as a member of the National Energy Commission of Brazil. From 1978 to 1981, Mr. Garnero served as Chairman of ITT-Standard
Electric S/A, former subsidiary of ITT (telecommunications sector) in Brazil acquired by Brasilinvest Group. Mr. Garnero has been the recipient of
awards and recognitions such as the Industry Metal of Merit-State of Piaui Federation of Industry Man of the Year from the Brazilian American Chamber
of Commerce, New York, and Citizen of Sao Paulo. Mr. Garnero graduated from the Law School of Pontific Catholic University of Sao Paulo. Mr. Garnero is
fluent in English, French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
Javier Martin Riva has served as
our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Investment Officer since our inception. We believe Mr. Riva is well-qualified to serve as a member of the Board
due to his extensive investment experience and his other experience and contacts. From December 2011 to January 2014, Mr. Riva served as an Executive
Director of Guggenheim Partners LLC, a privately held global financial services firm with more than $190 billion in assets under management as of
December 31, 2013. From June 2009 to December 2011, Mr. Riva served as a Managing Partner and member of the Board of 1OAK Financial Group, an
alternative asset manager. From July 2005 to March 2009, Mr. Riva was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs International, an investment banking firm.
From May 2003 to May 2005, Mr. Riva was an Executive
64
Director in the Equities Division of Barclays Capital, a multinational investment bank headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Prior to this, Mr. Riva held several positions with Citigroup, including Director of Equity Derivatives Sales. Mr. Riva graduated from Florida International University and received a Bachelors in International Business Administration.
John Tonelli has served as a
Director since May 2014. We believe Mr. Tonelli is well-qualified to serve as a member of the Board due to his specialized expertise in finance and
emerging markets. Mr. Tonelli has been the Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Global Investments, Ltd., a private investment-company with holdings in
Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, since 2009. He is also Chairman of Advanced Global Securities, a FINRA registered Broker-Dealer
based in New York. Mr. Tonelli has over twenty years of experience in finance, working both as an investment banker and as an attorney. Mr. Tonelli has
advised numerous companies and governments on direct investments, securities issuance, privatizations and infrastructure financings. He has been a
director of Converse Bank since 2009 and a director of Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. since 2010. From 2003 to 2009, Mr. Tonelli was a Senior
Managing Director with J.P. Morgan & Co., Inc. and Bear Stearns & Co. Inc. where he was Head of International Project Finance and Emerging
Markets Structured Finance. From 1999 to 2003, he was CEO of International Venture Partners, LLC, an NASD member broker-dealer specializing in emerging
markets. From 1992 to 1999, Mr. Tonelli was an attorney with Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft where he was head of the Latin American practice group.
Mr. Tonelli received a B.A. from Columbia University and a J.D./M.B.A. from Fordham University.
Amir Adnani has served as a
Director since June 2014. We believe Mr. Adnani is well-qualified to serve as a member of the Board due to his extensive experience in business
development and marketing. Mr. Adnani is a co-founder of Uranium Energy Corp. and has served as President, Chief Executive Officer, Principal Executive
Officer and a director of since January 2005. Uranium Energy Corp. is engaged in uranium mining and related activities, including exploration,
pre-extraction, extraction and processing, on uranium projects located in the United States and Paraguay. In September 2004, Mr. Adnani founded and was
the sole shareholder, a director and President of Blender Media Inc., a Vancouver based company that provides strategic marketing and financial
communications services to public companies and investors in mineral exploration, mining, and energy sectors, and served in such capacities until
October 2006. In June 2001, Mr. Adnani co-founded, and from June 2001 to September 2004, was a director and officer of Fort Sun Investments Inc., a
strategic marketing and financial communications services company for public companies. Mr. Adnani has served as a director and chairman of the board
of Brazil Resources Inc., a mining company listed on the TSX-V, since August 2010. Mr. Adnani holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of
British Columbia.
Nelson Narciso Filho has served
as Director since February 2014. We believe Mr. Filho is well-qualified to serve as a member of the Board due to his extensive experience and contacts.
Since June 2006, Mr. Filho has served as Director of the ANP, the Brazilian regulatory agency for the oil, natural gas and biofuels industry, since
June 2006. From May 2005 to June 2006, Mr. Filho served as Global Director of Halliburton Angola. From January 1995 to February 2005, Mr. Filho served
as General Manager in Angola and Brazil for ABB Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals, an engineering, drilling and production equipments company. Mr. Filho
studied as a Naval Structures Technician at the Colegio Industrial Henrique Lage, he graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Faculdade de Engenharia
Souza Marques and did post graduation studies in Industrial Administration and Economical Engineering at the Federal University of Rio de
Janeiro.
Our board of directors is divided into
three classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class serving a three-year term. The term of office of the first
class of directors, consisting of Corrado Clini, will expire at our first annual meeting of shareholders. The term of office of the second class of
directors, consisting of John Tonelli and Nelson Narciso Filho, will expire at the second annual meeting. The term of office of the third class of
directors, consisting of Mario Garnero and Javier Martin Riva, will expire at the third annual meeting.
Special Advisors
We may seek guidance and advice from
the following special advisors. We have no formal arrangement or agreement with these advisors to provide services to us and
they have no fiduciary obligation to present
65
business opportunities to us. These special advisors will simply provide advice, introductions to potential targets, and assistance to us, at our request, only if they are able to do so. Nevertheless, we believe with their business background and extensive contacts, they will be helpful to our search for a target business and our consummation of a business combination.
David A. Fergusson is the
President of The M&A Advisor the worlds premier leadership organization of mergers & acquisition, restructuring and financing
professionals. Headquartered in New York, Mr. Fergusson leads the M&A Advisors global services operations, managing the publishing, media,
summit and business liaison services for the firms network of over 300,000 Mergers & Acquisitions, restructuring and financing professionals
around the world. Prior to joining The M&A Advisor in 2010, he was a founding partner of Paradigm Partners, a lower and middle market venture
capital management firm, which conducted over 25 acquisitions during Mr. Fergussons 15 year term. The former Managing Director of Graj +
Gustavsen, one of the countrys leading brand management firms, Mr. Fergusson began his career in the entrepreneurial development and management
of leading consumer brands and provided brand marketing services to Fortune 500 corporations including ATT, Citibank and Glaxo. Mr. Fergusson is also a
contributor to industry publications and media reporting. Mr. Fergusson is a graduate of the Kings Edgehill School and the University of Guelph with a
degree in Political Studies.
Paolo Dal Pino has been the
Executive President of Pirelli America Latina, the leader in the tire industry in Latin America, since 2012. Mr. Dal Pino is also currently on
the Board of the Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires, an integrated health, nonprofit and teaching hospital, and a member of the FIESP Economic
Committee (Industrial Federation State of Sao Paulo). In 2010, he was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Rio de
Janeiro. From 2008 to 2011, Mr. Dal Pino served as a Senior Advisor to Cyrte Investments Heliconia, a Dutch private equity boutique
focused on international investments in the media and technology industries. From 2006 to 2007, Mr. Dal Pino served as Chief Executive Officer
of Wind Telecomunicazioni, the third Italian mobile operator and second wireline and broadband operator. From 2004 to 2005, he served as
President of the Latin American operations of Telecom Italia America Latina Group and Tim Brasil, the second largest mobile operator in Brazil.
From 2001 to 2003, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Seat Pagine Gialle, a multinational conglomerate. Prior to this, he served in a
variety of positions with Espresso Group, a leading media group in Italy. Mr. Dal Pino received a degree in Economics from the University of
Pavia, Italy.
R. Todd Ruppert is the
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ruppert International, Inc., a holding company with diversified interests globally in various fields. In
June 2012, Mr. Ruppert retired from T. Rowe Price group, a global investment management firm, where he was Board member and President,
Investment Services, of T. Rowe Price International and member of the operating steering committee of the T. Rowe Price group. He was
with T. Rowe Price for 27 years. Mr. Ruppert sits on numerous boards of directors and advisory boards including Duke University, INSEAD business
school, Furman University, Kenyon College, ArtStar, Little Collector, the Maryland Academy of Science and the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, among
others.
Executive Compensation
No executive officer has received any
cash compensation for services rendered to us. Commencing on the date of this prospectus through the acquisition of a target business, we will pay
Brasilinvest Group, an affiliate of Mario Garnero, a fee of $10,000 per month for providing us with office space and certain office and secretarial
services. However, this arrangement is solely for our benefit and is not intended to provide Mr. Garnero compensation in lieu of a salary. Other than
the $10,000 per month administrative fee, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our
existing shareholders, including our directors, or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to
effectuate, the consummation of a business combination. However, such individuals will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in
connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business
combinations. There is no limit on the amount of these out-of-pocket expenses and there will be no review of the reasonableness of the expenses by
anyone other than our board of directors and audit committee, which includes persons who may seek reimbursement, or a court of competent jurisdiction
if such reimbursement is challenged.
66
Director Independence
Currently John Tonelli, Amir Adnani and
Nelson Narciso Filho would each be considered an independent director under the Nasdaq listing rules, which is defined generally as a
person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship, which, in the opinion of the
companys board of directors would interfere with the directors exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a
director. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
We will only enter into a business
combination if it is approved by a majority of our independent directors. Additionally, we will only enter into transactions with our officers and
directors and their respective affiliates that are on terms no less favorable to us than could be obtained from independent parties. Any related-party
transactions must be approved by our audit committee and a majority of disinterested independent directors.
Audit Committee
Effective as of the date of this
prospectus, we have established an audit committee of the board of directors, which will consist of John Tonelli, Amir Adnani and
Nelson Narciso Filho, each of whom is an independent director under Nasdaqs listing standards. The audit committees duties, which are
specified in our Audit Committee Charter, include, but are not limited to:
|
reviewing and discussing with management and the independent auditor the annual audited financial statements, and recommending to the board whether the audited financial statements should be included in our Form 10-K; |
|
discussing with management and the independent auditor significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of our financial statements; |
|
discussing with management major risk assessment and risk management policies; |
|
monitoring the independence of the independent auditor; |
|
verifying the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law; |
|
Reviewing and approving all related-party transactions; |
|
inquiring and discussing with management our compliance with applicable laws and regulations; |
|
pre-approving all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent auditor, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed; |
|
appointing or replacing the independent auditor; |
|
determining the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent auditor (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditor regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work; |
|
establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies; and |
|
approving reimbursement of expenses incurred by our management team in identifying potential target businesses. |
Financial Experts on Audit Committee
The audit committee will at all times
be composed exclusively of independent directors who are financially literate as defined under Nasdaq listing standards. Nasdaq
listing standards define financially literate as being able to read and understand fundamental financial statements, including a
companys balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement.
67
In addition, we must certify to Nasdaq
that the committee has, and will continue to have, at least one member who has past employment experience in finance or accounting, requisite
professional certification in accounting, or other comparable experience or background that results in the individuals financial sophistication.
The board of directors has determined that John Tonelli qualifies as an audit committee financial expert, as defined under rules and
regulations of the SEC.
Nominating Committee
Effective as of the date of this
prospectus, we have established a nominating committee of the board of directors, which will consist of John Tonelli, Amir Adnani and
Nelson Narciso Filho, each of whom is an independent director under Nasdaqs listing standards. The nominating committee is responsible for
overseeing the selection of persons to be nominated to serve on our board of directors. The nominating committee considers persons identified by its
members, management, shareholders, investment bankers and others.
Guidelines for Selecting Director
Nominees
The guidelines for selecting nominees,
which are specified in the Nominating Committee Charter, generally provide that persons to be nominated:
|
should have demonstrated notable or significant achievements in business, education or public service; |
|
should possess the requisite intelligence, education and experience to make a significant contribution to the board of directors and bring a range of skills, diverse perspectives and backgrounds to its deliberations; and |
|
should have the highest ethical standards, a strong sense of professionalism and intense dedication to serving the interests of the shareholders. |
The Nominating Committee will consider
a number of qualifications relating to management and leadership experience, background and integrity and professionalism in evaluating a persons
candidacy for membership on the board of directors. The nominating committee may require certain skills or attributes, such as financial or accounting
experience, to meet specific board needs that arise from time to time and will also consider the overall experience and makeup of its members to obtain
a broad and diverse mix of board members. The nominating committee does not distinguish among nominees recommended by shareholders and other
persons.
Code of Ethics
Upon consummation of this offering, we
will adopt a code of ethics that applies to all of our executive officers, directors and employees. The code of ethics codifies the business and
ethical principles that govern all aspects of our business.
Conflicts of Interest
Potential investors should be aware of
the following potential conflicts of interest:
|
None of our officers and directors is required to commit their full time to our affairs and, accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time among various business activities. |
|
In the course of their other business activities, our officers and directors may become aware of investment and business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to our company as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated. Our management has pre-existing fiduciary duties and contractual obligations and may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. |
|
Our officers and directors may in the future become affiliated with entities, including other blank check companies, engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by our company. |
|
The insider shares owned by our officers and directors will be released from escrow only if a business combination is successfully completed and subject to certain other limitations. Additionally, our officers |
68
and directors will not receive distributions from the trust account with respect to any of their insider shares if we do not complete a business combination. Furthermore, the affiliate of Mr. Garnero purchasing the private units has agreed that such private units (and underlying securities) will not be sold or transferred by it until after we have completed our initial business combination. In addition, our officers and directors may loan funds to us after this offering and may be owed reimbursement for expenses incurred in connection with certain activities on our behalf which would only be repaid if we complete an initial business combination. For the foregoing reasons, the personal and financial interests of our directors and executive officers may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business, completing a business combination in a timely manner and securing the release of their shares. |
Under Cayman Islands law, directors and
officers owe the following fiduciary duties:
(i) |
duty to act in good faith in what the director or officer believes to be in the best interests of the company as a whole; |
(ii) |
duty to exercise powers for the purposes for which those powers were conferred and not for a collateral purpose; |
(iii) |
directors should not properly fetter the exercise of future discretion; |
(iv) |
duty to exercise powers fairly as between different sections of shareholders; |
(v) |
duty not to put themselves in a position in which there is a conflict between their duty to the company and their personal interests; and |
(vi) |
duty to exercise independent judgment. |
In addition to the above, directors
also owe a duty of care which is not fiduciary in nature. This duty has been defined as a requirement to act as a reasonably diligent person having
both the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person carrying out the same functions as are carried out by that
director in relation to the company and the general knowledge skill and experience which that director has.
As set out above, directors have a duty
not to put themselves in a position of conflict and this includes a duty not to engage in self-dealing, or to otherwise benefit as a result of their
position. However, in some instances what would otherwise be a breach of this duty can be forgiven and/or authorized in advance by the shareholders
provided that there is full disclosure by the directors. This can be done by way of permission granted in the memorandum and articles of association or
alternatively by shareholder approval at general meetings.
Accordingly, as a result of multiple
business affiliations, our officers and directors may have similar legal obligations relating to presenting business opportunities meeting the
above-listed criteria to multiple entities. In addition, conflicts of interest may arise when our board evaluates a particular business opportunity
with respect to the above-listed criteria. We cannot assure you that any of the above mentioned conflicts will be resolved in our favor. Furthermore,
each of our officers and directors has pre-existing fiduciary obligations to other businesses of which they are officers or directors. To the extent
they identify business opportunities which may be suitable for the entities to which they owe pre-existing fiduciary obligations, our officers and
directors will honor those fiduciary obligations. Accordingly, they may not present opportunities to us that otherwise may be attractive to us unless
the entities to which they owe pre-existing fiduciary obligations and any successors to such entities have declined to accept such
opportunities.
In order to minimize potential
conflicts of interest which may arise from multiple corporate affiliations, each of our officers and directors has contractually agreed, pursuant to a
written agreement with us, until the earliest of a business combination, our liquidation or such time as he ceases to be an officer or director, to
present to our company for our consideration, prior to presentation to any other entity, any suitable business opportunity which may reasonably be
required to be presented to us, subject to any pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations he might have.
69
The following table summarizes the
other relevant pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations of our officers and directors:
Name of Affiliated Company |
Name of Individual |
Priority/Preference relative to Garnero Group Acquisition Company |
||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brasilinvest
Group |
Mario Garnero Javier Martin Riva |
Mr.
Garnero is the Chairman and Founder of the Brasilinvest Group and Javier Riva is Chief Financial Officer and Chief Investment Officer of the
Brasilinvest Group, a business organization established in 1975 as a private business enterprise operating along the lines of a classic banquet
daffaires or merchant bank. Each of Messrs. Garnero and Riva is required to present all business opportunities which are suitable for
Brasilinvest Group to Brasilinvest Group prior to presenting them to us. |
||||||||
Uranium Energy
Corp. |
Amir Adnani |
Mr.
Adnani is the President, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer and is a member of the board of directors of Uranium Energy Corp., a
company engaged in uranium mining and related activities, including exploration, pre-extraction, extraction and processing, on uranium projects located
in the United States and Paraguay. Mr. Adnani is required to present all business opportunities which are suitable for Uranium Energy Corp. to Uranium
Energy Corp. prior to presenting them to us. |
In connection with the vote required
for any business combination, all of our existing shareholders, including all of our officers and directors, have agreed to vote their respective
insider shares and private shares in favor of any proposed business combination. In addition, they have agreed to waive their respective rights to
participate in any liquidation distribution with respect to those ordinary shares acquired by them prior to this offering. If they purchase ordinary
shares in this offering or in the open market, however, they would be entitled to participate in any liquidation distribution in respect of such shares
but have agreed not to convert such shares in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination or an amendment to our amended and
restated memorandum and articles of association relating to pre-business combination activity.
All ongoing and future transactions
between us and any of our officers and directors or their respective affiliates will be on terms believed by us to be no less favorable to us than are
available from unaffiliated third parties. Such transactions will require prior approval by our audit committee and a majority of our uninterested
independent directors, or the members of our board who do not have an interest in the transaction, in either case who had access, at our
expense, to our attorneys or independent legal counsel. We will not enter into any such transaction unless our audit committee and a majority of our
disinterested independent directors determine that the terms of such transaction are no less favorable to us than those that would be
available to us with respect to such a transaction from unaffiliated third parties.
To further minimize conflicts of
interest, we have agreed not to consummate our initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our officers, directors or
initial shareholders, unless we have obtained (i) an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our
unaffiliated shareholders from a financial point of view and (ii) the approval of a majority of our disinterested and independent directors (if we have
any at that time). Furthermore, in no event will any of our initial shareholders, officers, directors, special advisors or their respective
affiliates be paid any finders fee, consulting fee or other similar compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to
effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination.
70
The following table sets forth
information regarding the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of the date of this prospectus and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our
ordinary shares included in the units offered by this prospectus (assuming none of the individuals listed purchase units in this offering),
by:
|
each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding ordinary shares; |
|
each of our officers and directors; and |
|
all of our officers and directors as a group. |
Unless otherwise indicated, we believe
that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all ordinary shares beneficially owned by them. The following
table does not reflect record of beneficial ownership of any ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of warrants as these warrants are not exercisable
within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
Prior to Offering |
After Offering(2) |
||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1) |
Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership |
Approximate Percentage of Outstanding Ordinary shares |
Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership |
Approximate Percentage of Outstanding Ordinary Shares |
|||||||||||||||
Mario Garnero
|
3,369,140 | 93.7 | % | 3,430,936 | (3) | 21.2 | % | ||||||||||||
Javier Martin
Riva |
89,844 | 2.4 | % | 78,125 | * | ||||||||||||||
John Tonelli
|
44,922 | 1.3 | % | 39,063 | * | ||||||||||||||
Amir Adnani
|
44,922 | 1.3 | % | 39,063 | * | ||||||||||||||
Nelson
Narciso Filho |
44,922 | 1.3 | % | 39,063 | * | ||||||||||||||
All directors
and executive officers as a group (five individuals) |
3,593,750 | 100.0 | % | 3,626,250 | 22.4 | % |
* |
Less than 1%. |
(1) |
Unless otherwise indicated, the business address of each of the individuals is Av Brig. Faria Lima, 1485-19 Andar, Brasilinvest Plaza CEP 01452-002, Sao Paulo, Brazil. |
(2) |
Assumes no exercise of the over-allotment option and, therefore, the compulsory repurchase by us of an aggregate of 468,750 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders. |
(3) |
Includes 501,250 ordinary shares to be held by Garnero Group Holding Company, for which Mr. Garnero has voting and dispositive control over such shares. |
Immediately after this offering, our
initial shareholders will beneficially own approximately 22.4% of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares (assuming none of them purchase any
units offered by this prospectus). None of our initial shareholders, officers and directors has indicated to us that he intends to purchase our
securities in the offering. Because of the ownership block held by our initial shareholders, such individuals may be able to effectively exercise
control over all matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions
other than approval of our initial business combination.
If the underwriters do not exercise all
or a portion of the over-allotment option, our initial shareholders will have up to an aggregate of 468,750 ordinary shares compulsorily repurchased by
us as required by Cayman Islands law, for an aggregate purchase price of $0.01. Our initial shareholders will be required to have repurchased by us
only a number of shares necessary to maintain their collective 20% ownership interest in our ordinary shares (excluding the private units) after giving
effect to the offering and the exercise, if any, of the underwriters over-allotment option.
All of the insider shares outstanding
prior to the date of this prospectus will be placed in escrow with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as escrow agent, until (1) with
respect to 50% of the insider shares, the earlier of one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination and the date on
which the closing price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $13.00 per share (as adjusted for
71
share splits, share dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination and (2) with respect to the remaining 50% of the insider shares, one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we consummate a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their shares for cash, securities or other property. Up to 468,750 of the insider shares may also be released from escrow earlier than this date for cancellation if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full as described above.
During the escrow period, the holders
of these shares will not be able to sell or transfer their securities except (i) for transfers to an entitys members upon its liquidation, (ii)
to relatives and trusts for estate planning purposes, (iii) by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death, (iv) pursuant to a qualified
domestic relations order, (v) by certain pledges to secure obligations incurred in connection with purchases of our securities, (vi) by private sales
made at or prior to the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the shares were originally purchased or
(vii) to us for no value for cancellation in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination, in each case (except for clause
(vii)) where the transferee agrees to the terms of the escrow agreement, but will retain all other rights as our shareholders, including, without
limitation, the right to vote their ordinary shares and the right to receive cash dividends, if declared. If dividends are declared and payable in
ordinary shares, such dividends will also be placed in escrow. If we are unable to effect a business combination and liquidate the trust account, none
of our initial shareholders will receive any portion of the liquidation proceeds with respect to their insider shares.
An affiliate of Mario Garnero and
EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) have committed to purchase an aggregate of 563,750 private units at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,637,500 in
the aggregate) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. This affiliate and EarlyBirdCapital have also
agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, they will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per unit an additional
number of private units (up to a maximum of 70,313 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least
$10.05 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part.
These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the
exercise of the over-allotment option. The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering except the private warrants will be
non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by the initial purchasers or their permitted
transferees. Additionally, the holders have agreed (A) to vote their private shares in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose,
or vote in favor of, an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association with respect to our pre-business combination
activities prior to the consummation of such a business combination, (C) not to convert any private shares into the right to receive cash from the
trust account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination or a vote to amend the provisions of our
amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to shareholders rights or pre-business combination activity and (D) that the
private shares shall not participate in any liquidating distribution upon winding up if a business combination is not consummated. The purchasers have
also agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private units or underlying securities (except to the same permitted transferees as the insider
shares and provided the transferees agree to the same terms and restrictions as the permitted transferees of the insider shares must agree to, each as
described above) until the completion of our initial business combination.
In order to meet our working capital
needs following the consummation of this offering, our initial shareholders, officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to,
loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a
promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lenders
discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private units at a price of
$10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 55,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted since the
50,000 rights included in the private units would result in the issuance of 5,000
72
shares upon the closing of our business combination, as well as 50,000 warrants to purchase 25,000 shares). Our shareholders have approved the issuance of the units and underlying securities upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert them at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. If we do not complete a business combination, the loans will not be repaid.
Mario Garnero is our
promoter, as that term is defined under the Federal securities laws.
73
In February 2014, we issued one
ordinary share to Mario Garnero in connection with our formation and then on March 26, 2014, we issued an aggregate of 3,593,749 ordinary shares to the
individuals set forth below for $25,000 in cash, at a purchase price of $0.01 share.
Name |
Number of Shares |
Relationship to Us |
||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mario
Garnero |
3,369,139 | Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer |
||||||||
Javier
Martin Riva |
89,844 | Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer, Secretary and Director |
||||||||
Samsão Woiler |
44,922 | Former Director |
||||||||
Corrado
Clini |
44,922 | Former Director |
||||||||
Nelson
Narciso Filho |
44,922 | Director |
In May 2014, Mr. Woiler transferred his
shares to John Tonelli upon Mr. Tonellis appointment to the Board. In June 2014, Mr. Clini transferred his shares to Amir Adnani upon Mr.
Adnanis appointment to the Board.
If the underwriters do not exercise all
or a portion of their over-allotment option, our initial shareholders have agreed to have compulsorily repurchased by us, for an aggregate purchase
price of $0.01, up to an aggregate of 468,750 ordinary shares in proportion to the portion of the over-allotment option that was not exercised. If such
shares are repurchased, they would be immediately cancelled.
If the underwriters determine the size
of the offering should be increased (including pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act) or decreased, a share dividend or a contribution back
to capital, as applicable, would be effectuated in order to maintain our initial shareholders ownership at a percentage of the number of shares
to be sold in this offering (not including the private shares).
An affiliate of Mario Garnero and
EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) have committed to purchase an aggregate of 563,750 private units at a price of $10.00 per unit ($5,637,500 in
the aggregate) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Such affiliate and EarlyBirdCapital have also
agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, they will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per unit an additional
number of private units (up to a maximum of 70,313 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least
$10.05 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part.
These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the
exercise of the over-allotment option. The purchase price for the private units will be delivered to Graubard Miller, our counsel in connection with
this offering, who will also be acting solely as escrow agent in connection with the private sale of such units, at least 24 hours prior to the date of
this prospectus to hold in a non-interest bearing account until we consummate this offering. Graubard Miller will deposit the purchase price into the
trust account simultaneously with the consummation of the offering. The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering except the
private warrants will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by the initial
purchasers or their permitted transferees. Additionally, the holders have agreed (A) to vote their private shares in favor of any proposed business
combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association with respect to
our pre-business combination activities prior to the consummation of such a business combination, (C) not to convert any private shares into the right
to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination or a vote to amend
the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to shareholders rights or pre-business combination
activity and (D) that the private shares shall not participate in any liquidating distribution upon winding up if a business combination is not
consummated. The purchasers have also agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private units or underlying securities (except to the same
permitted transferees as the insider shares and provided the transferees agree to the same terms and restrictions as the permitted transferees of the
insider shares must agree to, each as described above) until the completion of our initial business combination.
74
In order to meet our working capital
needs following the consummation of this offering, our initial shareholders, officers and directors and their respective affiliates may, but are not
obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be
evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the
lenders discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private units at a
price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 55,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted
since the 50,000 rights included in the private units would result in the issuance of 5,000 shares upon the closing of our business combination, as
well as 50,000 warrants to purchase 25,000 shares). Our shareholders have approved the issuance of the units and underlying securities upon conversion
of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert them at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. If we do not
complete a business combination, the loans would not be repaid.
The holders of our insider shares
issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private units (and all underlying securities) and any securities
our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us, will be entitled to
registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of a majority of these
securities are entitled to make up to two demands that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the insider shares can elect to
exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these ordinary shares are to be released from escrow.
The holders of a majority of the private units or securities issued in payment of working capital loans made to us can elect to exercise these
registration rights at any time after we consummate a business combination. In addition, the holders have certain piggy-back registration
rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of a business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in
connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Brasilinvest Group, an affiliate of
Mario Garnero, has agreed that, commencing on the effective date of this prospectus through the earlier of our consummation of a business combination
or our liquidation, it will make available to us certain general and administrative services, including office space, utilities and administrative
support, as we may require from time to time. We have agreed to pay Brasilinvest Group $10,000 per month for these services. Mario Garnero is the
Chairman of the Brasilinvest Group. Accordingly, he will benefit from the transaction to the extent of his interest in Brasilinvest Group. However,
this arrangement is solely for our benefit and is not intended to provide Mr. Garnero compensation in lieu of a salary. We believe, based on rents and
fees for similar services in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that the fee charged by Brasilinvest Group is at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an
unaffiliated person.
As of February 18, 2014, Brasilinvest
International LLC loaned to us an aggregate of $125,000 to cover expenses related to this offering. The loan is payable without interest on the earlier
of (i) February 18, 2015, (ii) the date on which we consummate our initial public offering or (iii) the date on which we determine to not proceed with
our initial public offering. We intend to repay this loan from the proceeds of this offering not being placed in the trust account.
We will reimburse our officers and
directors for any reasonable out-of-pocket business expenses incurred by them in connection with certain activities on our behalf such as identifying
and investigating possible target businesses and business combinations. There is no limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us;
provided, however, that to the extent such expenses exceed the available proceeds not deposited in the trust account and the interest income earned on
the amounts held in the trust account, such expenses would not be reimbursed by us unless we consummate an initial business combination. Our audit
committee will review and approve all reimbursements and payments made to any initial shareholder or member of our management team, or our or their
respective affiliates, and any reimbursements and payments made to members of our audit committee will be reviewed and approved by our Board of
Directors, with any interested director abstaining from such review and approval.
Other than the $10,000 per-month
administrative fee and reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses payable to our officers and directors, no compensation or fees of any kind, including
finders fees, consulting fees or other similar compensation, will be paid to any of our initial shareholders, officers or directors who owned
our
75
ordinary shares prior to this offering, or to any of their respective affiliates, prior to or with respect to the business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is).
All ongoing and future transactions
between us and any of our officers and directors or their respective affiliates will be on terms believed by us to be no less favorable to us than are
available from unaffiliated third parties. Such transactions, including the payment of any compensation, will require prior approval by a majority of
our uninterested independent directors (to the extent we have any) or the members of our board who do not have an interest in the
transaction, in either case who had access, at our expense, to our attorneys or independent legal counsel. We will not enter into any such transaction
unless our disinterested independent directors (or, if there are no independent directors, our disinterested directors)
determine that the terms of such transaction are no less favorable to us than those that would be available to us with respect to such a transaction
from unaffiliated third parties.
Related Party Policy
Our Code of Ethics, which we will adopt
upon consummation of this offering, will require us to avoid, wherever possible, all related party transactions that could result in actual or
potential conflicts of interests, except under guidelines approved by the board of directors (or the audit committee). Related-party transactions are
defined as transactions in which (1) the aggregate amount involved will or may be expected to exceed $120,000 in any calendar year, (2) we or any of
our subsidiaries is a participant, and (3) any (a) executive officer, director or nominee for election as a director, (b) greater than 5% beneficial
owner of our ordinary shares, or (c) immediate family member, of the persons referred to in clauses (a) and (b), has or will have a direct or indirect
material interest (other than solely as a result of being a director or a less than 10% beneficial owner of another entity). A conflict of interest
situation can arise when a person takes actions or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her work objectively and effectively.
Conflicts of interest may also arise if a person, or a member of his or her family, receives improper personal benefits as a result of his or her
position.
We also require each of our directors
and executive officers to annually complete a directors and officers questionnaire that elicits information about related party
transactions.
Our audit committee, pursuant to its
written charter, will be responsible for reviewing and approving related-party transactions to the extent we enter into such transactions. All ongoing
and future transactions between us and any of our officers and directors or their respective affiliates will be on terms believed by us to be no less
favorable to us than are available from unaffiliated third parties. Such transactions will require prior approval by our audit committee and a majority
of our uninterested independent directors, or the members of our board who do not have an interest in the transaction, in either case who
had access, at our expense, to our attorneys or independent legal counsel. We will not enter into any such transaction unless our audit committee and a
majority of our disinterested independent directors determine that the terms of such transaction are no less favorable to us than those
that would be available to us with respect to such a transaction from unaffiliated third parties. Additionally, we require each of our directors and
executive officers to complete a directors and officers questionnaire that elicits information about related party
transactions.
These procedures are intended to
determine whether any such related party transaction impairs the independence of a director or presents a conflict of interest on the part of a
director, employee or officer.
To further minimize potential conflicts
of interest, we have agreed not to consummate a business combination with an entity which is affiliated with any of our initial shareholders unless we
obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated shareholders from a financial
point of view. Furthermore, in no event will any of our existing officers, directors, special advisors or initial shareholders, or any entity
with which they are affiliated, be paid any finders fee, consulting fee or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order
to effectuate, the consummation of a business combination.
76
General
We are currently authorized to issue
120,000,000 ordinary shares, par value $0.0001. In connection with this offering, we will amend and restate our memorandum and articles of association
to provide for the authorization to issue 1,000,000 preferred shares, par value $0.0001. As of the date of this prospectus, 3,593,750 ordinary shares
are outstanding, held by five shareholders of record.
Units
Each unit consists of one ordinary
share, one right and one warrant. Each right entities the holder thereof to receive one-tenth (1/10) of a share automatically on the consummation of an
initial business combination. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one half of one ordinary share. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a
warrantholder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of shares. This means that only an even number of warrants may be exercised at any
given time by a warrantholder. For example, if a warrantholder holds one warrant to purchase one-half of one share, such warrant shall not be
exercisable. If a warrantholder holds two warrants, such warrants will be exercisable for one share. The ordinary shares, rights and warrants will
begin to trade separately on the 90th day after the date of this prospectus unless EarlyBirdCapital determines that an earlier date is acceptable
(based upon, among other things, its assessment of the relative strengths of the securities markets and small capitalization companies in general, and
the trading pattern of, and demand for, our securities in particular). In no event will EarlyBirdCapital allow separate trading of the ordinary shares,
rights and warrants until we file an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering.
We will file a Current Report on Form
8-K which includes an audited balance sheet promptly upon the consummation of this offering. The audited balance sheet will reflect proceeds we receive
from the exercise of the over-allotment option, if the over-allotment option is exercised on the date of this prospectus. If the over-allotment option
is exercised after the date of this prospectus, we will file an amendment to the Form 8-K, or a new Form 8-K, to provide updated financial information
to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. We will also include in this Form 8-K, an amendment thereto, or in a subsequent Form 8-K
information indicating when separate trading of the ordinary shares and warrants has commenced.
Ordinary Shares
Our shareholders of record are entitled
to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. In connection with any vote held to approve our initial business
combination, all of our initial shareholders, as well as all of our officers and directors, have agreed to vote their respective ordinary shares owned
by them immediately prior to this offering and any shares purchased in this offering or following this offering in the open market in favor of the
proposed business combination.
We will proceed with the business
combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon consummation of such business combination and a majority of the ordinary
shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination. At least five days notice must be given for each general meeting (although we will
provide whatever minimum number of days are required under Federal securities laws). Shareholders may vote at meetings in person or by
proxy.
Our board of directors is divided into
three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. There is no
cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares eligible to vote for the
election of directors can elect all of the directors.
Pursuant to our amended and restated
memorandum and articles of association, if we do not consummate a business combination by 21 months from the date of this prospectus, or up to 24
months from the date of this prospectus if the period of time to complete our business combination has been extended as described elsewhere in this
prospectus, it will trigger our automatic winding up, dissolution and liquidation. Our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their rights to share
in any distribution from the trust account with respect to their insider shares upon our winding up, dissolution and liquidation.
77
Our shareholders have no conversion,
preemptive or other subscription rights and there are no sinking fund or redemption provisions applicable to the ordinary shares, except that public
shareholders have the right to have their ordinary shares converted to cash equal to their pro rata share of the trust account if they vote on the
proposed business combination and the business combination is completed. Public shareholders who convert their shares into their portion of the trust
account still have the right to exercise the warrants that they received as part of the units.
Register of Members
Under Cayman Islands law, we must keep
a register of members and there shall be entered therein:
(a) |
the names and addresses of the members, a statement of the shares held by each member, and of the amount paid or agreed to be considered as paid, on the shares of each member; |
(b) |
the date on which the name of any person was entered on the register as a member; and |
(c) |
the date on which any person ceased to be a member. |
Under Cayman Islands law, the register
of members of our company is prima facie evidence of the matters set out therein (i.e. the register of members will raise a presumption of fact on the
matters referred to above unless rebutted) and a member registered in the register of members shall be deemed as a matter of Cayman Islands law to have
legal title to the shares as set against its name in the register of members. Upon the closing of this public offering, the register of members shall
be immediately updated to reflect the issue of shares by us. Once our register of members has been updated, the shareholders recorded in the register
of members shall be deemed to have legal title to the shares set against their name.
However, there are certain limited
circumstances where an application may be made to a Cayman Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct
legal position. Further, the Cayman Islands court has the power to order that the register of members maintained by a company should be rectified where
it considers that the register of members does not reflect the correct legal position. If an application for an order for rectification of the register
of members were made in respect of our ordinary shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a Cayman Islands
court.
Preferred Shares
Our amended and restated memorandum and
articles of association will authorize the issuance of 1,000,000 preferred shares with such designation, rights and preferences as may be determined
from time to time by our board of directors. No preferred shares are being issued or registered in this offering. Accordingly, our board of directors
is empowered, without shareholder approval, to issue preferred shares with dividend, liquidation, redemption, voting or other rights which could
adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of ordinary shares. However, the underwriting agreement prohibits us, prior to a
business combination, from issuing preferred shares which participate in any manner in the proceeds of the trust account, or which votes as a class
with the ordinary shares on a business combination. We may issue some or all of the preferred shares to effect a business combination. In addition, the
preferred shares could be utilized as a method of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control of us. Although we do not currently intend
to issue any preferred shares, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future.
Warrants
No warrants are currently outstanding.
Each public warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one half of one ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per full share, subject to
adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of the completion of an initial business combination or 12 months from the date of
this prospectus. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrantholder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of shares. This means that only
an even number of warrants may be exercised at any given time by a warrantholder. However, no public warrants will be exercisable for cash unless we
have an effective and current registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus
relating to such ordinary shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement
78
covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the public warrants is not effective within 90 days from the consummation of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to an available exemption from registration under the Securities Act. If an exemption from registration is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. The warrants will expire five years from the consummation of our initial business combination at 5:00 p.m., New York City time.
The private warrants will be identical
to the public warrants underlying the units being offered by this prospectus except that such private warrants will be exercisable for cash (even if a
registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants is not effective) or on a cashless basis, at the
holders option, and will not be redeemable by us, in each case so long as they are still held by the initial purchasers or their
affiliates.
We may call the warrants for redemption
(excluding the private warrants but including any outstanding warrants issued upon exercise of the unit purchase option issued to EarlyBirdCapital
and/or its designees), in whole and not in part, at a price of $.01 per warrant:
|
at any time while the warrants are exercisable, |
|
upon not less than 30 days prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder, |
|
if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $21.00 per share, for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending on the third business day prior to the notice of redemption to warrant holders, and |
|
if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the ordinary shares underlying such warrants at the time of redemption and for the entire 30-day trading period referred to above and continuing each day thereafter until the date of redemption. |
The right to exercise will be forfeited
unless the warrants are exercised prior to the date specified in the notice of redemption. On and after the redemption date, a record holder of a
warrant will have no further rights except to receive the redemption price for such holders warrant upon surrender of such
warrant.
The redemption criteria for our
warrants have been established at a price which is intended to provide warrant holders a reasonable premium to the initial exercise price and provide a
sufficient differential between the then-prevailing share price and the warrant exercise price so that if the share price declines as a result of our
redemption call, the redemption will not cause the share price to drop below the exercise price of the warrants.
If we call the warrants for redemption
as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a cashless basis.
In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained
by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the
warrants and the fair market value (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The fair market value shall mean the average
reported last sale price of the ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of
redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. Whether we will exercise our option to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a
cashless basis will depend on a variety of factors including the price of our ordinary shares at the time the warrants are called for
redemption, our cash needs at such time and concerns regarding dilutive share issuances.
The warrants will be issued in
registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement
provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but
requires the approval, by written consent or vote, of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding warrants in order to make any change that
adversely affects the interests of the registered holders.
79
The exercise price and number of
ordinary shares issuable on exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a share dividend, extraordinary
dividend or our recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the warrants will not be adjusted for issuances of ordinary shares
at a price below their respective exercise prices.
The warrants may be exercised upon
surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side
of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price, by certified or official bank check
payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of ordinary shares and
any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive ordinary shares. After the issuance of ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants,
each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.
Except as described above, no public
warrants will be exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue ordinary shares unless at the time a holder seeks to exercise such warrant, a
prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is current and the ordinary shares have been registered or qualified
or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the holder of the warrants. Under the terms of the warrant agreement, we
have agreed to use our best efforts to meet these conditions and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon
exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so and, if we do not maintain a
current prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, holders will be unable to exercise their warrants and we
will not be required to settle any such warrant exercise. If the prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the warrants
is not current or if the ordinary shares is not qualified or exempt from qualification in the jurisdictions in which the holders of the warrants
reside, we will not be required to net cash settle or cash settle the warrant exercise, the warrants may have no value, the market for the warrants may
be limited and the warrants may expire worthless.
Warrant holders may elect to be subject
to a restriction on the exercise of their warrants such that an electing warrant holder would not be able to exercise their warrants to the extent
that, after giving effect to such exercise, such holder would beneficially own in excess of 9.8% of the ordinary shares outstanding.
No fractional shares will be issued
upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon
exercise, round up or down to the nearest whole number the number of ordinary shares to be issued to the warrant holder.
Rights
Each holder of a right will
automatically receive one-tenth (1/10) of a share upon consummation of our initial business combination, even if the holder of such right converted all
ordinary shares held by him, her or it in connection with the initial business combination or an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and
articles of association with respect to our pre-business combination activities. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of
rights in order to receive his, her or its additional shares upon consummation of an initial business combination as the consideration related thereto
has been included in the unit purchase price paid for by investors in this offering. The shares issuable upon exchange of the rights will be freely
tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of ours). If we enter into a definitive agreement for a business combination in which we will not be
the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the
ordinary shares will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into ordinary share basis. If we are unable to complete an initial business
combination within the required time period and we liquidate the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds
with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from our assets held outside of the trust account with respect to such rights, and
the rights will expire worthless. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon
consummation of an initial business combination. Additionally, in no event will we be required to net cash settle the rights. Because we will only
issue a whole number of shares, you will not
80
receive any fractional shares to the extent the number of rights held by you upon consummation of our initial business combination is not divisible by ten.
Purchase Option
We have agreed to sell to
EarlyBirdCapital an option to purchase up to a total of 1,250,000 units at $10.00 per unit. The units issuable upon exercise of this option are
identical to those offered by this prospectus. For a more complete description of the purchase option, see the section below entitled
Underwriting Purchase Option.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on
our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of a business combination. The payment of cash dividends in
the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of a
business combination. The payment of any dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our then board of directors.
It is the present intention of our board of directors to retain all earnings, if any, for use in our business operations and, accordingly, our board
does not anticipate declaring any dividends in the foreseeable future.
Our Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent for our securities
and warrant agent for our warrants is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, 17 Battery Place, New York, New York 10004.
Listing of our Securities
There is presently no public market for
our units, ordinary shares, rights or warrants. We have applied to have the units, and the ordinary shares, rights and warrants once they begin
separate trading, listed on Nasdaq under the symbols GGACU, GGAC, GGACR and GGACW, respectively.
Although, after giving effect to this offering, we meet on a pro forma basis the minimum initial listing standards of Nasdaq, which generally only
requires that we meet certain requirements relating to shareholders equity, market capitalization, aggregate market value of publicly held shares
and distribution requirements, we cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq as we might not meet certain continued
listing standards.
Certain Differences in Corporate Law
Cayman Islands companies are governed
by the Companies Law. The Companies Law is modeled on English Law but does not follow recent English Law statutory enactments, and differs from laws
applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of the material differences between the provisions of the
Companies Law applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.
Mergers and Similar
Arrangements. In certain circumstances, the Companies Law allows for mergers or consolidations between two Cayman Islands companies, or between a
Cayman Islands company and a company incorporated in another jurisdiction (provided that is facilitated by the laws of that other
jurisdiction).
Where the merger or consolidation is
between two Cayman Islands companies, the directors of each company must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation containing certain
prescribed information. That plan or merger or consolidation must then be authorized by either (a) a special resolution (usually a majority of 66 2/3 %
in value) of the shareholders of each company; or (b) such other authorisation, if any, as may be specified in such constituent companys articles
of association. A shareholder has the right to vote on a merger or consolidation regardless of whether the shares that he holds otherwise give him
voting rights. No shareholder resolution is required for a merger between a parent company (i.e., a company that owns at least 90% of the issued shares
of each class in a subsidiary company) and its subsidiary company. The consent of
81
each holder of a fixed or floating security interest of a constituent company must be obtained, unless the court waives such requirement. If the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies is satisfied that the requirements of the Companies Law (which includes certain other formalities) have been complied with, the Registrar of Companies will register the plan of merger or consolidation.
Where the merger or consolidation
involves a foreign company, the procedure is similar, save that with respect to the foreign company, the director of the Cayman Islands company is
required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, he is of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (i)
that the merger or consolidation is permitted or not prohibited by the constitutional documents of the foreign company and by the laws of the
jurisdiction in which the foreign company is incorporated, and that those laws and any requirements of those constitutional documents have been or will
be complied with; (ii) that no petition or other similar proceeding has been filed and remains outstanding or order made or resolution adopted to wind
up or liquidate the foreign company in any jurisdictions; (iii) that no receiver, trustee, administrator or other similar person has been appointed in
any jurisdiction and is acting in respect of the foreign company, its affairs or its property or any part thereof; (iv) that no scheme, order,
compromise or other similar arrangement has been entered into or made in any jurisdiction whereby the rights of creditors of the foreign company are
and continue to be suspended or restricted.
Where the surviving company is the
Cayman Islands company, the director of the Cayman Islands company is further required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due
enquiry, he is of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (i) that the foreign company is able to pay its debts as they fall due
and that the merger or consolidated is bona fide and not intended to defraud unsecured creditors of the foreign company; (ii) that in respect of the
transfer of any security interest granted by the foreign company to the surviving or consolidated company (a) consent or approval to the transfer has
been obtained, released or waived; (b) the transfer is permitted by and has been approved in accordance with the constitutional documents of the
foreign company; and (c) the laws of the jurisdiction of the foreign company with respect to the transfer have been or will be complied with; (iii)
that the foreign company will, upon the merger or consolidation becoming effective, cease to be incorporated, registered or exist under the laws of the
relevant foreign jurisdiction; and (iv) that there is no other reason why it would be against the public interest to permit the merger or
consolidation.
Where the above procedures are adopted,
the Companies Law provides for a right of dissenting shareholders to be paid a payment of the fair value of his shares upon their dissenting to the
merger or consolidation if they follow a prescribed procedure. In essence, that procedure is as follows (a) the shareholder must give his written
objection to the merger or consolidation to the constituent company before the vote on the merger or consolidation, including a statement that the
shareholder proposes to demand payment for his shares if the merger or consolidation is authorized by the vote; (b) within 20 days following the date
on which the merger or consolidation is approved by the shareholders, the constituent company must give written notice to each shareholder who made a
written objection; (c) a shareholder must within 20 days following receipt of such notice from the constituent company, give the constituent company a
written notice of his intention to dissent including, among other details, a demand for payment of the fair value of his shares; (d) within seven days
following the date of the expiration of the period set out in paragraph (b) above or seven days following the date on which the plan of merger or
consolidation is filed, whichever is later, the constituent company, the surviving company or the consolidated company must make a written offer to
each dissenting shareholder to purchase his shares at a price that the company determines is the fair value and if the company and the shareholder
agree the price within 30 days following the date on which the offer was made, the company must pay the shareholder such amount; (e) if the company and
the shareholder fail to agree a price within such 30 day period, within 20 days following the date on which such 30 day period expires, the company
(and any dissenting shareholder) must file a petition with the Cayman Islands Grand Court to determine the fair value and such petition must be
accompanied by a list of the names and addresses of the dissenting shareholders with whom agreements as to the fair value of their shares have not been
reached by the company. At the hearing of that petition, the court has the power to determine the fair value of the shares together with a fair rate of
interest, if any, to be paid by the company upon the amount determined to be the fair value. Any dissenting shareholder whose name appears on the list
filed by the company may
82
participate fully in all proceedings until the determination of fair value is reached. These rights of a dissenting shareholder are not be available in certain circumstances, for example, to dissenters holding shares of any class in respect of which an open market exists on a recognized stock exchange or recognized interdealer quotation system at the relevant date or where the consideration for such shares to be contributed are shares of any company listed on a national securities exchange or shares of the surviving or consolidated company.
Moreover, Cayman Islands law also has
separate statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction or amalgamation of companies in certain circumstances, schemes of arrangement will
generally be more suited for complex mergers or other transactions involving widely held companies, commonly referred to in the Cayman Islands as a
scheme of arrangement which may be tantamount to a merger. In the event that a merger was sought pursuant to a scheme of arrangement (the
procedure of which are more rigorous and take longer to complete than the procedures typically required to consummate a merger in the United States),
the arrangement in question must be approved by a majority in number of each class of shareholders and creditors with whom the arrangement is to be
made and who must in addition represent three-fourths in value of each such class of shareholders or creditors, as the case may be, that are present
and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, or meeting summoned for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the terms of
the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder would have the right to express to the
court the view that the transaction should not be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it satisfies itself
that:
|
we are not proposing to act illegally or beyond the scope of our corporate authority and the statutory provisions as to majority vote have been complied with; |
|
the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question; |
|
the arrangement is such as a businessman would reasonably approve; and |
|
the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Companies Law or that would amount to a fraud on the minority. |
If a scheme of arrangement or takeover
offer (as described below) is approved, any dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights, which would otherwise
ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of United States corporations, providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially
determined value of the shares.
Squeeze-out Provisions. When a
takeover offer is made and accepted by holders of 90% of the shares to whom the offer is made within four months, the offeror may, within a two-month
period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of
the Cayman Islands but this is unlikely to succeed unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith, collusion or inequitable treatment of the
shareholders.
Further, transactions similar to a
merger, reconstruction and/or an amalgamation may in some circumstances be achieved through other means to these statutory provisions, such as a share
capital exchange, asset acquisition or control, through contractual arrangements, of an operating business.
Shareholders Suits. Our
Cayman Islands counsel is not aware of any reported class action having been brought in a Cayman Islands court. Derivative actions have been brought in
the Cayman Islands courts, and the Cayman Islands courts have confirmed the availability for such actions. In most cases, we will be the proper
plaintiff in any claim based on a breach of duty owed to us, and a claim against (for example) our officers or directors usually may not be brought by
a shareholder. However, based both on Cayman Islands authorities and on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority
and be applied by a court in the Cayman Islands, exceptions to the foregoing principle apply in circumstances in which:
|
a company is acting, or proposing to act, illegally or beyond the scope of its authority; |
|
the act complained of, although not beyond the scope of the authority, could be effected if duly authorized by more than the number of votes which have actually been obtained; or |
|
those who control the company are perpetrating a fraud on the minority. |
83
A shareholder may have a direct right
of action against us where the individual rights of that shareholder have been infringed or are about to be infringed.
Enforcement of civil
liabilities. The Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States and provides less protection to investors.
Additionally, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the Federal courts of the United States.
We have been advised by our Cayman
Islands legal counsel that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognise or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United
States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions
brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the
United States or any state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is no
statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognise and enforce a
foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent
foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For
a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and must not be in
respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud
or obtained in a manner, and or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands
(awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if
concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere. There is recent Privy Council authority (which is binding on the Cayman Islands Court) in the
context of a reorganisation plan approved by the New York Bankruptcy Court which suggests that due to the universal nature of bankruptcy/insolvency
proceedings, foreign money judgments obtained in foreign bankruptcy/insolvency proceedings may be enforced without applying the principles outlined
above. However, a more recent English Supreme Court authority (which is highly persuasive but not binding on the Cayman Islands Court), has expressly
rejected that approach in the context of a default judgment obtained in an adversary proceeding brought in the New York Bankruptcy Court by the
receivers of the bankruptcy debtor against a third party, and which would not have been enforceable upon the application of the traditional common law
principles summarised above and held that foreign money judgments obtained in bankruptcy/insolvency proceedings should be enforced by applying the
principles set out above, and not by the simple exercise of the Courts discretion. Those cases have now been considered by the Cayman Islands
Court. The Cayman Islands Court was not asked to consider the specific question of whether a judgment of a bankruptcy court in an adversary proceeding
would be enforceable in the Cayman Islands, but it did endorse the need for active assistance of overseas bankruptcy proceedings. We understand that
the Cayman Islands Courts decision in that case has been appealed and it remains the case that the law regarding the enforcement of
bankruptcy/insolvency related judgments is still in a state of uncertainty.
Special Considerations for Exempted
Companies. We are an exempted company with limited liability under the Companies Law. The Companies Law distinguishes between ordinary resident
companies and exempted companies. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may
apply to be registered as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except for
the exemptions and privileges listed below:
|
annual reporting requirements are minimal and consist mainly of a statement that the company has conducted its operations mainly outside of the Cayman Islands and has complied with the provisions of the Companies Law; |
|
an exempted companys register of members is not open to inspection; |
|
an exempted company does not have to hold an annual general meeting; |
|
an exempted company may issue negotiable or bearer shares or shares with no par value; |
84
|
an exempted company may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation (such undertakings are usually given for 20 years in the first instance); |
|
an exempted company may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands; |
|
an exempted company may register as a limited duration company; and |
|
an exempted company may register as a segregated portfolio company. |
Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of
Association
Our amended and restated memorandum and
articles of association filed under the laws of the Cayman Islands contain provisions designed to provide certain rights and protections to our
shareholders prior to the consummation of a business combination. The following are the material rights and protections contained in our amended and
restated memorandum and articles of association:
|
the right of public shareholders to exercise conversion rights and have their shares repurchased in lieu of participating in a proposed business combination; |
|
a prohibition against completing a business combination unless we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon consummation of such business combination; |
|
a requirement that if we seek shareholder approval of any business combination, a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares voted must be voted in favor of such business combination; |
|
the separation of our board of directors into three classes and the establishment of related procedures regarding the standing and election of such directors; |
|
a requirement that our management take all actions necessary to liquidate our trust account in the event we do not consummate a business combination by 21 months after the date of this prospectus, or 24 months if the period to complete our business combination has been extended; and |
|
Limitation on shareholders rights to receive a portion of the trust account. |
The Companies Law permits a company
incorporated in the Cayman Islands to amend its memorandum and articles of association with the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of such
companys outstanding ordinary shares. A companys articles of association may specify that the approval of a higher majority is required
but, provided the approval of the required majority is obtained, any Cayman Islands company may amend its memorandum and articles of association
regardless of whether its memorandum and articles of association provides otherwise. Accordingly, although we could amend any of the provisions
relating to our proposed offering, structure and business plan which are contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association,
we view all of these provisions as binding obligations to our shareholders and neither we, nor our officers or directors, will take any action to amend
or waive any of these provisions.
Anti-Money Laundering Cayman
Islands
In order to comply with legislation or
regulations aimed at the prevention of money laundering, we are required to adopt and maintain anti-money laundering procedures, and may require
subscribers to provide evidence to verify their identity and source of funds. Where permitted, and subject to certain conditions, we may also delegate
the maintenance of our anti-money laundering procedures (including the acquisition of due diligence information) to a suitable person.
We reserve the right to request such
information as is necessary to verify the identity of a subscriber. In some cases the directors may be satisfied that no further information is
required since an exemption applies under the Money Laundering Regulations (2013 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, as amended and revised from time to
time (the Regulations). Depending on the circumstances of each application, a detailed verification of identity might not be required
where:
85
(a) |
the subscriber makes the payment for their investment from an account held in the subscribers name at a recognised financial institution; or |
(b) |
the subscriber is regulated by a recognised regulatory authority and is based or incorporated in, or formed under the law of, a recognised jurisdiction; or |
(c) |
the application is made through an intermediary which is regulated by a recognised regulatory authority and is based in or incorporated in, or formed under the law of a recognised jurisdiction and an assurance is provided in relation to the procedures undertaken on the underlying investors. |
For the purposes of these exceptions,
recognition of a financial institution, regulatory authority or jurisdiction will be determined in accordance with the Regulations by reference to
those jurisdictions recognized by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority as having equivalent anti-money laundering regulations.
In the event of delay or failure on the
part of the subscriber in producing any information required for verification purposes, we may refuse to accept the application, in which case any
funds received will be returned without interest to the account from which they were originally debited.
We also reserve the right to refuse to
make any payment to a shareholder if our directors or officers suspect or are advised that the payment to such shareholder might result in a breach of
applicable anti-money laundering or other laws or regulations by any person in any relevant jurisdiction, or if such refusal is considered necessary or
appropriate to ensure our compliance with any such laws or regulations in any applicable jurisdiction.
If any person resident in the Cayman
Islands knows or suspects or has reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting that another person is engaged in criminal conduct or is involved with
terrorism or terrorist property and the information for that knowledge or suspicion came to their attention in the course of business in the regulated
sector, or other trade, profession, business or employment, the person will be required to report such knowledge or suspicion to (i) the Financial
Reporting Authority of the Cayman Islands, pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Law, 2008 of the Cayman Islands if the disclosure relates to criminal
conduct or money laundering, or (ii) a police officer of the rank of constable or higher, or the Financial Reporting Authority, pursuant to the
Terrorism Law (2011 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, if the disclosure relates to involvement with terrorism or terrorist financing and property. Such
a report shall not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by any enactment or
otherwise.
86
Immediately after this offering, we
will have 16,188,750 ordinary shares outstanding, or 18,602,813 shares if the over-allotment option is exercised in full. Of these shares, the
12,500,000 shares sold in this offering, or 14,375,000 shares if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, will be freely tradable without
restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144
under the Securities Act. All of the remaining shares are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not
involving a public offering. All of those shares have been placed in escrow and will not be transferable until they are released except in limited
circumstances described elsewhere in this prospectus.
Rule 144
A person who has beneficially owned
restricted ordinary shares or warrants for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not deemed
to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act
periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale. Persons who have beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares for at least
six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional
restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of
either of the following:
|
1% of the number of ordinary shares then outstanding, which will equal 161,888 shares immediately after this offering (or 186,028 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full); and |
|
the average weekly trading volume of the ordinary shares during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale. |
Sales under Rule 144 are also limited
by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or
Former Shell Companies
Historically, the SEC staff had taken
the position that Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by companies that are, or previously were, blank check
companies, like us. The SEC has codified and expanded this position in the amendments discussed above by prohibiting the use of Rule 144 for resale of
securities issued by any shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or any issuer that has been at any time previously a
shell company. The SEC has provided an important exception to this prohibition, however, if the following conditions are met:
|
the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company; |
|
the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; |
|
the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Form 8-K reports; and |
|
at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company. |
As a result, it is likely that pursuant
to Rule 144, our initial shareholders will be able to sell their insider shares freely without registration one year after we have completed our
initial business combination assuming they are not an affiliate of ours at that time.
Registration Rights
The holders of our insider shares
issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private units (and all underlying securities) and any securities
issued to our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates in payment of working capital loans made to us, will be entitled
to
87
registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the insider shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these ordinary shares are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the private units and securities issued in payment of working capital loans (or underlying securities) can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time after we consummate a business combination. In addition, the holders have certain piggy-back registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of a business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
88
TAXATION
The following summary of the
material Cayman Islands and United States Federal income tax consequences of an investment in our ordinary shares and warrants is based upon laws and
relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this prospectus, all of which are subject to change. This summary does not deal with all
possible tax consequences relating to an investment in our ordinary shares and warrants, such as the tax consequences under state, local and other tax
laws.
Cayman Islands Taxation
The Government of the Cayman Islands
will not, under existing legislation, impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax upon
the company or its shareholders. The Cayman Islands are not party to a double taxation treaty with any country that is applicable to any payment made
to or by us.
We have applied for and on March 4,
2014 received an undertaking from the Governor-in-Cabinet of the Cayman Islands that, in accordance with section 6 of the Tax Concessions Law (2011
Revision) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 20 years from the date of the undertaking, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any
tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations shall apply to us or our operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied on profits,
income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax shall be payable (i) on or in respect of shares, debentures
or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of dividend or other distribution of income or capital by the
company to its members or a payment of principal or interest or other sums due under a debenture or other obligation of the company.
United States Federal Income Taxation
General
This section is a general summary of
the material United States Federal income tax provisions relating to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our units, ordinary shares, rights
and warrants. This section does not address any aspect of United States Federal gift or estate tax, or the state, local or non-United States tax
consequences of an investment in our ordinary shares, rights and warrants, nor does it provide any actual representations as to any tax consequences of
the acquisition, ownership or disposition of our ordinary shares, rights and warrants.
Because the components of a unit are
separable at the option of the holder, the holder of a unit generally will be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as the owner of the
underlying ordinary share, right and warrant components of the unit, as the case may be. As a result, the discussion below of the U.S. federal income
tax consequences with respect to actual holders of ordinary shares, rights and warrants should also apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of
the underlying ordinary shares, rights and warrants that comprise the units).
The discussion below of the U.S.
federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders will apply to a beneficial owner of our securities that is for U.S. federal income tax
purposes:
|
an individual citizen or resident of the United States; |
|
a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation) that is created or organized (or treated as created or organized) in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
|
an estate whose income is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or |
|
a trust if (i) a U.S. court can exercise primary supervision over the trusts administration and one or more U.S. persons are authorized to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (ii) it has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person. |
If a beneficial owner of our securities
is not described as a U.S. Holder and is not an entity treated as a partnership or other pass-through entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such
owner will be considered
89
a Non-U.S. Holder. The material U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable specifically to Non-U.S. Holders are described below under the heading Non-U.S. Holders.
This discussion is based on the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), its legislative history, Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, published
rulings and court decisions, all as currently in effect. These authorities are subject to change or differing interpretations, possibly on a
retroactive basis.
This discussion assumes that the
ordinary shares, rights and warrants will trade separately and does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to any
particular holder based on such holders individual circumstances. In particular, this discussion considers only holders that own our securities
as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code, and does not address the potential application of the alternative minimum tax. In
addition, this discussion does not address the U.S. federal income tax consequences to holders that are subject to special rules,
including:
|
financial institutions or financial services entities; |
|
broker-dealers; |
|
taxpayers that are subject to the mark-to-market accounting rules under Section 475 of the Code; |
|
tax-exempt entities; |
|
governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof; |
|
insurance companies; |
|
regulated investment companies; |
|
real estate investment trusts; |
|
expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States; |
|
persons that actually or constructively own 5 percent or more of our voting shares; |
|
persons that acquired our securities pursuant to an exercise of employee share options, in connection with employee share incentive plans or otherwise as compensation; |
|
persons that hold our securities as part of a straddle, constructive sale, hedging, conversion or other integrated transaction; or |
|
persons whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar. |
This discussion does not address any
aspect of U.S. federal non-income tax laws, such as gift or estate tax laws, state, local or non-U.S. tax laws or, except as discussed herein, any tax
reporting obligations of a holder of our securities. Additionally, this discussion does not consider the tax treatment of partnerships or other
pass-through entities or persons who hold our securities through such entities. If a partnership (or other entity classified as a partnership for U.S.
federal income tax purposes) is the beneficial owner of our securities, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally
will depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. This discussion also assumes that any distributions made (or deemed
made) by us on our ordinary shares and any consideration received (or deemed received) by a holder in consideration for the sale or other disposition
of our securities will be in U.S. dollars.
We have not sought, and will not seek,
a ruling from the IRS as to any U.S. federal income tax consequence described herein. The IRS may disagree with the descriptions herein, and its
determination may be upheld 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.
THIS DISCUSSION IS ONLY A SUMMARY OF
THE MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES. IT DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY ACTUAL
REPRESENTATIONS AS TO ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES AND WE HAVE NOT OBTAINED ANY OPINION OF
COUNSEL WITH RESPECT TO SUCH TAX CONSEQUENCES. AS A
90
RESULT, EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IN OUR SECURITIES IS URGED TO CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO SUCH INVESTOR OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES, INCLUDING THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF ANY STATE, LOCAL, AND NON-U.S. TAX LAWS, AS WELL AS U.S. FEDERAL TAX LAWS AND ANY APPLICABLE TAX TREATIES.
Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a
Unit
There is no authority addressing the
treatment, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, of securities with terms substantially the same as the units, and, therefore, that treatment is not
entirely clear. Each unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as an investment unit consisting of one ordinary share, one right and
one warrant to acquire one ordinary share. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each holder of a unit generally must allocate the purchase price of a
unit between the ordinary share, right and the warrant that comprise the unit based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance.
The price allocated to each ordinary share, right and the warrant generally will be the holders tax basis in such share, right or warrant, as the
case may be.
The foregoing treatment of our ordinary
shares, rights and warrants and a holders purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts. Because there are no authorities
that directly address instruments that are similar to the units, no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with the
characterization described above or the discussion below. Accordingly, each holder is advised to consult its own tax advisor regarding the risks
associated with an investment in a unit (including alternative characterizations of a unit) and regarding an allocation of the purchase price between
the ordinary share, right and the warrant that comprise a unit. The balance of this discussion assumes that the characterization of the units described
above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
U.S. Holders
Tax Reporting
Certain U.S. Holders may be required to
file an IRS Form 926 (Return of a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation) to report a transfer of property (including cash) to us.
Substantial penalties may be imposed on a U.S. Holder that fails to comply with this reporting requirement. Each U.S. Holder is urged to consult with
its own tax advisor regarding this reporting obligation.
A U.S. holder is required to file with
such U.S. holders income tax return new Form 8938 to report the ownership of shares or securities issued by a foreign corporation exceeding
certain threshold amounts.
Taxation of Distributions Paid on Ordinary
Shares
Subject to the passive foreign
investment company (PFIC) rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will be required to include in gross income as dividends the
amount of any cash distribution paid on our ordinary shares. A cash distribution on such shares generally will be treated as a dividend for U.S.
federal income tax purposes to the extent the distribution is paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S.
federal income tax principles). Such dividends paid by us 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.
Distributions in excess of such earnings and profits generally will be applied against and reduce the U.S. Holders basis in its ordinary shares
(but not below zero) and, to the extent in excess of such basis, will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of such ordinary
shares.
Possible Constructive
Distributions
The terms of each warrant provide for
an adjustment to the number of shares for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events. An adjustment
which has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. However, the U.S. Holders of the warrants would be treated as
91
receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the warrant holders proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of ordinary shares that would be obtained upon exercise) as a result of a distribution of cash to the holders of our ordinary shares which is taxable to the U.S. Holders of such ordinary shares as described under Taxation of Distributions Paid on Ordinary Shares above. Such constructive distribution would be subject to tax as described under that section in the same manner as if the U.S. Holders of the warrants received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased interest.
Taxation on the Disposition of Ordinary Shares, Rights and
Warrants
Upon a sale or other taxable
disposition of our ordinary shares, rights or warrants (which, in general, would include a redemption of warrants or ordinary shares, as discussed
below, and including as a result of a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required
time), and subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference
between the amount realized and the U.S. Holders adjusted tax basis in the ordinary shares, rights or warrants. See Exercise or
Lapse of a Right or Warrant below for a discussion regarding a U.S. Holders basis in the ordinary share acquired pursuant to the
exercise of a warrant.
The regular U.S. federal income tax
rate on capital gains recognized by U.S. Holders generally is the same as the regular U.S. federal income tax rate on ordinary income, except that
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 maximum regular rates of 15% or 20% depending upon the U.S. Holders level of taxable income. Capital gain or loss will constitute long-term
capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holders holding period for the ordinary shares, rights or warrants exceeds one year. It is unclear whether the
redemption rights with respect to the ordinary shares described in this prospectus may prevent a U.S. Holder from satisfying the applicable holding
period requirements for this purpose. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to various limitations that are not described herein because a
discussion of such limitations depends on each U.S. Holders particular facts and circumstances. Among such limitations is the deduction for
losses upon a taxable disposition by a U.S. Holder of shares, rights or a warrant (whether or not held as part of a unit) if, within a period beginning
30 days before the date of such disposition and ending 30 days after such date, such U.S. Holder has acquired (by purchase or by an exchange on which
the entire amount of gain or loss was recognized by law), or has entered into a contract or option so to acquire, substantially identical shares or
securities. U.S. Holders who recognize losses with respect to a disposition of our ordinary shares, rights or warrants should consult their own tax
advisors regarding the tax treatment of such losses.
Conversion of Ordinary Shares
Subject to the PFIC rules described
below, if a U.S. Holder converts ordinary shares into the right to receive cash pursuant to the exercise of a shareholder conversion right, for U.S.
federal income tax purposes, such conversion will be subject to the following rules. If the conversion qualifies as a sale of the ordinary shares under
Section 302 of the Code, the tax treatment of such conversion will be as described under Taxation on the Disposition of Ordinary Shares
and Warrants above. If the conversion does not qualify as a sale of ordinary shares under Section 302 of the Code, a U.S. Holder will be treated
as receiving a distribution with the tax consequences described below. Whether conversion of our shares qualifies for sale treatment will depend
largely on the total number of our ordinary shares treated as held by such U.S. Holder (including any shares constructively owned as a result of, among
other things, owning warrants). The conversion of ordinary shares generally will be treated as a sale or exchange of the ordinary shares (rather than
as a distribution) if the receipt of cash upon the conversion (i) is substantially disproportionate with respect to a U.S. Holder, (ii)
results in a complete termination of such holders interest in us or (iii) is not essentially equivalent to a dividend
with respect to such holder. These tests are explained more fully below.
In determining whether any of the
foregoing tests are satisfied, a U.S. Holder must take into account not only our ordinary shares actually owned by such holder, but also our ordinary
shares that are constructively owned by such holder. A U.S. Holder may constructively own, in addition to our ordinary shares owned
92
directly, ordinary shares owned by related individuals and entities in which such holder has an interest or that have an interest in such holder, as well as any ordinary shares such holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include ordinary shares which could be acquired by ownership of the rights or pursuant to the exercise of the warrants. In order to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by a U.S. Holder immediately following the conversion of our ordinary shares must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our outstanding voting and ordinary shares actually and constructively owned by such holder immediately before the conversion. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. Holders interest if either (i) all of our ordinary shares actually and constructively owned by such U.S. Holder are converted or (ii) all of our ordinary shares actually owned by such U.S. Holder are converted and such holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives, in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of shares owned by family members and such holder does not constructively own any other shares. The conversion of the ordinary shares will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if such conversion results in a meaningful reduction of a U.S. Holders proportionate interest in us. Whether the conversion will result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. Holders proportionate interest in us will depend on the particular facts and circumstances. However, 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. U.S. Holders should consult with their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of an exercise of the conversion right.
If none of the foregoing tests are
satisfied, then the redemption may be treated as a distribution and the tax effects will be as described under Taxation of Distributions
Paid on Ordinary Shares, above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis a U.S. Holder has in the redeemed ordinary shares
will be added to the adjusted tax basis in such holders remaining ordinary shares. If there are no remaining ordinary shares, a U.S. Holder
should consult its own tax advisors as to the allocation of any remaining basis.
U.S. Holders who actually or
constructively own one percent or more of our shares (by vote or value) may be subject to special reporting requirements with respect to a conversion
of ordinary shares, and such holders should consult with their own tax advisors with respect to their reporting requirements.
Exercise or Lapse of a Right or
Warrant
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed
below, a U.S. Holder generally will not recognize gain or loss upon the acquisition of an ordinary share from the right or on the exercise of a warrant
for cash. An ordinary share received upon consummation of an initial business combination or acquired pursuant to the exercise of a warrant for cash
generally will have a tax basis equal to the U.S. Holders tax basis in the right or warrant, increased by the amount paid to exercise the
warrant. The holding period of such ordinary share generally would begin on the day after the date of receipt of shares from the right or exercise of
the warrant and will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the right or warrant. If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, a
U.S. Holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holders tax basis in the warrant.
The tax consequences of a cashless
exercise of a warrant are not clear under current tax law. A cashless exercise may be tax-free, either because the exercise is not a gain realization
event or because the exercise is treated as a recapitalization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In either tax-free situation, a U.S. Holders
basis in the ordinary shares received would equal the holders basis in the warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as not being a gain
realization event, a U.S. Holders holding period in the ordinary shares would be treated as commencing on the date following the date of exercise
of the warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the ordinary shares would include the holding period
of the warrant. It is also possible that a cashless exercise could be treated as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. In such
event, a U.S. Holder could be deemed to have surrendered warrants equal to the number of ordinary shares having a value equal to the exercise price for
the total number of warrants to be exercised. The U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the
fair market value of the ordinary shares represented by the warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. Holders tax basis in the warrants deemed
surrendered. In this case, a U.S. Holders
93
tax basis in the ordinary shares received would equal the sum of the fair market value of the ordinary shares represented by the warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. Holders tax basis in the warrants exercised. A U.S. Holders holding period for the ordinary shares would commence on the date following the date of exercise of the warrant. Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.
Unearned Income Medicare Tax
A 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will
generally apply to all or some portion of the net investment income of a U.S. Holder that is an individual with adjusted gross income that exceeds a
threshold amount ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a surviving spouse for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if
married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases). This 3.8% tax will also apply to all or some portion of the undistributed net investment
income of certain U.S. Holders that are estates and trusts. For these purposes, dividends and gains from the taxable dispositions of the ordinary
shares, rights and warrants will generally be taken into account in computing such a U.S. Holders net investment income.
Information Reporting and Backup
Withholding
Information returns may be filed with
the IRS with respect to dividends or other distributions we may pay to you and proceeds from the sale of your ordinary shares or warrants. You will be
subject to backup withholding on these payments if you fail to provide your taxpayer identification number to the paying agent and comply with certain
certification procedures or otherwise establish an exemption from backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld
with respect to your ordinary shares, rights or warrants under the backup withholding rules will be refunded to you or credited against your United
States federal income tax liability, if any, by the IRS provided that certain required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely
manner.
Passive Foreign Investment Company
Rules
A foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) corporation
will be a PFIC for U.S. tax purposes if at least 75% of its gross income in a taxable year, 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, is passive income. Alternatively, a foreign corporation will be a
PFIC if at least 50% of its assets in a taxable year, 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 rents or royalties derived from
the active conduct of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of passive assets.
Because we are a blank check company,
with no current active business, we believe that it is likely that we will meet the PFIC asset or income test for our current taxable year. However,
pursuant to a start-up exception, a corporation will not be a PFIC for the first taxable year the corporation has gross income, if (1) no predecessor
of the corporation was a PFIC; (2) the corporation satisfies the IRS that it will not be a PFIC for either of the first two taxable years following the
start-up year; and (3) the corporation is not in fact a PFIC for either of those years. The applicability of the start-up exception to us will not be
known until after the close of our current taxable year. After the acquisition of a company or assets in a business combination, we may still meet one
of the PFIC tests depending on the timing of the acquisition and the amount of our passive income and assets as well as the passive income and assets
of the acquired business. If the company that we acquire in a business combination is a PFIC, then we will likely not qualify for the start-up
exception and will be a PFIC for our current taxable year ending December 31, 2014. Our actual PFIC status for our current taxable year or any
subsequent taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. Accordingly, there can be no assurance with
respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year or any future taxable year.
If we are determined to be a PFIC for
any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. Holder of our ordinary shares, rights or warrants and, in the
case of our ordinary shares, the
94
U.S. Holder did not make either a timely qualified electing fund (QEF) election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder held (or was deemed to hold) ordinary shares, as described below, such holder generally will be subject to special rules with respect to:
|
any gain recognized by the U.S. Holder on the sale or other disposition of its ordinary shares, rights or warrants; 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 the ordinary shares during the three preceding taxable years of such U.S. Holder or, if shorter, such U.S. Holders holding period for the ordinary shares). |
Under these rules,
|
the U.S. Holders gain or excess distribution will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holders holding period for the ordinary shares, rights or warrants; |
|
the amount allocated to the U.S. Holders taxable year in which the U.S. Holder recognized the gain or received the excess distribution, or to the period in the U.S. Holders holding period before the first day of our first taxable year in which we are a PFIC, will be taxed as ordinary income; |
|
the amount allocated to other taxable years (or portions thereof) of the U.S. Holder and included in its holding period will be taxed at the highest tax rate in effect for that year and applicable to the U.S. Holder; and |
|
the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed in respect of the tax attributable to each such other taxable year of the U.S. Holder. |
In general, if we are determined to be
a PFIC, a U.S. Holder will avoid the PFIC tax consequences described above in respect to our ordinary shares by making a timely QEF election 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. A U.S. Holder may
make a separate election to defer the payment of taxes on undistributed income inclusions under the QEF rules, but if deferred, any such taxes will be
subject to an interest charge.
A U.S. Holder may not make a QEF
election with respect to its rights or warrants to acquire our ordinary shares. As a result, if a U.S. Holder sells or otherwise disposes of such
rights or warrants (other than upon exchange of rights or exercise of such warrants), any gain recognized generally will be subject to the special tax
and interest charge rules treating the gain as an excess distribution, as described above, if we were a PFIC at any time during the period the U.S.
Holder held the rights or warrants. If a U.S. Holder that exercises such warrants properly makes a QEF election with respect to the newly acquired
ordinary shares (or has previously made a QEF election with respect to our ordinary shares), the QEF election will apply to the newly acquired ordinary
shares, but the adverse tax consequences relating to PFIC shares, adjusted to take into account the current income inclusions resulting from the QEF
election, will continue to apply with respect to such newly acquired ordinary shares (which generally will be deemed to have a holding period for
purposes of the PFIC rules that includes the period the U.S. Holder held the warrants), unless the U.S. Holder makes a purging election under the PFIC
rules. The purging election creates a deemed sale of such shares at their fair market value. The gain recognized by the purging election will be
subject to the special tax and interest charge rules treating the gain as an excess distribution, as described above. As a result of the purging
election, the U.S. Holder will have a new basis and holding period in the ordinary shares acquired upon the exercise of the warrants for purposes of
the PFIC rules.
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 (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
95
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 own 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, 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 have timely knowledge of our status as a PFIC
in the future or of the required information to be provided.
If a U.S. Holder has made a QEF
election with respect to our ordinary shares, and the special tax and interest charge rules do not apply to such shares (because of a timely QEF
election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) such shares or a purge of the PFIC taint pursuant
to a purging election, as described above), any gain recognized on the sale of our ordinary shares generally will be taxable as capital gain and no
interest charge will be imposed. As discussed above, U.S. Holders of a QEF are currently taxed on their pro rata shares of its earnings and profits,
whether or not distributed. In such case, a subsequent distribution of such earnings and profits that were previously included in income generally
should not be taxable as a dividend to such U.S. Holders. The tax basis of a U.S. Holders 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. Similar basis adjustments apply to property
if by reason of holding such property the U.S. Holder is treated under the applicable attribution rules as owning shares in a QEF.
Although a determination as to our PFIC
status will be made annually, an initial determination that our company is a PFIC will generally apply for subsequent years to a U.S. Holder who held
ordinary shares or warrants while we were a PFIC, whether or not we meet the test for PFIC status in those subsequent years. A U.S. Holder who makes
the QEF election discussed above for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) our ordinary shares,
however, will not be subject to the PFIC tax and interest charge rules discussed above in respect to such shares. In addition, such U.S. Holder will
not be subject to the QEF inclusion regime with respect to such shares for any taxable year of us that ends within or with a taxable year of the U.S.
Holder and in which we are not a PFIC. On the other hand, if the QEF election is not effective for each of our taxable years in which we are a PFIC and
the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) our ordinary shares, the PFIC rules discussed above will continue to apply to such shares unless the
holder makes a purging election, as described above, and pays the tax and interest charge with respect to the gain inherent in such shares attributable
to the pre-QEF election period.
Alternatively, if a U.S. Holder, at the
close of its taxable year, owns shares in a PFIC that are treated as marketable shares, the U.S. Holder may make a mark-to-market election with respect
to such shares for such taxable year. If the U.S. Holder makes a valid mark-to-market election for the first taxable year of the U.S. Holder in which
the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) ordinary shares in us and for which we are determined to be a PFIC, such holder generally will not be
subject to the PFIC rules described above in respect to its ordinary shares. Instead, in general, the U.S. Holder will include as ordinary income each
year the excess, if any, of the fair market value of its ordinary shares at the end of its taxable year over the adjusted basis in its ordinary shares.
The U.S. Holder also will be allowed to take an ordinary loss in respect of the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of its ordinary shares over the
fair market value of its ordinary 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. Holders basis in its ordinary 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 the ordinary shares will be treated as ordinary income. Currently, a
mark-to-market election may not be made with respect to warrants.
The mark-to-market election is
available only for stock that is regularly traded on a national securities exchange that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including Nasdaq Capital Market, 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. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors
96
regarding the availability and tax consequences of a mark-to-market election in respect to our ordinary shares under their particular circumstances.
If we are a PFIC and, at any time, have
a foreign subsidiary that is classified as a PFIC, U.S. Holders generally would be deemed to own a portion of the shares of such lower-tier PFIC, and
generally could incur liability for the deferred tax and interest charge described above if we receive a distribution from, or dispose of all or part
of our interest in, the lower-tier PFIC or the U.S. Holders otherwise were deemed to have disposed of an interest in the lower-tier PFIC. We will
endeavor to cause any lower-tier PFIC to provide to a U.S. Holder the information that may be required to make or maintain a QEF election with respect
to the lower-tier PFIC. However, there is no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of the status of any such lower-tier PFIC. In addition, we
may not hold a controlling interest in any such lower-tier PFIC and thus there can be no assurance we will be able to cause the lower-tier PFIC to
provide the required information. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax issues raised by lower-tier
PFICs.
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.
The rules dealing with PFICs and with
the QEF and mark-to-market elections are very complex and are affected by various factors in addition to those described above. Accordingly, U.S.
Holders of our ordinary shares and warrants should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of the PFIC rules to our ordinary shares
and warrants under their particular circumstances.
Non-U.S. Holders
Dividends (including constructive
dividends) paid or deemed paid to a Non-U.S. Holder in respect to its ordinary shares generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, unless
the dividends are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holders conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an
applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such holder maintains in the United
States).
In addition, a Non-U.S. Holder
generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any gain attributable to a sale or other disposition of our ordinary shares, rights or
warrants unless such gain is effectively connected with its conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable
income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such holder maintains in the United States) or the Non-U.S. Holder
is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of sale or other disposition and certain other conditions
are met (in which case, such gain from United States sources generally is subject to tax at a 30% rate or a lower applicable tax treaty
rate).
Dividends and gains that are
effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holders conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax
treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base in the United States) generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax (but not
the Medicare contribution tax) at the same regular U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to a comparable U.S. Holder and, in the case of a Non-U.S.
Holder that is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, may also be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate or a lower
applicable tax treaty rate.
The U.S. federal income tax treatment
of a Non-U.S. Holders receipt of a share upon consummation of an initial business combination or exercise of a warrant, or the lapse of a warrant
held by a Non-U.S. Holder, generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the receipt of a share or exercise or lapse of a
warrant by a U.S. Holder, as described under U.S. Holders Exercise or Lapse of a Right or Warrant, above, although to the
extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described in the preceding paragraphs above for a
Non-U.S. Holders gain on the sale or other disposition of our ordinary shares, rights and warrants.
Backup Withholding and Information
Reporting
In general, information reporting for
U.S. federal income tax purposes should apply to distributions made on our ordinary shares within the United States to a U.S. Holder, subject to
certain exceptions, and to the
97
proceeds from sales and other dispositions of our ordinary shares, rights or warrants by a U.S. Holder to or through a U.S. office of a broker. Payments made (and sales and other dispositions effected at an office) outside the United States will be subject to information reporting in limited circumstances.
In addition, backup withholding of U.S.
federal income tax, currently at a rate of 28%, generally will apply to dividends paid on our ordinary shares to a U.S. Holder and the proceeds from
sales and other dispositions of shares, rights or warrants by a U.S. Holder, in each case who:
|
fails to provide an accurate taxpayer identification number; |
|
is notified by the IRS that backup withholding is required; or |
|
fails to comply with applicable certification requirements. |
A Non-U.S. Holder generally will
eliminate the requirement for information reporting and backup withholding by providing certification of its foreign status, under penalties of
perjury, on a duly executed applicable IRS Form W-8 or by otherwise establishing an exemption.
We will withhold all taxes required to
be withheld by law from any amounts otherwise payable to any holder of our ordinary shares or securities, including tax withholding required by the
backup withholding rules. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the amount of any backup withholding will be allowed as a credit against
a U.S. Holders or a Non-U.S. Holders U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such holder to a refund, provided that the requisite
information is timely furnished to the IRS. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of backup withholding and the
availability of and procedure for obtaining an exemption from backup withholding in their particular circumstances.
A 30% withholding tax will be imposed
on payments to certain foreign entities on dividends on and the gross proceeds of dispositions of U.S. equity interests, unless various U.S.
information reporting and due diligence requirements (generally relating to ownership by U.S. persons of interests in or accounts with those entities)
have been satisfied. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of this legislation on their investment in
the units.
98
We intend to offer our securities
described in this prospectus through the underwriters named below. EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. is the representative for the underwriters. We have entered
into an underwriting agreement with the representative. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, each of the underwriters has
severally agreed to purchase from us the number of units listed next to its name in the following table:
Underwriters |
Number of Units |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. |
||||||
Ladenburg
Thalmann & Co. Inc. |
||||||
Aegis
Capital Corp |
||||||
I-Bankers
Securities, Inc. |
||||||
Total
|
12,500,000 |
A copy of the underwriting agreement
has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
The underwriting agreement provides
that the underwriters must purchase all of the units if they purchase any of them. However, the underwriters are not required to take or pay for the
units covered by the over-allotment option described below.
Our units are offered subject to a
number of conditions, including:
|
receipt and acceptance of the units by the underwriters; and |
|
the underwriters right to reject orders in whole or in part. |
In connection with this offering,
certain of the underwriters or securities dealers may distribute prospectuses electronically.
Upon the execution of the underwriting
agreement, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase the units at the prices and upon the terms stated therein, and, as a result, will thereafter
bear any risk associated with changing the offering price to the public or other selling terms.
Over-allotment Option
We have granted the underwriters an
option to buy up to 1,875,000 additional units. The underwriters may exercise this option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any,
made in connection with this offering. The underwriters have 45 days from the date of this prospectus to exercise this option. If the underwriters
exercise this option, they will each purchase additional units approximately in proportion to the amounts specified in the table
above.
Commissions and Discounts
Units sold by the underwriters to the
public will initially be offered at the offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any units sold by the underwriters to securities
dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $____ per unit from the public offering price. Any of these securities dealers may resell any units
purchased from the underwriters to other brokers or dealers at a discount of up to $____ per unit from the public offering price. If all of the units
are not sold at the initial public offering price, the representative may change the offering price and the other selling terms. Upon execution of the
underwriting agreement, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase the units at the prices and upon the terms stated therein, and, as a result,
will thereafter bear any risk associated with changing the offering price to the public or other selling terms. No offer or invitation to subscribe for
units may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands.
99
The following table shows the per unit
and total underwriting discounts and commissions we will pay to the underwriters assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters
over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 1,875,000 units.
Per Unit |
Without Over-allotment |
With Over-allotment |
||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public
offering price |
$ | 10.00 | $ | 125,000,000 | $ | 143,750,000 | ||||||||
Discount
|
$ | 0.325 | $ | 4,062,500 | $ | 4,671,875 | ||||||||
Proceeds
before expenses(1) |
$ | 9.675 | $ | 120,937,500 | $ | 139,078,125 |
(1) |
The offering expenses are estimated at $475,000. |
No discounts or commissions will be
paid on the sale of the private units.
Business Combination Marketing Agreement
We have engaged EarlyBirdCapital to
assist us in connection with our initial business combination. Pursuant to this arrangement, EarlyBirdCapital will assist us in holding meetings with
our shareholders to discuss the potential business combination and the target business attributes, introduce us to potential investors that may
be interested in purchasing our securities, assist us in obtaining shareholder approval for the business combination and assist us with our press
releases and certain public filings in connection with the business combination. Pursuant to this arrangement, we will pay EarlyBirdCapital a cash fee
of $4,600,000 for such services upon the consummation of our initial business combination (exclusive of any applicable finders fees which might
become payable).
Private Units
EarlyBirdCapital has committed to
purchase 62,500 private units for an aggregate purchase price of $625,000, or $10.00 per unit. EarlyBirdCapital has also agreed that if the
over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, it will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per unit an additional number
of private units (up to a maximum of 9,375 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.05 per
share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or part. The private
units are identical to the units being sold in this offering except as described elsewhere in this prospectus. The private units and underlying
ordinary shares and warrants have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to Rule 5110(g)(1) of the
FINRA Manual. Additionally, the private units purchased by EarlyBirdCapital may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated for a
one-year period (including the foregoing 180-day period) following the effective date of this prospectus except to any selected dealer participating in
the offering and the bona fide officers or partners of the underwriter and any such participating selected dealer. EarlyBirdCapital has agreed that the
private units it purchases will not be sold or transferred by it (except to certain permitted transferees) until after we have completed an initial
business combination. We have granted the holders of private units, including EarlyBirdCapital, the registration rights as described under the section
Shares Eligible for Future Sale Registration Rights. In compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(H), the EarlyBirdCapital
registration rights are limited to demand and piggy back rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the effective date
of this prospectus with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the private units and the underlying securities. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary, the warrants underlying the private units shall not be exercisable after the five year anniversary of the effective date of
the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Purchase Option
We have agreed to sell to the
representative, for $100, an option to purchase up to a total of 1,250,000 units. The units issuable upon exercise of this option are identical to
those offered by this prospectus. This option is exercisable at $10.00 per unit, and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in whole or in part,
commencing on the later of the consummation of a business combination or the one-year anniversary of the
100
date of this prospectus. The option expires on the five-year anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Since the option is not exercisable until at the earliest the consummation of a business combination, and the rights will automatically result in the issuance of shares upon consummation of a business combination, the option will effectively represent the right to purchase 1,375,000 ordinary shares (which includes the 125,000 ordinary shares issuable for the rights included in the units), and 1,250,000 warrants to purchase 625,000 full shares, for $12,500,000. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, neither the option nor the warrants underlying the option shall be exercisable after the five year anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The option and the 1,250,000 units, the 2,000,000 ordinary shares and the 1,250,000 warrants underlying such units, and the 625,000 ordinary shares underlying such warrants and 125,000 shares relating to the rights that are automatically issuable upon consummation of our initial business combination, have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to Rule 5110(g)(1) of the FINRA Conduct Rules. Accordingly, the option may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated for 180 days following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the offering and their bona fide officers or partners. Although the purchase option and its underlying securities have been registered under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, the option grants to holders demand and piggy back rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the securities directly and indirectly issuable upon exercise of the option. We will bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the securities, other than underwriting commissions which will be paid for by the holders themselves. We will have no obligation to net cash settle the exercise of the purchase option or the warrants underlying the purchase option. The holder of the purchase option will not be entitled to exercise the purchase option or the warrants underlying the purchase option unless a registration statement covering the securities underlying the purchase option is effective or an exemption from registration is available. If the holder is unable to exercise the purchase option or underlying warrants, the purchase option or warrants, as applicable, will expire worthless.
The exercise price and number of units
issuable upon exercise of the option may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a share dividend, or our recapitalization,
reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the option will not be adjusted for issuances of ordinary shares at a price below its exercise
price.
Listing of our Securities
There is presently no public market for
our units, ordinary shares or warrants. We have applied to have the units, and the ordinary shares, rights and warrants once they begin separate
trading, listed on Nasdaq under the symbols GGACU, GGAC, GGACR and GGACW, respectively. Although, after
giving effect to this offering, we meet on a pro forma basis the minimum initial listing standards of Nasdaq, which generally only requires that we
meet certain requirements relating to shareholders equity, market capitalization, aggregate market value of publicly held shares and distribution
requirements, we cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq as we might not meet certain continued listing
standards.
Pricing of Securities
We have been advised by the
representative that the underwriters propose to offer the units to the public at the offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
They may allow some dealers concessions not in excess of $____ per unit and the dealers may reallow a concession not in excess of $____ per unit to
other dealers.
Prior to this offering there has been
no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the rights, and warrants were negotiated between us
and the representative. Factors considered in determining the prices and terms of the units, including the ordinary shares, rights and warrants
underlying the units, include:
|
the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies; |
|
prior offerings of those companies; |
101
|
our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values; |
|
our capital structure; |
|
the per share amount of net proceeds being placed into the trust account; |
|
an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies; |
|
general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering; and |
|
other factors as were deemed relevant. |
However, although these factors were
considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities for an operating company in a particular industry
since the underwriters are unable to compare our financial results and prospects with those of public companies operating in the same
industry.
Regulatory Restrictions on Purchase of
Securities
Rules of the SEC may limit the ability
of the underwriters to bid for or purchase our units before the distribution of the units is completed. However, the underwriters may engage in the
following activities in accordance with the rules:
|
Stabilizing Transactions. The underwriters may make bids or purchases for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the price of our units, as long as stabilizing bids do not exceed the offering price of $10.00 and the underwriters comply with all other applicable rules. |
|
Over-Allotments and Syndicate Coverage Transactions. The underwriters may create a short position in our units by selling more of our units than are set forth on the cover page of this prospectus up to the amount of the over-allotment option. This is known as a covered short position. The underwriters may also create a short position in our units by selling more of our units than are set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and the units allowed by the over-allotment option. This is known as a naked short position. If the underwriters create a short position during the offering, the representative may engage in syndicate covering transactions by purchasing our units in the open market. The representative may also elect to reduce any short position by exercising all or part of the over-allotment option. Determining what method to use in reducing the short position depends on how the units trade in the aftermarket following the offering. If the unit price drops following the offering, the short position is usually covered with shares purchased by the underwriters in the aftermarket. However, the underwriters may cover a short position by exercising the over-allotment option even if the unit price drops following the offering. If the unit price rises after the offering, then the over-allotment option is used to cover the short position. If the short position is more than the over-allotment option, the naked short must be covered by purchases in the aftermarket, which could be at prices above the offering price. |
|
Penalty Bids. The representative may reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the units originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions. |
Stabilization and syndicate covering
transactions may cause the price of our securities to be higher than they would be in the absence of these transactions. The imposition of a penalty
bid might also have an effect on the prices of our securities if it discourages resales of our securities.
Neither we nor the underwriters make
any representation or prediction as to the effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our securities. These transactions may
occur on Nasdaq, in the over-the-counter market or on any trading market. If any of these transactions are commenced, they may be discontinued without
notice at any time.
Other Terms
We are obligated to reimburse the
underwriters for (i) the costs of any due diligence meetings, filing fees, costs and expenses (including fees and disbursements of
underwriters counsel up to $15,000) incurred in registering the offering with FINRA, (ii) preparation of transaction bibles and
lucite cube mementos up to
102
a maximum of $3,000 and (iii) the costs of an investigative search firm to conduct background checks on our principals, up to a maximum of $18,750.
Except as set forth above, we are not
under any contractual obligation to engage any of the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering, and have no present intent to do
so. However, any of the underwriters may, among other things, introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital,
as needs may arise in the future. If any underwriter provides services to us after this offering, we may pay the underwriter fair and reasonable fees
that would be determined at that time in an arms length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with the underwriter and no
fees for such services will be paid to the underwriter prior to the date which is 90 days after the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines
that such payment would not be deemed underwriters compensation in connection with this offering.
Indemnification
We have agreed to indemnify the
underwriters against some liabilities, including civil liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be
required to make in this respect.
Selling Restrictions
Canada
Resale Restrictions
We intend to distribute our securities
in the Province of Ontario, Canada (the Canadian Offering Jurisdiction) by way of a private placement and exempt from the requirement that
we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in such Canadian Offering Jurisdiction. Any resale of our securities in
Canada must be made under applicable securities laws that will vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made
under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Canadian
resale restrictions in some circumstances may apply to resales of interests made outside of Canada. Canadian purchasers are advised to seek legal
advice prior to any resale of our securities. We may never be a reporting issuer, as such term is defined under applicable Canadian
securities legislation, in any province or territory of Canada in which our securities will be offered and there currently is no public market for any
of the securities in Canada, and one may never develop. Canadian investors are advised that we have no intention to file a prospectus or similar
document with any securities regulatory authority in Canada qualifying the resale of the securities to the public in any province or territory in
Canada.
Representations of Purchasers
A Canadian purchaser will be required
to represent to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:
|
the purchaser is entitled under applicable provincial securities laws to purchase our securities without the benefit of a prospectus qualified under those securities laws; |
|
where required by law, that the purchaser is purchasing as principal and not as agent; |
|
the purchaser has reviewed the text above under Resale Restrictions; and |
|
the purchaser acknowledges and consents to the provision of specified information concerning its purchase of our securities to the regulatory authority that by law is entitled to collect the information. |
Rights of Action Ontario Purchasers
Only
Under Ontario securities legislation,
certain purchasers who purchase a security offered by this prospectus during the period of distribution will have a statutory right of action for
damages, or while still the owner of our securities, for rescission against us in the event that this prospectus contains a misrepresentation
without
103
regard to whether the purchaser relied on the misrepresentation. The right of action for damages is exercisable not later than the earlier of 180 days from the date the purchaser first had knowledge of the facts giving rise to the cause of action and three years from the date on which payment is made for our securities. The right of action for rescission is exercisable not later than 180 days from the date on which payment is made for our securities. If a purchaser elects to exercise the right of action for rescission, the purchaser will have no right of action for damages against us. In no case will the amount recoverable in any action exceed the price at which our securities were offered to the purchaser and if the purchaser is shown to have purchased the securities with knowledge of the misrepresentation, we will have no liability. In the case of an action for damages, we will not be liable for all or any portion of the damages that are proven to not represent the depreciation in value of our securities as a result of the misrepresentation relied upon. These rights are in addition to, and without derogation from, any other rights or remedies available at law to an Ontario purchaser. The foregoing is a summary of the rights available to an Ontario purchaser. Ontario purchasers should refer to the complete text of the relevant statutory provisions.
Enforcement of Legal Rights
All of our directors and officers as
well as the experts named herein are located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of
process within Canada upon us or those persons. All of our assets and the assets of those persons are located outside of Canada and, as a result, it
may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or
those persons outside of Canada.
Collection of Personal Information
If a Canadian purchaser is resident in
or otherwise subject to the securities laws of the Province of Ontario, the Purchaser authorizes the indirect collection of personal information
pertaining to the Canadian purchaser by the Ontario Securities Commission (the OSC) and each Canadian purchaser will be required to
acknowledge and agree that the Canadian purchaser has been notified by us (i) of the delivery to the OSC of personal information pertaining to the
Canadian purchaser, including, without limitation, the full name, residential address and telephone number of the Canadian purchaser, the number and
type of securities purchased and the total purchase price paid in respect of the securities, (ii) that this information is being collected indirectly
by the OSC under the authority granted to it in securities legislation, (iii) that this information is being collected for the purposes of the
administration and enforcement of the securities legislation of Ontario, and (iv) that the title, business address and business telephone number of the
public official in Ontario who can answer questions about the OSCs indirect collection of the information is the Administrative Assistant to the
Director of Corporate Finance, the Ontario Securities Commission, Suite 1903, Box 5520, Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3S8, Telephone: (416)
593-8086, Facsimile: (416) 593-8252.
Cayman Islands
No offer or invitation to subscribe for
shares may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands.
Graubard Miller, New York, New York, is
acting as United States counsel in connection with the registration of our securities under the Securities Act and will pass on the validity of the
warrants offered in the prospectus. Legal matters as to Cayman Islands law, as well as the validity of the issuance of the shares offered in this
prospectus, will be passed upon for us by Maples and Calder, Cayman Islands. Blank Rome LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel for the
underwriters in this offering.
The financial statements of Garnero
Group Acquisition Company (a company in the development stage) as of March 27, 2014 and for the period from February 11, 2014 (inception) through March
27, 2014 appearing in this prospectus have been audited by Marcum LLP, independent registered public accounting
104
firm, as set forth in their report, thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to substantial doubt about the ability of Garnero Group Acquisition Company (a company in the development stage) to continue as a going concern as described in Note 1 to the financial statements), appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, and are included in reliance on such report given on the authority of such firm as an experts in auditing and accounting.
We have filed with the SEC a
registration statement on Form S-1, which includes exhibits, schedules and amendments, under the Securities Act, with respect to this offering of our
securities. Although this prospectus, which forms a part of the registration statement, contains all material information included in the registration
statement, parts of the registration statement have been omitted as permitted by rules and regulations of the SEC. We refer you to the registration
statement and its exhibits for further information about us, our securities and this offering. The registration statement and its exhibits, as well as
our other reports filed with the SEC, can be inspected and copied at the SECs public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.
20549. The public may obtain information about the operation of the public reference room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC
maintains a web site at http://www.sec.gov which contains the Form S-1 and other reports, proxy and information statements and information
regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
105
F-2 |
||||||
F-3 |
||||||
F-4 |
||||||
F-5 |
||||||
F-6 |
||||||
F-7 F-12 |
F-1
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Garnero Group
Acquisition Company
We have audited the accompanying
balance sheet of Garnero Group Acquisition Company (a company in the development stage) (the Company) as of March 27, 2014 and the related
statements of operations, changes in shareholders equity, and cash flows for the period from February 11, 2014 (inception) through March 27,
2014. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Companys management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these
financial statements based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance
with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to
obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to have, nor were we
engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit included consideration of internal control over financial
reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the
effectiveness of the Companys internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes
examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a
reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial
statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Garnero Group Acquisition Company (a company in the
development stage), as of March 27, 2014, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from February 11, 2014 (inception)
through March 27, 2014 in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles.
The accompanying financial statements
have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has no
present revenue, its business plan is dependent on the completion of a financing and the Companys cash and working capital as of March 27, 2014
are not sufficient to complete its planned activities for the upcoming year. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Companys ability
to continue as a going concern. Managements plans regarding these matters are also described in Notes 1 and 3. The financial statements do not
include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
/s/ Marcum LLP
Marcum LLP
New York, NY
April 11, 2014 Except for Notes 3 and 6 as to which the date is May 20, 2014
New York, NY
April 11, 2014 Except for Notes 3 and 6 as to which the date is May 20, 2014
F-2
ASSETS |
||||||
Current Asset
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 74,990 | ||||
Deferred
offering costs associated with proposed public offering |
76,519 | |||||
Total
assets |
$ | 151,509 | ||||
Liabilities and Shareholders Equity |
||||||
Current
Liabilities: Accounts payable |
$ | 10,232 | ||||
Note payable
to related party |
125,000 | |||||
Total
current liabilities |
135,232 | |||||
Commitments |
||||||
Shareholders Equity: |
||||||
Ordinary
shares, $.0001 par value; 120,000,000 shares authorized; 3,593,750 shares issued and outstanding(1) |
359 | |||||
Additional
paid-in capital |
24,641 | |||||
Deficit
accumulated during the development stage |
(8,723 | ) | ||||
Total
Shareholders Equity |
16,277 | |||||
Total
Liabilities and Shareholders Equity |
$ | 151,509 |
(1) |
This number includes an aggregate of up to 468,750 ordinary shares that are subject to compulsory repurchase if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these
financial statements.
F-3
Garnero Group Acquisition Company
(A Company in the Development Stage)
(A Company in the Development Stage)
For The Period From February 11, 2014 (Inception) through March 27, 2014
Formation and
operating costs |
$ | 8,723 | ||||
Net Loss
|
$ | (8,723 | ) | |||
Weighted
average shares outstanding, basic and diluted(1) |
3,125,000 | |||||
Basic and
diluted net loss per ordinary share |
$ | (0.003 | ) |
(1) |
This number excludes an aggregate of up to 468,750 shares that are subject to compulsory repurchase if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these
financial statements.
F-4
Garnero Group Acquisition Company
(A Company in the Development Stage)
(A Company in the Development Stage)
For The Period From February 11, 2014 (Inception) through March 27, 2014
Ordinary Shares(1) |
||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shares |
Amount |
Additional Paid-In Capital |
Deficit Accumulated During the Development Stage |
Total Shareholders Equity |
||||||||||||||||||
Ordinary
share issued at approximately $0.01 per share to initial shareholder on February 11, 2014 (Inception) |
1 | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | |||||||||||||
Ordinary
shares issued at approximately $0.01 per share to initial shareholders on March 26, 2014 |
3,593,749 | 359 | 24,641 | 25,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
Net loss
|
(8,723 | ) | (8,723 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||
Balance
March 27, 2014 |
3,593,750 | $ | 359 | $ | 24,641 | $ | (8,723 | ) | $ | 16,277 |
(1) |
This number includes an aggregate of up to 468,750 shares that are subject to compulsory repurchase if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these
financial statements.
F-5
Garnero Group Acquisition Company
(A Company in the Development Stage)
(A Company in the Development Stage)
For The Period From February 11, 2014 (Inception) through March 27, 2014
Operating
Activities |
||||||
Net loss
|
$ | (8,723 | ) | |||
Adjustments
to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
||||||
Organizational expenses paid by related party |
5,000 | |||||
Changes in
operating assets and liabilities: |
||||||
Accounts
payable |
3,713 | |||||
Net Cash
Used in Operating Activities |
(10 | ) | ||||
Financing
Activities |
||||||
Proceeds from
note payable to related party |
50,000 | |||||
Proceeds from
issuance of ordinary shares to initial shareholders |
25,000 | |||||
Net Cash
Provided by Financing Activities |
75,000 | |||||
Net
increase in cash and cash equivalents |
74,990 | |||||
Cash and cash
equivalents beginning |
0 | |||||
Cash and
cash equivalents ending |
$ | 74,990 |
Supplemental disclosure of noncash investing and financing
activities:
The Company incurred $6,519 of deferred
offering costs which were unpaid as of March 27, 2014 and included in accounts payable.
Deferred offering costs of $70,000 and
organizational expenses of $5,000 were paid by a related party and included in note payable to related party.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these
financial statements.
F-6
Garnero Group Acquisition Company (a
company in the development stage) (the Company) was incorporated in the Cayman Islands on February 11, 2014 as a blank check company whose
objective is to acquire, through a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar
business combination, one or more businesses or entities (a Business Combination). The Companys efforts to identify a prospective
target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region of the world although the Company initially intends to focus on
target businesses located in Latin America (with a particular emphasis on Brazil) or Europe operating in the energy (including renewables) and
biotechnology industries or target businesses in such industries operating outside of those geographic locations which the Company believes would
benefit from expanding their operations to such locations.
At March 27, 2014, the Company had not
yet commenced any operations. All activity through March 27, 2014 relates to the Companys formation and the proposed public offering described
below. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year-end. The Company is considered to be a development stage company and, as such, the
Companys financial statements are prepared in accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) topic 915 Development
Stage Entities. The Company is subject to all of the risks associated with development stage companies.
The Companys ability to commence
operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed public offering of 12,500,000 units (or 14,375,000 units if the
underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) (Units), at $10.00 per Unit which is discussed in Note 3 (the Proposed
Public Offering), and the sale of an aggregate of 563,750 units (the Private Units) (or 634,063 Private Units if the
underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $10.00 per unit to the Companys initial shareholders (collectively, the
Initial Shareholders) and the underwriters (the Private Placement). The Companys management has broad discretion with
respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of this Proposed Public Offering and the Private Placement, although substantially all of the
net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. Furthermore, there is no assurance that the Company will
be able to effect a Business Combination successfully. Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering and Private Placement, management has agreed
that at least $10.05 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including the Private Placement, will be held in a trust account (Trust
Account) and invested in United States government treasury bills, notes or bonds having a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds
meeting the applicable conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, until the earlier of the
consummation of its first Business Combination and the Companys failure to consummate a Business Combination within the prescribed time. Placing
funds in the Trust Account may not protect those funds from third party claims against the Company. Although the Company will seek to have all vendors,
service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities it engages, execute agreements with the Company waiving any claim of any kind in or
to any monies held in the Trust Account, there is no guarantee that such persons will execute such agreements. The Companys Chief Executive
Officer will agree that he will be liable under certain circumstances to ensure that the proceeds in the Trust Account are not reduced by the claims of
target businesses or vendors or other entities that are owed money by the Company for service rendered, contracted for or products sold to the Company.
However, he may not be able to satisfy those obligations should they arise. The remaining net proceeds (not held in the Trust Account) may be used to
pay for business, legal and accounting due diligence on prospective acquisitions and continuing general and administrative expenses. The amount of
proceeds not held in trust will remain constant at approximately $475,000 even if the over-allotment is exercised. In addition, (i) interest income on
the funds held in the Trust Account can be released to the Company to pay its income and other tax obligations and (ii) interest income of up to
$500,000 on the funds held in the Trust Account can be released to the Company to pay for its working capital requirements in connection with searching
for a Business Combination.
F-7
The Company will seek shareholder
approval of any Business Combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which shareholders may seek to convert their shares into their pro rata
share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, less any taxes then due but not yet paid. The Company will proceed with a Business
Combination only if it will have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon consummation of the Business Combination and a majority of the
outstanding ordinary shares of the Company voted, are voted in favor of the Business Combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public shareholder,
together with any affiliate of his or any other person with whom he is acting in concert or as a group (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of
the Exchange Act) will be restricted from seeking conversion rights with respect to 30% or more of the ordinary shares sold in the Proposed Public
Offering. Accordingly, all shares purchased by a holder in excess of 30% of the shares sold in the Proposed Public Offering will not be converted to
cash. In connection with any shareholder vote required to approve any Business Combination, the Initial Shareholders will agree (i) to vote any of
their respective shares, including the 3,593,750 ordinary shares sold to the Initial Shareholders in connection with the organization of the Company
(the Initial Shares), ordinary shares included in the Private Units to be sold to the Sponsors in connection with the Private Placement,
and any ordinary shares which were initially issued in connection with the Proposed Public Offering, whether acquired in or after the effective date of
the Proposed Public Offering, in favor of the initial Business Combination and (ii) not to convert such respective shares into a pro rata portion of
the Trust Account.
The Companys Memorandum and
Articles of Association will be amended prior to the Proposed Public Offering to provide that the Company will continue in existence only until 21
months from the effective date of the registration statement relating to the Proposed Public Offering (or 24 months from the effective date of the
registration statement relating to the Proposed Public Offering if the Company has executed a definitive agreement for an initial Business Combination
within 21 months from the effective date of the registration statement relating to the Proposed Public Offering but have not completed the initial
Business Combination within such 21-month period). If the Company has not completed a Business Combination by such date, it will trigger the automatic
liquidation of the Trust Account and the voluntary liquidation of the Company. If the Company is forced to liquidate prior to a Business Combination,
holders of the outstanding ordinary shares sold in the Proposed Public Offering (Public Shareholders) are entitled to share ratably in the
Trust Account, including any interest, and any net assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities. The Sponsors have
agreed to waive their rights to share in any distribution with respect to their initial shares.
Going Concern Consideration
At March 27, 2014, the Company had
$74,990 in cash and a working capital deficit of $60,242. Further, the Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in
pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Companys ability to continue as a going
concern. Management plans to address this uncertainty through the Proposed Public Offering as discussed in Note 3. There is no assurance that the
Companys plans to raise capital or to consummate a Business Combination will be successful or successful within the required time period. The
financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Note 2 Significant Accounting
Policies
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all short-term
investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents.
Loss per share
Loss per share is computed by dividing
net loss by the weighted-average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period excluding ordinary shares subject to forfeiture. Weighted
average shares was reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 468,750 ordinary shares that are subject to compulsory repurchase if the over-allotment
option is not exercised by the underwriters.
F-8
Note 2 Significant Accounting Policies
(Continued)
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements
in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that
affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and
the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes
under ASC Topic 740 Income Taxes (ASC 740). ASC 740 requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for both
the expected impact of differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for the expected future tax benefit to
be derived from tax loss and tax credit carry forwards. ASC 740 additionally requires a valuation allowance to be established when it is more likely
than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized.
ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting
for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprises financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process
for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be
recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. ASC 740 also provides guidance on
derecoginition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim period, disclosure and transition. The Company determined that the Cayman
Islands is its only major tax jurisdiction. Based on the Companys evaluation, it has been concluded that there are no significant uncertain tax
positions requiring recognition in the Companys financial statements. Since the Company was incorporated on February 11, 2014, the evaluation was
performed for the upcoming 2014 tax year, which will be the only period subject to examination. The Company believes that its income tax positions and
deductions would be sustained on audit and does not anticipate any adjustments that would result in a material changes to its financial
position.
The Companys policy for recording
interest and penalties associated with audits is to record such expense as a component of income tax expense. There were no amounts accrued for
penalties or interest as of or during the period from February 11, 2014 (inception) through March 27, 2014. Management is currently unaware of any
issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviations from its position.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any
recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards if currently adopted would have a material effect on the accompanying financial
statements.
Subsequent Events
The Company evaluates events that have
occurred after the balance sheet date through the date which these financial statements were issued.
Note 3 Proposed Public Offering
The Proposed Public Offering calls for
the Company to offer for public sale 12,500,000 Units at a proposed offering price of $10.00 per Unit (plus up to an additional 1,875,000 Units solely
to cover over-allotments, if any, pursuant to a 45 day over-allotment option granted to the underwriter). Each Unit consists of one ordinary share in
the Company, one right (Right) one Warrant (Warrant). Each Right will automatically entitle the holder to receive one-tenth
(1/10) of a share on the consummation of an initial Business Combination. The Company will not issue fractional shares. Each Warrant entitles the
holder to purchase one-half of one ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per full share commencing on the later of the Companys completion of its
initial Business Combination or 12 months from the effective date of the
F-9
Note 3 Proposed Public Offering
(Continued)
registration statement relating to the Proposed Public Offering, and expiring five years from the completion of the Companys initial Business Combination. The Company will not issue fractional shares. As a result, investors must exercise Warrants in multiples of two Warrants, at a price of $11.50 per full share, subject to adjustment, to validly exercise the Warrants. The Company may redeem the Warrants at a price of $0.01 per Warrant upon 30 days notice, only in the event that the last sale price of the ordinary shares is at least $21.00 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period (30-Day Trading Period) ending on the third day prior to the date on which notice of redemption is given, provided there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the ordinary shares underlying such Warrants commencing five business days prior to the 30-Day Trading Period and continuing each day thereafter until the date of redemption. If the Company redeems the Warrants as described above, management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise Warrants to do so on a cashless basis. In accordance with the warrant agreement relating to the Warrants to be sold and issued in the Proposed Public Offering the Company is only required to use its best efforts to maintain the effectiveness of the registration statement covering the Warrants. If a registration statement is not effective within 90 days following the consummation of a Business Combination, Warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise Warrants on a cashless basis. In the event that a registration statement is not effective at the time of exercise, the holder of such Warrant shall not be entitled to exercise such Warrant for cash and in no event (whether in the case of a registration statement being effective or otherwise) will the Company be required to net cash settle the Warrant exercise. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the Right. If an initial Business Combination is not consummated, the Rights will expire and will be worthless.
Note 4 Deferred Offering Costs
Deferred offering costs consist
principally of legal, underwriting fees and other costs incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public
Offering and that will be charged to shareholders equity upon the receipt of the capital raised. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be
unsuccessful, these deferred costs as well as additional expenses to be incurred will be charged to operations.
Note 5 Note Payable to Related
Party
The Company issued a $125,000 principal
amount unsecured promissory note to an entity controlled by the Companys Chief Executive Officer and majority shareholder. The note is
non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of (i) February 18, 2015, (ii) the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering or (iii) the date on
which the Company determines not to proceed with the Proposed Public Offering. Due to the short-term nature of the note, the fair value of the note
approximates the carrying amount.
Note 6 Commitments and
Contingencies
The Company will enter into an
agreement with the underwriters of the Proposed Public Offering (Underwriting Agreement). The terms of the Proposed Public Offering are set
forth in a non-binding letter of intent that is merely a statement of intent and is subject to change and further negotiation between the parties and
may be adjusted prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement. The Underwriting Agreement will require the Company to pay an underwriting
discount of 3.25% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering as an underwriting discount. The Company has further engaged the representative
of the underwriters (Representative) to assist the Company with its initial Business Combination. Pursuant to this arrangement, the Company
anticipates that the Representative will assist the Company in holding meetings with shareholders to discuss the potential Business Combination and the
target business attributes, introduce the Company to potential investors that are interested in purchasing the Companys securities, assist
the Company in obtaining shareholder approval for the Business Combination and assist the Company with its press releases and public filings in
connection with the Business Combination. The Company will pay the Representative a cash fee of $4,600,000 for such services upon the consummation of
its initial Business Combination (exclusive of any applicable finders fees which might become payable).
F-10
Note 6 Commitments and Contingencies
(Continued)
Private Units
An affiliate of the Initial
Shareholders and the underwriters have committed to purchase an aggregate of 563,750 Private Units at $10.00 per Private Unit. This affiliate and the
underwriters have also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, they will purchase from the Company at a price of
$10.00 per Private Unit up to an additional 70,313 Private Units pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least
$10.05 per share sold to the public in the Proposed Public Offering is held in the Trust Account regardless of whether the over-allotment option is
exercised in full or part.
The Private Units are identical to the
Units sold in the Proposed Public Offering except the Warrants included in the Private Units will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless
basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees. Additionally, the holders of the
Private Units have agreed (A) to vote the shares underlying their Private Units in favor of any proposed Business Combination, (B) not to propose, or
vote in favor of, an amendment to the Companys amended and restated memorandum and articles of association with respect to the Companys
pre-Business Combination activities prior to the consummation of such a Business Combination, (C) not to convert any shares underlying the Private
Units into the right to receive cash from the Trust Account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an initial Business Combination or a vote
to amend the provisions of the Companys amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to shareholders rights or
pre-Business Combination activity and (D) that the shares underlying the Private Units shall not participate in any liquidating distribution upon
winding up if a Business Combination is not consummated. The purchasers have also agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Private Units or
underlying securities (except to the same permitted transferees as the insider shares and provided the transferees agree to the same terms and
restrictions as the permitted transferees of the insider shares must agree to, each as described above) until the completion of an initial Business
Combination.
Purchase Option
The Company has agreed to sell to the
Representative, for $100, a unit purchase option to purchase up to a total of 1,250,000 units exercisable at $10.00 per unit (or an aggregate exercise
price of $12,500,000) commencing on the later of the consummation of a Business Combination and one year from the effective date of the registration
statement relating to the Proposed Public Offering. The unit purchase option expires five years from the effective date of the registration statement
relating to the Proposed Public Offering. The units issuable upon exercise of this option are identical to the Units being offered in the Proposed
Public Offering. Accordingly, after the Business Combination, the purchase option will be to purchase 1,375,000 ordinary shares (which includes 125,000
ordinary shares to be issued for the rights included in the units) and 1,250,000 Warrants to purchase 625,000 ordinary shares, for $12,500,000. The
Company has agreed to grant to the holders of the unit purchase option, demand and piggy back registration rights for periods of five and
seven years, respectively, from the effective date of this Proposed Public Offering, including securities directly and indirectly issuable upon
exercise of the unit purchase option.
The Company intends to account for the
fair value of the unit purchase option, inclusive of the receipt of a $100 cash payment, as an expense of the Proposed Public Offering resulting in a
charge directly to shareholders equity. The Company estimates that the fair value of this unit purchase option is approximately $4,175,000 (or
$3.34 per unit) using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of the unit purchase option to be granted to the Representative is
estimated as of the date of grant using the following assumptions: (1) expected volatility of 35%, (2) risk-free interest rate of 1.70 % and (3)
expected life of five years. The unit purchase option may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis, at the holders option (except
in the case of a forced cashless exercise upon the Companys redemption of the Warrants, as described above), such that the holder may use the
appreciated value of the unit purchase option (the difference between the exercise prices of the unit purchase option and the underlying Warrants and
the market price of the Units and underlying ordinary shares) to exercise the unit purchase option without the payment of any cash. The Company will
have no obligation to net cash settle the exercise of the unit purchase option or the Warrants underlying the unit purchase option. The holder of the
unit purchase option will not be entitled to exercise
F-11
Note 6 Commitments and Contingencies
(Continued)
the unit purchase option or the Warrants underlying the unit purchase option unless a registration statement covering the securities underlying the unit purchase option is effective or an exemption from registration is available. If the holder is unable to exercise the unit purchase option or underlying Warrants, the unit purchase option or Warrants, as applicable, will expire worthless.
Office Space
The Company presently occupies office
space provided by an affiliate of the Companys Chief Executive Officer (Affiliate). Such Affiliate has agreed that, until the Company
consummates a Business Combination, it will make such office space, as well as certain office and secretarial services, available to the Company, as
may be required by the Company from time to time. The Company has agreed to pay such affiliate $10,000 per month for such services commencing on the
effective date of the Proposed Public Offering.
Registration Rights
The Initial Shareholders will be
entitled to registration rights with respect to their initial shares and the purchasers of the Private Units will be entitled to registration rights
with respect to the Private Units (and underlying securities), pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed
Public Offering. The holders of the majority of the initial shares are entitled to demand that the Company register these shares at any time commencing
three months prior to the first anniversary of the consummation of a Business Combination. The holders of the Private Units (or underlying securities)
are entitled to demand that the Company register these securities at any time after the Company consummates a Business Combination. In addition, the
holders have certain piggy-back registration rights on registration statements filed after the Companys consummation of a Business
Combination.
Note 7 Stockholder Equity
Ordinary Shares
The Company is authorized to issue
120,000,000 ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share.
In connection with the organization of
the Company, on March 27, 2014, the Sponsors Shares, consisting of a total of 3,593,750 ordinary shares were sold to the Sponsors at a price of
approximately $0.01 per share for an aggregate of $25,000. This number includes an aggregate of up to 468,750 shares that are subject to compulsory
repurchase if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters.
F-12
Until ____________, 2014, all dealers
that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in
addition to the dealers obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or
subscriptions.
No dealer, salesperson or any other
person is authorized to give any information or make any representations in connection with this offering other than those contained in this prospectus
and, if given or made, the information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by us. This prospectus does not constitute
an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security other than the securities offered by this prospectus, or an offer to sell or a
solicitation of an offer to buy any securities by anyone in any jurisdiction in which the offer or solicitation is not authorized or is
unlawful.
$125,000,000
Garnero Group Acquisition Company
12,500,000 Units
PROSPECTUS
EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.
Sole Book-Running Manager
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. |
Aegis Capital Corp |
I-Bankers Securities, Inc. |
____________, 2014
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN
PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and
Distribution.
The estimated expenses payable by us in
connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discount and commissions) will be as
follows:
Initial
Trustees fee |
$ | 1,000 | (1) | |||
SEC
Registration Fee |
20,125 | |||||
FINRA filing
fee |
24,000 | |||||
Accounting
fees and expenses |
30,000 | |||||
Nasdaq listing
fees |
75,000 | |||||
Printing and
engraving expenses |
45,000 | |||||
Directors
& Officers liability insurance premiums |
70,000 | (2) | ||||
Legal fees and
expenses |
270,000 | |||||
Miscellaneous
|
9,875 | (3) | ||||
Total
|
$ | 545,000 |
(1) |
In addition to the initial acceptance fee that is charged by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee, the registrant will be required to pay to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company $16,100 for acting as trustee, as transfer agent of the registrants ordinary shares, as warrant agent for the registrants warrants and as escrow agent. |
(2) |
This amount represents the approximate amount of director and officer liability insurance premiums the registrant anticipates paying following the consummation of its initial public offering and until it consummates a business combination. |
(3) |
This amount represents additional expenses that may be incurred by the Company in connection with the offering over and above those specifically listed above, including distribution and mailing costs. |
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and
Officers.
Cayman Islands law does not limit the
extent to which a companys memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent
any such provision may be held by the Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default,
willful neglect, civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our memorandum and articles of association will provide for indemnification of
our officers and directors to the maximum extent permitted by law, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through
their own actual fraud, willful default or willful neglect.
Insofar as indemnification for
liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we
have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is theretofore
unenforceable.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered
Securities.
(a) |
During the past three years, we sold the following ordinary shares without registration under the Securities Act: |
In February 2014, the Company issued an
aggregate of 3,593,750 ordinary shares to Mario Garnero for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.01 per share, in connection
with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(2) of the Securities Act.
In addition, an affiliate of Mario
Garnero, the Companys Chief Executive officer, and EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. have committed to purchase an aggregate of 563,750 private units from
the Company on a private
II-1
placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. Such affiliate and EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. have also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, they will purchase from the Company at a price of $10.00 per unit up to an additional 70,313 private units. These issuances will be made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(2) of the Securities Act.
No underwriting discounts or
commissions were paid with respect to such sales.
Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement
Schedules.
(a) |
The following exhibits are filed as part of this Registration Statement: |
Exhibit No. |
Description |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1.1 | Form
of Underwriting Agreement.* |
|||||
1.2 | Business Combination Marketing Agreement.* |
|||||
3.1 | Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association.* |
|||||
4.1 | Specimen Unit Certificate.* |
|||||
4.2 | Specimen Ordinary Share Certificate.* |
|||||
4.3 | Specimen Right Certificate.* |
|||||
4.4 | Specimen Warrant Certificate.* |
|||||
4.5 | Form
of Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.* |
|||||
4.6 | Form
of Unit Purchase Option between the Registrant and EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.* |
|||||
4.7 | Form
of Rights Agreement.* |
|||||
5.1 | Form
of Opinion of Maples and Calder. |
|||||
5.2 | Opinion of Graubard Miller.* |
|||||
10.1 | Form
of Letter Agreement among the Registrant, EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. and the Companys officers, directors and shareholders.* |
|||||
10.2 | Form
of Investment Management Trust Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.* |
|||||
10.3 | Form
of Escrow Agreement between the Registrant, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Initial Shareholders.* |
|||||
10.4 | Form
of Letter Agreement between Brasilinvest Group and Registrant regarding administrative support.* |
|||||
10.5 | Form
of Promissory Note issued to Brasilinvest International LLC.* |
|||||
10.6 | Form
of Registration Rights Agreement among the Registrant and the Initial Shareholders.* |
|||||
10.7 | Subscription Agreement among the Registrant, Graubard Miller and affiliate of Mario Garnero.* |
|||||
10.8 | Subscription Agreement among the Registrant, Graubard Miller and EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. |
|||||
14 | Form
of Code of Ethics.* |
|||||
23.1 | Consent of Marcum LLP. |
|||||
23.2 | Consent of Maples and Calder (included in Exhibit 5.1). |
|||||
23.3 | Consent of Graubard Miller (included in Exhibit 5.2).* |
|||||
24 | Power
of Attorney (included on signature page of this Registration Statement). |
|||||
99.1 | Form
of Audit Committee Charter.* |
|||||
99.2 | Form
of Nominating Committee Charter.* |
* |
Previously filed. |
II-2
Item 17. Undertakings.
(a) The undersigned
registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any
period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
i. To include any prospectus
required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
ii. To reflect in the
prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof)
which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was
registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with
the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum
aggregate offering price set forth in the Calculation of Registration Fee table in the effective registration statement;
iii. To include any material
information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information
in the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide
offering thereof.
(3) To remove from
registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.
(4) That for the purpose of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933 in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this
registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to
such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to
offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary
prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing
prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned
registrant;
(iii) The portion of any
other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by
or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication
that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(b) The undersigned hereby
undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in
such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.
(c) Insofar as
indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the
II-3
securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(d) The undersigned
registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1) For purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration
statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under
the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2) For the purpose of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.
II-4
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the
Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York, on the 19 th day of June, 2014.
GARNERO GROUP ACQUISITION COMPANY |
||||||||||||||
By: |
/s/ Mario Garnero |
|||||||||||||
Name: |
Mario
Garnero |
|||||||||||||
Title: |
Chief
Executive Officer |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that
each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Mario Garnero and Javier Martin Riva his true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full
power of substitution and resubstitution for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities to sign any and all amendments including
post-effective amendments to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith,
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact or his substitute, each acting alone, may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the
Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates
indicated.
Name |
Position |
Date |
||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
/s/ Mario
Garnero Mario Garnero |
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (Principal executive officer) |
June 19, 2014 |
||||||||
/s/ Javier
Martin Riva Javier Martin Riva |
Chief
Financial Officer (Principal financial and accounting officer) and Director |
June 19, 2014 |
||||||||
/s/ John
Tonelli John Tonelli |
Director |
June 19, 2014 |
||||||||
/s/ Amir
Adnani Amir Adnani |
Director |
June 19, 2014 |
||||||||
/s/ Nelson
Narciso Filho Nelson Narciso Filho |
Director |
June 19, 2014 |
II-5