UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
For the quarterly period ended
OR
For the transition period from ___________ to ___________
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
(1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities 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 requirements
for the past 90 days. Yes ☐
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| ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ||
| Emerging growth company |
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As of November 14, 2024, there were
AQUARON ACQUISITION CORP.
FORM 10-Q FOR THE QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
i
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Condensed Financial Statements (Unaudited)
AQUARON ACQUISITION CORP.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
| September 30, 2024 (Unaudited) |
December 31, 2023 (Audited) |
|||||||
| Assets | ||||||||
| Current Assets | ||||||||
| Cash | $ | $ | ||||||
| Prepaid income tax | ||||||||
| Prepaid expenses | ||||||||
| Total Current Assets | ||||||||
| Noncurrent Assets | ||||||||
| Deferred income tax asset | ||||||||
| Investments held in Trust Account | ||||||||
| Total Noncurrent Assets | ||||||||
| Total Assets | $ | $ | ||||||
| Liabilities, Redeemable Common Stock and Stockholders’ Deficit | ||||||||
| Current Liabilities | ||||||||
| Other payable – related party | $ | $ | ||||||
| Other payable - Huture | ||||||||
| Accounts payable and accrued expenses | ||||||||
| Franchise tax payable | ||||||||
| Income tax payable | ||||||||
| Excise tax payable | ||||||||
| Promissory note – related party | ||||||||
| Promissory note – Huture | ||||||||
| Promissory note – Bestpath | ||||||||
| Total Current Liabilities | ||||||||
| Deferred underwriting fee payable | ||||||||
| Total Liabilities | ||||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies (Note 6) | ||||||||
| Common stock subject to possible redemption, $ |
||||||||
| Stockholders’ Deficit | ||||||||
| Common stock, $ |
||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | ||||||||
| Accumulated deficit | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||
| Total Stockholders’ Deficit | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||
| Total Liabilities, Redeemable Common Stock and Stockholders’ Deficit | $ | $ | ||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
1
AQUARON ACQUISITION CORP.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
| Three months ended September 30, | Nine months ended September 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
| Franchise tax expenses | ||||||||||||||||
| Loss from operations | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Interest earned on investment held in Trust Account | ||||||||||||||||
| Unrealized (loss) gain on investments held in Trust Account | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||
| Income before income taxes | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
| Income taxes provision | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Deferred income taxes benefit (provision) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||||||
| Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding, redeemable common stock | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income per share, redeemable common stock | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding, non-redeemable common stock | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share, non-redeemable common stock | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
2
AQUARON ACQUISITION CORP.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
For the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024
| Common Stock | Accumulated | Total Stockholders’ | ||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Deficit | Deficit | |||||||||||||
| Balance as of January 1, 2024 | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||||||||
| Accretion of common stock to redemption value | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||||||
| Net income | — | |||||||||||||||
| Balance as of March 31, 2024 | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||||||||
| Accretion of common stock to redemption value | — | |||||||||||||||
| Excise tax liability | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||||||
| Net income | — | |||||||||||||||
| Balance as of June 30, 2024 | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||||||||
| Accretion of common stock to redemption value | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||||||
| Net income | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||||||
| Balance as of September 30, 2024 | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||||||||
For the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
| Common Stock | Additional Paid-in | Retained Earnings (Accumulated | Total Stockholders’ Equity | |||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Capital | Deficit) | (Deficit) | ||||||||||||||||
| Balance as of January 1, 2023 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||
| Accretion of common stock to redemption value | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||
| Net income | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| Balance as of March 31, 2023 | $ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Accretion of common stock to redemption value | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||||||||
| Excise tax liability | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||
| Net income | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| Balance as of June 30, 2023 | $ | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||
| Accretion of common stock to redemption value | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||
| Net income | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| Balance as of September 30, 2023 | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
3
AQUARON ACQUISITION CORP.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
| Nine Months Ended September 30, | ||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| Cash flows from operating activities: | ||||||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
| Interest earned on investment held in Trust Account | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Unrealized gain on investments held in Trust Account | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Deferred income tax provision (benefit) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
| Other payable-related party | ||||||||
| Other payable - Huture | — | |||||||
| Prepaid expenses | ( | ) | ||||||
| Accounts payable and accrued expenses | ||||||||
| Franchise tax payable | ||||||||
| Income tax payable | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Cash Flows from investing activities: | ||||||||
| Cash deposited into Trust Account | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Cash withdrawn from Trust Account to pay taxes | ||||||||
| Cash withdrawn from Trust Account for public stockholder redemption | ||||||||
| Net cash provided by investing activities | ||||||||
| Cash Flows from financing activities: | ||||||||
| Proceeds from promissory note- related party | ||||||||
| Proceeds from promissory note- Bestpath | ||||||||
| Proceeds from promissory note- Huture | ||||||||
| Payment of public stockholder redemption | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Net change in cash | ( | ) | ||||||
| Cash, beginning of the period | ||||||||
| Cash, end of the period | $ | $ | ||||||
| Supplemental Disclosure of Non-cash Financing Activities | ||||||||
| Accretion of common stock to redemption value | $ | $ | ||||||
| Excise tax payable charged against retained earnings | $ | $ | ||||||
| Promissory notes issued for the tax paid by Sponsor | $ | $ | ||||||
| Other payable due to related party converted to promissory note | $ | $ | ||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
4
AQUARON ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations
Aquaron Acquisition Corp. (“Aquaron”
or the “Company”) is a newly organized blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation on
Although the Company is not limited to a particular industry or sector for purposes of consummating a Business Combination, the Company intends to focus on operating business in the new energy sector. 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 September 30, 2024, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activities through September 30, 2024 are related to the Company’s formation and the initial public offering (“IPO” as defined below), and subsequent to the IPO, identifying a target company for an initial business combination. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of a Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income and investment gains from the proceeds derived from the IPO. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The Company’s sponsor is Aquaron Investments LLC (the “Sponsor”), a Delaware limited liability company.
The registration statement for the Company’s
IPO became effective on October 3, 2022. On October 6, 2022, the Company consummated the IPO of
The Company granted the underwriter a
A total of $
5
Pursuant to Nasdaq listing rules, the Company’s
initial Business Combination must occur with one or more target businesses having an aggregate fair market value equal to at least
The Company will provide its 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 solely in its discretion. 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 $
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 law and the Company does not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, the Company will, pursuant to its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation”), conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or the Company decides to obtain stockholder approval for business or legal reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. If the Company seeks stockholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the Company’s Sponsor and any of the Company’s officers or directors that may hold Insider Shares (as defined in Note 5) (the “Initial Stockholders”) and Chardan have agreed (a) to vote their Insider Shares, Private Shares (as defined in Note 4) and any Public Shares purchased during or after the IPO in favor of approving a Business Combination and (b) not to convert any shares (including the Insider Shares) in connection with a stockholder vote to approve, or sell the shares to the Company in any tender offer in connection with, a proposed Business Combination.
The Initial Stockholders and Chardan have agreed
(a) to waive their redemption rights with respect to the Insider Shares, Private Shares and Public Shares held by them in connection with
the completion of a Business Combination and (b) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem
Initially, the Company had until 9 months from
the closing of the IPO to consummate a Business Combination. In addition, if the Company anticipates that it may not be able to consummate
initial business combination within 9 months, the Company’s insiders or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, extend the
period of time to consummate a business combination two times by an additional three months each time (for a total of 12 or 15 months
to complete a business combination) (the “Combination Period”). In order to extend the time available for the Company to consummate
a Business Combination, the Sponsor or its affiliate or designees must deposit into the Trust Account $
6
Merger Agreement
On March 23, 2023, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Bestpath Merger Agreement”), with Bestpath (Shanghai) IoT Technology Co., Ltd. (轻程（上海）物联网科技有限公司), a PRC limited liability company (“Bestpath”) and several other parties. Subsequent to the signing of the Bestpath Merger Agreement, Bestpath undertook certain reorganization to consolidate and concentrate its business (the “Reorganization”). In light of the Reorganization, as agreed by the parties, the Bestpath Merger Agreement was terminated pursuant to Section 11.1 thereunder on July 12, 2024, to allow the parties to enter into a new business combination agreement to accommodate the Reorganization.
On July 12, 2024, Aquaron entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (as amended from time to time, the “Agreement”) with (i) HUTURE Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company (“Huture”), (ii) HUTURE Group Limited, an exempted company incorporated in Cayman Islands and a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Huture (“PubCo”), (iii) Bestpath Merger Sub I Limited, an exempted company incorporated in Cayman Islands and a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of PubCo (“Merger Sub 1”), and (iv) Bestpath Merger Sub II Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of PubCo (“Merger Sub 2” and, together with PubCo and Merger Sub 1, each an “Acquisition Entity” and collectively, the “Acquisition Entities”).
Pursuant to the Agreement and subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, (i) Merger Sub 1 will merge with and into Huture (the “Initial Merger”) whereby the separate existence of Merger Sub 1 will cease and Huture will be the surviving corporation of the Initial Merger and become a wholly owned subsidiary of PubCo, and (ii) following confirmation of the effective filing of the Initial Merger, Merger Sub 2 will merge with and into the Company (the “SPAC Merger”, and together with the Initial Merger, the “Mergers”), the separate existence of Merger Sub 2 will cease and the Company will be the surviving corporation of the SPAC Merger and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of PubCo.
The Mergers implies a current equity value of
Huture at $
Extension Meetings
On June 28, 2023, the Company held a special meeting
of stockholders, at which the Company’s stockholders approved (i) an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated certificate
of incorporation (the “Extension Amendment”) and (ii) an amendment (the “Trust Amendment”) to the Investment Management
Trust Agreement, dated October 3, 2022, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company to allow the Company
to extend the Business Combination Period for a period of three months from July 6, 2023 to October 6, 2023, plus an option for the Company
to further extend such date to January 6, 2024, and then on a monthly basis up to four times from January 6, 2024 to May 6, 2024 by depositing
into the trust account $
On June 29, 2023, October 4, 2023 and December
29, 2023, Bestpath (Shanghai) IoT Technology Co., Ltd. (“Bestpath”, see Merger Agreement below) provided loans by depositing
in the Trust Account $
On August 6, 2024, September 4, 2024, October
2, 2024 and November 5, 2024, the Company issued an unsecured promissory note of $
On April 30, 2024, the Company held an annual
stockholder meeting, at which the Company’s stockholders approved (i) an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated certificate
of incorporation and (ii) an amendment to the Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated October 3, 2022 and amended on June 28, 2023,
by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company to allow the Company to extend the Business Combination
Period for up to twelve months on a monthly basis from May 6, 2024 to May 6, 2025 by depositing into the trust account $
7
If the Company is unable to complete 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and
less up to $
The Sponsor and Chardan have agreed to waive their
liquidation rights with respect to the Insider Shares and Private Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within
the Combination Period. However, if the Sponsor or Chardan acquires Public Shares in or after the IPO, 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 underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission (see Note 6) held in the Trust Account
in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within in 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
$
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 vendor 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 $
Going Concern Consideration
As of September 30, 2024, the Company had $
The Company has now until December 6, 2024 to consummate a Business Combination. It is uncertain that the Company 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. The Company expects to continue to incur significant professional costs to remain as a publicly traded company and to incur significant transaction costs in pursuit of the consummation of a Business Combination. The Company may need to obtain additional financing either to complete its Business Combination or because it becomes obligated to redeem a significant number of public shares upon consummation of its Business Combination, in which case the Company may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such Business Combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, the Company would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our Business Combination. If the Company is unable to complete its Business Combination because it does not have sufficient funds available, it will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the Trust Account. In addition, following the Business Combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, the Company may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet its obligations.
8
In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Financial Accounting Standard Board’s 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 complete a Business Combination by December 6, 2024 (unless the Company extends the time to complete a Business Combination), then the Company will cease all operations except for the purpose of liquidating. The date for liquidation and subsequent dissolution raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statement does not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Risks and Uncertainties
Management has evaluated the impact of persistent inflation and rising interest rates, financial market instability, including the recent bank failures, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and certain geopolitical events, including the conflict in Ukraine and the surrounding region, as well as delisting issue for non-compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules, and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the risks and uncertainties related to or resulting from these events 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 unaudited condensed financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of these risks and uncertainties.
On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act
of 2022 (the “IR Act”) was signed into federal law. The IR Act provides for, among other things, a new U.S. federal
Any redemption or other repurchase that occurs after December 31, 2022, in connection with a Business Combination, extension vote or otherwise, may be subject to the excise tax. Whether and to what extent the Company would be subject to the excise tax in connection with a Business Combination, extension vote or otherwise would depend on a number of factors, including (i) the fair market value of the redemptions and repurchases in connection with the Business Combination, extension or otherwise, (ii) the structure of a Business Combination, (iii) the nature and amount of any “PIPE” or other equity issuances in connection with a Business Combination (or otherwise issued not in connection with a Business Combination but issued within the same taxable year of a Business Combination) and (iv) the content of regulations and other guidance from the Treasury. In addition, because the excise tax would be payable by the Company and not by the redeeming holder, the mechanics of any required payment of the excise tax have not been determined. The foregoing could cause a reduction in the cash available on hand to complete a Business Combination and in the Company’s ability to complete a Business Combination.
At this time, it has been determined that the IR Act
tax provisions have an impact to the Company’s fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2024 tax provision as there were redemptions by the public
stockholders in June 2023 and May 2024; as a result, the Company recorded $
9
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited financial statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. Accordingly, they include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal accruals) considered for a fair presentation have been included. The interim results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected through December 31, 2024 or for any future periods. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on May 3, 2024.
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.
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 that is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company that has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Use of Estimates
In preparing these unaudited financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP, the Company’s management makes 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 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.
10
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 had $
Investments Held in Trust Account
The Company’s portfolio of investments held
in the Trust Account is comprised of investments in money market funds that invest in U.S. government securities. The Company’s
investments held in the Trust Account are classified as trading securities. Trading securities are presented on the balance sheet at fair
value at the end of each reporting period. Gains and losses resulting from the change in fair value of investments held in Trust Account
are included in interest earned on marketable securities held in Trust Account in the accompanying statements of operations. The estimated
fair value of investments held in the Trust Account is determined using available market information. As of September 30, 2024 and December
31, 2023, the Trust Account had balance of $
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under ASC 740, “Income Taxes.” ASC 740, Income Taxes, requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for both the expected impact of differences between the unaudited condensed financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for the expected future tax benefit to be derived from tax loss and tax credit carry forwards. ASC 740 additionally requires a valuation allowance to be established when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized.
The Company’s effective tax rate was (
| September 30, | December 31, | |||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| Deferred tax asset (liability) | ||||||||
| Startup/Organization Expenses | $ | $ | ||||||
| Amortization of startup cost | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Unrealized gain on investments held in Trust Account | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Total deferred tax asset (liability) | ||||||||
| Valuation allowance | ( | ) | ||||||
| Deferred tax asset, net of allowance | $ | $ | ||||||
ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. ASC 740 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim period, disclosure and transition.
While ASC 740 identifies usage of an effective annual tax rate for purposes of an interim provision, it does allow for estimating individual elements in the current period if they are significant, unusual or infrequent. Computing the effective tax rate for the Company is complicated due to the potential impact of the timing of any Business Combination expenses and the actual interest income that will be recognized during the year. The Company has taken a position as to the calculation of income tax expense in a current period based on ASC 740-270-25-3 which states, “If an entity is unable to estimate a part of its ordinary income (or loss) or the related tax (benefit) but is otherwise able to make a reasonable estimate, the tax (or benefit) applicable to the item that cannot be estimated shall be reported in the interim period in which the item is reported.” The Company believes its calculation to be a reliable estimate and allows it to properly take into account the usual elements that can impact its annualized book income and its impact on the effective tax rate. As such, the Company is computing its taxable income (loss) and associated income tax provision based on actual results through September 30, 2024.
11
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 September 30, 2024. 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 has identified the United States as its only “major” tax jurisdiction. The Company may be subject to potential examination by federal and state taxing authorities in the areas of income taxes. These potential examinations may include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions and compliance with federal and state tax laws. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.
Net Income (Loss) Per Share
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of FASB ASC 260, Earnings Per Share. The statements of operations include a presentation of income (loss) per redeemable share and income (loss) per non-redeemable share following the two-class method of income per share. In order to determine the net income (loss) attributable to both the redeemable shares and non-redeemable shares, the Company first considered the undistributed income (loss) allocable to both the redeemable shares and non-redeemable shares and the undistributed income (loss) is calculated using the total net loss less any dividends paid. The Company then allocated the undistributed income (loss) ratably based on the weighted average number of shares outstanding between the redeemable and non-redeemable shares. Any remeasurement of the accretion to redemption value of the common shares subject to possible redemption was considered to be dividends paid to the public shareholders. As of September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into ordinary shares and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per share is the same as basic loss per share for the period presented.
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||||||
| Accretion of common stock to redemption value(1) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Net loss including accretion of common stock to redemption value | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||
| Three Months Ended September 30, 2024 | Three Months Ended September 30, 2023 | |||||||||||||||
| Redeemable shares | Non- redeemable shares | Redeemable shares | Non- redeemable shares | |||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income (loss) per common stock | ||||||||||||||||
| Numerator: | ||||||||||||||||
| Allocation of net loss | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||
| Accretion of common stock to redemption value(1) | ||||||||||||||||
| Allocation of net income (loss) | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Denominator: | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income (loss) per common stock | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | ||||||||
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| Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024 | Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 | |||||||||||||||
| Redeemable shares | Non- redeemable shares | Redeemable shares | Non- redeemable shares | |||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income (loss) per common stock | ||||||||||||||||
| Numerator: | ||||||||||||||||
| Allocation of net loss | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||
| Accretion of common stock to redemption value(1) | ||||||||||||||||
| Allocation of net income (loss) | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Denominator: | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income (loss) per common stock | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | ||||||||
| (1) |
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 $
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC 825, “Financial Instruments,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption
The Company accounts for its 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 (if any) are classified as a liability instrument and are measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable common stock (including common stock that feature redemption rights that is 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 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, common stock subject to possible redemption is presented at redemption value as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ equity section of the Company’s balance sheet.
The Company has made a policy election in accordance
with ASC 480-10-S99-3A and recognizes changes in redemption value in accumulated deficit over an expected 12-month period leading up to
a Business Combination. As of September 30, 2024, the Company recorded $
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| Gross proceeds | $ | |||
| Less: | ||||
| Proceeds allocated to public rights | ( | ) | ||
| Allocation of offering costs related to redeemable shares | ( | ) | ||
| Plus: | ||||
| Accretion of carrying value to redemption value | ||||
| Common stock subject to possible redemption- December 31, 2022 | ||||
| Plus: | ||||
| Accretion of carrying value to redemption value – for the year ended December 31, 2023 | ||||
| Redeemed common stock payable to public stockholders | ( | ) | ||
| Common stock subject to possible redemption- December 31, 2023 | ||||
| Plus: | ||||
| Accretion of carrying value to redemption value - nine months ended September 30, 2024 | ||||
| Redeemed common stock payable to public stockholders | ( | ) | ||
| Common stock subject to possible redemption- September 30, 2024 | $ |
Convertible Promissory Note
The Company elects an early adoption of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 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) (“ASU 2020-06”) and accounts for its convertible promissory notes as debt (liability) on the balance sheet. The Company’s assessment of the embedded conversion feature (see Note 5 - Related Party Transactions) considers the derivative scope exception guidance under ASC 815 pertaining to equity classification of contracts in an entity’s own equity. The conversion feature of these promissory notes meets the definition of a derivative instrument. However, bifurcation of conversion feature from the debt host is not required because the conversion feature meets ASC 815 scope exception, as the promissory notes are convertible in shares of the Company’s common stock which is considered indexed to the Company’s own stock and classified in stockholders’ equity.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-09”). This ASU requires that public business entities must annually “(1) disclose specific categories in the rate reconciliation and (2) provide additional information for reconciling items that meet a quantitative threshold (if the effect of those reconciling items is equal to or greater than 5 percent of the amount computed by multiplying pretax income or loss by the applicable statutory income tax rate).” A public entity should apply the amendments in ASU 2023-09 prospectively to all annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The Company is currently assessing the impact, if any, that ASU 2023-09 would have on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
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Note 3 — Initial Public Offering
On October 6, 2022, the Company sold
All of the
The Company’s redeemable common stock is subject to SEC and its staff’s guidance on redeemable equity instruments, which has been codified in ASC 480-10-S99. If it is probable that the equity instrument will become redeemable, the Company has the option to either accrete changes in the redemption value over the period from the date of issuance (or from the date that it becomes probable that the instrument will become redeemable, if later) to the earliest redemption date of the instrument or to recognize changes in the redemption value immediately as they occur and adjust the carrying amount of the instrument to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period.
The Company has made a policy election in accordance with ASC 480-10-S99-3A and recognizes changes in redemption value in additional paid-in capital (or accumulated deficit in the absence of additional paid-in capital) over an expected 12-month period leading up to a Business Combination.
Note 4 — Private Placement
Simultaneously with the closing of the IPO on
October 6, 2022, the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions
Insider Shares
On April 1, 2021, the Company issued
The Initial Stockholders have agreed, subject
to certain limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Insider Shares until, with respect to
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Promissory Note — Related Party
On February 8, 2023, February 23, 2023 and March
31, 2023, the Sponsor provided the Company a loan of $
Due to Related Party
The Company received additional funds from the
Sponsor at the closing of IPO to finance transaction costs in connection with searching for a target business. On June 26, 2023, $
Promissory Note — Bestpath
On June 29, 2023 and October 3, 2023, Bestpath
provided a loan of $
Promissory Note — Huture
On August 2, 2024, August 30, 2024 and September 30,
2024, Huture deposited into trust account of $
Note 6 — Commitments and Contingencies
Registration Rights
The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Units (and all underlying securities), and any shares that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement signed on the effective date of IPO. The holders of the majority of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands that the Company register such securities. The holders of the majority of the Founder Shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which the Founder Shares are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the Private Units and units issued in payment of working capital loans made to the Company can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing on the date that the Company consummates a Business Combination. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the consummation of a Business Combination. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
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Underwriting Agreement
The Company has granted the underwriters a
The underwriters were paid a cash underwriting
discount of $
Unit Purchase Option
On October 6, 2022, the Company sold to Chardan
(and/or its designees), for $
Note 7 — Stockholders’ Equity
Common Stock — The
Company is authorized to issue
Rights — Each holder of a right will receive one-fifth (1/5) of one share of common stock upon consummation of a Business Combination, even if the holder of such right redeemed all shares held by it in connection with a Business Combination. No fractional shares will be issued upon conversion of the rights. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive its additional shares upon consummation of a Business Combination, as the consideration related thereto has been included in the Unit purchase price paid for by investors in the Initial Public Offering. If the Company enters into a definitive agreement for a Business Combination in which the Company will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the common stock will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into common stock basis and each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert its rights in order to receive one-fifth (1/5) of one share underlying each right (without paying additional consideration). The shares issuable upon conversion of the rights will be freely tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of the Company).
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 rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of a Business Combination. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.
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Note 8 — 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. |
| September 30, 2024 |
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) |
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) |
Significant Other Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) |
|||||||||||||
| Assets | ||||||||||||||||
| Marketable securities held in the Trust Account | ||||||||||||||||
| December 31, 2023 |
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) |
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) |
Significant Other Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) |
|||||||||||||
| Assets | ||||||||||||||||
| Marketable securities held in the Trust Account | ||||||||||||||||
Note 9 — 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 issued. Based on the review, management identified the following subsequent events that would have required disclosure in the condensed financial statements.
On November 5, 2024, the Company issued an unsecured
promissory note of $
On November 4, 2024, the Company received a decision letter from the Nasdaq Hearings Panel (“Panel”) granting the Company’s request to continue its listing on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”), subject to the condition that, on or before February 24, 2025, the Company shall demonstrate compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5505 (the “Rule”). This decision follows the Company’s hearing before the Panel on October 17, 2024, regarding its non-compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(3) (the “Minimum Public Holders Rule”). In its written notice, the Panel stated that during the granted exception period the Company must promptly notify the Panel of any significant developments, particularly any event, condition or circumstance that may impact its ability to meet the terms of the exception granted by the Panel and that the Panel reserves the right to reconsider the granted exception in such an instance.
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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Statements
References to the “Company,” “Aquaron,” “our,” “us” or “we” refer to Aquaron Acquisition Corp. The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the unaudited interim condensed financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this report. As well as the Company’s 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on May 3, 2024. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. Factors that might cause or contribute to such a discrepancy include, but are not limited to, those described in our other U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings.
Overview
We are a blank check company formed under the laws of the State of Delaware in March 2021. We were formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination. Our efforts to identify a target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region, although we intend to focus on operating businesses in the new energy sector. We affirmatively exclude as an initial business combination target any company of which financial statements are audited by an accounting firm that the PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years beginning in 2021 and any target company with China operations consolidated through a VIE structure. We intend to utilize cash derived from the proceeds of our IPO and the private placement of Private Units, our securities, debt or a combination of cash, securities and debt, in effecting our initial Business Combination.
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.
Risks and Uncertainties
Management has evaluated the impact of persistent inflation and rising interest rates, financial market instability, including the recent bank failures, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and certain geopolitical events, including the conflict in Ukraine and the surrounding region, and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the risks and uncertainties related to or resulting from these events 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 condensed financial statements. The unaudited condensed financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of these risks and uncertainties.
On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IR Act”) was signed into federal law. The IR Act provides for, among other things, a new U.S. federal 1% excise tax on certain repurchases (including redemptions) of stock by publicly traded domestic (i.e., U.S.) corporations and certain domestic subsidiaries of publicly traded foreign corporations. The excise tax is imposed on the repurchasing corporation itself, not its shareholders from which shares are repurchased. The amount of the excise tax is generally 1% of the fair market value of the shares repurchased at the time of the repurchase. However, for purposes of calculating the excise tax, repurchasing corporations are permitted to net the fair market value of certain new stock issuances against the fair market value of stock repurchases during the same taxable year. In addition, certain exceptions apply to the excise tax. The U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury”) has been given authority to provide regulations and other guidance to carry out and prevent the abuse or avoidance of the excise tax. The IR Act applies only to repurchases that occur after December 31, 2022.
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At this time, it has been determined that the IR Act tax provisions have an impact to the Company’s fiscal 2023 income tax provision as there were redemptions by the public stockholders in June 2023 and May 2024; as a result, the Company recorded $259,438 and $231,769 excise tax liability as of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024, respectively. Total excise tax liability of $491,207 was outstanding as of September 30, 2024. During the second quarter 2024, the Internal Revenue Service issued final regulations with respect to the timing and payment of the Excise Tax. Pursuant to those regulations, the Company would need to file a return and remit payment for any liability incurred during the period from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023 on or before October 31, 2024. The Company will continue to monitor for updates to the Company’s business along with guidance issued with respect to the IR Act to determine whether any adjustments are needed to the Company’s tax provision in future periods.
Recent Developments
As previously disclosed, Aquaron Acquisition Corp. entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Bestpath Merger Agreement”) on March 23, 2023, with Bestpath (Shanghai) IoT Technology Co., Ltd. (轻程（上海）物联网科技有限公司), a PRC limited liability company (“Bestpath”) and several other parties. Subsequent to the signing of the Bestpath Merger Agreement, Bestpath undertook certain reorganization to consolidate and concentrate its business (the “Reorganization”). In light of the Reorganization, as agreed by the parties, the Bestpath Merger Agreement was terminated pursuant to Section 11.1 thereunder on July 12, 2024, to allow the parties to enter into a new business combination agreement to accommodate the Reorganization.
On July 12, 2024, Aquaron entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (as amended from time to time, the “Agreement”) with (i) HUTURE Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company (“Huture”), (ii) HUTURE Group Limited, an exempted company incorporated in Cayman Islands and a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Huture (“PubCo”), (iii) Bestpath Merger Sub I Limited, an exempted company incorporated in Cayman Islands and a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of PubCo (“Merger Sub 1”), and (iv) Bestpath Merger Sub II Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of PubCo (“Merger Sub 2” and, together with PubCo and Merger Sub 1, each an “Acquisition Entity” and collectively, the “Acquisition Entities”). All capitalized terms used in this section and not defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Agreement.
Pursuant to the Agreement and subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, (i) Merger Sub 1 will merge with and into Huture (the “Initial Merger”) whereby the separate existence of Merger Sub 1 will cease and Huture will be the surviving corporation of the Initial Merger and become a wholly owned subsidiary of PubCo, and (ii) following confirmation of the effective filing of the Initial Merger, Merger Sub 2 will merge with and into the Company (the “SPAC Merger”, and together with the Initial Merger, the “Mergers”), the separate existence of Merger Sub 2 will cease and the Company will be the surviving corporation of the SPAC Merger and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of PubCo.
The Mergers implies a current equity value of Huture at $1.0 billion prior to the closing of the Mergers (the “Closing”). As a result of the Mergers, among other things, (i) each outstanding share in Huture shall automatically be cancelled, and in exchange for the right to receive newly issued ordinary shares in PubCo (“PubCo Ordinary Shares”) at the Company Exchange Ratio; (ii) each outstanding SPAC Unit will be automatically detached; (iii) each unredeemed outstanding share of SPAC Common Stock will be cancelled in exchange for the right to receive one PubCo Ordinary Share, (iv) each outstanding SPAC Right will be cancelled and cease to exist in exchange for one-fifth (1/5) PubCo Ordinary Share, and (v) each SPAC UPO will automatically be cancelled and cease to exist in exchange for one (1) PubCo UPO. Each outstanding PubCo Ordinary Share will have a value at the time of the Closing of $10.00.
Following the Closing and in addition to the Merger Consideration Shares, PubCo is entitled to (a) set up an equity incentive pool, representing 15% of the share capital of the PubCo on a post-Closing fully diluted basis, (b) issue an aggregate of up to10,000,000 PubCo Ordinary Shares (the “Earnout Shares”) to Huture’s shareholders who hold Huture’s shares as of immediately prior to the effective time of the Initial Merger on a pro rata basis, and (c) issue an aggregate of up to 10,000,000 PubCo Ordinary Shares to eligible participants including directors, officers and employees of Huture under a share incentive plan to be established then (the “Earnout Incentive Plan”). The issuance of the Earnout Shares and the shares under the Earnout Incentive Plan will be subject to satisfaction of certain milestones (based on the achievement of certain targets of consolidated revenue for the fiscal year of 2024 and 2025).
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Additional Agreements Executed in Connection With the Agreement
Huture Voting and Support Agreement
Concurrently with the execution of the Agreement, certain shareholders of Huture, representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the equity interests in Huture, have entered into a voting and support agreement with Huture, each of the Acquisition Entities and Aquaron, pursuant to which each such holder agrees to, among other things, vote in favor of the transactions contemplated by the Agreement. The Huture voting and support agreement signed together with the Bestpath Merger Agreement terminated concurrently with the termination of the Bestpath Merger Agreement.
Sponsor Support Agreement
Concurrently with the execution of the Agreement, Sponsor has entered into and delivered a support agreement, pursuant to which the Sponsor has agreed, among others, to vote in favor of the Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereunder at the SPAC Special Meeting in accordance with the Insider Letter. The sponsor voting and support agreement signed together with the Bestpath Merger Agreement terminated concurrently with the termination of the Bestpath Merger Agreement.
Extension Meetings
On June 28, 2023, the Company held a special meeting of stockholders, at which the Company’s stockholders approved (i) an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation (the “Extension Amendment”) and (ii) an amendment (the “Trust Amendment”) to the Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated October 3, 2022, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company to allow the Company to extend the Business Combination Period for a period of 3 months from July 6, 2023 to October 6, 2023, plus an option for the Company to further extend such date to January 6, 2024, and then on a monthly basis up to four times from January 6, 2024 to May 6, 2024. In connection with the stockholders’ vote at the special meeting, an aggregate of 2,487,090 shares with redemption value of approximately $25,943,773 (or $10.43 per share) of the Company’s common stock were tendered for redemption.
On April 30, 2024, we held an annual stockholder meeting, at which the Company’s stockholders approved (i) an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation and (ii) an amendment to the Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated October 3, 2022 and amended on June 28, 2023, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company to allow the Company to extend the Business Combination Period for up to twelve months on a monthly basis from May 6, 2024 to May 6, 2025. In connection with the stockholders’ vote at the annual meeting, an aggregate of 2,124,738 shares with redemption value of $23,176,909 (or approximately $10.91 per share) of the Company’s common stock were tendered for redemption.
Non-compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules
On February 28, 2024, we received a written notice (the “February Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications staff (the “Staff”) of Nasdaq, notifying us that it currently does not satisfy Listing Rule 5550(a)(3), which requires us to have at least 300 public holders (as defined in Listing Rule 5005(a)(36)) for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Minimum Public Holders Rule”). The February Notice states that we have 45 calendar days to submit a plan to regain compliance with the Minimum Public Holders Rule. We are monitoring the number of its public holders and will consider options available to it to potentially achieve compliance. We submitted a plan to regain compliance with the Minimum Public Holders Rule on April 15, 2024. If Nasdaq accepts our plan, Nasdaq may grant us an extension of up to 180 calendar days from the date of the February Notice to evidence compliance with the Minimum Public Holders Rule. If Nasdaq does not accept our plan, we will have the opportunity to appeal the decision to the Nasdaq Hearings Panel.
On April 19, 2024, we received a written notice (the “April Notice”) from the Staff, notifying us that it currently does not satisfy Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), as a result of not having timely filed with the SEC its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (the “Form 10-K”). We have 60 calendar days from the date of the April Notice, or until June 18, 2024, to submit to Nasdaq a plan to regain compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1). If we submit a plan to Nasdaq and Nasdaq accepts the plan, Nasdaq can grant an exception of up to 180 calendar days from the due date of the filing of the Form 10-K, or until October 14, 2024, to regain compliance. We subsequently filed the Form 10-K on May 3, 2024.
21
On May 22, 2024, we received a written notice (the “May Notice”) from the Staff, notifying us that it currently does not satisfy Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), as a result of not having timely filed with the SEC its Form 10- Q for the period ended March 31, 2024 (the “Form 10-Q”). We have 60 calendar days from the date of the May Notice, or until July 22, 2024, to submit to Nasdaq a plan to regain compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1). If we submit a plan to Nasdaq and Nasdaq accepts the plan, Nasdaq can grant an exception of up to 180 calendar days from the due date of the filing of the Form 10-Q, or until November 18, 2024, to regain compliance. If the Company does not regain compliance within the allotted compliance periods, including any extensions that may be granted by Nasdaq, Nasdaq will provide notice that the Company’s common stock will be subject to delisting. The Company would then be entitled to appeal that determination to a Nasdaq hearings panel. We subsequently filed the Form 10-Q on August 1, 2024.
On August 28, 2024, we received a written notice (the “Letter”) from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) indicating that, because the Company has not regained compliance with Listing Rule 5550(a)(3) (the “Minimum Public Holders Rule”), which requires the Company to have at least 300 public holders for continued listing on Nasdaq, trading of the Company’s common stock would be suspended at the opening of business on September 6, 2024 and a Form 25-NSE will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which will remove the Company’s securities (including the units, common stock, and rights) from listing and registration on Nasdaq, unless the Company requests a hearing to appeal this determination by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 4, 2024. The Letter also indicates that the Company is delinquent in filing its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2024, which serves as an additional basis for delisting the Company’s securities from The Nasdaq Capital Market in light of the Company’s non-compliance with Minimum Public Holders Rule. The Company requested an appeal and stay of the suspension in accordance with the Letter on September 4, 2024.
On November 4, 2024, the Company received a decision letter from the Nasdaq Hearings Panel (“Panel”) granting the Company’s request to continue its listing on Nasdaq, subject to the condition that, on or before February 24, 2025, the Company shall demonstrate compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5505 (the “Rule”). This decision follows the Company’s hearing before the Panel on October 17, 2024, regarding its non-compliance with Minimum Public Holders Rule. In its written notice, the Panel stated that during the granted exception period the Company must promptly notify the Panel of any significant developments, particularly any event, condition or circumstance that may impact its ability to meet the terms of the exception granted by the Panel and that the Panel reserves the right to reconsider the granted exception in such an instance. The Company is diligently working to timely satisfy the terms of the Panel’s decision; however, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to do so. In the event that the Company is unable to meet the terms of the Panel’s decision, the Company will be subject to delisting from Nasdaq.
Results of Operations
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any operating revenues to date except the preparation and completion of the IPO and search for target candidate following the consummation of the IPO. Our only activities from inception through September 30, 2024 were organizational activities and those necessary to prepare for the IPO, and subsequent to the IPO, identifying a target company for an initial business combination. We do not expect to generate any operating revenue until after the completion of our initial Business Combination. We expect to generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on marketable securities held after the IPO. We expect that we will incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses in connection with searching for, and completing, a Business Combination.
For the three months ended September 30, 2024, we had net loss of $257,656, which consisted of loss of $351,448 derived from general and administrative expenses of $345,648, franchise tax expense of $5,800, income tax expense of $22,612, offset by unrealized loss on investments held in Trust Account of $519, and interest earned on investments held in Trust Account of $116,923. For the three months ended September 30, 2023, we had net income of $253,265, which consisted of loss of $127,425 derived from general and administrative expenses of $117,125, franchise tax expense of $10,300, income tax expense of $91,920 and deferred income tax benefit of $24,596, offset by unrealized gain on investments held in Trust Account of $100,867, and interest earned on investments held in Trust Account of $548,881.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, we had net loss of $103,471, which consisted of loss of $567,426 derived from general and administrative expenses of $545,126, franchise tax expense of $22,300, income tax expense of $180,914 and deferred income tax expense of $144,680, offset by unrealized gain on investments held in Trust Account of $37,433, and interest earned on investments held in Trust Account of $752,116. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, we had net income of $716,172, which consisted of loss of $752,839 derived from general and administrative expenses of $718,439, franchise tax expense of $34,400, income tax expense of $349,036 and deferred income tax benefit of $114,673, offset by unrealized gain on investments held in Trust Account of $133,387, and interest earned on investments held in Trust Account of $1,569,987.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
On October 6, 2022, we consummated our IPO of 5,000,000 Units. Each Unit consists of one share of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001, and one right to receive one-fifth (1/5th) of one share of Common Stock upon the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination. The Units were sold at an offering price of $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $50,000,000. Simultaneously with the closing of the IPO, the Company consummated the Private Placement with the Sponsor of 256,250 Private Units, at a price of $10.00 per Private Unit, generating gross proceeds of $2,562,500.
We granted the underwriter a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 750,000 Units at the IPO price to cover over-allotments, if any. Subsequently, on October 14, 2022, the underwriter partially exercised the over-allotment, and the closing of the issuance and sale of the Units occurred on October 14, 2022. The total aggregate issuance by the Company of 417,180 Units at a price of $10.00 per Unit resulted in total gross proceeds of $4,171,800.00. On October 14, 2022, simultaneously with the sale of the Over-Allotment Option Units, the Company consummated the private sale of an additional 12,515.40 Private Units, generating gross proceeds of $125,154.
On October 14, 2022, the underwriters canceled the remainder of the over-allotment option. In connection with the cancellation of the remainder of the over-allotment option, the Company has cancelled an aggregate of 83,205 shares of Common Stock issued to the Sponsor, prior to the IPO and Private Placement.
A total of $54,984,377 of the net proceeds from the sale of the Units in the IPO (including the Over-Allotment Option Units) and the Private Placements on October 6, 2022 and October 14, 2022 respectively, were deposited in a trust account established for the benefit of the Company’s public stockholders and maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee.
As of September 30, 2024, the Company had $109,650 in cash and a working capital deficit of $2,431,129. The Company’s liquidity needs prior to the consummation of the IPO had been satisfied through a payment from the Sponsor of $25,000 for the Insider Shares and the loan under an unsecured promissory note from the Sponsor of $300,000. During 2023, the Sponsor provided loans totaling $449,780 (excluding $99,846 converted from amount due to related party), to be used, in part, for transaction costs related to the Business Combination (see Note 5). On January 4, 2024 and March 30, 2024, the Company issued an unsecured promissory note to the Sponsor in the aggregate principal amount of $200,000 (including the conversion of $97,052 which was outstanding balance as of December 31, 2023 due to Sponsor) and $100,000, respectively, to be used, in part, for transaction costs related to the Business Combination. On September 29, 2023, October 4, 2023 and December 29, 2023, Bestpath deposited into the Trust Account $210,000, $210,000 and $70,000 (totaling $490,000), respectively, and from January 2024 to April 2024, Bestpath provided loans of $70,000 each month to the Company to fund the amount required to extend the Business Combination Period to May 6, 2024. On May 2, 2024, June 4, 2024, and July 8, 2024, Bestpath provided a loan of $20,000 each time to the Company to fund the amount required to extend the Business Combination Period to August 6, 2024. On August 2, 2024, August 30, 2024, September 30, 2024 and November 5, 2024, Huture provided a loan of $20,000 each time in order to extend the Business Combination Period to December 6, 2024.
The Company has now until December 6, 2024 to consummate a Business Combination. It is uncertain that the Company 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. The Company expects to continue to incur significant professional costs to remain as a publicly traded company and to incur significant transaction costs in pursuit of the consummation of a Business Combination. The Company may need to obtain additional financing either to complete its Business Combination or because it becomes obligated to redeem a significant number of public shares upon consummation of its Business Combination, in which case the Company may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such Business Combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, the Company would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our Business Combination. If the Company is unable to complete its Business Combination because it does not have sufficient funds available, it will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the Trust Account. In addition, following the Business Combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, the Company may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet its obligations.
In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Financial Accounting Standard Board’s 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 complete a Business Combination by December 6, 2024 (unless the Company extends the time to complete a Business Combination), then the Company will cease all operations except for the purpose of liquidating. The date for liquidation and subsequent dissolution raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The unaudited condensed financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
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Off-Balance Sheet Financing Arrangements
We have no obligations, assets or liabilities, which would be considered off-balance sheet arrangements as of September 30, 2024. 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 described below.
The holders of the founder shares, the Private Placement Shares, and any common stock that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and any underlying securities) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration and shareholder rights agreement entered into in connection with the IPO. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial Business Combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Upon closing of a business combination, the underwriters will be entitled to a deferred fee of $0.35 per public share, or $1,896,013 in the aggregate. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters 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. The underwriters will also be entitled to 0.75% of the gross proceeds of the IPO in the form of common stock of the Company at a price of $10.00 per share, and 54,172 Private Units, to be issued if the Company closes a business combination.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. The interim financial information provided is unaudited, but includes all adjustments which management considers necessary for the fair presentation of the results for these periods. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. We have not identified critical accounting estimates; we have identified the following critical accounting policies:
Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption
The Company accounts for its 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 (if any) are classified as a liability instrument and are measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable common stock (including common stock that feature redemption rights that is 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 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, common stock subject to possible redemption is presented at redemption value as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ equity section of the Company’s balance sheet.
We have made a policy election in accordance with ASC 480-10-S99-3A and recognizes changes in redemption value in additional paid-in capital (or accumulated deficit in the absence of additional paid-in capital) over an expected 12-month period leading up to a Business Combination.
Convertible Promissory Note
The Company elects an early adoption of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 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) (“ASU 2020-06”) and accounts for its convertible promissory notes as debt (liability) on the balance sheet. The Company’s assessment of the embedded conversion feature (see Note 5 - Related Party Transactions) considers the derivative scope exception guidance under ASC 815 pertaining to equity classification of contracts in an entity’s own equity. The conversion feature of these promissory notes meets the definition of a derivative instrument. However, bifurcation of conversion feature from the debt host is not required because the conversion feature meets ASC 815 scope exception, as the promissory notes are convertible in shares of the Company’s common stock which is considered indexed to the Company’s own stock and classified in stockholders’ equity.
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Net Income (Loss) per Share
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of FASB ASC 260, Earnings Per Share. The audited statements of operations include a presentation of income (loss) per redeemable share and income (loss) per non-redeemable share following the two-class method of income per share. In order to determine the net income (loss) attributable to both the redeemable shares and non-redeemable shares, the Company first considered the undistributed income (loss) allocable to both the redeemable shares and non-redeemable shares and the undistributed income (loss) is calculated using the total net loss less any dividends paid. The Company then allocated the undistributed income (loss) ratably based on the weighted average number of shares outstanding between the redeemable and non-redeemable shares. Any remeasurement of the accretion to redemption value of the common shares subject to possible redemption was considered to be dividends paid to the public shareholders.
Recent Accounting Standards
In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-09”). This ASU requires that public business entities must annually “(1) disclose specific categories in the rate reconciliation and (2) provide additional information for reconciling items that meet a quantitative threshold (if the effect of those reconciling items is equal to or greater than 5 percent of the amount computed by multiplying pretax income or loss by the applicable statutory income tax rate).” A public entity should apply the amendments in ASU 2023-09 prospectively to all annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The Company is currently assessing the impact, if any, that ASU 2023-09 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 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to make disclosures under this Item.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2024, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer have concluded that during the period covered by this report, our disclosure controls and procedures were ineffective.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
During the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2024, there has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
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PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
None.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in this Quarterly Report include the risk factors described in the final prospectus for our IPO filed with the SEC and the definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on April 15, 2024. As of the date of this Quarterly Report, there have been no material changes to the previously disclosed risk factors.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.
The registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) for our IPO was declared effective on October 6, 2022.
On October 6, 2022, we consummated our IPO of 5,000,000 Units. Each Unit consists of one share of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001, and one right to receive one-fifth (1/5th) of one share of Common Stock upon the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination. The Units were sold at an offering price of $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $50,000,000. Simultaneously with the closing of the IPO, the Company consummated the Private Placement with the Sponsor of 256,250 Private Units, at a price of $10.00 per Private Unit, generating gross proceeds of $2,562,500.00. The Private Units (and the underlying securities) are identical to the Units sold in the IPO, except as otherwise disclosed in the registration statement. No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sale.
Subsequently, on October 14, 2022, the underwriter partially exercised the over-allotment, and the closing of the issuance and sale of the Units occurred on October 14, 2022. The total aggregate issuance by the Company of 417,180 Units at a price of $10.00 per Unit resulted in total gross proceeds of $4,171,800.00. On October 14, 2022, simultaneously with the sale of the Over-Allotment Option Units, the Company consummated the private sale of an additional 12,515.40 Private Units, generating gross proceeds of $125,154.
On October 14, 2022, the underwriters canceled the remainder of the over-allotment option. In connection with the cancellation of the remainder of the over-allotment option, the Company has cancelled an aggregate of 83,205 shares of Common Stock issued to the Sponsor, prior to the IPO and Private Placement.
As of October 14, 2022, a total of $54,984,377 of the net proceeds from the sale of the Units in the IPO (including the Over-Allotment Option Units) and the Private Placements on October 6, 2022 and October 14, 2022 respectively, were deposited in a trust account established for the benefit of the Company’s public stockholders and maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee.
All of the proceeds we receive from these purchases have been placed in the trust account described above and, together with the interests earned on the funds held in the trust account and except for payment of our franchise and income taxes if any, shall not be released to us until the earlier of the completion of our initial business combination and our redemption of the shares of common stock sold in the IPO upon our failure to consummate a business combination within the required period. We are not permitted to use the proceeds placed in the trust account and the interests earned thereon to pay any excise taxes or any other similar fees or taxes in nature that may be imposed on the company pursuant to any current, pending or future rules or laws, including without limitation any excise tax due imposed under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 (H.R. 5376) on any redemptions or stock buybacks by the Company.
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Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
None.
Item 5. Other Information
Item 6. Exhibits.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Dated: November 14, 2024 | AQUARON AQUISITION CORP. | |
| By: | /s/ Yi Zhou | |
| Name: | Yi Zhou | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) | |
| By: | /s/ Qingze Zhao | |
| Name: | Qingze Zhao | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer and Director (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |
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