Annual Report (10-k)

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

(Mark One)

 

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

 

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021

 

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

 

For the transition period from ______________to ______________

 

Commission File Number 001-40057

 

Broadscale Acquisition Corp.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

Delaware		85-3814555
(State or Other Jurisdiction of  Incorporation or Organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

 

1845 Walnut Street, Suite 1111 Philadelphia, PA		19103
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

 

[phone]

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

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

 

Title of each class		Trading Symbol(s)		Name of each exchange on which registered
Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share		SCLE		NASDAQ Capital Market
Warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A common stock		SCLEW		NASDAQ Capital Market
Units, each consisting of one share of Class A common stock and one-fourth of one redeemable warrant		SCLEU		NASDAQ Capital Market

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

 

None

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirement for the past 90 days. Yes ☒  No ☐ 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒  No ☐

 

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

 

Large accelerated filer	☐	Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated filer	☒	Smaller reporting company	☒
		Emerging growth company	☒

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☒  No ☐

 

As of June 30, 2021, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s voting securities held by non-affiliates was approximately $335 million, based on the number of shares held by non-affiliates and the last reported sales price of the registrant’s Class A common stock as of that date..

 

As of March 15, 2022, there were 34,500,000 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 8,625,000 shares of the Company’s Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, issued and outstanding.

 

Documents Incorporated by Reference: None.

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PART I
Item 1	Business	1
Item 1A.	Risk Factors	18
Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments	51
Item 2.	Properties	51
Item 3.	Legal Proceedings	51
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosure	51
PART II
Item 5.	Market For Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities	52
Item 6.	[RESERVED]	53
Item 7.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	53
Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	56
Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data	57
Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure	57
Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures	57
Item 9B.	Other Information	57
Item 9C.	Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections	57
PART III
Item 10.	Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance	58
Item 11.	Executive Compensation	63
Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters	64
Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence	66
Item 14.	Principal Accountant Fees and Services	70
PART IV
Item 15.	Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules	71
Item 16.	Form 10-K Summary	73

 

i

 

 

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

 

Unless otherwise provided in this Annual Report on Form 10-K:

  

●

references to “we,” “us,” “company” or “our company” refer to Broadscale Acquisition Corp.;

 

●

references to our “sponsor” refer to Nokomis ESG Sponsor, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company affiliated with Broadscale and HEPCO;

 

	●	references to “Broadscale” are to Broadscale Group, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company;
	●	references to “common stock” are to our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock, collectively;

 

	●	References to “Extension Period” are to any extended time that we have to consummate a business combination beyond February 17, 2023 as a result of a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation;
	●	references to “founder shares” are to 8,625,000 shares of our Class B common stock initially purchased by our sponsor in a private placement prior to the initial public offering, and the shares of our Class A common stock issued upon the conversion thereof;

 

	●	References to “HEPCO” are to HEPCO Capital Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company;
	●	references to our “initial public offering” means the initial public offering  of 34,500,000 of our units, each unit consisting of one share of our Class A common stock and one-fourth of one redeemable warrant, each whole warrant entitling the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock, which was consummated on February 17, 2021;

 

	●	References to “initial stockholders” are to our sponsor and any other holders of our founder shares prior to the initial public offering (or their permitted transferees);
	●	references to our “management” or our “management team” refer to our officers and directors;

 

	●	references to “private placement warrants” refer to the warrants issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering;
	●	references to our “public shares” are to shares of our Class A  common stock sold as part of the units in our initial public offering (whether they were purchased in the initial public offering or thereafter in the open market);

 

●

references to “public stockholders” refer to the holders of our public shares, which include our initial stockholders and management team to the extent our initial stockholders and/or members of our management team purchase public shares, provided that each initial stockholder’s and member of our management team’s status as a “public stockholder” shall only exist with respect to such public shares;

 

●

References to “public warrants” are to our redeemable warrants sold as part of the units in the initial public offering (whether they are purchased in the initial public offering or thereafter in the open market), to the private placement warrants if held by third parties other than our sponsor (or its permitted transferees), and to any private placement warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans that are sold to third parties that are not initial purchasers or officers or directors (or permitted transferees); and

 

●

references to “ warrants” are to our redeemable warrants, which include the public warrants and the private placement warrants.

  

ii

 

 

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

Some statements contained in this Annual Report are forward-looking in nature. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s 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 “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “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. The forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report 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, the following risks, uncertainties and other factors:

 

●

the transactions described below under “The Voltus Merger,” or the transactions, may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of our securities:

 

●

the transactions may not be completed by our business combination deadline and the potential failure to obtain an extension of the Business Combination deadline if sought by us:

 

●

the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the transactions, including the adoption of the Voltus merger agreement by our stockholders, the satisfaction of the minimum trust account amount following redemptions by our public stockholders and the receipt of certain governmental and regulatory approvals;

 

●

the lack of a third party valuation in determining whether or not to pursue the proposed transactions;

 

●

the inability to complete the PIPE Investment described below under “The Voltus Merger”;

 

●

the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Voltus merger agreement;

 

●

the effect of the announcement or pendency of the transactions on Voltus’ business relationships, operating results, and business generally;

 

●

the proposed transactions disrupt current plans and operations of Voltus;

 

iii

 

 

●

the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Voltus or us related to the Voltus merger agreement or the proposed transactions;

 

●

the ability to maintain the listing of our securities on a national securities exchange;

 

●

changes in the competitive and regulated industries in which Voltus operates, variations in operating performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting Voltus’ business and changes in the combined capital structure;

 

●

the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the proposed transactions, and identify and realize additional opportunities;

 

●

the effects of natural disasters, terrorist attacks and the spread and/or abatement of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, on the proposed transactions or on the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the proposed transactions;

 

	●	our ability to complete our initial business combination;
	●	our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses;

 

●

our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination;

 

●

our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination;

 

●

our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination;

 

●

our pool of prospective target businesses;

 

●

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

 

●

the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential investment opportunities;

 

●

our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;

 

●

the lack of a market for our securities;

 

●

the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance; or

 

●

our financial performance.

 

The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of this Annual Report, the registration statement on Form S-4 discussed below and other documents filed by us from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. 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 as may be required under applicable securities laws.

 

iv

 

 

Summary of Risk Factors

 

Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those highlighted in the section title “Risk Factors,” that represent challenges that we face in connection with the successful implementation of our strategy. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in the section titled “Risk Factors,” alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may adversely affect our ability to effect a business combination, and may have an adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Such risks include, but are not limited to:

 

●

newly formed company without an operating history;

 

●

delay in receiving distributions from the trust account;

 

●

lack of opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination;

 

●

lack of protections afforded to investors of blank check companies;

 

●

deviation from acquisition criteria;

 

●

issuance of equity and/or debt securities to complete a business combination;

 

●

lack of working capital;

 

●

third-party claims reducing the per-share redemption price;

 

●

negative interest rate for securities in which we invest the funds held in the trust account;

 

●

our stockholders being held liable for claims by third parties against us;

 

●

failure to enforce our sponsor’s indemnification obligations;

 

●

warrant holders limited to exercising warrants only on a “cashless basis;”

 

●

dependence on key personnel;

 

●

conflicts of interest of our sponsor, officers and directors;

 

●

the delisting of our securities by NASDAQ;

 

●

dependence on a single target business with a limited number of products or services;

 

●

our stockholders’ inability to vote or redeem their shares in connection with our extensions;

 

●

shares being redeemed and warrants becoming worthless;

 

●

our competitors with advantages over us in seeking business combinations;

 

●

ability to obtain additional financing;

 

●

our initial stockholders controlling a substantial interest in us;

 

●

warrants and founder shares adverse effect on the market price of our common stock;

 

●

disadvantageous timing for redeeming warrants;

 

●

registration rights’ adverse effect on the market price of our common stock;

 

●

impact of COVID-19 and related risks;

 

●

business combination with a company located in a foreign jurisdiction;

 

●

changes in laws or regulations;

 

●

tax consequences to business combinations; and

 

●

exclusive forum provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.

 

v

 

 

PART I

 

Item 1.

BUSINESS

 

Overview

 

We are a blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share purchase, reorganization, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to as our initial business combination. We have generated no revenues to date and we do not expect that we will generate operating revenues until we consummate our initial business combination at the earliest.

 

Although we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business or industry, we focus on opportunities that transform traditional industries in positive ways and generate tangible improvements to the well-being of the global population, particularly with respect to energy, transportation, buildings, manufacturing, and food and agriculture.

 

Our primary focus is on solutions driving the decarbonization of the economy, as nations, companies, stakeholder groups, and individuals increasingly demand the use of low-carbon and resource-efficient solutions that will enable society to mitigate and adapt to climate change. To meet these demands, the global energy ecosystem requires $69 trillion of capital investment through 2040, according to the IEA. “Impact investing,” “responsible investing,” and capital flows into sustainable business generally are growing accordingly, with more than $1 trillion flowing into sustainable investment funds in the first half of 2020, more than in all of 2019. Further, the speed with which investors, customers, and employees are incorporating ESG factors into their decision-making processes has created an enormous opportunity. We believe that businesses that meaningfully and successfully integrate ESG factors and sustainability-oriented innovation into their operations will create differentiated value and achieve long-term competitive advantage with regard to the trends noted above.

 

At December 31, 2021, we had not commenced any operations. All activity through December 31, 2021 relates to the Company’s formation and its initial public offering, and identifying a target company for our initial business combination.

 

The Voltus Merger

 

On November 30, 2021, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Voltus merger agreement”) with Voltus, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Voltus”), and Velocity Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”).

  

The Voltus merger agreement provides that, among other things and upon the terms and subject to the conditions thereof, the following transactions will occur (together with the other agreements and transactions contemplated by the Voltus merger agreement, the “Business Combination”): (i) at the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Voltus merger agreement (the “Closing”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Voltus merger agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into Voltus, the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub will cease and Voltus will be the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Merger”); (ii) at the Closing, the Company will be renamed “Voltus Technologies, Inc.” (post-Merger Company is referred to herein as “Voltus Technologies, Inc.”); (iii) as a result of the Merger, among other things, all shares of capital stock of Voltus outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger will be canceled in exchange for the right to receive shares of our Class A common stock; (iv) as a result of the Merger, all Voltus equity awards outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger will be converted into awards based on our Class A common stock, upon substantially the same terms and conditions as are in effect with respect to such option immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger; (v) at the Closing, the total number of shares of our Class A common stock issuable to existing holders of Voltus capital stock or pursuant to the aforementioned converted equity awards shall be equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) $750,000,000 (subject to increase by an amount equal to the aggregate exercise prices of all converted equity awards) by (y) $10.00; and (vi) upon the Closing, existing holders of Voltus capital stock and equity awards will have the right to receive up to an aggregate of 10,000,000 additional shares of our Class A common stock in three substantially equal tranches which are issuable upon the achievement of share price thresholds for our Class A common stock of $12.50, $15.00 and $17.50, respectively, as set forth in the Voltus merger agreement. The Closing contemplated by the Voltus merger agreement is subject to customary closing conditions as set forth in the Voltus merger agreement.

 

Simultaneously with the execution of the Voltus merger agreement, the Company entered into subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) with certain investors (collectively, the “PIPE Investors”), pursuant to, and on the terms and subject to the conditions of which, the PIPE Investors have collectively subscribed at a purchase price of $10.00 per share and $100 million in the aggregate for (i) 10 million shares of our Class A common stock and (ii) in the case of certain PIPE Investors purchasing in excess of a specified number of shares of our Class A common stock, an aggregate of 6,200,000 warrants exercisable for shares of our Class A common stock (the “PIPE Investment”). The PIPE Investment will be consummated substantially concurrently with the Closing. The Subscription Agreements will terminate with no further force and effect upon the earliest to occur of: (i) such date and time as the Voltus merger agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms, (ii) the mutual written agreement of the parties to such Subscription Agreement, and (iii) September 30, 2022, if the Closing has not occurred on or before such date.

 

 1

 

 

Business Strategy 

 

Our acquisition and value creation strategy involves identifying, acquiring and, after our initial business combination, building a company focused on expediting the transition to a more sustainable world that complements the experience of our management team and can benefit from their operational expertise and/or executive oversight. Our acquisition strategy leverages our team’s network of potential proprietary and public transaction sources where we believe a combination of our relationships, knowledge and experience in sustainable methodologies could create noteworthy value for a target company.

 

We utilize the network and industry experience of Messrs. Shapiro, Leff, Cohens, Hanna and the rest of our management team and sponsor in seeking an initial business combination and employing our acquisition strategy. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team and their affiliates have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships that serve as a useful source of acquisition opportunities. This network has been developed through our management team’s extensive experience in both investing in and operating companies focused on both the transition of traditional industries to more sustainable operations as well as various other transformations that have impacted financial services, real estate, healthcare, technology, and energy. These networks provide our management team with a robust flow of acquisition opportunities. In addition, target business candidates are brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, which may include investment market participants, private equity groups, investment banking firms, consultants, accounting firms and large business enterprises.

 

Acquisition Criteria

 

Consistent with our business strategy, we have established the following general criteria and guidelines to evaluate prospective target businesses.  We seek out companies that present promising potential for further scalability in conjunction with the following attributes. Our team uses these criteria to guide our assessment of opportunities, though we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a company that does not meet all of these criteria and guidelines not set forth below. We intend to identify a company or companies with the following attributes:

 

●

Environmental Impact.    Provides a direct impact to the energy transition, creating a clear positive environmental benefit;

 

●

High-Growth Total Addressable Market.    Growing sectors aimed at solving the world’s sustainability challenge, where a massive amount of capital, growth and sector scale are required to achieve their business plan;

 

●

Strong Market Position.    Competitively advantaged, with defensible factors such as high barriers to entry, differentiated technology, entrenched customer relationships or other tangible qualities;

 

●

Societal Benefits.    Considers all stakeholders’ views and, if not already in place, work to establish and follow best-in-class sustainability standards;

 

	●	“Best in Class” Management Team.    Sophisticated management team and inclusive governance structure that combines operational excellence with inspirational leadership capabilities;
	●	Sourced through Proprietary Channels.    We will seek to acquire a business by leveraging our broad and diverse sourcing platform and do not expect to rely on a broadly marketed process to find a target;
	●	Partnership Approach.    Accelerate success and drive ongoing value creation; and
	●	Shareholder Value.    Offers an attractive risk-adjusted returns for stockholders.

 

 2

 

 

These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination is based, to the extent relevant, on these general criteria as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our stockholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

 

Initial Public Offering

 

The registration statement for our initial public offering was declared effective on February 11, 2021. On February 17, 2021, we consummated the initial public offering of 34,500,000 units, which included the full exercise by the underwriter of its over-allotment option in the amount of 4,500,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $345,000,000.

 

Simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering, we consummated the sale of 6,266,667 private placement warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant in a private placement to the sponsor generating gross proceeds of $9,400,000.

 

Following the closing of the initial public offering, an amount of $345,000,000 ($10.00 per unit) from the net proceeds of the sale of the units in the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants was placed in a trust account and invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations until the earlier of: (i) the consummation of a business combination or (ii) the distribution of the trust account.

 

Initial Business Combination

 

The NASDAQ listing rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting fees and taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. We refer to this as the 80% of net assets test. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of the 80% of net assets test. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects.

 

The structure of our proposed initial business combination with Voltus is described above under “The Voltus Merger.” We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders 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 stockholders prior to our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the 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 stockholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If our initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.

 

 3

 

 

Our Acquisition Process

 

In evaluating prospective business combinations, we conduct a thorough due diligence review process that encompasses, among other things, a review of historical and projected financial and operating data, meetings with management and their advisors (if applicable), inspection of facilities and assets, discussion with customers and suppliers, legal reviews and other reviews as we deem appropriate.

 

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or, in applicable jurisdictions, from an independent accounting firm, that our initial business combination is fair to us from a financial point of view.

 

Our sponsor, our directors and members of our management team may directly or indirectly own our founder shares, Class A common stock and/or private placement warrants, and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officer or director is made a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

 

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

 

Our officers, directors and any of their respective affiliates may sponsor or form, or, in the case of individuals, serve as a director or officer of, other blank check companies similar to ours. Any such companies may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target. However, we do not believe that any such potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.

 

Our Management Team

 

Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters, but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that any member of our management team will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process.

 

We believe our management team’s operating and transaction experience and relationships with companies provides us with a substantial number of potential business combination targets. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships around the world. This network has grown through the activities of our management team sourcing, acquiring and financing businesses, our management team’s relationships with sellers, financing sources and target management teams and the experience of our management team in executing transactions under varying economic and financial market conditions.

 

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Corporate Information

 

Our executive offices are located at 1845 Walnut Street, Suite 1111, Philadelphia, PA 19103 and our telephone number is [phone]. The information contained on or accessible through our corporate website or any other website that we may maintain is not part of this Annual Report.

 

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.

 

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.

 

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of the initial public offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the aggregate worldwide market value of our Class A common stock that is held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to emerging growth company will have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.

 

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

 

Financial Position

 

With funds available for a business combination in the amount of approximately $333 million (after payment of approximately $12 million of deferred underwriting commissions), we offer a target business a variety of options, such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us if needed to complete a transaction.

 

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Effecting our Initial Business Combination

 

The structure of our proposed initial business combination with Voltus is described above under “The Voltus Merger.” We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of the initial public offering and the private placement of the private placement warrants, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.

 

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

 

We may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust account. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would expect to complete such financing only simultaneously with the completion of our business combination. In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by law, we would seek stockholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to raise funds privately, or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. At this time, other than in connection with the Merger, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise.

  

Sources of Target Businesses

 

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

 

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We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or their respective affiliates. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or their respective affiliates, we, or a committee of independent directors, to the extent required by applicable law or our board of directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or an independent accounting firm that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.

 

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

 

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

 

NASDAQ listing rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting fees and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. The fair market value of the target or targets 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). Even though our board of directors will rely on generally accepted standards, our board of directors has the discretion to select the standards employed. In addition, the application of the standards generally involves a substantial degree of judgment. Accordingly, investors are relying on the business judgment of the board of directors in evaluating the fair market value of the target or targets. The proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents used by us in connection with any proposed transaction will provide public stockholders with our analysis of our satisfaction of the 80% of net assets test, as well as the basis for our determinations. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. Subject to this requirement, our management has virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we are not permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.

 

In any case, we will only complete an initial business combination in which we own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquire a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. If we own or acquire less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses, the portion of such business or businesses that are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. There is no basis for our investors to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any target business with which we may ultimately complete our business combination.

  

To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.

 

In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review, which will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and key employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial and other information that will be made available to us.

 

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The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination.

 

Lack of Business Diversification

 

For an indefinite period of time after the completion of our initial business combination, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete business combinations with multiple entities in one or several industries, it is probable that we will not have the resources to acquire multiple businesses. In addition, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combination in a single industry. By completing our business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:

 

●

subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which we operate after our initial business combination, and

 

●

cause us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products or services.

 

Post-Combination Management Team

 

Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’ management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. The determination as to whether any of the members of our management team will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our business combination, it is unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.

 

We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.

 

Following 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 additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.

  

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

 

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

 

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Type of Transaction		Whether Stockholder Approval is Required
Purchase of assets		No
Purchase of stock of target not involving a merger with the company		No
Merger of target into a subsidiary of the company		No
Merger of the company with a target		Yes

 

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

 

	●	we issue shares of Class A common stock that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of shares of our Class A common stock then outstanding;
	●	any of our directors, officers or substantial stockholders (as defined by NASDAQ listing rules) has a 5% or greater interest (or such persons collectively have a 10% or greater interest), directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired or otherwise and the present or potential issuance of common stock could result in an increase in outstanding shares of common stock or voting power of 5% or more; or
	●	the issuance or potential issuance of common stock will result in our undergoing a change of control.

 

The stockholder votes required for our proposed initial business combination with Voltus are described above under “The Voltus Merger.”

 

Permitted Purchases of our Securities

 

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their respective affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and NASDAQ rules. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. We do not anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or public warrants in such transactions prior to completion of our initial business combination.

 

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

 

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Our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and/or any of their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the stockholders with whom our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated purchases by either the stockholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by stockholders following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates enter into a private purchase, they would identify and contact only potential selling stockholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against our initial business combination, whether or not such stockholder has already submitted a proxy with respect to our initial business combination. Our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their affiliates will only purchase public shares if such purchases comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.

 

Any purchases by our sponsor, officers, directors and/or any of their affiliates who are affiliated purchasers under Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act will only be made to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Rule 10b-18 has certain technical requirements that must be complied with in order for the safe harbor to be available to the purchaser. Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or any of their affiliates will not make purchases of common stock if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.

 

Redemption Rights for Public Stockholders upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination or Certain Stockholder Votes to Amend our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

 

We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon (i) the completion of our initial business combination (including Voltus)  or (ii) a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity. Such redemption, if any, will be made at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the event triggering the right to redeem, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting fees we will pay to the underwriter. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its public shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination or a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as described above.

 

Manner of Conducting Redemptions in Conjunction with a Stockholder Vote on our Initial Business Combination

 

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

  

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

 

●

conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and

 

●

file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.

 

Upon the public announcement of our business combination, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase shares of our Class A common stock in the open market if we elect to redeem our public shares through a tender offer, to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.

 

In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public stockholders not tendering more than a specified number of public shares which are not purchased by our sponsor, which number will be based on the requirement that we may not redeem public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriting commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. If public stockholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.

 

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

 

●

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

 

●

file proxy materials with the SEC.

 

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

 

If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. Our initial stockholders will count towards this quorum and pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares it may acquire in favor of our initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding shares of common stock voted, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. We intend to give not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial stockholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

 

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Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriting commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of Class A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.

 

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

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to Excess Shares. Such restriction are also be applicable to our affiliates. We believe this restriction will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed business combination as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares issued in the initial public offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares issued in the initial public offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.

 

Tendering Stock Certificates in Connection with a Tender Offer or Redemption Rights

 

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

 

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There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker $100.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.

 

The foregoing is different from the procedures used by many blank check companies. In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, many blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the stockholders’ 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 his or her redemption rights. After the initial business combination was approved, the company would contact such stockholder to arrange for him or her to deliver his or her certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the stockholder then had an “option window” after the completion of the initial business combination during which he or she could monitor the price of the company’s stock in the market. If the price rose above the redemption price, he or she could sell his or her shares in the open market before actually delivering his or her shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which stockholders were aware they needed to commit before the stockholder meeting, would become “option” rights surviving past the completion of the business combination until the redeeming holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a redeeming holder’s election to redeem is irrevocable once the business combination is approved.

 

Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the tender offer materials or the date of the stockholder meeting set forth in our proxy materials, as applicable. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our initial business combination.

 

If our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public stockholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.

 

If our initial proposed business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a business combination with a different target until February 17, 2023 or during any Extension Period.

 

Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if no Initial Business Combination

 

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will have until February 17, 2023 to complete our initial business combination. If we do not complete our initial business combination within such 24-month period or any Extension Period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our business combination within the 24-month time period, as may be extended by any Extension Period.

 

Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of the initial public offering or during any Extension Period. However, if our sponsor, officers and directors acquired public shares in or after the initial public offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted 24-month time period.

 

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Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a letter agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriting commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). If this optional redemption right is exercised with respect to an excessive number of public shares such that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement (described above), we would not proceed with the amendment or the related redemption of our public shares at such time.

 

We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from remaining amounts held outside the trust account, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay franchise and income taxes on interest income earned on the trust account balance, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.

 

If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders upon our dissolution would be approximately $10.00. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public stockholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by stockholders will not be substantially less than $10.00. Under Section 281(b) of the DGCL, our plan of dissolution must provide for all claims against us to be paid in full or make provision for payments to be made in full, as applicable, if there are sufficient assets. These claims must be paid or provided for before we make any distribution of our remaining assets to our stockholders. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.

 

Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent auditors), prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver.

  

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

 

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations and we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be less than $10.00 per public share.

 

We will seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriter of the initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to any remaining amounts held outside the trust account with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation). In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, stockholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors; however, such liability will not be greater than the amount of funds from our trust account received by any such stockholder.

 

Under the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our business combination within 24 months from the closing of the initial public offering or during any Extension Period may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If the corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution.

  

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Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our business combination by February 17, 2023 or during any Extension Period, is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful (potentially due to the imposition of legal proceedings that a party may bring or due to other circumstances that are currently unknown), then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution. If we do not complete our business combination by February 17, 2023 or during any Extension Period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Accordingly, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following February 17, 2023 and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with those procedures. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend well beyond the third anniversary of such date.

 

Because we will not be complying with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the subsequent ten years. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. As described above, pursuant to the obligation contained in our underwriting agreement, we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent auditors), prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account. As a result of this obligation, the claims that could be made against us are significantly limited and the likelihood that any claim that would result in any liability extending to the trust account is remote. Further, our sponsor may be liable only to the extent necessary to ensure that the amounts in the trust account are not reduced below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest withdrawn to pay our franchise and income taxes and will not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriter of the initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims.

 

If we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.00 per share to our public stockholders. Additionally, if we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by stockholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our stockholders. Furthermore, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons.

 

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Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a stockholder vote to amend any provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we do not complete our business combination by February 17, 2023 or during any Extension Period, subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a stockholder’s voting in connection with the initial business combination alone will not result in that stockholder redeeming its shares for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such stockholder must have also exercised its redemption rights as described above. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, like all provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, may be amended with a stockholder vote.

 

Competition

 

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

 

Facilities

 

Our executive offices are located at 1845 Walnut Street, Suite 1111, Philadelphia, PA 19103. The cost for our use of this space is included in the $20,000 per month fee we will pay to our sponsor or its affiliate for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.

 

Employees and Human Capital

 

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

 

Periodic Reporting and Financial Information

 

We have registered our units, Class A common stock and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accountants. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.

 

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

 

We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to have our internal control procedures audited. A target company may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such business combination. We have filed a registration statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we are subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act.

 

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of the initial public offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the aggregate worldwide market value of our Class A common stock that is held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30^th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.

 

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

 

Item 1A.

RISK FACTORS

  

You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this Annual Report. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. The risks described below do not include risk relating to our proposed Business Combination with Voltus.

 

Risks Relating to Our Search for, and Consummation of or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination and Post-Business Combination Risks

 

Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public stockholders do not support such a combination.

 

We may choose not to hold a stockholder vote to approve our initial business combination unless the initial business combination would require stockholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements or if we decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons. For instance, the NASDAQ rules currently allow us to engage in a tender offer in lieu of a stockholder meeting but would still require us to obtain stockholder approval if we were seeking to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares to a target business as consideration in any business combination. Therefore, if we were structuring a business combination that required us to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares, we would seek stockholder approval of such business combination. However, except as required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, the decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow stockholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors, such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to seek stockholder approval. Accordingly, we may complete our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our public shares do not approve of the initial business combination we complete.

 

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If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.

 

Pursuant to a letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, as well as any public shares purchased during or after the initial public offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions), in favor of our initial business combination. Our initial stockholders own shares representing 20% of our outstanding shares of common stock. Accordingly, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreement by our initial stockholders to vote in favor of our initial business combination will increase the likelihood that we will receive the requisite stockholder approval for such initial business combination.

 

Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination will be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash, unless we seek stockholder approval of the initial business combination.

 

At the time of your investment in us, you will not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of our initial business combination. Since our board of directors may complete an initial business combination without seeking stockholder approval, public stockholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the initial business combination, unless we seek such stockholder vote. Accordingly, if we do not seek stockholder approval, your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to exercising your redemption rights within the period of time (which will be at least 20 business days) set forth in our tender offer documents mailed to our public stockholders in which we describe our initial business combination.

 

The ability of our public stockholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into an initial business combination with a target.

 

We may enter into an initial business combination agreement with a prospective target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public stockholders exercise their redemption rights, we would not be able to meet such closing condition and, as a result, would not be able to proceed with the initial business combination. Furthermore, in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriting commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriting commissions or such greater amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination. Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into an initial business combination with us.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

The requirement that we complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating an initial business combination and may decrease our ability to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our initial business combination on terms that would produce value for our stockholders.

 

Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning an initial business combination will be aware that we must complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or seek a stockholder approved extension of such period. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating an initial business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination with any target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to February 17, 2023. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our initial business combination on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.

 

Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the status of debt and equity markets.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted, and other infectious diseases could result, in a widespread health crisis that has and will continue to adversely affect economies and financial markets worldwide, and the business of any potential target business with which we consummate a business combination may also be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, we may be unable to complete a business combination if continued concerns relating to COVID-19 restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors or the target company’s personnel, vendors and services providers are unavailable to negotiate and consummate a transaction in a timely manner, or if COVID-19 causes a prolonged economic downturn. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses, and the inability to accurately predict the future impact of the pandemic on businesses, has also made determinations and negotiations of valuation more difficult, which could make it more difficult to consummate a business combination transaction.

 

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The extent to which COVID-19 ultimately impacts our identification and consummation of a business combination will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity and spread of COVID-19 and actions to contain the virus or treat its impact, among others. If the disruptions posed by COVID-19 or other matters of global concern continue for an extended period of time, our ability to consummate a business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected.

 

In addition, our ability to consummate a business combination may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be adversely impacted by COVID-19 and other events, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being available on terms acceptable to us or at all.

 

We may not be able to complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public stockholders may only receive $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we must complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023. We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within such time period. If we have not completed our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or during any Extension Period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, our public stockholders may only receive $10.00 per share, and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares.

 

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

 

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants or a combination thereof in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation to do so. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or public warrants in such transactions.

 

Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such stockholder, although still the record holder of our shares is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase public shares in privately negotiated transactions from public stockholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling stockholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. The purpose of such purchases could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination, or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.

 

 21

 

 

In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our Class A common stock or public warrants and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to obtain or maintain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.

 

If a stockholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our initial business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.

 

We will comply with the tender offer rules or proxy rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our initial business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a stockholder fails to receive our tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, such stockholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly tender or redeem public shares, which may include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself. For example, we may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the initial vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically.

In the event that a stockholder fails to comply with these or any other procedures, its shares may not be redeemed. See the section of this Annual Report entitled “Business —Tendering Stock Certificates in Connection with a Tender Offer or Redemption Rights.”

 

You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.

 

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

 

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a “group” of stockholders are deemed to hold in excess of 15% of our Class A common stock, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our Class A common stock.

 

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in the initial public offering without our prior consent, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. As a result, you would continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.

 

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Because of our special purpose acquisition company structure and limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share on our redemption of our public shares, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

We expect to encounter competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess similar technical, human and other resources to ours, and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, because we are obligated to pay cash for the shares of Class A common stock which our public stockholders redeem in connection with our initial business combination, target companies will be aware that this may present closing risk by reducing the resources available to us for our initial business combination. Additionally, potential target companies may be less inclined to consummate a transaction with us because definitive documentation for such a transaction will preclude any recourse against our trust account, meaning that potential counterparties may determine that they do not have adequate contractual remedies in the event a transaction fails to close. These factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share (based on the trust account balance as of December 31, 2021) on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share upon our liquidation. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

 

If the net proceeds of the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not being held in the trust account are insufficient, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination, in which case our public stockholders may only receive $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

We believe that the funds available to us outside of the trust account will be sufficient to allow us to operate until February 17, 2023; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Of the funds available to us, we could use a portion of the funds available to us to pay fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business. We could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision in letters of intent or merger agreements designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed initial business combination. If we entered into a letter of intent or other agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a target business. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share (based on the trust account balance as of December 31, 2021) on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share upon our liquidation. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

 

 23

 

 

If the net proceeds of the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not being held in the trust account are insufficient, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search for an initial business combination, to pay our franchise and income tax obligations and to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to obtain these loans, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination.

 

Of the net proceeds of the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, only $513,431 was available to us as of December 31, 2021 outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor, management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. None of our sponsor, members of our management team nor any of their affiliates is under any obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Any such advances would be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. Up to $2,000,000 of such loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account. If we are unable to obtain these loans, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we do not complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. Consequently, our public stockholders may only receive $10.00 per share (based on the trust account balance as of December 31, 2021) on our redemption of our public shares, and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

 

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

 

Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements they may not 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 advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Making such a request of potential target businesses may make our acquisition proposal less attractive to them and, to the extent prospective target businesses refuse to execute such a waiver, it may limit the field of potential target businesses that we might pursue. WithumSmith+Brown, PC, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriter of the initial public offering, will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account.

 

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

 

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The securities in which we invest the proceeds held in the trust account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the interest income available for payment of taxes or reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per share redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share.

 

The proceeds held in the trust account may only be invested in direct U.S. government securities with a maturity of 185 days or less, or in certain money market funds which invest only in direct U.S. Treasury obligations. While short-term U.S. government treasury obligations currently yield a positive rate of interest, they have briefly yielded negative interest rates in recent years. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the possibility that it may in the future adopt similar policies in the United States. In the event of very low or negative yields, the amount of interest income (which we may withdraw to pay income taxes, if any) would be reduced. In the event that we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders are entitled to receive their share of the proceeds held in the trust account, plus any interest income, net of taxes paid or payable (less, in the case we are unable to complete our initial business combination, $100,000 of interest for dissolution expenses). Negative interest rates could reduce the value of the assets held in the trust account such that the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

●

restrictions on the nature of our investments; and

 

●

restrictions on the issuance of securities,

 

each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.

 

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

 

●

registration as an investment company;

 

●

adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and

 

●

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

 

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

 

We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the trust account may only be invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. Our securities are not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) absent an initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or during any Extension Period, our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public stockholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete an initial business combination or may result in our liquidation. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share (based on the trust account balance as of December 31, 2021) on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

If we have not completed an initial business combination by February 17, 2023, our public stockholders may be forced to wait beyond February 17, 2023 before redemption from our trust account.

 

If we have not completed an initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or during any Extension Period, the proceeds then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations (less up to $100,000 of the interest to pay dissolution expenses), will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, as further described herein. Any redemption of public stockholders from the trust account will be effected automatically by function of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation prior to any voluntary winding up. If we are required to wind-up, liquidate the trust account and distribute such amount therein, pro rata, to our public stockholders, as part of any liquidation process, such winding up, liquidation and distribution must comply with the applicable provisions of the DGCL. In that case, investors may be forced to wait beyond February 17, 2023 or the expiration of any Extension Period before the redemption proceeds of our trust account become available to them, and they receive the return of their pro rata portion of the proceeds from our trust account. We have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to the date of our redemption of public shares or liquidation unless we complete our initial business combination prior thereto and only then in cases where investors have sought to redeem their Class A common stock. Only upon our redemption or any liquidation will public stockholders be entitled to distributions if we do not complete our initial business combination.

 

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

 

Under the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or during any Extension Period may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If a corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. However, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following February 17, 2023 or the expiration of any Extension Period in the event we do not complete our initial business combination and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the foregoing procedures.

 

Because we will not be complying with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the ten years following our dissolution. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations are limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. If our plan of distribution complies with Section 281(b) of the DGCL, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would likely be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend beyond the third anniversary of such date. Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or during any Extension Period is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful (potentially due to the imposition of legal proceedings that a party may bring or due to other circumstances that are currently unknown), then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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Because we are not limited to a particular industry, sector or geographic area or any specific target businesses with which to pursue our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.

 

Although we focus our search for a target business on opportunities that transform traditional industries in positive ways and generate tangible improvements to the well-being of the global population, particularly with respect to energy, transportation, buildings, manufacturing, and food and agriculture, we may seek to complete a business combination with an operating company of any size (subject to our satisfaction of the 80% of net assets test) and in any industry, sector or geographic area. However, we will not be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. To the extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or development stage entity. Although our directors and officers will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to our investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any stockholder or warrant holder who chooses to remain a stockholder or warrant holder, respectively, following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders and warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines for evaluating prospective target businesses, it is possible that a target business with which we enter into our initial business combination will not have these positive attributes. If we complete our initial business combination with a target that does not meet some or all of these guidelines, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does meet all of our general criteria and guidelines. In addition, if we announce a prospective business combination with a target that does not meet our general criteria and guidelines, a greater number of stockholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a target business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. In addition, if stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain stockholder approval of our initial business combination if the target business does not meet our general criteria and guidelines. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share (based on the trust account balance as of December 31, 2021) on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

 

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

 

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

 

As the number of special purpose acquisition companies evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive targets. This could increase the cost of our initial business combination and could even result in our inability to find a target or to consummate an initial business combination.

 

In recent years, the number of special purpose acquisition companies that have been formed has increased substantially. Many potential targets for special purpose acquisition companies have already entered into an initial business combination, and there are still many special purpose acquisition companies seeking targets for their initial business combination, as well as many such companies currently in registration. As a result, at times, fewer attractive targets may be available, and it may require more time, more effort and more resources to identify a suitable target and to consummate an initial business combination.

 

In addition, because there are more special purpose acquisition companies seeking to enter into an initial business combination with available targets, the competition for available targets with attractive fundamentals or business models may increase, which could cause target companies to demand improved financial terms. Attractive deals could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry sector downturns, geopolitical tensions, or increases in the cost of additional capital needed to close business combinations or operate targets post-business combination. This could increase the cost of, delay or otherwise complicate or frustrate our ability to find and consummate an initial business combination, and may result in our inability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors altogether.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 100,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 10,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. There are currently 65,500,000 and 1,375,000 authorized but unissued shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, respectively, available for issuance, which amount does not take into account the shares of Class A common stock reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants. There are no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding. Shares of Class B common stock are convertible into shares of our Class A common stock initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth herein, including in certain circumstances in which we issue Class A common stock or equity-linked securities related to our initial business combination. Shares of Class B common stock are also convertible at the option of the holder at any time.

 

We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of common or preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue shares of Class A common stock to redeem the warrants or upon conversion of the Class B common stock at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides, among other things, that prior to or in connection with our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, like all provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, may be amended with the approval of our stockholders. However, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a letter agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares.

 

The issuance of additional shares of common or preferred stock:

 

●

may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in the initial public offering;

 

●

may subordinate the rights of holders of common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock;

 

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●

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

 

●

may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A common stock and/or warrants.

 

Resources could be wasted in researching business combinations that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

We anticipate that the investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys, consultants and others. If we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share (based on the trust account balance as of December 31, 2021) on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

 

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

 

In light of the involvement of our sponsor, officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses with which our sponsor or one or more of our officers or directors is affiliated. Our officers and directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under the section of this Annual Report entitled “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions; and Director Independence — Conflicts of Interest.” Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria for an initial business combination and such transaction was approved by a majority of our disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or an independent accounting firm regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of an initial business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our officers, directors or existing holders, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the initial business combination may not be as advantageous to our public stockholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.

 

Moreover, we may, at our option, pursue an affiliated joint acquisition opportunity with entities to which an officer or director has a fiduciary, contractual or other obligation or duty. Any such parties may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition by issuing equity to any such parties, which may give rise to certain conflicts of interest.

 

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

 

In November 2020, our sponsor purchased 150,000 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. We effected a 47.91667-for-1 stock split in December 2020 and a stock dividend of 1.2 shares of Class B common stock for each share of Class B common stock outstanding prior to the dividend in February 2021, and, as a result, our sponsor holds 8,625,000 founder shares. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by our sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The split-adjusted number of founder shares was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock after the initial public offering. As such, our sponsor collectively owns 20% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock. All of the founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 6,266,667 warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant ($9,400,000 in the aggregate), which will also be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us pursuant to which they have agreed to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed initial business combination and to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) any stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity. In addition, we may obtain loans from our sponsor, affiliates of our sponsor or an officer or director. The personal and financial interests of our officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination.

 

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

 

We may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our initial business combination. We have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held in the trust account.

 

As such, no issuance of debt will affect the per-share amount available for redemption from the trust account. Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:

 

●

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

 

●

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 is payable on demand;

 

●

our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding;

 

●

our inability to pay dividends on our common stock;

 

●

using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our common stock if declared, our ability to pay expenses, make capital expenditures and acquisitions, and fund other general corporate purposes;

 

●

limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;

 

●

increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation;

 

●

limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, and execution of our strategy; and

 

●

other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.

 

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We may complete one business combination with the proceeds of the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of services and limited operating activities. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operating results and profitability.

 

Of the net proceeds from the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, $345,000,000 is available to complete our initial business combination and pay related fees and expenses (which includes $12,075,000 for the payment of deferred underwriting commissions).

 

We may effectuate our initial business combination with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, we may not be able to effectuate our initial business combination with more than one target business because of various factors, including the existence of complex accounting issues and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present operating results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. In addition, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combination in a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:

 

●

solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset, 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 risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our initial business combination.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriting commissions (such that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. As a result, we may be able to complete our initial business combination even though a substantial majority of our public stockholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of Class A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.

 

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

 

In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds and extended the time to consummate an initial business combination and, with respect to their warrants, amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments, including to extend the time to consummate an initial business combination in order to effectuate our initial business combination.

 

The provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account), including an amendment to permit us to withdraw funds from the trust account such that the per share amount investors will receive upon any redemption or liquidation is substantially reduced or eliminated, may be amended with the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the trust agreement to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our stockholders may not support.

 

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

 

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Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a letter agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. These agreements are contained in a letter agreement that we have entered into with our sponsor, officers and directors. Persons who are not party to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our sponsor, officers or directors for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, such persons would need to pursue a stockholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.

 

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

 

We intend to target businesses larger than we could acquire with the net proceeds of the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants. As a result, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. Further, the amount of additional financing we may be required to obtain could increase as a result of future growth capital needs for any particular transaction, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, the obligation to repurchase for cash a significant number of public shares from stockholders who elect redemption in connection with our initial business combination and/or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase public shares in connection with our initial business combination. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share (based on the trust account balance as of December 31, 2021) plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations, on the liquidation of our trust account, and our warrants will expire worthless. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination. Furthermore, as described in the risk factor entitled “If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share,” under certain circumstances our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share upon the liquidation of the trust account.

 

Our initial stockholders hold a substantial interest in us and will control the appointment of our board of directors until consummation of our initial business combination. As a result, they will appoint all of our directors prior to our initial business combination and may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.

 

Our initial stockholders own shares representing 20% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock. Accordingly, they may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and approval of major corporate transactions. If our initial stockholders purchase any additional shares of common stock in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase their control. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our Class A common stock. In addition, prior to our initial business combination, our initial stockholders will have the right to appoint all of our directors and may remove members of the board of directors for any reason. Holders of our public shares will have no right to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended by a resolution passed by holders of a majority of the founder shares. As a result, you will not have any influence over the appointment of directors prior to our initial business combination. All of our directors were appointed by our initial stockholders for two-year terms. Accordingly, our initial stockholders will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination.

 

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

 

If (i)     we issue additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per share; (ii) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (iii) the Market Value is below $9.20 per share, then the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $10.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. This may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination with a target business.

 

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

 

In the initial public offering, we issued warrants to purchase 8,625,000 shares of Class A common stock as part of the public units and, simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering, we issued in a private placement warrants to purchase an aggregate of 6,266,667 shares of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share. Our initial stockholders currently own an aggregate of 8,625,000 founder shares. The founder shares are convertible into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as set forth herein. In addition, if our sponsor makes any working capital loans, up to $2,000,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants, at the price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

The federal proxy rules require that a proxy statement with respect to a vote on an initial business combination meeting certain financial significance tests include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure in periodic reports. We would include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with any tender offer documents. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, or international financial reporting standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such financial statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy or tender offer rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe.

 

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

 

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2022. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on us as compared to other public companies because a target company with which we seek to complete our initial business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such business combination.

 

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

 

On April 12, 2021, the Acting Director of the Division of Corporation Finance and Acting Chief Accountant of the SEC together issued a public statement (the “SEC Warrant Accounting Statement”) on accounting and reporting considerations for warrants issued by special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”). The SEC Warrant Accounting Statement regarding the accounting and reporting considerations for warrants issued by SPACs focused on certain settlement terms and provisions related to certain tender offers following a business combination. The terms described in the SEC Warrant Accounting Statement are common in SPACs and are similar to the terms contained in the warrant agreement governing our warrants. In response to the SEC Warrant Accounting Statement, we reevaluated the accounting treatment of our public warrants and private placement warrants, and determined to classify the warrants as derivative liabilities measured at fair value, with changes in fair value each period reported in earnings. As a result, included on our balance sheet as of December 31, 2021 contained elsewhere in this Annual Report are derivative liabilities related to embedded features contained within our warrants. ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, provides for the remeasurement of the fair value of such derivatives at each balance sheet date, with a resulting non-cash gain or loss related to the change in the fair value being recognized in earnings in the statement of operations. As a result of the recurring fair value measurement, our financial statements and results of operations may fluctuate quarterly based on factors which are outside of our control. Due to the recurring fair value measurement, we expect that we will recognize non- cash gains or losses on our warrants each reporting period and that the amount of such gains or losses could be material.

 

We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. This material weakness could continue to adversely affect our ability to report our results of operations and financial condition accurately and in a timely manner.

 

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Our management is likewise required, on a quarterly basis, to evaluate the effectiveness of our internal controls and to disclose any changes and material weaknesses identified through such evaluation in those internal controls. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

 

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As described elsewhere in this Annual Report, we identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting related to the accounting for our Class A common stock subject to possible redemption at the closing of our initial public offering and the restatement of our earnings per share calculation. As a result of this material weakness, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2021.

 

To respond to this material weakness, we have devoted, and plan to continue to devote, significant effort and resources to the remediation and improvement of our internal control over financial reporting. While we have processes to identify and appropriately apply applicable accounting requirements, we plan to enhance these processes to better evaluate our research and understanding of the nuances of the complex accounting standards that apply to our financial statements. Our plans at this time include providing enhanced access to accounting literature, research materials and documents and increased communication among our personnel and third-party professionals with whom we consult regarding complex accounting applications. The elements of our remediation plan can only be accomplished over time, and we can offer no assurance that these initiatives will ultimately have the intended effects. For a discussion of management’s consideration of the material weakness identified related to our accounting for our Class A common stock subject to possible redemption and the restatement of our earnings per share calculation, see Note 2 to the accompanying financial statements, as well as Part II, Item 9A: Controls and Procedures included in this Annual Report.

 

Any failure to maintain such internal control could adversely impact our ability to report our financial position and results from operations on a timely and accurate basis. If our financial statements are not accurate, investors may not have a complete understanding of our operations. Likewise, if our financial statements are not filed on a timely basis, we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the stock exchange on which our common stock is listed, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. In either case, there could result a material adverse effect on our business. Ineffective 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 stock.

 

We can give no assurance that the measures we have taken and plan to take in the future will remediate the material weakness identified or that any additional material weaknesses or restatements of financial results will not arise in the future due to a failure to implement and maintain adequate internal control over financial reporting or circumvention of these controls. In addition, even if we are successful in strengthening our controls and procedures, in the future those controls and procedures may not be adequate to prevent or identify irregularities or errors or to facilitate the fair presentation of our financial statements.

 

Changes in the market for directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and complete an initial business combination.

 

In recent months, the market for directors and officers liability insurance for special purpose acquisition companies has changed. The premiums charged for such policies have generally increased and the terms of such policies have generally become less favorable. There can be no assurance that these trends will not continue.

 

The increased cost and decreased availability of directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate an initial business combination. In order to obtain directors and officers liability insurance or modify its coverage as a result of becoming a public company, the post-business combination entity might need to incur greater expense, accept less favorable terms or both. However, any failure to obtain adequate directors and officers liability insurance could have an adverse impact on the post-business combination’s ability to attract and retain qualified officers and directors.

 

In addition, even after we were to complete an initial business combination, our directors and officers could still be subject to potential liability from claims arising from conduct alleged to have occurred prior to the initial business combination. As a result, in order to protect our directors and officers, the post-business combination entity will likely need to purchase additional insurance with respect to any such claims (“run-off insurance”). The need for run-off insurance would be an added expense for the post-business combination entity, and could interfere with or frustrate our ability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors.

 

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Our management concluded that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.”

 

As of December 31, 2021, the Company had $513,431 in its operating bank accounts, $345,019,584 in securities held in the trust account to be used for a business combination or to repurchase or redeem its common stock in connection therewith and a working capital deficit of approximately $1.7 million. As of December 31, 2021, approximately $19,584 of the amount on deposit in the trust account represented interest income, which is available to pay the Company’s tax obligations. If the Company is unable to raise additional capital, it may be required to take additional measures to conserve liquidity, which could include, but not necessarily be limited to, suspending the pursuit of a business combination. The Company cannot provide any assurance that new financing will be available to it on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. Further, our plans to raise capital and 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 through our liquidation date. The financial statements contained elsewhere in this Annual Report do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to consummate a business combination or our inability to continue as a going concern.

 

If our management team pursues a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we may face additional burdens in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing such combination, and if we effect such initial business combination, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.

 

If our management team pursues a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we would be subject to risks associated with cross-border business combinations, including in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing our initial business combination, conducting due diligence in a foreign market, having such transaction approved by any local governments, regulators or agencies and changes in the purchase price based on fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.

 

If we effect our initial business combination with such a company, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in an international setting (including how relevant governments respond to such factors), including any of the following:

 

●

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

 

●

rules and regulations regarding currency redemption;

 

●

complex corporate withholding taxes on individuals;

 

●

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

 

●

tariffs and trade barriers;

 

●

regulations related to customs and import/export matters;

 

●

longer payment cycles;

 

●

tax consequences, such as tax law changes, including termination or reduction of tax and other incentives that the applicable government provides to domestic companies, and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States;

 

●

currency fluctuations and exchange controls, including devaluations and other exchange rate movements;

 

●

rates of inflation, price instability and interest rate fluctuations;

 

●

liquidity of domestic capital and lending markets;

 

●

challenges in collecting accounts receivable;

 

●

cultural and language differences;

 

●

employment regulations;

 

●

energy shortages

 

●

crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, wars and other forms of social instability;

 

●

deterioration of political relations with the United States;

 

●

obligatory military service by personnel; and

 

●

government appropriation of assets.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Risks Relating to Our Sponsor and Management Team

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Our officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for an initial business combination and their other businesses. Each of our officers and directors is engaged in other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation and our officers and directors are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. Our independent directors may also serve as officers or board members for other entities. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination. For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs, please see the sections of this Annual Report entitled “Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance” and “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.”

 

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

 

Until we consummate our initial business combination, we will engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Our officers and directors are, and may in the future become, affiliated with entities (such as operating companies or investment vehicles) that are engaged in a similar business.

 

There could be overlap between companies that would be suitable for a business combination with us and companies that present an attractive investment opportunity for our sponsor, our directors or officers, and entities with which they currently are or may in the future be affiliated.

 

Our officers and directors also may become aware of business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us and other entities to which they owe certain fiduciary or contractual duties. Any such opportunities may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target, and our directors and officers may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.

 

For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ business affiliations and the potential conflicts of interest that you should be aware of, please see the sections of this Annual Report entitled “Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions; and Director Independence.”

 

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

 

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

 

Risks Relating to our Securities

 

You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. To liquidate your investment, therefore, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

 

Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those shares of Class A common stock that such stockholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or during any Extension Period, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

 

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

 

We cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on NASDAQ in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on NASDAQ prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and stock price levels. In general, we must maintain an average global market capitalization and a minimum of 300 public holders. Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with NASDAQ’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than NASDAQ’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on NASDAQ. For instance, our stock price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share and we would be required to have a minimum of 400 round lot holders (with at least 50% of such round lot holders holding securities with a market value of at least $2,500). We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time. If NASDAQ delists any of our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list such securities on another national securities exchange, we expect such securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:

 

	●	a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;

	●	reduced liquidity for our securities;

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

	●	a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and

●

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

 

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

 

Holders of Class A common stock will not be entitled to vote on any election of directors we hold prior to our initial business combination.

 

Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the election of directors. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the election of directors during such time. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason. Accordingly, you may not have any say in the management of our company prior to the consummation of an initial business combination.

 

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

 

We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time. However, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration under the Securities Act of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and thereafter will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days following our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. If the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, in which case the number of shares of our Class A common stock that you will receive upon cashless exercise will be based on a formula subject to a maximum number of shares equal to 0.361 shares of our Class A common stock per warrant (subject to adjustment). However, no warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption from state registration is available. If an exemption is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws and there is no exemption available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the shares of Class A common stock included in the units. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

 

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The warrants may become exercisable and redeemable for a security other than the shares of Class A common stock, and you will not have any information regarding such other security at this time.

 

In certain situations, including if we are not the surviving entity in our initial business combination, the warrants may become exercisable for a security other than the shares of Class A common stock. As a result, if the surviving company redeems your warrants for securities pursuant to the warrant agreement, you may receive a security in a company of which you do not have information at this time. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, the surviving company will be required to use commercially reasonable efforts to register the issuance of the security underlying the warrants within 15 business days of the closing of an initial business combination.

 

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

 

There are circumstances in which the exercise of the public warrants may be required or permitted to be made on a cashless basis.

 

First, if a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60^th business day after the closing of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. If this exemption, or another exemption is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. In the event of an exercise on a cashless basis under these circumstances, a holder would pay the warrant exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the lesser of (A) the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” of our Class A common stock (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value and (B) 0.361 shares of Class A common stock per whole warrant, and the number of shares of our Class A common stock received by a holder upon exercise will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised the warrant for cash. The “fair market value” as used in this paragraph shall mean the average last reported sale price of the Class A common stock for the ten trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is received by the warrant agent.

 

Second, if we call the public warrants for redemption  at a price of $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, holders who wish to exercise their warrants may do so on a cashless basis. In the event of an exercise on a cashless basis under those circumstances, a holder would receive that number of shares determined by reference to an agreed table based on the redemption date and the “fair market value” of Class A common stock. In either case, this will have the effect of reducing the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in our company because the warrant holder will hold a smaller number of shares of our Class A common stock upon a cashless exercise of the warrants they hold.

 

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Unlike many other similarly structured blank check companies, our initial stockholders will receive additional shares of Class A common stock if we issue shares to consummate an initial business combination.

 

The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holders, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock, or equity-linked securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Class A common stock, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts offered in the initial public offering and related to the closing of the initial business combination, the ratio at which founder shares shall convert into Class A common stock will be adjusted so that the number of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of (i) the total number of all outstanding shares of common stock upon completion of the initial public offering, plus (ii) all shares of Class A common stock and equity-linked securities issued, or deemed issued in connection with the initial business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the business combination, and any private placement-equivalent warrants issued to our sponsor or its affiliates upon conversion of loans made to us). This is different from most other similarly structured blank check companies in which the initial stockholder will only be issued an aggregate of 20% of the total number of shares to be outstanding prior to the initial business combination.

 

We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the exercise period could be shortened and the number of shares of our Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without your approval.

 

Our warrants were issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or stock, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of shares of our Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.

 

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

 

We have the ability to redeem outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the last reported sales price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and certain issuances of Class A common stock and equity-linked securities) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we give proper notice of such redemption and provided certain other conditions are met. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you (i) to exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) to sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) to accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants.

 

In addition, we have the ability to redeem the outstanding public warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that the closing price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to proper notice of such redemption and provided that certain other conditions are met, including that holders will only be able to exercise their warrants prior to redemption for a number of shares of Class A common stock determined based on the redemption date and the fair market value of shares of our Class A common stock. The value received upon exercise of the warrants (1) may be less than the value the holders would have received if they had exercised their warrants at a later time where the underlying share price is higher and (2) may not compensate the holders for the value of the warrants, including because the number of shares received is capped at 0.361 shares of Class A common stock per whole warrant (subject to adjustment) irrespective of the remaining life of the warrants.

 

None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us, subject to certain limited exceptions, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees.

 

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Because each unit contains one-fourth of one redeemable warrant and only a whole warrant may be exercised, the units may be worth less than units of other blank check companies.

 

Each unit contains one-fourth of one redeemable warrant. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least four units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include one share of common stock and one warrant to purchase one whole share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of an initial business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for one-fourth of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive merger partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if they included a warrant to purchase one whole share.

 

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

 

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that stockholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred stock, and the fact that prior to the completion of our initial business combination, only holders of shares of our Class B common stock will vote for the election of directors, which may make the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the exclusive forum provision will be applicable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, subject to certain exceptions. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. We note, however, that there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce this provision and that investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

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General Risk Factors

 

Past performance by our management team, directors, advisors and their respective affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in the company or in the future performance of any business we may acquire.

 

Information regarding performance by, or businesses associated with, our management team, directors, advisors and their respective affiliates is presented for informational purposes only. Past performance by our management team, directors, advisors and such affiliates is not a guarantee (i) either of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to locate a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. You should not rely on the historical performance of our management team, directors and advisors or that of their respective affiliates as indicative of the future performance of an investment in the company or the returns the company will, or is likely to, generate going forward. Our management team, directors and advisors and their respective affiliates have had limited past experience with blank check and special purpose acquisition companies.

 

We are an early stage company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.

 

We are an early stage company with no operating results, and we will not commence operations until the completion of our initial business combination, at the earliest. Because we lack an operating history, you have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective of completing our initial business combination with one or more target businesses. We may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we fail to complete our initial business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Item 1B.

UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

 

None.

 

Item 2.

PROPERTIES.

 

We do not own any real estate or other physical properties. We currently maintain our executive offices at 1845 Walnut Street, Suite 1111, Philadelphia, PA 19103. The cost for our use of this space is included in the $20,000 per month fee we pay to our sponsor or its affiliate for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.

 

Item 3.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

 

To the knowledge of our management, there is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such.

 

Item 4.

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.

 

Not applicable.

 

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PART II

 

Item 5.

MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.

 

Market Information

 

Our units commenced public trading on February 12, 2021, and our Class A common stock and warrants commenced separate trading on April 5, 2021.  Our Class A common stock, warrants and units are each listed on NASDAQ under the symbols SCLE, SCLEW and SCLEU, respectively.

 

Holders

 

On March 11, 2022, the numbers of record holders of the Company’s Class A common stock, units and warrants were 1, 1 and 2, respectively, not including beneficial holders whose securities are held in street name.

 

Dividends

 

We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock 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 depend upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of an initial business combination, and will be at the discretion of our board of directors at such time. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any stock dividends in the foreseeable future. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with a business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.

 

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

 

None.

 

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

 

In November 2020, the sponsor purchased 150,000 shares of our Class B common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. In December 2020, we effectuated a 47.91667-for-1 stock split of our Class B common stock and in February 2021 we effected a stock dividend of 1.2 shares of Class B common stock for each share of Class B common stock outstanding prior to the dividend, resulting in an aggregate of 8,625,000 founder shares outstanding. The foregoing issuance was made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.

 

On February 17, 2021, we consummated the initial public offering of 34,500,000 units, at $10.00 per Unit, including the issuance of 4,500,000 units as a result of the underwriter’s exercise of its over-allotment option in full, generating gross proceeds of $345,000,000. The securities issued in the initial public offering were registered under the Securities Act on registration statements on Form S-1 (No. 333-252449 and 333-253016). The Securities and Exchange Commission declared the registration statements effective on February 11, 2021.

 

Simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering, we consummated the sale of 6,266,667 warrants at a price of $1.50 per private placement warrant in a private placement to the sponsor, generating gross proceeds of $9,400,000. The issuance was made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.

 

The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants underlying the units sold in the initial public offering, except that, so long as they are held by the sponsor or its permitted transferees, (a) they are not redeemable by the Company for cash, (b) they (including the underlying shares of Class A common stock) may not be transferred, assigned or sold until 30 days after the consummation of our initial business combination, subject to certain limited exceptions, (c) they may be exercised on a cashless basis and (d) they are entitled to registration rights.

 

Of the gross proceeds received from the initial public offering, the exercise of the over-allotment in full and the sale of the private placement warrants, $345,000,000 was placed in the Trust Account.

 

Transaction costs amounted to $19,416,464, consisting of $6,900,000 in cash underwriting fees, $12,075,000 in deferred underwriting fees, and $441,464 of other offering costs.  

 

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

 

None.

 

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Item 6.

[RESERVED]

 

As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to provide the information required by this Item.

 

Item 7.

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

 

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our audited financial statements and the notes related thereto included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.

 

All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Annual Report including, without limitation, statements under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” regarding the Company’s financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this Annual Report, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or the Company’s management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company’s management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those set forth under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report.

 

Overview

 

We are a blank check company formed under the laws of the State of Delaware on November 5, 2020 for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”).We intend to effectuate our Business Combination using cash from the proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, our capital stock, debt or a combination of cash, stock and debt.

 

We expect to continue to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to complete a Business Combination will be successful.

 

Recent Developments 

 

On November 30, 2021, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Voltus, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Voltus”), and Velocity Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”).

  

The Merger Agreement provides that, among other things and upon the terms and subject to the conditions thereof, the following transactions will occur (together with the other agreements and transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the “Business Combination”): (i) at the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the “Closing”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, in accordance with the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended, Merger Sub will merge with and into Voltus, the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub will cease and Voltus will be the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Merger”); (ii) at the Closing, the Company will be renamed “Voltus Technologies, Inc.” (post-Merger Company is referred to herein as “Voltus Technologies, Inc.”); (iii) as a result of the Merger, among other things, all shares of capital stock of Voltus outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger will be canceled in exchange for the right to receive shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (“Broadscale Common Stock”); (iv) as a result of the Merger, all Voltus equity awards outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger will be converted into awards based on Broadscale Common Stock, upon substantially the same terms and conditions as are in effect with respect to such option immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger; (v) at the Closing, the total number of shares of Broadscale Common Stock issuable to existing holders of Voltus capital stock or pursuant to the aforementioned converted equity awards shall be equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) $750,000,000 (subject to increase by an amount equal to the aggregate exercise prices of all converted equity awards) by (y) $10.00; and (vi) upon the Closing, existing holders of Voltus capital stock and equity awards will have the right to receive up to an aggregate of 10,000,000 additional shares of Broadscale Common Stock in three substantially equal tranches which are issuable upon the achievement of share price thresholds for Broadscale Common Stock of $12.50, $15.00 and $17.50, respectively, as set forth in the Merger Agreement.

 

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Simultaneously with the execution of the Merger Agreement, the Company entered into subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) with certain investors (collectively, the “PIPE Investors”), pursuant to, and on the terms and subject to the conditions of which, the PIPE Investors have collectively subscribed at a purchase price of $10.00 per share and $100 million in the aggregate for (i) 10 million shares of Broadscale Common Stock and (ii) in the case of certain PIPE Investors purchasing in excess of a specified number of shares of Broadscale Common Stock, an aggregate of 6,200,000 warrants exercisable for shares of Broadscale Common Stock (the “PIPE Investment”). The PIPE Investment will be consummated substantially concurrently with the Closing. The Subscription Agreements will terminate with no further force and effect upon the earliest to occur of: (i) such date and time as the Merger Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms, (ii) the mutual written agreement of the parties to such Subscription Agreement, and (iii) September 30, 2022, if the Closing has not occurred on or before such date.

 

Results of Operations

 

We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities from November 5, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2021 were organizational activities, those necessary to prepare for the Initial Public Offering, described below, and identifying a target company for a Business Combination at the earliest. We do not expect to generate any operating revenues until after the completion of our Business Combination. We generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on marketable securities held in the Trust Account. We incur expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2021, we had net income of $6,339,281, which consists of a change in fair value of warrant liabilities of $10,944,826 and interest income on marketable securities held in the Trust Account of $31,251, partially offset by general and administrative expenses of $4,636,796.

 

For the period from November 5, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, we had net loss of $1,000, which consists of operation and formation costs.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

On February 17, 2021, we consummated the Initial Public Offering of 34,500,000 Units, which includes the full exercise by the underwriter of its over-allotment option in the amount of 4,500,000 Units, at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $345,000,000. Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we consummated the sale of 6,266,667 Private Placement Warrants at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant in a private placement to the Sponsor, generating gross proceeds of $9,400,000.

   

For the year ended December 31, 2021, cash used in operating activities was $1,581,772. Net income of $6,339,281 was affected by the change in fair value of warrant liabilities of $10,944,826, transaction costs allocable to warrant liabilities of $882,336 and interest earned on marketable securities held in the Trust Account of $31,251. Changes in operating assets and liabilities provided $2,172,688 of cash for operating activities.

 

As of December 31, 2021, we had investment held in the Trust Account of $345,019,584. Interest income on the balance in the Trust Account may be used by us to pay taxes. Through December 31, 2021, $11,667 was withdrawn from the Trust Account to pay for taxes.

 

We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the Trust Account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the Trust Account (less income taxes payable), to complete our Business Combination. To the extent that our capital stock or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our Business Combination, the remaining proceeds held in the Trust Account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.

 

As of December 31, 2021, we had $513,431 of cash held outside of the Trust Account. We intend to use the funds held outside the Trust Account primarily to identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, and structure, negotiate and complete a Business Combination.

 

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In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor, or certain of our officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete a Business Combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the Trust Account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our Trust Account would be used for such repayment. Up to $2,000,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-Business Combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant. The units would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants.

 

We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimate of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a Business Combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our Business Combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our Business Combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our Public Shares upon consummation of our Business Combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such Business Combination.

 

Going Concern

 

We have until February 17, 2023 to consummate a Business Combination. It is uncertain that we will be able to consummate a Business Combination by this time. If a Business Combination is not consummated by this date, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution. Management has determined that the mandatory liquidation, should a Business Combination not occur, and potential subsequent dissolution raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should we be required to liquidate after February 17, 2023.

 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

We have no obligations, assets or liabilities, which would be considered off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2021. We do not participate in transactions that create relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, often referred to as variable interest entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements. We have not entered into any off-balance sheet financing arrangements, established any special purpose entities, guaranteed any debt or commitments of other entities, or purchased any non-financial assets.

 

Contractual Obligations

 

We do not have any long-term debt, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations or long-term liabilities, other than an agreement to pay an affiliate of the Sponsor a monthly fee of $20,000 for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services. We began incurring these fees on February 12, 2021 and will continue to incur these fees monthly until the earlier of the completion of the Business Combination and our liquidation.

 

In addition, we have an agreement to pay the underwriter a deferred fee of $12,075,000 in the aggregate. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriter from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that we complete a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.

 

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Critical Accounting Policies

 

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and income and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. We have identified the following critical accounting policies:

 

Warrant Liabilities

 

We do not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market, or foreign currency risks. We evaluate all of our financial instruments, including issued stock purchase warrants, to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives, pursuant to ASC 480 and ASC 815. The Company accounts for warrants as either equity-classified or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the warrant’s specific terms and applicable authoritative guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (“ASC 480”) and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). The assessment considers whether the warrants are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, meet the definition of a liability pursuant to ASC 480, and whether the warrants meet all of the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether the warrants are indexed to the Company’s own common shares, among other conditions for equity classification. This assessment, which requires the use of professional judgment, is conducted at the time of warrant issuance and as of each subsequent quarterly period end date while the warrants are outstanding.

 

For issued or modified warrants that meet all of the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded as a component of additional paid-in capital at the time of issuance. For issued or modified warrants that do not meet all the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded at their initial fair value on the date of issuance, and each balance sheet date thereafter. Changes in the estimated fair value of the warrants are recognized as a non-cash gain or loss on the statements of operations. The fair value of the warrants was initially estimated using a binomial lattice model (see Note 10 to the financial statements). For periods subsequent to the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units, the closing price of the Public Warrants was used as the fair value of the Public Warrants as of each relevant date. The subsequent measurements and fair value of the Private Placement Warrants after the detachment of the Public Warrants was based on the closing price of the Public Warrants.

 

Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption

 

We account for our Class A common stock subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Class A common stock subject to mandatory redemption is classified as a liability instrument and is measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable common stock (including common stock that feature redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within our control) is classified as temporary equity. At all other times, common stock is classified as stockholders’ equity. Our Class A common stock features certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of our control and subject to occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, Class A common stock subject to possible redemption is presented as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ equity section of our balance sheets.

 

Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share

 

Net income (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. We apply the two-class method in calculating earnings per share. Accretion associated with the redeemable shares of Class A common stock is excluded from earnings per share as the redemption value approximates fair value.

 

Recent Accounting Standards

 

In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, “Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity” (“ASU 2020-06”), which simplifies accounting for convertible instruments by removing major separation models required under current GAAP. ASU 2020-06 removes certain settlement conditions that are required for equity contracts to qualify for the derivative scope exception and it also simplifies the diluted earnings per share calculation in certain areas. ASU 2020-06 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. We adopted ASU 2020-06 effective as of January 1, 2021. The Company is currently assessing the impact, if any, that ASU 2020-06 would have on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on our financial statements.

 

Item 7A.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

  

As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to provide the information required by this Item.

 

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Item 8.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.

 

This information appears following Item 15 of this Annual Report and is included herein by reference.

 

Item 9.

CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

 

None.

 

Item 9A.

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

Disclosure controls are procedures that are designed with the objective of ensuring that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Exchange Act, such as this Annual Report, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time period specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls are also designed with the objective of ensuring that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our management evaluated, with the participation of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer (our “Certifying Officers”), the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2021, pursuant to Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act. Based upon that evaluation, our Certifying Officers concluded that, due to the Company’s restatement of its financial statements as described elsewhere in this Annual Report, as of December 31, 2021, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective. As a result, we performed additional analysis as deemed necessary to ensure that our financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Accordingly, management believes that the financial statements included in this Annual Report present fairly, in all material respects, our financial position, result of operations and cash flows of the periods presented. Other than this issue, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at a reasonable assurance level and, accordingly, provided reasonable assurance that the information required to be disclosed by us in reports filed under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.

 

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

 

Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements

 

On December 3, 2021, we revised our prior position on accounting for temporary equity and permanent equity and the earnings per share calculation. We restated our financial statements to revalue the Company’s Class A common stock subject to possible redemption and restate its earnings per share calculation. The Company’s accounting related to temporary equity and permanent equity and its earnings per share calculation did not have any effect on the Company’s previously reported investments held in trust or cash.

 

Management’s Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting 

 

This Annual Report does not include a report of management's assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting or an attestation report of the Company's registered public accounting firm due to a transition period established by rules of the SEC for newly public companies.

 

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting, other than as described herein. In light of the restatement of our financial statements, we plan to enhance our processes to identify and appropriately apply applicable accounting requirements to better evaluate and understand the nuances of the complex accounting standards that apply to our financial statements. Our plans at this time include providing enhanced access to accounting literature, research materials and documents and increased communication among our personnel and third-party professionals with whom we consult regarding complex accounting applications. The elements of our remediation plan can only be accomplished over time, and we can offer no assurance that these initiatives will ultimately have the intended effects.  

 

Item 9B.

OTHER INFORMATION

 

None.

 

Item 9C.

DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS

 

None.

 

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PART III

 

Item 10.

DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.

 

Directors and Executive Officers

 

Our directors and executive officers are as follows:

 

Name		Age		Title
Andrew L. Shapiro		53		Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer
Edward E. Cohen		82		Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
John P. Hanna		41		Chief Financial Officer and Head of Acquisitions
Jeffrey F. Brotman		58		Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
Georgia Levenson Keohane		49		Director
Alexander Karsner		54		Director
Lisa Coca		53		Director

 

Andrew L. Shapiro has been our Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since December 2020. Mr. Shapiro is the Founder and Managing Partner of the Broadscale Group LLC (the “Broadscale Group”), an investment firm that he founded in 2012 that works with leading corporations, family offices, and other strategic partners to invest in and commercialize the most promising market-ready innovations focused on clean energy, advanced transportation, and sustainable technologies generally. Prior to founding the Broadscale Group, Mr. Shapiro built and led GreenOrder from 2000 to 2011, a strategic advisory firm that worked with more than 100 enterprises to make energy and environmental innovation a source of competitive advantage, including multi-year engagements with BP, GE, General Motors, and other industry leaders. In 2008, Mr. Shapiro and his partners sold GreenOrder to LRN, a global advisory and solutions firm, and he continued to lead the firm through 2011. Since 2016, Mr. Shapiro has served on the board of directors of Audigent (d/b/a Predictive Pop, Inc.), a data technology company that helps creators monetize their audience while protecting user privacy, and, since 2015 Tougas Oilfield Solutions, a specialty chemical company that makes oil and gas operations more sustainable. He has recently served as an advisor to Obvious Ventures, Yale’s Center for Business and the Environment, and The Climate Group. He is also a founding board member of The Clean Fight, a non-profit accelerator funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), that helps growth-stage clean energy companies obtain scale in New York. Before that, from 2014 to 2018, Mr. Shapiro served on the board of directors of electric vehicle charging company Blink Charging (Nasdaq: BLNK); he served from 2015 to 2019 as a Board Observer at Akerna Corporation (Nasdaq: KERN), which became a public company through a SPAC merger in 2019; and he has previously served as an advisor to many startups, including Honest Buildings (sold to Procore) and Meetup (sold to WeWork). Mr. Shapiro has been a visiting faculty member at Yale and Columbia and a fellow at Harvard and NYU. His articles have appeared in diverse publications, he has published two books that were released in multiple languages globally, and he has appeared on CNN, PBS, NBC’s Today Show, BBC, and NPR. Mr. Shapiro is a graduate of Brown University (Phi Beta Kappa, 1990) and Yale Law School (1995). We believe that Mr. Shapiro is qualified to serve as a director because of industry expertise and his experience as a board member of both public and private companies.

 

Edward E. Cohen has been the Vice Chairman of our Board since December 2020. He has been the Co-Chairman of the board of directors of Osprey Technology Acquisition Corp. II, a newly formed blank check company, since March 2021. He also served as the Co-Chairman of the board of directors of BlackSky Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) (formerly known as Osprey Technology Acquisition Corp.), from June 2019 to September 2021. From August 2018 to May 2020, he was Vice Chairman of Falcon Minerals Corporation (Nasdaq: FLMN), formerly Osprey Energy Acquisition Corp., and before that was Executive Chairman of Osprey Energy Acquisition Corp. from April 2017 to August 2018. Mr. Cohen has served as Chairman of HEPCO Capital Management, LLC, a private investment firm making control investments in middle market companies and real estate, since its formation in September 2016. Mr. Cohen was Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Energy Group, LLC from February 2015 to May 2020, having also served as Chairman since February 2012. He was Chairman of the board of directors and Chief Executive Officer of the general partner of Atlas Growth Partners, L.P. from its inception in 2013 until 2020. Mr. Cohen served as Chairman of Titan Energy, LLC from 2016 to 2020, and from August 2015 to September 2016, was Executive Chairman of Atlas Resource Partners, L.P., which filed a voluntary pre-packaged plan under Chapter 11 in July 2016, emerging from Chapter 11 as Titan Energy, LLC in September 2016 after confirmation of its plan. In addition, Mr. Cohen was: a director of Resource America, Inc. (formerly a publicly traded specialized asset management company) from 1988 until September 2016 and Chairman of its board of directors from 1990 until September 2016; and Chairman of the board of Resource Capital Corp., now known as ACRES Commercial Realty Corp. (NYSE: ACR) (a real estate investment trust) from its formation in 2005 until November 2009 and served on its board until September 2016. We believe that Mr. Cohen’s extensive experience enables him to provide valuable perspective and provides us with decisive and effective leadership. Mr. Cohen’s experience in founding, operating and managing public and private companies of varying size and complexity, and his extensive experience in the areas of finance, strategy and mergers and acquisitions enable him to provide valuable expertise to us.

 

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John P. Hanna has been our Chief Financial Officer since December 2020. Since July 2018, Mr. Hanna has served as a Partner of HEPCO focused on private investing across multiple industries, including those focused on ESG. HEPCO is a private investment firm making control investments in middle market companies and real estate. From July 2018 thru May 2020, he also served as the President and Director of Atlas Growth Partners GP, LLC, the general partner of Atlas Growth Partners, L.P., an independent developer and producer of natural gas, crude oil and natural gas liquids with operations primarily focused in the Eagle Ford Shale in south Texas. From April 2010 to July 2018, Mr. Hanna worked at Deutsche Bank in energy investment banking, where he most recently served as the co-head of the Houston office. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, from July 2001 to March 2010, he worked at UBS in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group focused on the energy industry. Mr. Hanna has accumulated financial, business, operational and energy experience which we believe is a great asset to us. Mr. Hanna is able to draw upon his experience in capital markets and corporate finance transactions to guide us to our business combination transaction. Mr. Hanna received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Boston College.

 

Jeffrey F. Brotman has been our Chief Legal Officer and Secretary since December 2020. He has been the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Osprey Technology Acquisition Corp. II since September 2020. He has been the Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Falcon Minerals Corporation (Nasdaq: FLMN), formerly Osprey Energy Acquisition Corp., since April 2017 and served as its Chief Financial Officer from April 2017 to June 2019. He served as the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of BlackSky Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) (formerly known as Osprey Technology Acquisition Corp.), from June 2019 until September 2021. Mr. Brotman has been Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of HEPCO since its formation in September 2016. HEPCO is a private investment firm making control investments in middle market companies and real estate. Mr. Brotman was Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President at Resource America, Inc., formerly a publicly traded asset manager investing in real estate, financial services and credit until its sale to C-III Capital Partners in September 2016. He joined Resource America in 2007, and while at Resource America also served as Executive Vice President of Resource Capital Corp., now known as ACRES Commercial Realty Corp., a publicly-traded real estate investment trust, Chairman of the board of directors of Primary Capital Mortgage, Director of Leaf Commercial Capital and sat on various investment committees across all product lines. Mr. Brotman was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Access to Money, Inc. (formerly known as TRM Corp.), a non-bank ATM operator, from March 2006 to June 2007, and served as the Chairman of its board of directors from September 2006 through September 2008. Mr. Brotman was a co-founder, and served as Managing Member, of Ledgewood, PC, a Philadelphia based business law firm, from June 1992 to March 2006, and was of counsel until June 2007. He was a Trustee of Resource Real Estate Diversified Income Fund from its inception in March 2013 until September 2016. He has been an adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School since 1990, where he has taught courses in accounting and lending transactions. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (currently inactive) and a licensed Real Estate Broker.

 

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Independent Directors

 

Georgia Levenson Keohane has served as an independent director of Broadscale since February 2021. Ms. Keohane is currently self-employed as a consultant and senior advisor to CEOs, boards of directors, leadership teams and investors on responsible investing, ESG, sustainability and inclusive growth. She has also been, since 2013, a professor of social enterprise at Columbia Business School. From 2018 to 2019, Ms. Keohane was the head of the ESG practice at Navab Capital Partners, a private equity firm, and served as the President of the Navab Capital Partners Foundation, the firm’s corporate philanthropy, focused on economic opportunity and mobility. Before that, from 2016 to 2018, she was Executive Director of the Pershing Square Foundation, a family foundation that supports exceptional leaders and innovative organizations that tackle important social issues. She is currently a Senior Fellow at New America, a think tank where she directed its Profits & Purpose program from 2014 to 2016. From 2011 to 2014, Ms. Keohane was a fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, where she worked on a range of issues in economic policy, including poverty and inequality, employment and job growth, social entrepreneurship and the role of firms in society. She also speaks and writes regularly on social and economic policy, and the role of business in society, and is the author of two award-winning books. Ms. Keohane holds a B.A. from Yale University, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and an M.Sc. from London School of Economics, where she was a Fulbright Scholar. We believe that Ms. Keohane’s decades of leadership experience at the intersection of capital markets, responsible investing, and business, philanthropy and public policy is invaluable to us in our search for, and structuring, our initial business combination.

 

Alexander “Andy” Karsner has served as an independent director of Broadscale since February 2021. Mr. Karsner is a long-time technology and energy development executive and policymaker. He has served as Senior Strategist at X, the innovation lab of Alphabet Inc. He is also Executive Chairman of Elemental Labs, which pursues market transformation through nature-based solutions, and, since 2008, has been a director of Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMAT), a global company that provides manufacturing equipment, services and software to the semiconductor, display and related industries. Mr. Karsner most recently served as Managing Partner of Emerson Collective, an investment platform funding non-profit, philanthropic and for-profit portfolios advancing education, immigration, the environment and other social innovation initiatives, from January 2016 to July 2019. Prior to this, Mr. Karsner has been Founder and CEO of Manifest Energy Inc., an energy technology development and investment firm, since July 2009, and has served as its Executive Chairman since January 2013. From March 2006 to August 2008, he served as Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, and exercised a diplomatic role as a principal in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. From August 2002 to March 2006, Mr. Karsner was Founder and Managing Director of Enercorp, a private company involved in international project development, management and financing of energy infrastructure. Mr. Karsner has also worked with Tondu Energy Systems of Texas, Wartsila Power Development of Finland and other multi-national energy firms and developers. He is a Precourt Energy Scholar at Stanford University’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and serves on Advisory Boards of MIT Medialab, and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Mr. Karsner served as a member of the board of directors of Codexis, Inc. from 2009 to 2014, as well as Argonne National Laboratory, and was previously an Associate of the Harvard Kennedy School. He presently is on the board of Conservation International and director emeritus of the National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation. He is a Life Member of the Council of Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission, Distinguished Fellow of the Council on Competitiveness and a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute. We believe that Mr. Karsner’s expertise in environment and sustainability, along with strategy and innovation, is an important tool as we explore opportunities for our initial business combination.

 

Lisa Coca has served as an independent director of Broadscale since February 2021. Ms. Coca has been a Managing Director and Entrepreneur-in-Residence with Intel Corporation’s Emerging Growth & Incubations Division since December 2019, where she leads teams responsible for creating disruptive new businesses. From January 2012 through April 2019, she worked at GE Ventures, where she was responsible for launching and leading the Enterprise Software Investment practice as well as the EDGE program, a platform for portfolio companies to leverage the global scale, expertise, and resources of GE. From 2008 through 2011, she served as the Global Sustainability and Ecomagination Leader for GE Real Estate where she launched a program to leverage technology and operating best practices to reduce the environmental impact of its assets and improve financial performance. From 2005 through 2007, she was a Managing Director in GE Real Estate’s Commercial Initiatives Group where she collaborated with regional P&Ls to explore, develop, structure, and launch new investment opportunities. From 1998 through 2003, Ms. Coca was a Director of Sales & Distribution at GE Real Estate where she managed distribution and investor relations for the real estate mezzanine debt and real estate opportunity funds. Ms. Coca graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with Honors, and earned an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. We believe that Ms. Coca’s considerable experience in technology and disruptive technologies makes her an important part of our management team.

 

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Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors

 

Our board of directors is divided into two classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class serving a two-year term. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Ms. Levenson Keohane and Mr. Karsner, will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Mr. Shapiro, Mr. Cohen and Ms. Coca, will expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders. In accordance with NASDAQ corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one full year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on NASDAQ. As a result, we may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after we consummate our initial business combination.

 

Our officers are elected by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our bylaws as it deems appropriate.

 

 Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports

 

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our executive officers and directors, and persons who own more than ten percent of any publicly traded class of our equity securities, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership of equity securities of the Company with the SEC. Officers, directors, and greater-than-ten-percent stockholders are required by the SEC's regulations to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms that they file.

 

Based solely upon a review of Forms 3 and Forms 4 furnished to the Company during the most recent fiscal year, and Forms 5 with respect to its most recent fiscal year, we believe that all such forms required to be filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act were timely filed by the officers, directors, and security holders required to file the same during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, other than one Form 3 filed by our Chief Executive Officer.

 

Board Committees

 

Audit Committee

 

Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, the NASDAQ rules and Rule 10A of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company consist of at least three members and be comprised solely of independent directors. We have established an audit committee of the board of directors, which consists of Georgia Levenson Keohane, Alexander Karsner and Lisa Coca. Ms. Levenson Keohane, Mr. Karsner and Ms. Coca each meet the independent director standard under the NASDAQ listing standards and under Rule 10A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act and our board of directors has determined that Ms. Levenson Keohane qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules. Ms. Coca serves as Chairman of our audit committee.

 

The audit committee’s duties, which are specified in our Audit Committee Charter, include, but are not limited to:

 

	●	assisting board oversight of (1) the integrity of our financial statements, (2) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (3) the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence and (4) the performance of our internal audit function and the independent registered public accounting firm;
	●	the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us;

 

●

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

 

●

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

 

●

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

 

●

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

 

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●

meeting to review and discuss our annual audited financial statements and quarterly financial statements with management and the independent registered public accounting firm, including reviewing our specific disclosures under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”;

 

●

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

  

●

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

  

 Compensation Committee

 

We have established a compensation committee of the board of directors, which consists of Alexander Karsner and Lisa Coca. Under the NASDAQ listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least two members of the compensation committee, all of whom must be independent. Mr. Karsner and Ms. Coca meet the independent director standard under the NASDAQ listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Mr. Karsner serves as Chairman of our compensation committee.

 

The compensation committee’s duties, which are specified in our Compensation Committee Charter, include, but are not limited to:

 

	●	reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, if any is paid by us, evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer’s based on such evaluation;
	●	reviewing and making recommendations on an annual basis to our board of directors with respect to (or approving, if such authority is so delegated by our board of directors) the compensation, if any is paid by us, and any incentive-compensation and equity-based plans that are subject to board approval of our other officers;
	●	reviewing on an annual basis our executive compensation policies and plans;
	●	implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;
	●	assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;
	●	approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our executive officers and employees;
	●	If required, producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and
	●	reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.

 

The charter also provides that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by NASDAQ and the SEC.

  

Director Nominations

 

We do not have a standing nominating committee, though we intend to form a corporate governance and nominating committee as and when required to do so by applicable law or stock exchange rules. In accordance with Rule 5605(e)(2) of the NASDAQ listing rules, a majority of the independent directors may recommend a director nominee for selection by the board of directors. The board of directors believes that the independent directors can satisfactorily carry out the responsibility of properly selecting or approving director nominees without the formation of a standing nominating committee. In accordance with Rule 5605(e)(1)(A) of the NASDAQ listing rules, all such directors are independent. As there is no standing nominating committee, we do not have a nominating committee charter in place.

 

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

 

Code of Conduct and Ethics

 

We have adopted a code of conduct and ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees in accordance with applicable federal securities laws, a copy of which is attached as an exhibit to this Annual Report. We will make a printed copy of our code of conduct and ethics available to any stockholder who so requests. Requests for a printed copy may be directed to us as follows: Broadscale Acquisition Corp., 1845 Walnut Street, Suite 1111, Philadelphia, PA 19103, Attention: Secretary.

 

Item 11.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.

 

None of our executive officers or directors has received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Our sponsor, officers, directors and any of their respective affiliates 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. Our audit committee reviews on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or any of their affiliates, if any. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made using funds held outside the trust account. Other than the periodic review of such payments, we do not have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors and officers for their out of pocket expenses incurred in connection with identifying and consummating an initial business combination.

 

After the consummation of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials furnished to our stockholders in connection with a proposed business combination. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our executive officers will be determined by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors.

 

We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our executive officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after the initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our management team’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business but we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our executive officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.

 

 Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

 

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

 

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Item 12.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.

 

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of March 11, 2022, by:

 

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

 

The table below represents beneficial ownership of Class A common stock, Class B common stock and Class A common stock and Class B common stock voting together as a single class, and is reported in accordance with the beneficial ownership rules of the SEC under which a person is deemed to be the beneficial owner of a security if that person has or shares voting power or investment power with respect to such security or has the right to acquire such ownership within 60 days.  The table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of any outstanding warrants as no warrants are exercisable within 60 days.

 

The beneficial ownership of the Company’s voting common stock is based on 34,500,000 shares of Class A common stock outstanding and 8,625,000 shares of Class B common stock outstanding, except as otherwise indicated.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock beneficially owned by them.

 

Class A Common Stock

Class B Common Stock

Combined Voting Power(2)

Name and Address of Beneficial Owners

Number

% of class

Number

% of class

Number

% of class

Directors and Executive Officers:(1)

Andrew L. Shapiro

–

–

–

–

–

–

Edward E. Cohen

–

–

-

-

-

-

John P. Hanna

–

–

–

–

–

–

Jeffrey F. Brotman

–

–

–

–

–

–

Georgia Levenson Keohane

–

–

–

–

–

–

Alexander Karsner

–

–

–

–

–

–

Lisa Coca

–

–

–

–

–

–

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

–

–

-

-

-

-

5% or Greater Beneficial Owners:

Nokomis ESG Sponsor, LLC(3)

–

–

8,625,000

100.0

%

8,625,000

20.0

%

Vellar Opportunities Fund Master, Ltd (4)

2,700,000

7.8

%

–

–

2,700,000

6.3

%

Sculptor Capital LP  (5)

2,286,879

6.6

%

–

–

2,286,879

5.3

%

Weiss Asset Management LP(6)

2,000,225

5.8

%

-

-

2,000,225

4.6

%

 

*	Less than 1 percent.

  

1.	Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the persons and entities listed above is 1845 Walnut Street, Suite 1111, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

 

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2.	Represents the percentage of voting power of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock voting together as a single class.
3.	Nokomis ESG Sponsor, LLC, our sponsor, is the record holder of the shares reported herein. Our sponsor is managed by Jonathan Z. Cohen, a principal of HEPCO. Mr. J. Cohen may be deemed to beneficially own the shares held by our sponsor by virtue of his control of our sponsor. Mr. J. Cohen disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by our sponsor except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.
4.	Based on information contained in a Schedule 13G filed on February 18, 2021 by Vellar Opportunities Fund Master, Ltd., Cohen & Company Financial Management, LLC, Dekania Investors, LLC, Cohen & Company LLC, Cohen & Company Inc. and Daniel G. Cohen.  Mr. Cohen may be considered a control person for each of Cohen & Company Financial Management, LLC and Cohen & Company Inc. The address of the principal business office of Vellar Opportunities Fund Offshore, Ltd. is c/o Mourant Governance Services (Cayman) Limited, 94 Solaris Avenue, Camana Bay, PO Box 1348, Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands. The address of the principal business office of the other reporting entities / persons is 3 Columbus Circle, Suite 2400, New York, New York 10019, United States.
5.	Based on information contained in a Schedule 13G/A filed on February 11, 2022 by Sculptor Capital LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“Sculptor”), Sculptor Capital II LP, a Delaware limited partnership (Sculptor-II”), Sculptor Capital Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“SCHC”), Sculptor Capital Holding II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“SCHC-II”), Sculptor Capital Management, Inc., a Delaware limited liability company (“SCU”), Sculptor Master Fund, Ltd., a Cayman Islands company (“SCMF”), Sculptor Special Funding, LP, a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership that is wholly owned by SCMF (“NRMD”), Sculptor Credit Opportunities Master Fund, Ltd., a Cayman Islands company (“SCCO”), Sculptor SC II LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“NJGC”), and Sculptor Enhanced Master Fund, Ltd., a Cayman Islands company (“SCEN”). Sculptor is the principal investment manager to a number of private funds and discretionary accounts (collectively, the “Accounts”). Sculptor-II, which is wholly owned by Sculptor, also serves as the investment manager to certain of the Accounts. The reported shares of Class A common stock are held in the Accounts managed by Sculptor and Sculptor-II. SCHC serves as the general partner of Sculptor. SCHC-II, which is wholly owned by Sculptor, serves as the general partner of Sculptor-II. As such, SCHC may be deemed to control Sculptor and, therefore, may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the reported shares of Class A common stock. SCU is a holding company that is the sole shareholder of SCHC and the ultimate parent company of Sculptor and Sculptor-II. As such, SCU may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the reported shares of Class A common stock. Sculptor also serves as the investment advisor to SCMF, SCCO and SCEN. Sculptor-II is the investment advisor to NJGC. The address of the principal business office of Sculptor, Sculptor-II, SCHC, SCHC-II, and SCU is 9 West 57 Street, 39 Floor, New York, NY 10019. The address of the principal business office of SCMF, NRMD, SCEN, and SCCO is c/o State Street (Cayman) Trust, Limited, 1 Nexus Way—Suite #5203, PO Box 896, Helicona Courtyard, Camana Bay, Grand Cayman, KY1-1103, Cayman. The address of the principal business office of NJGC is c/o The Corporation Trust Company 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington DE 19801.
6.	Based on information contained in a Schedule 13G filed on February 4, 2022 by Weiss Asset Management LP, WAM GP LLC and Andrew M. Weiss. Weiss Asset Management LP is the sole investment manager to a private investment partnership (the “Partnership”) and a private investment fund (“Fund”). WAM GP LLC is the sole general partner of Weiss Asset Management LP. Mr. Weiss is the managing member of WAM GP LLC. Shares reported for WAM GP LLC, Mr. Weiss and Weiss Asset Management LP include shares beneficially owned by the Partnership and the Fund. Each of WAM GP LLC, Weiss Asset Management LP and Mr. Weiss disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares reported as beneficially owned by each except to the extent of their respective pecuniary interest therein. The address of the principal business office of each of the reporting persons is 222 Berkeley St., 16th floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02116.

 

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Item 13.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.

 

Related Party Policy

 

We have adopted a code of conduct and ethics requiring us to avoid, wherever possible, all conflicts of interests, except under guidelines or resolutions approved by our board of directors (or the appropriate committee of the board) or as disclosed in our public filings with the SEC. Under our code of conduct and ethics, conflict of interest situations include any financial transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) involving the Company.

 

In addition, our audit committee, pursuant to the Audit Committee Charter, is responsible for reviewing and approving related party transactions to the extent that we enter into such transactions. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the audit committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present will be required in order to approve a related party transaction. A majority of the members of the entire audit committee will constitute a quorum. Without a meeting, the unanimous written consent of all of the members of the audit committee is required to approve a related party transaction.  We also require each of our directors and 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. Our audit committee reviews on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates.

 

Founder Shares

 

In November 2020, we issued an aggregate of 150,000 founder shares to our sponsor for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash. In December 2020, we effected a 47.91667-for-1 stock split and in February 2021 we effected a stock dividend of 1.2 shares of Class B common stock for each share of Class B common stock outstanding prior to the dividend, resulting in our sponsor holding 8,625,000 founder shares as of the date of this Annual Report. The number of founder shares was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after the initial public offering. The founder shares represent 100% of our issued and outstanding shares of Class B common stock. The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A common stock upon the consummation of a business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustments. Our sponsor is collectively owned by our officers and directors.

 

The sponsor has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the founder shares until the earlier of (i) one year after the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) the last reported sales price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.

 

Private Placement

 

Simultaneously with the initial public offering, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 6,266,667 private placement warrants at $1.50 per private placement warrant for an aggregate purchase price of $9,400,000. Each private placement warrant is exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share. The proceeds from the private placement warrants were added to the proceeds from the initial public offering held in the trust account. If we do not complete a business combination within the combination period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants will be used to fund the redemption of the public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private placement warrants will expire worthless. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to the private placement warrants. The private placement warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination.

 

Advances from Related Party

 

Our sponsor, officers and directors, or any entities with which they are affiliated, 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. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or any entity with which they are affiliated, and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.

 

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 Promissory Note – Related Party

 

Prior to the closing of the initial public offering, our sponsor loaned us a total of $126,000 under a promissory note to be used for the payment of costs related to the initial public offering. The promissory note was non-interest bearing, unsecured and due on the earlier of March 31, 2021 or the completion of the initial public offering. The promissory note was repaid in full following the consummation of the initial public offering on February 19, 2021.

 

Related Party Loans

 

In order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds from time to time, as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to the Company. In the event that our 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. If such funds are insufficient to repay the loan amounts, the unpaid amounts would be forgiven. Up to $2,000,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans by our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. There were no working capital loans outstanding as of December 31, 2021.

 

Registration Rights

 

Pursuant to a registration rights agreement entered into on February 11, 2021, the holders of founder shares, private placement warrants and warrants (and their underlying securities) issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any, are entitled to registration rights (in the case of the founder shares, only after conversion to Class A common stock). The holders of the majority of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders will have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of a business combination and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. The registration rights agreement does not contain liquidated damages or other cash settlement provisions resulting from delays in registering our securities. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

 

Administrative Services

 

Commencing on February 12, 2021, we pay an amount equal to $20,000 per month to our sponsor or its affiliate for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services provided to us. Upon completion of the Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

 

 Trust Account Indemnification

 

Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a definitive agreement for a business combination, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lessor of (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriter of the initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligation. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such eventuality. We will seek to reduce the possibility that the sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (except for our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business, execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account.

 

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 Conflicts of Interest

 

Our officers, directors and any of their respective affiliates may sponsor or form, or, in the case of individuals, serve as a director or officer of, other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Any such companies may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target. However, we do not believe that any such potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:

 

●

None of our officers or directors is required to commit his or her full time to our affairs and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating his or her 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 us as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated. Our management may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.

  

●

Our initial stockholders have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination, (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination by February 17, 2023 or during any Extension Period, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe. If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement warrants will expire worthless. With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable or assignable by our sponsor until the earlier of: (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last reported sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property. With certain limited exceptions, the private placement warrants and the common stock underlying such warrants, will not be transferable, assignable or saleable by our sponsor or its permitted transferees until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Since our sponsor and officers and directors directly or indirectly own common stock and warrants, our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination.

 

 68

 

 

●

Our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors were to be included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

 

●

Our sponsor, officers or directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a business combination and financing arrangements as we may obtain loans from our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or any of our officers or directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $2,000,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period.

 

The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our favor.

 

In general, officers and directors of a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware are required to present business opportunities to a corporation if:

 

●

the corporation could financially undertake the opportunity;

 

●

the opportunity is within the corporation’s line of business; and

 

●

it would not be fair to the corporation and its stockholders for the opportunity not to be brought to the attention of the corporation.

 

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. Furthermore, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.

 

Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our officers and directors currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations:

 

Individual		Entity		Affiliation
Andrew L. Shapiro		Audigent (d/b/a Predictive Pop, Inc.) Tougas Oilfield Solutions Broadscale Group		Director Director Founder and Managing Partner
Edward E. Cohen		HEPCO Capital Management		Chairman
John P. Hanna		HEPCO Capital Management		Partner
Jeffrey F. Brotman		Falcon Minerals Corporation HEPCO Capital Management		Chief Legal Officer and Secretary Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer
Alexander Karsner		X (innovation lab of Alphabet Inc.) Elemental Labs Applied Materials Manifest Energy		Senior Strategist Executive Chairman Director Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman
Lisa Coca		Intel Corporation		Managing Director and Entrepreneur-in-Residence

 

 69

 

 

The individuals listed in the table above may also be affiliated with and/or owe fiduciary duties to or have contractual obligations to affiliates of the listed entities, including subsidiaries, portfolio companies and other investments and ventures of the listed entities.

 

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or their respective affiliates. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or their respective affiliates, we, or a committee of independent directors, to the extent required by applicable law or our board of directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

 

In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after the initial public offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination.

 

Director Independence

 

NASDAQ listing rules require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship, which, in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. We have three “independent directors” as defined in the NASDAQ listing rules and applicable SEC rules. Our board has determined that each of Georgia Levenson Keohane, Alexander Karsner and Lisa Coca are independent directors under applicable SEC and NASDAQ listing rules. Our independent directors have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.

 

Item 14.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES.

 

The firm of WithumSmith+Brown, PC, or Withum, acted as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period from November 5, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020. The following is a summary of fees paid to Withum for services rendered.

 

Audit Fees

 

Audit fees consist of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our year-end financial statements and services that are normally provided by Withum in connection with regulatory filings. The aggregate fees billed by Withum for professional services rendered for the audit of our annual financial statements, review of the financial information included in our Forms 10-Q for the respective periods and other required filings with the SEC for the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period from November 5, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 were approximately $132,000 and $18,000, respectively. The above amounts include interim procedures and audit fees, as well as attendance at audit committee meetings.

 

Audit-Related Fees

 

Audit-related services consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include attest services that are not required by statute or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards. For the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period from November 5, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, Withum did not render assurance and related services related to the performance of the audit or review of financial statements. 

 

Tax Fees

 

For the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period from November 5, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, Withum did not render services to us for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning.

 

All Other Fees

 

For the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period from November 5, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, there were no fees billed for products and services provided by Withum other than those set forth above.

 

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

 

Our audit committee was formed upon the consummation of the initial public offering. As a result, the audit committee did not pre-approve all of the foregoing services, although any services rendered prior to the formation of our audit committee were approved by our board of directors. Since the formation of our audit committee, and on a going-forward basis, the audit committee has and will pre-approve all auditing services and permitted non-audit services to be performed for us by our auditors, including the fees and terms thereof (subject to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in the Exchange Act which are approved by the audit committee prior to the completion of the audit).

 

 70

 

 

PART IV

 

Item 15.

EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.

 

(a)	The following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report:

 

(1)

Financial Statements:

 

	Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	F-2
Balance Sheets	F-3
Statements of Operations	F-4
Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ (Deficit) Equity	F-5
Statements of Cash Flows	F-6
Notes to Financial Statements	F-7

 

(2)

Financial Statements Schedule

 

None.

 

71

 

 

(3)

Exhibits

 

The following exhibits are filed as part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The SEC maintains an Internet site at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC, including the Company. Copies of the exhibits which are incorporated herein by reference can be obtained on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.

 

No.		Description of Exhibit
1.1		Underwriting Agreement, dated February 11, 2021, between the Company and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC(2)
2.1		Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November 30, 2021(1)
3.1		Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on February 12, 2021 (2)
3.2		Amended and Restated Bylaws (3)
4.1		Specimen Unit Certificate (2)
4.2		Specimen Class A Common Stock Certificate (2)
4.3		Specimen Warrant Certificate (included in Exhibit 4.4)
4.4		Warrant Agreement, dated February 11, 2021, between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Company (2)
4.5*		Description of Securities of Broadscale Acquisition Corp.
10.1		Letter Agreement, dated February 11, 2021, by and among the Company, its officers, directors and Nokomis ESG Sponsor, LLC (2)
10.2		Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated February 11, 2021, between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Company (2)
10.3		Registration Rights Agreement, dated February 11, 2021, among the Company and certain security holders (2)
10.4		Warrant Purchase Agreement, dated February 11, 2021, between the Company and Nokomis ESG Sponsor, LLC (2)
10.5		Administrative Services Agreement, dated February 11, 2021, between the Company and Nokomis ESG Sponsor, LLC (2)
10.6		Form of Indemnity Agreement (3)
10.7		Promissory Note for expenses prior to initial public offering from Nokomis ESG Sponsor, LLC to the Company (3)
14.1		Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (3)
21.1*		Subsidiaries of the Registrant
31.1*		Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15(d)-14(a), as adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
31.2*		Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15(d)-14(a), as adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.1*		Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.2*		Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101.INS*		Inline XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH*		Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL*		Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF*		Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB*		Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document
101.PRE*		Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
104*		Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).

  

*	Filed herewith.
(1)	Previously filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 1, 2021.
(2)	Previously filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 18, 2021.
(3)	Previously filed as an exhibit to our Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-252449).

 

72

 

 

Item 16.

FORM 10-K SUMMARY.

 

Not applicable

 

 73

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

	Broadscale Acquisition Corp.
Date: March 15, 2022	By:	/s/ Andrew L. Shapiro
		Andrew L. Shapiro Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Name		Position		Date
/s/ Andrew L. Shapiro		Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer		March 15, 2022
Andrew L. Shapiro		(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ John P. Hanna		Chief Financial Officer and Head of Acquisitions		March 15, 2022
John P. Hanna		(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
/s/ Edward E. Cohen		Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors		March 15, 2022
Edward E. Cohen
/s/ Georgia Levenson Keohane		Director		March 15, 2022
Georgia Levenson Keohane
/s/ Alexander Karsner		Director		March 15, 2022
Alexander Karsner
/s/ Lisa Coca		Director		March 15, 2022
Lisa Coca

 

 74

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	F-2
Financial Statements:
Balance Sheets	F-3
Statements of Operations	F-4
Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ (Deficit) Equity	F-5
Statements of Cash Flows	F-6
Notes to Financial Statements	F-7 to F-20

 

F-1

 

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of

Broadscale Acquisition Corp.

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Broadscale Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 and the related statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ (deficit) equity and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period from November 5, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period from November 5, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements

 

As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, the February 17, 2021 financial statement has been restated to correct certain misstatements.

 

Going Concern

 

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, if the Company is unable to raise additional funds to alleviate liquidity needs as well as complete a Business Combination by the close of business on February 17, 2023, then the Company will cease all operations except for the purpose of liquidating. The liquidity needs and date for mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

 

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC

 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2020.

 

New York, New York

March 15, 2022

 

PCAOB ID Number 100

 

F-2

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

BALANCE SHEETS

 

		December 31, 2021				December 31, 2020
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash		$	513,431			$	25,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			298,750				—
Total Current Assets			812,181				25,000
Deferred offering costs			—				64,331
Investments held in Trust Account			345,019,584				—
TOTAL ASSETS		$	345,831,765			$	89,331
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY
Current liabilities
Accrued expenses		$	2,472,438			$	1,000
Accrued offering costs			—				64,331
Total Current Liabilities			2,472,438				65,331
Warrant liability – private placement			5,846,800				—
Warrant liability – public			8,047,125				—
Deferred underwriting fee payable			12,075,000				—
Total Liabilities			28,441,363				65,331
Commitments and Contingencies
Class A common stock subject to possible redemption, $0.0001 par value; 34,500,000 shares and no shares at $10.00 per share redemption value as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively			345,000,000				—
Stockholders’ (Deficit) Equity
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding			—				—
Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding (excluding 34,500,000 and no shares subject to possible redemption) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively			—				—
Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 8,625,000 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 (1)			863				863
Additional paid-in capital			—				24,137
Accumulated deficit			(27,610,461	)			(1,000	)
Total Stockholders’ (Deficit) Equity			(27,609,598	)			24,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY		$	345,831,765			$	89,331

 

(1)

At December 31, 2020, included an aggregate of up to 1,125,000 shares of Class B common stock subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option was not exercised in full or in part by the underwriter (see Note 7). On December 11, 2020, the Company effected a 47.91667-for-1 stock split, and on February 11, 2021, the Company effected a stock dividend of 1.2 shares of Class B common stock for each share of Class B common stock outstanding prior to the dividend, resulting in 8,625,000 shares of Class B common stock being issued and outstanding. All share and per-share amounts have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split.

 

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

 

F-3

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

		Year Ended December 31,				For the Period from November 5, 2020 (Inception) through December 31,
		2021				2021
General and administrative expenses		$	4,636,796			$	1,000
Loss from operations			(4,636,796	)			(1,000	)
Other income:
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities			10,944,826				—
Interest earned on Investments held in Trust Account			31,251				—
Total other income, net			10,976,077				—
Net income (loss)		$	6,339,281			$	(1,000	)
Weighted average shares outstanding of Class A common stock			29,963,014				—
Basic and diluted income per share, Class A common stock		$	0.16			$	—
Weighted average shares outstanding of Class B common stock			8,477,055				7,500,000
Basic and diluted net income per share, Class B common stock		$	0.16			$	—

 

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

 

F-4

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY

 

		Class B Common Stock								Additional Paid-in				Accumulated				Total Stockholders’ (Deficit)
		Shares				Amount				Capital				Deficit				Equity
Balance — November 5, 2020 (Inception)			—			$	—			$	—			$	—			$	—
Issuance of Class B common stock to Sponsor			8,625,000				863				24,137				—				25,000
Net loss			—				—				—				(1,000	)			(1,000	)
Balance — December 31, 2020			8,625,000			$	863			$	24,137			$	(1,000	)		$	24,000
Accretion for Class A common stock to redemption amount			—				—				(24,137	)			(33,948,742	)			(33,972,879	)
Net income			—				—				—				6,339,281				6,339,281
Balance – December 31, 2021			8,625,000			$	863			$	—			$	(27,610,461	)		$	(27,609,598	)

 

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

 

F-5

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 

		Year Ended December 31,				For the Period from November 5, 2020 (Inception) Through December 31,
		2021				2020
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)		$	6,339,281			$	(1,000	)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities:
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities			(10,944,826	)			—
Interest earned on investments held in Trust Account			(31,251	)			—
Transaction costs associated with the Initial Public Offering			882,336				—
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses			(298,750	)			—
Accrued expenses			2,471,438				1,000
Net cash used in operating activities		$	(1,581,772	)		$	—
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Purchase of investments held in Trust Account			(345,000,000	)			—
Cash withdrawn from Trust Account to pay franchise and income taxes			11,667				—
Net cash used in investing activities		$	(344,988,333	)		$	—
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of Class B common stock to Sponsor			—				25,000
Proceeds from sale of Units, net of underwriting discounts paid			338,100,000				—
Proceeds from sale of Private Placement Warrants			9,400,000				—
Proceeds from promissory note – related party			252,000
Repayment of promissory note – related party			(252,000	)			—
Payment of offering costs			(441,464	)			—
Net cash provided by financing activities		$	347,058,536			$	25,000
Net Change in Cash			488,431				25,000
Cash – Beginning of period			25,000				—
Cash – End of period		$	513,431			$	25,000
Non-Cash investing and financing activities:
Offering costs included in accrued offering costs		$	—			$	64,331
Deferred underwriting fee payable		$	12,075,000			$	—

 

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

 

F-6

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS

 

Broadscale Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on November 5, 2020. The Company was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”).

 

The Company is not limited to a particular industry or sector for purposes of consummating a Business Combination. The Company is an early stage and emerging growth company and, as such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with early stage and emerging growth companies.

 

As of December 31, 2021, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from November 5, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2021 relates to the Company’s formation, the initial public offering (“Initial Public Offering”), which is described below, and subsequent to the Initial Public Offering, identifying a target for a Business Combination. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company generates non-operating income in the form of interest income from the proceeds derived from the investments held in the Trust Account, which is described below. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.

 

The registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on February 11, 2021. On February 17, 2021, the Company consummated the Initial Public Offering of 34,500,000 units (the “Units” and, with respect to the Class A common stock included in the Units sold, the “Public Shares”), which includes the full exercise by the underwriter of its over-allotment option in the amount of 4,500,000 Units, at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $345,000,000 which is described in Note 4.

 

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of 6,266,667 warrants (the “Private Placement Warrants”) at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant in a private placement to Nokomis ESG Sponsor, LLC (the “Sponsor”) generating gross proceeds of $9,400,000, which is described in Note 5.

 

Transaction costs amounted to $19,416,464, consisting of $6,900,000 in cash underwriting fees, $12,075,000 in deferred underwriting fees, and $441,464 of other offering costs.

 

Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering on February 17, 2021 including the full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option, an amount of $345,000,000 ($10.00 per Unit) from the net proceeds of the sale of the Units in the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants was placed in a trust account (the “Trust Account”), located in the United States and was invested only in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government Treasury obligations, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) the distribution of the funds held in the Trust Account, as described below.

 

F-7

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the sale of Private Placement Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a Business Combination successfully. The Company must complete one or more initial Business Combinations with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the Trust Account). The Company will only complete a 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 business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a Business Combination successfully.

 

The Company will provide the holders of the outstanding Public Shares (the “Public Stockholders”) with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek stockholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company. The Public Stockholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $10.00 per Public Share, plus any pro rata interest then in the Trust Account, net of taxes payable). There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of a Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants.

 

The Company will only proceed with a Business Combination if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 following any related redemptions and, if the Company seeks stockholder approval, a majority of the shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination. If a stockholder vote is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements and the Company does not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, the Company will, pursuant to its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements, or the Company decides to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If the Company seeks stockholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor has agreed to vote its Founder Shares (as defined in Note 6) and any Public Shares purchased during or after the Initial Public Offering in favor of approving a Business Combination. Additionally, each Public Stockholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares without voting, and if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company seeks stockholder approval of a Business Combination and it does not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Certificate of Incorporation will provide that a Public Stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the Public Shares, without the prior consent of the Company.

 

F-8

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

The Sponsor has agreed (a) to waive its redemption rights with respect to the Founder Shares and Public Shares held by it in connection with the completion of a Business Combination and (b) not to propose an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemptions in connection with a Business Combination or to redeem 100% of its Public Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period (as defined below) or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, unless the Company provides the Public Stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares in conjunction with any such amendment.

 

The Company will have until February 17, 2023 to complete a Business Combination (the “Combination Period”). If the Company has not completed a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to pay taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining stockholders and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to the Company’s warrants, which will expire worthless if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period.

 

The Sponsor has agreed to waive its liquidation rights with respect to the Founder Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. However, if the Sponsor acquires Public Shares in or after the Initial Public Offering, such Public Shares will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The underwriter has agreed to waive its rights to its deferred underwriting commission held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the other funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the assets remaining available for distribution will be less than the Initial Public Offering price per Unit ($10.00).

 

In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Sponsor has agreed to be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per Public Share and (ii) the actual amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, if less than $10.00 per Public Share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to monies held in the Trust Account nor will it apply to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriter of the Initial Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (except for the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account.

 

Liquidity and Going Concern

 

As of December 31, 2021, the Company had approximately $0.5 million in its operating bank account and a working capital deficit of approximately $1.7 million. In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, provide the Company Working Capital Loans (as defined below) (see Note 6). As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, there were no amounts outstanding under any Working Capital Loans.

 

The Company will need to raise additional capital through loans or additional investments from its Sponsor, stockholders, officers, directors, or third parties. The Company’s officers, directors and Sponsor may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion, to meet the Company’s working capital needs. Accordingly, the Company may not be able to obtain additional financing. If the Company is unable to raise additional capital, it may be required to take additional measures to conserve liquidity, which could include, but not necessarily be limited to, curtailing operations, suspending the pursuit of a potential transaction, and reducing overhead expenses. The Company cannot provide any assurance that new financing will be available to it on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a reasonable period of time, which is considered to be one year from the issuance date of the financial statements. These financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recovery of the recorded assets or the classification of the liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

 

In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern,” management has determined that if the Company is unable to raise additional funds to alleviate liquidity needs, obtain approval for an extension of the deadline or  complete a Business Combination, then the Company will cease all operations except for the purpose of liquidating. The liquidity condition and risk of not completing a Business Combination raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should the Company be required to liquidate. The Company intends to complete a Business Combination before the mandatory liquidation date or obtain approval for an extension.

 

F-9

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

NOTE 2. RESTATEMENT OF PREVIOUSLY ISSUED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Company previously accounted for its outstanding Public Warrants and Private Placement Warrants (collectively, with the Public Warrants, the “Warrants”) issued in connection with its Initial Public Offering as components of equity instead of as derivative liabilities. The warrant agreement governing the Warrants includes a provision that provides for potential changes to the settlement amounts dependent upon the characteristics of the holder of the Warrant. In addition, the warrant agreement includes a provision that in the event of a tender offer or exchange offer made to and accepted by holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of a single class of stock, all holders of the Warrants would be entitled to receive cash for their Warrants (the “tender offer provision”).

 

On April 12, 2021, the Acting Director of the Division of Corporation Finance and Acting Chief Accountant of the SEC together issued a statement regarding the accounting and reporting considerations for warrants issued by special purpose acquisition companies entitled “Staff Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants Issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”)” (the “SEC Statement”). Specifically, the SEC Statement focused on certain settlement terms and provisions related to certain tender offers following a business combination, which terms are similar to those contained in the warrant agreement.

 

In further consideration of the SEC Statement, the Company’s management further evaluated the Warrants under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Subtopic 815-40, Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity. ASC Section 815-40-15 addresses equity versus liability treatment and classification of equity-linked financial instruments, including warrants, and states that a warrant may be classified as a component of equity only if, among other things, the warrant is indexed to the issuer’s common stock. Under ASC Section 815-40-15, a warrant is not indexed to the issuer’s common stock if the terms of the warrant require an adjustment to the exercise price upon a specified event and that event is not an input to the fair value of the warrant. Based on management’s evaluation, the Company’s audit committee, in consultation with management, concluded that the Company’s Private Placement Warrants are not indexed to the Company’s common stock in the manner contemplated by ASC Section 815-40-15 because the holder of the instrument is not an input into the pricing of a fixed-for-fixed option on equity shares. In addition, based on management’s evaluation, the Company’s audit committee, in consultation with management, concluded that the tender offer provision fails the “classified in stockholders’ equity” criteria as contemplated by ASC Section 815-40-25.

 

As a result of the above, the Company should have classified the Warrants as derivative liabilities in its previously issued financial statement as of February 17, 2021. Under this accounting treatment, the Company is required to measure the fair value of the Warrants at the end of each reporting period as well as re-evaluate the treatment of the warrants and recognize changes in the fair value from the prior period in the Company’s operating results for the current period.

 

Therefore, in the Company’s unaudited condensed financial statements as of and for the three-month period ended March 31, 2021, the Company recorded a warrant liability and revised the original Form 8-K in the notes to such financial statements, which were filed with the SEC on June 11, 2021 in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three-month period ended March 31, 2021 (“Adjustment No. 1”).

 

In connection with the preparation of the Company’s unaudited condensed financial statements as of September 30, 2021, management identified errors made in its historical financial statements where, at the closing of the Company’s Initial Public Offering, the Company improperly valued its Class A common stock subject to possible redemption. In accordance with ASC 480, paragraph 10-S99, redemption provisions not solely within the control of the Company require common stock subject to redemption to be classified outside of permanent equity. The Company previously determined the Class A common stock subject to possible redemption to be equal to the redemption value of $10.00 per share of Class A common stock while also taking into consideration a redemption cannot result in net tangible assets being less than $5,000,001. Management determined that the Class A common stock issued during the Initial Public Offering can be redeemed or become redeemable subject to the occurrence of future events considered outside the Company’s control. Therefore, management concluded that the redemption value should include all shares of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption, resulting in the Class A common stock subject to possible redemption being equal to their redemption value. As a result, management has noted a restatement related to temporary equity and permanent equity. This resulted in a restatement of the initial carrying value of the Class A common stock subject to possible redemption with the offset recorded to additional paid-in capital (to the extent available), accumulated deficit and Class A common stock. There has been no change in the Company’s total assets, liabilities or operating results (“Adjustment No. 2”).

 

The impact of the restatements on the Company’s financial statements is reflected in the following table.

 

		As Originally Reported				Adjustment No. 1				Adjustment No. 2				As Restated
Balance Sheet as of February 17, 2021
Warrant liabilities		$	—			$	26,656,084			$	—			$	26,656,084
Total liabilities		$	12,201,450			$	26,656,084			$				$	38,857,534
Class A common stock subject to possible redemption		$	330,006,460			$	(26,656,084	)		$	41,649,624			$	345,000,000
Class A common stock		$	150			$	266			$	(416	)		$	—
Additional paid-in capital		$	5,001,063			$	2,699,403			$	(7,700,466	)			—
Accumulated deficit		$	(2,068	)		$	(2,699,669	)		$	(33,948,741	)		$	(36,650,478	)
Total Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)		$	5,000,008			$	—			$	(41,649,624	)		$	(36,649,616	)
Number of shares subject to redemption			33,000,646				(2,665,608	)			4,164,962				34,500,000

 

NOTE 3. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and pursuant to the accounting and disclosure rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

 

Emerging Growth Company

 

The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

 

F-10

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

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

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company’s 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 revenues and expenses during the reporting period.

 

Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have any cash equivalents as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.

 

Marketable Securities Held in Trust Account

 

The Company’s portfolio of investments held in the Trust Account is comprised of U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less, or investments in money market funds that invest in U.S. government securities, or a combination thereof. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, the assets held in the Trust Account were held in money market funds which are invested primarily in U.S. Treasury Securities.

 

Offering Costs

 

Offering costs consisted of legal, accounting and other expenses incurred through the Initial Public Offering that were directly related to the Initial Public Offering. Offering costs were allocated to the separable financial instruments issued in the Initial Public Offering based on a relative fair value basis, compared to total proceeds received. Offering costs associated with warrant liabilities were expensed as incurred in the statements of operations. Offering costs associated with the Class A common stock subject to possible redemption issued were initially charged to temporary equity and then accreted to common stock subject to redemption upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering.

 

Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption

 

The Company accounts for its Class A common stock subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Common stock subject to mandatory redemption is classified as a liability instrument and is measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable common stock (including common stock that features redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) is classified as temporary equity. At all other times, common stock is classified as stockholders’ equity. The Company’s Class A common stock features certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of the Company’s control and subject to occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, at December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Class A common stock subject to possible redemption of 34,500,000 shares and no shares, respectively, is presented as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ (deficit) equity section of the Company’s balance sheets.

 

The Company recognizes changes in redemption value immediately as they occur and adjusts the carrying value of redeemable common stock to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. Immediately upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company recognized the accretion from initial book value to redemption value. The change in the carrying value of redeemable Class A common stock resulted in charges against additional paid-in capital and accumulated deficit.

 

At December 31, 2021 the Class A common stock reflected in the balance sheets is reconciled in the following table:

 

Gross proceeds		$	345,000,000
Less:
Proceeds allocated to Public Warrants			(15,438,750	)
Class A common stock issuance costs			(18,534,129	)
Plus:
Accretion of carrying value to redemption value			33,972,879
Class A common stock subject to possible redemption		$	345,000,000

  

F-11

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

Warrant Liabilities

 

The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market, or foreign currency risks. The Company evaluates all of its financial instruments, including issued stock purchase warrants, to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives, pursuant to ASC 480 and FASB ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging” (“ASC 815”). The Company accounts for its Private Placement Warrants and Public Warrants (as defined in Note 3) (collectively, the “Warrants) as either equity-classified or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the warrant’s specific terms and applicable authoritative guidance in ASC 480, “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity” (“ASC 480”), and ASC 815, “Derivatives and Hedging” (“ASC 815”). The assessment considers whether the warrants are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, meet the definition of a liability pursuant to ASC 480, and whether the warrants meet all of the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether the warrants are indexed to the Company’s own common shares, among other conditions for equity classification. This assessment, which requires the use of professional judgment, is conducted at the time of warrant issuance and as of each subsequent quarterly period end date while the warrants are outstanding.

 

For issued or modified warrants that meet all of the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded as a component of additional paid-in capital at the time of issuance. For issued or modified warrants that do not meet all the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded at their initial fair value on the date of issuance, and each balance sheet date thereafter. Changes in the estimated fair value of the warrants are recognized as a non-cash gain or loss on the statements of operations. The fair value of the warrants was initially estimated using a binomial lattice model (see Note 11). For periods subsequent to the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units, the close price of the Public Warrants was used as the fair value of the Public Warrants as of each relevant date. The subsequent measurements and fair value of the Private Placement Warrants after the detachment of the Public Warrants was based on the closing price of the Public Warrants.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under ASC 740, “Income Taxes.” Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that included the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had deferred tax assets with a full valuation allowance recorded against them.

 

The Company’s current taxable income primarily consists of interest earned on the Trust Account. The Company’s general and administrative costs are generally considered start-up costs and are not currently deductible. During the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company recorded no income tax expense. The Company’s effective tax rates for the periods presented differ from the expected (statutory) rates due to start-up costs not being currently deductible, the recording of full valuation allowances on deferred tax assets and permanent differences.

 

ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of December 31, 2021 and 2020. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position. The Company is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception.

 

Net Income (Loss) per Common Share

 

Net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. The Company applies the two-class method in calculating earnings per share. Accretion associated with the redeemable shares of Class A common shares is excluded from earnings per share as the redemption value approximates fair value.

 

The calculation of diluted income (loss) per share does not consider the effect of the Warrants issued in connection with the (i) Initial Public Offering, and (ii) the private placement since the exercise of the Warrants is contingent upon the occurrence of future events. The Warrants are exercisable to purchase 6,266,667 Class A common shares in the aggregate. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company did not have any other dilutive securities or other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into common shares and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted net loss per common share is the same as basic net loss per common share for the periods presented.

 

F-12

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

The following table reflects the calculation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per common share (in dollars, except per share amounts):

 

		Year Ended December 31, 2021								For the Period from November 5, 2020 (Inception) through December 31, 2020
		Class A				Class B				Class A				Class B
Basic and diluted net income per common share
Numerator:
Allocation of net income (loss), as adjusted		$	4,941,301			$	1,397,980			$	—			$	(1,000	)
Denominator:
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding			29,963,014				8,477,055				—				7,500,000
Basic and diluted net income per common share		$	0.16			$	0.16			$	—			$	0.00

 

Concentration of Credit Risk

 

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of a cash account in a financial institution, which, at times, may exceed the Federal Depository Insurance Coverage of $250,000. The Company has not experienced losses on this account and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such account.

 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheets, primarily due to their short-term nature, except for the warrant liabilities (see Note 11).

 

Recent Accounting Standards

 

In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, “Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity” (“ASU 2020-06”), which simplifies accounting for convertible instruments by removing major separation models required under current U.S. GAAP. ASU 2020-06 removes certain settlement conditions that are required for equity contracts to qualify for the derivative scope exception and it also simplifies the diluted earnings per share calculation in certain areas. ASU 2020-06 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact, if any, that ASU 2020-06 would have on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.

 

NOTE 4. INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING

 

Pursuant to the Initial Public Offering, the Company sold 34,500,000 Units, which includes a full exercise by the underwriter of its overallotment option in the amount of 4,500,000 Units, at a price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one share of Class A common stock and one-fourth of one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”). Each whole Public Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment.

 

NOTE 5. PRIVATE PLACEMENT

 

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 6,266,667 Private Placement Warrants at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant ($9,400,000) from the Company in a private placement. Each Private Placement Warrant is exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants were added to the net proceeds from the Initial Public Offering held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants held in the Trust Account will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the Private Placement Warrants will expire worthless.

 

F-13

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

NOTE 6. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Founder Shares

 

In November 2020, the Sponsor purchased 150,000 shares (the “Founder Shares”) of the Company’s Class B common stock for an aggregate price of $25,000. On December 11, 2020, the Company effected a 47.91667-for-1 stock split and on February 11, 2021, the Company effected a stock dividend of 1.2 shares of Class B common stock for each share of Class B common stock outstanding prior to the dividend, resulting in 8,625,000 shares of Class B common stock being issued and outstanding. All share and per share amounts have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split and stock dividend.

 

The Sponsor has agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of a Business Combination and (B) subsequent to a Business Combination, (x) if the last reported sale price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after a Business Combination, or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the Public Stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.

 

Administrative Support Agreement

 

Commencing on February 12, 2021, the Company has agreed to pay the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor a total of $20,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services. Upon completion of the Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation, the Company will cease paying these monthly fees. The Company incurred and paid $220,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021. The Company did not incur any administrative services for the period from November 5, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020.

 

Due from Sponsor

 

At the closing of the Initial Public Offering on February 17, 2021 a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants in the amount of $2,124,125 was due to the Company to be held outside of the Trust Account for working capital purposes. The Company received the cash on February 18, 2021. As of December 31, 2021, there were no amounts due from the Sponsor.

 

Related Party Loans

 

In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company would repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans, but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such Working Capital Loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. The Working Capital Loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $2,000,000 of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-Business Combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant. The warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, there were no amounts outstanding under the Working Capital Loans.

 

NOTE 7. COMMITMENTS

 

Risks and Uncertainties

 

Management continues to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these financial statements. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

F-14

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

Registration Rights

 

Pursuant to a registration rights agreement entered into on February 11, 2021, the holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans (and any Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans and upon conversion of the Founder Shares) will be entitled to registration rights, requiring the Company to register such securities for resale (in the case of the Founder Shares, only after conversion to our Class A common stock). The holders of the majority of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of a Business Combination and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. The registration rights agreement does not contain liquidated damages or other cash settlement provisions resulting from delays in registering our securities. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

The underwriter is entitled to a deferred fee of $0.35 per Unit, or $12,075,000 in the aggregate. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriter from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that the Company completes a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.

 

Business Combination Agreement

 

On November 30, 2021, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Voltus, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Voltus”), and Velocity Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Broadscale (“Merger Sub”).

  

The Merger Agreement provides that, among other things and upon the terms and subject to the conditions thereof, the following transactions will occur (together with the other agreements and transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the “Business Combination”): (i) at the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the “Closing”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, in accordance with the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended, Merger Sub will merge with and into Voltus, the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub will cease and Voltus will be the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Merger”); (ii) at the Closing, the Company will be renamed “Voltus Technologies, Inc.” (post-Merger Company is referred to herein as “Voltus Technologies, Inc.”); (iii) as a result of the Merger, among other things, all shares of capital stock of Voltus outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger will be canceled in exchange for the right to receive shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (“Broadscale Common Stock”); (iv) as a result of the Merger, all Voltus equity awards outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger will be converted into awards based on Broadscale Common Stock, upon substantially the same terms and conditions as are in effect with respect to such option immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger; (v) at the Closing, the total number of shares of Broadscale Common Stock issuable to existing holders of Voltus capital stock or pursuant to the aforementioned converted equity awards shall be equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) $750,000,000 (subject to increase by an amount equal to the aggregate exercise prices of all converted equity awards) by (y) $10.00; and (vi) upon the Closing, existing holders of Voltus capital stock and equity awards will have the right to receive up to an aggregate of 10,000,000 additional shares of Broadscale Common Stock in three substantially equal tranches which are issuable upon the achievement of share price thresholds for Broadscale Common Stock of $12.50, $15.00 and $17.50, respectively, as set forth in the Merger Agreement.

 

Simultaneously with the execution of the Merger Agreement, the Company entered into subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) with certain investors (collectively, the “PIPE Investors”), pursuant to, and on the terms and subject to the conditions of which, the PIPE Investors have collectively subscribed at a purchase price of $10.00 per share and $100 million in the aggregate for (i) 10 million shares of Broadscale Common Stock and (ii) in the case of certain PIPE Investors purchasing in excess of a specified number of shares of Broadscale Common Stock, an aggregate of 6,200,000 warrants exercisable for shares of Broadscale Common Stock (the “PIPE Investment”). The PIPE Investment will be consummated substantially concurrently with the Closing. The Subscription Agreements will terminate with no further force and effect upon the earliest to occur of: (i) such date and time as the Merger Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms, (ii) the mutual written agreement of the parties to such Subscription Agreement, and (iii) September 30, 2022, if the Closing has not occurred on or before such date.

 

NOTE 8. STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY

 

Preferred Stock — The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, there were no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding.

 

F-15

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

Class A Common Stock — The Company is authorized to issue 100,000,000 shares of Class A common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of Class A common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. At December 31, 2021, there were 34,500,000 shares of Class A common stock issued and outstanding, including Class A common stock subject to possible redemption which are presented as temporary equity. At December 31, 2020, there were no shares of Class A common stock issued or outstanding. 

 

Class B Common Stock — The Company is authorized to issue 10,000,000 shares of Class B common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of Class B common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. On December 11, 2020, the Company effected a 47.91667-for-1 stock split and on February 11, 2021, the Company effected a stock dividend of 1.2 shares of Class B common stock for each share of Class B common stock outstanding prior to the dividend, resulting in 8,625,000 shares of Class B common stock being issued and outstanding. All share and per-share amounts have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split and stock dividend. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, there were 8,625,000 shares of Class B common stock issued and outstanding.

 

Holders of Class B common stock will vote on the election of directors prior to the consummation of a Business Combination. Holders of Class A common stock and holders of Class B common stock will vote together as a single class on all other matters submitted to a vote of stockholders except as otherwise required by law.

 

The shares of Class B common stock will automatically convert into Class A common stock concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of a Business Combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts offered in the Initial Public Offering and related to the closing of a Business Combination, the ratio at which shares of Class B common stock shall convert into shares of Class A common stock will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class B common stock agree to waive such adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all shares of Class B common stock will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of (i) the total number of all shares of common stock outstanding upon completion of the Initial Public Offering, plus (ii) all shares of Class A common stock and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with a Business Combination (excluding any shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in a Business Combination, and any private placement-equivalent warrants issued to the Sponsor or its affiliates upon conversion of loans made to the Company). The Company cannot determine at this time whether a majority of the holders of our Class B common stock at the time of any future issuance would agree to waive such adjustment to the conversion ratio.

 

NOTE 9. WARRANT LIABILITIES

 

Warrants — As of December 31, 2021, there were 8,625,000 Public Warrants outstanding. At December 31, 2020, there were no Public Warrants outstanding. Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole warrants will trade. The Public Warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination and (b) 12 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering. The Public Warrants will expire five years after the completion of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.

 

The Company will not be obligated to deliver any shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such Warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to the Company satisfying its obligations with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable and the Company will not be obligated to issue shares of Class A common stock upon exercise of a warrant unless Class A common stock issuable upon such warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the Warrants.

 

The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of a Business Combination, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective within 60 business days after the closing of a Business Combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock until the Warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement; provided that if the shares of Class A common stock are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange and, as such, do not satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its option, require holders of Public Warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event the Company so elects, the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but it will use its commercially reasonably efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. If a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants is not effective by the 60^th business day after the closing of a Business Combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption.

 

F-16

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00. Once the Public Warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the Public Warrants (except with respect to the Private Placement Warrants):

 

●

in whole and not in part;

 

●

at a price of $0.01 per warrant;

 

●

upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder; and

 

●

if, and only if, the last reported sale price of the Class A common stock for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending three trading days before the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders (the “Reference Value”) equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted).

 

If and when the Warrants become redeemable by the Company, the Company may exercise its redemption right even if the Company is unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

 

Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00. Once the Public Warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the Public Warrants:

 

●

in whole and not in part;

 

●

at $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption; provided that holders will be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of shares based on the redemption date and the fair market value of the Class A common stock;

 

●

if, and only if, the Reference Value equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted); and

 

●

if the Reference Value is less than $18.00 per share (as adjusted), the Private Placement Warrants must also be concurrently called for redemption on the same terms as the outstanding Public Warrants, as described above.

 

If the Company calls the Public Warrants for redemption, management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise the Public Warrants to do so on a “cashless basis,” as described in the warrant agreement. The exercise price and number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, except as described below, the Warrants will not be adjusted for issuance of Class A common stock at a price below its exercise price. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the warrants. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with the respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.

 

In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of a Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of Class A common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Company’s board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to the Sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any Founder Shares held by the Sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of a Business Combination on the date of the consummation of a Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the Company’s Class A common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company consummates a Business Combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $10.00 and $18.00 per share redemption trigger prices will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 100% and 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, respectively.

 

As of December 31, 2021, there were 6,266,667 Private Placement Warrants outstanding. At December 31, 2020, there were no Private Placement Warrants outstanding. The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants underlying the Units sold in the Initial Public Offering, except that the Private Placement Warrants and the Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination, subject to certain limited exceptions. Additionally, except as provided herein under “— Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00”, the Private Placement Warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis and be non-redeemable so long as they are held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees. If the Private Placement Warrants are held by someone other than the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the Public Warrants.

 

F-17

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

NOTE 10. INCOME TAX

 

The Company did not have any significant deferred tax assets or liabilities as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.

 

The Company’s net deferred tax assets are as follows:

 

		December 31,
		2021				2020
Deferred tax asset
Net operating loss carryforward		$	35,437				—
Organizational costs/Startup expenses			746,437			$	—
Total deferred tax asset			781,874				—
Valuation allowance			(781,874	)			—
Deferred tax asset, net of allowance		$	—			$	—

 

The income tax provision consists of the following:

  

		Year Ended December 31,				Period from November 5, 2020 (Inception) through December 31,
		2021				2020
Federal
Current		$	—			$	—
Deferred			(781,874	)			—
State
Current		$	—			$	—
Deferred			—				—
Change in valuation allowance			781,874				—
Income tax provision		$	—			$	—

 

As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had $35,437 and no U.S. federal and state net operating loss carryovers available to offset future taxable income, respectively.

 

In assessing the realization of the deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion of all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which temporary differences representing net future deductible amounts become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. After consideration of all of the information available, management believes that significant uncertainty exists with respect to future realization of the deferred tax assets and has therefore established a full valuation allowance. For the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period from November 5, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, the change in the valuation allowance was $781,874 and $0, respectively.

 

F-18

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

A reconciliation of the federal income tax rate to the Company’s effective tax rate at December 31, 2021 and 2020 is as follows:

 

		December 31,
		2021				2020
Statutory federal income tax rate			21.0	%			21.0	%
Deferred tax liability change in rate
Compensation expense			6.0	%			—
Change in fair value of public warrant liability			(42.3	)%			—
Transaction costs			2.9	%			—
Change in valuation allowance			12.4	%			—
Income tax provision			0.0	%			21.0	%

  

The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction in various state and local jurisdictions and is subject to examination by the various taxing authorities.

 

NOTE 11. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

 

The fair value of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities reflects management’s estimate of amounts that the Company would have received in connection with the sale of the assets or paid in connection with the transfer of the liabilities in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In connection with measuring the fair value of its assets and liabilities, the Company seeks to maximize the use of observable inputs (market data obtained from independent sources) and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs (internal assumptions about how market participants would price assets and liabilities). The following fair value hierarchy is used to classify assets and liabilities based on the observable inputs and unobservable inputs used in order to value the assets and liabilities:

 

Level 1:

Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. An active market for an asset or liability is a market in which transactions for the asset or liability occur with sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.

 

Level 2:

Observable inputs other than Level 1 inputs. Examples of Level 2 inputs include quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities and quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in markets that are not active.

 

Level 3:

Unobservable inputs based on our assessment of the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.

 

At December 31, 2021, assets held in the Trust Account were comprised of $345,019,584 in money market funds which are invested in U.S. Treasury Securities. Through December 31, 2021, the Company withdrew $11,667 of interest earned on the Trust Account to pay for taxes.

 

The following table presents information about the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2021 and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation inputs the Company utilized to determine such fair value:

 

Description		Level				December 31, 2021
Assets:
Investments held in Trust Account – U.S. Treasury Securities Money Market Fund			1			$	345,019,584
Liabilities:
Warrant Liability – Public Warrants			1			$	8,047,125
Warrant Liability – Private Placement Warrants			2			$	5,846,800

 

F-19

 

 

BROADSCALE ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

There were no assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2020.

 

The Warrants are accounted for as liabilities in accordance with ASC 815-40 and are presented within warrant liabilities in the accompanying balance sheets. The warrant liabilities are measured at fair value at inception and on a recurring basis, with changes in fair value presented within the change in fair value of warrant liabilities in the statements of operations.

 

As of February 17, 2021, the Warrants were valued using a binomial lattice model, which is considered to be a Level 3 fair value measurement. The binomial lattice model’s primary unobservable input utilized in determining the fair value of the Warrants is the expected volatility of the common stock. The expected volatility as of February 17, 2021 was derived from observable public warrant pricing on comparable ‘blank-check’ companies without an identified target. The subsequent measurements of the Public Warrants after the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units are classified as Level 1 due to the use of an observable market quote in an active market under the ticker SCLEW. For periods subsequent to the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units, the close price of the Public Warrant price was used as the fair value of the Warrants as of each relevant date. As the transfer of Placement Warrants to anyone outside of a small group of individuals who are permitted transferees would result in the Placement Warrants having substantially the same terms as the Public Warrants, the Company determined that the fair value of each Private Placement Warrant is equivalent to that of each Public Warrant. As such, the Private Placement Warrants are classified as Level 2.

 

The following table presents the changes in the fair value of level 3 warrant liability:

 

		Private Placement				Public Warrant				Total Level 3 Warrant Liabilities
Initial measurement on February 17, 2021			11,217,334				15,438,750				26,656,084
Change in valuation inputs or other assumptions			(3,948,000	)			(5,520,000	)			(9,468,000	)
Transfer to Level 1 on April 8, 2021			—				(9,918,750	)		$	(9,918,750	)
Transfer to Level 2 on June 30, 2021		$	(7,269,334	)		$	—			$	(7,269,334	)
Fair value as of December 31, 2021		$	—			$	—			$	—

 

NOTE 12. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

 

The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to the date that the financial statements were available to be issued. Based upon this review, other than as described below, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements. 

 

In February 2022, the Russian Federation and Belarus commenced a military action with the country of Ukraine. As a result of this action, various nations, including the United States, have instituted economic sanctions against the Russian Federation and Belarus. Further, the impact of this action and related sanctions on the world economy are not determinable as of the date of these financial statements. The specific impact on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows is also not determinable as of the date of these financial statements.

 

F-20