UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended
OR
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
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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.
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).
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Large accelerated filer | ☐ | 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.
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As of November 20, 2023, the Registrant had
HH&L ACQUISITION CO.
Form 10-Q
For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2023
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
HH&L ACQUISITION CO.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
| September 30, 2023 |
| December 31, 2022 | |||
(Unaudited) | ||||||
Assets | ||||||
Current assets: | ||||||
Cash | $ | | $ | | ||
Prepaid expenses |
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Total current assets | | | ||||
Cash and Investments held in Trust Account | | | ||||
Total Assets | $ | | $ | | ||
Liabilities, Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption and Shareholders’ Deficit: |
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Current liabilities: | ||||||
Accounts payable | $ | | $ | | ||
Accounts payable - related party | | | ||||
Accrued expenses | | | ||||
Working capital loan - related party | | | ||||
Non-convertible promissory note - related party | | — | ||||
Convertible promissory note - related party | | — | ||||
Capital Contribution Note | | |||||
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Total current liabilities | | | ||||
Derivative warrant liabilities | | | ||||
Deferred underwriting commissions |
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Total liabilities |
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Commitments and Contingencies (Note 7) |
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Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption, $ | | | ||||
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Shareholders’ Deficit: |
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Preference shares, $ |
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Class A ordinary shares, $ |
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Class B ordinary shares, $ |
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Additional paid-in capital |
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Accumulated deficit |
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Total shareholders’ deficit |
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Total Liabilities, Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption and Shareholders’ Deficit | $ | | $ | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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HH&L ACQUISITION CO.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
For The Three Months Ended September 30, | For The Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||
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General and administrative expenses | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | ||||
Administrative expenses - related party | | | | | ||||||||
Compensation expenses incurred for transfer of class B ordinary shares to NRA Investors | | — | | — | ||||||||
Loss from operations | ( | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||
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Other income (expenses): |
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Change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities | ( | | | | ||||||||
Income from cash and investments held in Trust Account | | | | | ||||||||
Total other income (expenses) | | | | | ||||||||
Net (loss) income | $ | ( | $ | | $ | ( | $ | | ||||
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding of Class A ordinary shares | | | | | ||||||||
Basic and diluted net (loss) income per Class A ordinary share | $ | ( | $ | | $ | ( | $ | | ||||
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding of Class B ordinary shares | ||||||||||||
Basic and diluted net (loss) income per Class B ordinary share | $ | ( | $ | | $ | ( | $ | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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HH&L ACQUISITION CO.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
FOR THE THREE AND NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2023
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Class B Ordinary Shares | Additional Paid- | Accumulated | Shareholders’ | |||||||||||
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Balance - December 31, 2022 | | $ | | $ | — | $ | ( | $ | ( | |||||
Remeasurement of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||
Net income |
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Balance - March 31, 2023 (unaudited) | | | — | ( | ( | |||||||||
Remeasurement of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||
Net income | — | — | — | | | |||||||||
Balance - June 30, 2023 (unaudited) |
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Remeasurement of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||
Compensation expenses incurred for transfer of class B ordinary shares to NRA Investors | — | — | | | | |||||||||
Net loss | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||
Balance - September 30, 2023 (unaudited) | | $ | | $ | | $ | ( | $ | ( |
FOR THE THREE AND NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2022
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Balance - December 31, 2021 |
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Net income | — | — | — | | | |||||||||
Balance - March 31, 2022 (unaudited) | | | — | ( | ( | |||||||||
Accretion of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption amount | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||
Net income | — | — | — | | | |||||||||
Balance - June 30, 2022 (unaudited) | | | — | ( | ( | |||||||||
Accretion of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption amount | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||
Net income | — | — | — | | | |||||||||
Balance - September 30, 2022 (unaudited) |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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HH&L ACQUISITION CO.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For The Nine Months Ended September 30, | ||||||
2023 | 2022 | |||||
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: |
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Net (loss) income | $ | ( | $ | | ||
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash used in operating activities: |
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Income from cash and investments held in Trust Account | ( | ( | ||||
Change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities | ( | ( | ||||
Compensation expenses incurred for transfer of class B ordinary shares to NRA Investors | | — | ||||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
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Prepaid expenses | ( | | ||||
Accounts payable |
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Accounts payable - related party | | | ||||
Accrued expenses | | | ||||
Net cash used in operating activities |
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Cash Flows from Investing Activities: | ||||||
Cash deposited in Trust Account | ( | — | ||||
Sale of investments held in Trust account | | — | ||||
Net cash provided by investing activities | | — | ||||
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Cash Flows from Financing Activities: |
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Proceeds from convertible promissory note - related party | | | ||||
Proceeds from non-convertible promissory note - related party | | — | ||||
Proceeds from Capital Contribution Note | | — | ||||
Proceeds from due to third party | | — | ||||
Repayment of convertible promissory note - related party | ( | — | ||||
Redemption of Class A ordinary shares | ( | — | ||||
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities |
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Net change in cash |
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Cash - beginning of the period |
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Cash - end of the period | $ | | $ | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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HH&L ACQUISITION CO.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SEPTEMBER 30, 2023
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations
Organization and General
HH&L Acquisition Co. (the “Company”) was incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on September 4, 2020. The Company was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with
As of September 30, 2023, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from September 4, 2020 (inception) through September 30, 2023 relates to the Company’s formation and the initial public offering (the “Initial Public Offering”) described below, and since its Initial Public Offering its search for a Business Combination and the negotiation of the Business Combination Agreement as described below. 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 from its cash and investments held in the Trust Account funded by the proceeds of the Initial Public Offering.
The Company’s sponsor is HH&L Investment Co., a Cayman exempted company (the “Sponsor”). The registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on February 4, 2021. On February 9, 2021, the Company consummated its Initial Public Offering of
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the private placement (“Private Placement”) of
Upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, a total of $
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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
The Company will provide the holders of its Public Shares (the “Public Shareholders”) 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 shareholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The Public Shareholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially at $
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Second MAA (as defined below) provides that a Public Shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder 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
The Company’s Sponsor, officers and directors (the “initial shareholders”) agreed not to propose an amendment to the Second MAA (as defined below) (A) that would modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemptions in connection with the initial Business Combination or to redeem
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On February 7, 2023, the Company held an extraordinary general meeting (the “First Extraordinary General Meeting”). At the First Extraordinary General Meeting, the shareholders approved (1) by a special resolution to amend the Company’s second amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date (the “Termination Date”) by which the Company must (i) consummate the Business Combination or (ii) cease its operations except for the purpose of winding up if it fails to complete such business combination and redeem or repurchase
In connection with the First Extraordinary General Meeting, the holders of
On February 7, 2023, in connection with the First Extraordinary General Meeting, the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company entered into the Amended and Restated Investment Management Trust Agreement (“Amended and Restated Trust Agreement”) to (i) reflect the extension as described under the First Extension Amendment Proposal and (ii) allow the Company to maintain any remaining amount in its Trust Account established in connection with its Initial Public Offering in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank. A copy of the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement was filed on February 9, 2023 with the SEC on a Current Report on Form 8-K. On February 8, 2023, the Company instructed Continental Share Transfer & Trust Company to hold all funds in the Trust Account uninvested in an interest bearing bank deposit account.
In connection with the First Extension Amendment Proposal, the Company agreed that for the period from February 9, 2023 until the First Extended Date, it shall deposit into the Trust Account $
The First Contribution was deposited in the Trust Account on February 16, 2023. The Second Contribution was deposited into the Trust Account on March 16, 2023, and the Third Contribution was deposited into the Trust Account on April 18, 2023. The Sponsor and DiaCarta (as defined below) each loaned the Company
On May 9, 2023, the Company held another extraordinary general meeting (the “Second Extraordinary General Meeting”). At the Second Extraordinary General Meeting, the shareholders approved by a special resolution to amend the Company’s second amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as amended on February 7, 2023 to extend the Termination Date for
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In connection with the Second Extension Amendment Proposal, the Company agreed that, (A) for the First-Phase Extension Period, the Company shall deposit into the Trust Account the lesser of $
The Company has deposited or caused to be deposited the First-Phase Contribution in three equal instalments of $
In connection with the Second Extraordinary General Meeting held on May 9, 2023, the holders of
On August 9, 2023, the Company held another extraordinary general meeting (the “Third Extraordinary General Meeting”). At the Third Extraordinary General Meeting, the shareholders approved special resolution to amend the Company’s second amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as amended on February 7, 2023 and May 9, 2023 to extend the Termination Date from August 9, 2023, without the need for any further approval of the Company’s shareholders, by resolutions of the Board at least
In connection with the vote to approve the Third Extension Amendment Proposal, the holders of
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The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to its deferred underwriting commission (see Note 7) held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination by the Extended Date 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 residual assets remaining available for distribution (including Trust Account assets) will be only $
On March 19, 2023, Credit Suisse Group AG, the parent company of Credit Suisse, and UBS Group AG (“UBS”) entered into a merger agreement with UBS as the surviving entity. As of the date hereof, Credit Suisse has not informed the Company of any development that would affect the CS Fee Waiver or the Credit Suisse Resignation Letter.
On August 3, 2023, the Sponsor and the Company, entered into an agreement (the “Non-Redemption Agreement”) with unaffiliated third parties (the “NRA Investors”) in exchange for them agreeing not to redeem an aggregate of
Proposed Business Combination
On October 14, 2022, the Company entered into a business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”) by and among the Company, Diamond Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”), and DiaCarta, Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company limited by shares (“DiaCarta”), as fully disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8-K as filed with the SEC by the Company on October 14, 2022.
Pursuant to the terms of the Business Combination Agreement, a business combination between the Company and DiaCarta (the “Proposed Business Combination”) will be effected in two steps. First, before the closing of the Proposed Business Combination (the “Closing”), both the Company and DiaCarta will deregister in the Cayman Islands and domesticate as Delaware corporations in accordance with Section 388 of the Delaware General Corporation Law and the Cayman Islands Companies Act (As Revised), with DiaCarta changing its name to DiaCarta Holdings, Inc. (the “Domestication”). Second, at the Closing, Merger Sub will merge with and into DiaCarta Holdings, Inc., with DiaCarta Holdings, Inc. surviving such merger as the surviving entity (the “Merger”). Upon consummation of the Proposed Business Combination, DiaCarta Holdings, Inc. will become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The Company will then change its name to “DiaCarta, Inc.” We refer to the Company after the Domestication but before the Merger as “Domesticated SPAC.” The aggregate merger consideration paid to DiaCarta equityholders in connection with the Proposed Business Combination consists of
The obligations of the parties (or, in some cases, some of the parties) to consummate the Proposed Business Combination are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain customary closing conditions of the respective parties, including, among others: (i) the accuracy of representations and warranties to various standards, from no material qualifier to a material adverse effect qualifier, (ii) material
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compliance with pre-closing covenants, (iii) no material adverse effect both for the Company and DiaCarta and its subsidiaries, (iv) the delivery of customary closing certificates, (v) the waiting period of periods required by any Antitrust Authorities (as defined under the Business Combination Agreement) and any other Governmental Approvals (as defined under the Business Combination Agreement) shall have been obtained, expired or been terminated, as applicable, (vi) the absence of a legal prohibition on consummating the transactions, (vii) approval by the Company’s and DiaCarta’s shareholders, (viii) approval of the listing on the NYSE for newly issued shares, and (ix) the Company having at least $
In connection with the Business Combination, the Company entered into an engagement with a third party who will act as its financial advisor and its capital market advisor and placement agent in connection with the Proposed Business Combination. The fee arrangement consists of a $
The Company has agreed, pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, to seek additional investors through one or more private placements of common stock of the Domesticated SPAC. In connection with the Proposed Business Combination, the Sponsor has agreed to contribute or forfeit certain Class B ordinary shares of the Company owned by itself to facilitate financing after signing of the Business Combination Agreement and certain forfeiture arrangement with an agreed cap.
The full Business Combination Agreement and other agreements entered into or contemplated to be executed prior to the Closing have been filed on a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 14, 2022. In addition, the Company has filed a Registration Statement on Form S-4/A on January 23, 2023 with respect to the Proposed Business Combination.
First Amendment to Business Combination Agreement
On January 20, 2023, the Company, Merger Sub and DiaCarta entered into the First Amendment to Business Combination Agreement (the “BCA Amendment”), pursuant to which the Business Combination Agreement was amended to provide that, among other things, DiaCarta shall prepare and submit to NYSE or Nasdaq an initial listing application, if required under NYSE or Nasdaq rules, in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement and covering the Domesticated SPAC Common Stock issuable in accordance with the Business Combination Agreement and obtain approval for the listing on NYSE or Nasdaq of such Domesticated SPAC Common Stock.
Termination of Business Combination Agreement
On June 26, 2023, the Company sent DiaCarta a termination notice (the “Termination Notice”) that the Company had terminated the Business Combination Agreement (the “Termination”) and all ancillary agreements and as a remedy at law, based on breaches by DiaCarta of certain representations and covenants contained in the Business Combination Agreement and fraudulent misrepresentation on the part of DiaCarta.
The Termination Notice does not constitute a waiver of, or shall prejudice any of the Company’s rights under the Business Combination Agreement or at law, and the Company reserves all such rights in full to pursue any and all loss of the Company, the Sponsor, and the shareholders of the Company with respect to the Termination.
The Company is still searching for a potential Business Combination target after the Termination with DiaCarta.
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Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles of the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and Article 8 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP. In the opinion of our management, all adjustments (consisting of normal accruals) considered for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2023 or any future period.
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as filed with the SEC on March 31, 2023, which contains the audited financial statements and notes thereto. The financial information as of December 31, 2022, is derived from the audited financial statements presented in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as filed with the SEC on March 31, 2023.
Principles of Consolidation
The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company include its wholly owned subsidiary in connection with the planned merger. All inter-company accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.
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 shareholder 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 an emerging growth 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. 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 statement 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.
Concentration of Cash Balances
The Company has significant cash balances at financial institutions which throughout the year regularly exceed the federally insured limit of $250,000. Any loss incurred or a lack of access to such funds could have a significant adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
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
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Liquidity and Going Concern
As of September 30, 2023, the Company had $
The Company’s liquidity needs prior to the consummation of the Initial Public Offering were satisfied through a contribution of $
On August 8, 2023, the Company entered into a subscription agreement (the “Subscription Agreement”) with the Sponsor and Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund (“Polar”), an unaffiliated third party of the Company, pursuant to which, Polar has agreed to provide up to $
In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with FASB ASC 205-40, “Basis of Presentation – Going Concern,” management has determined that the working capital deficit, mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution raise 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 after February 9, 2024 (assuming the Board has taken appropriate actions in accordance with the Third Extension Amendment Proposal), or such later time as the Company’s shareholders may approve in accordance with the Second MAA. The management plans to complete a Business Combination prior to the mandatory liquidation date and expects to receive financing from the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or certain of the Company’s officers and directors to meet its obligations through the earlier of the consummation of its Business Combination or its liquidation. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustment that might be necessary if the Company is unable to continue as a going concern.
Cash and Investments Held in Trust Account
Prior to February 8, 2023, the Company’s portfolio of investments 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 and generally have a readily determinable fair value, or a combination thereof. When the Company’s investments held in the Trust Account are comprised of U.S. government securities, the investments are classified as trading securities. Trading securities are presented on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets at fair value at the end of each reporting period. Gains and losses resulting from the change in fair value of these securities is included in income from cash and investments held in the Trust Account in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations. The estimated fair values of investments held in the Trust Account are determined using available market information. On and following February 8, 2023, the Company’s portfolio of investments is comprised of deposits in interest bearing demand deposit accounts at banks.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of income 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 unaudited condensed consolidated 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.
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Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities which qualify as financial instruments under the FASB ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements,” equal or approximate the carrying amounts represented in the condensed consolidated balance sheets, primarily due to their short-term nature, except for the derivative warrant liabilities (see Note 11).
Fair Value Measurements
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received for sale of an asset or paid for transfer of a liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. U.S. GAAP establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). These tiers consist of:
● | Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical instruments in active markets; |
● | Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and |
● | Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions, such as valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable. |
In some circumstances, the inputs used to measure fair value might be categorized within different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In those instances, the fair value measurement is categorized in its entirety in the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
Derivatives
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, debt with convertible features and the transfer of Class B ordinary shares to NRA Investors in connection with the Non-Redemption Agreement, 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 classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is re-assessed at the end of each reporting period.
The Public Warrants and Private Placement Warrants are recognized as derivative warrant liabilities in accordance with ASC 815. Accordingly, the Company recognizes the warrant instruments as liabilities at fair value and adjusts the instruments to fair value at each reporting period until they are exercised. The fair value of warrants issued by the Company in connection with the Initial Public Offering and Private Placement have initially been estimated using Monte-Carlo simulations at each measurement date. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the fair value of the Public Warrants was estimated at their listed public trading price. The Private Placement Warrants continue to be estimated using Monte Carlo simulations. Derivative warrant liabilities are classified as non-current liabilities as their liquidation is not reasonably expected to require the use of current assets or require the creation of current liabilities.
Working Capital Loans and Convertible Promissory Note (for further details, see Note 4) may be converted into warrants of the Company at a price of $
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The transfer of Class B ordinary shares by a principal shareholder to NRA Investors is classified as equity instrument in accordance with ASC 815. Accordingly, the Company recorded the fair value of
Capital Contribution Note
The Company analyzed the Subscription Agreement under ASC 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity” and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and concluded that, (i) the Subscription Shares (as defined in Note 5) issuable under the Subscription Agreement are not required to be accounted for as a liability under ASC 480 or ASC 815, and (ii) bifurcation of a single derivative that comprises all of the fair value of the Subscription Share feature(s) (i.e., derivative instrument(s)) is not necessary under ASC 815-15-25-7 through 25-10. As a result, all debt proceeds received from Polar have been recorded based on the proceeds received. As of September 30, 2023, the Company received $
Offering Costs Associated with the Initial Public Offering
Offering costs consisted of legal, accounting, underwriting fees and other costs incurred through the Initial Public Offering that were directly related to the Initial Public Offering. Offering costs are 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 are expensed as incurred, presented as non-operating expenses in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations. Offering costs associated with the Class A ordinary shares were charged against the carrying value of the Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering. Of the total offering costs of the Initial Public Offering, approximately $
Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption
The Company accounts for its Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Class A ordinary shares subject to mandatory redemption (if any) is classified as liability instruments and are measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable Class A ordinary shares (including Class A ordinary shares 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) are classified as temporary equity. At all other times, Class A ordinary shares are classified as shareholders’ equity. The Company’s Class A ordinary shares feature certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of the Company’s control and subject to the occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022,
Under ASC 480-10-S99, the Company has elected to recognize changes in the redemption value immediately as they occur and adjust the carrying value of the security to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. This method would view the end of the reporting period as if it were also the redemption date for the security.
Effective with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company recognized the accretion from initial book value to redemption amount, which resulted in charges against additional paid-in capital (to the extent available) and accumulated deficit.
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Income Taxes
FASB ASC 740, “Income Taxes,” 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. There were
There is currently no taxation imposed on income by the Government of the Cayman Islands. In accordance with Cayman income tax regulations, income taxes are not levied on the Company. Consequently, income taxes are not reflected in the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. 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 Ordinary Share
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of FASB ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” The Company has two classes of shares, which are referred to as Class A ordinary share and Class B ordinary share. Income and losses are shared pro rata between the two classes of shares. Net income (loss) per ordinary share is calculated by dividing the net income (loss) by the weighted average ordinary shares outstanding for the respective period. The calculation of diluted net income (loss) per ordinary share does not consider the effect of the warrants issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement to purchase an aggregate of
The following table reflects a reconciliation of the numerator and denominator used to compute basic and diluted net income (loss) per ordinary share for each class of ordinary share:
| For the Three Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||
| Class A |
| Class B |
| Class A |
| Class B | |||||
Basic and diluted net (loss) income per ordinary share: | ||||||||||||
Numerator: | ||||||||||||
Allocation of net (loss) income - basic and diluted | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | | $ | | ||||
Denominator: | ||||||||||||
Basic and diluted weighted average ordinary shares outstanding | | | | | ||||||||
Basic and diluted net (loss) income per ordinary share | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | | $ | |
| For the Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||
| Class A |
| Class B |
| Class A |
| Class B | |||||
Basic and diluted net (loss) income per ordinary share: | ||||||||||||
Numerator: | ||||||||||||
Allocation of net (loss) income - basic and diluted | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | | $ | | ||||
Denominator: | ||||||||||||
Basic and diluted weighted average ordinary shares outstanding | | | | | ||||||||
Basic and diluted net (loss) income per ordinary share | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | | $ | |
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Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards if currently adopted would have a material effect on the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
Note 3 — Initial Public Offering
On February 9, 2021, the Company consummated its Initial Public Offering of
Each Unit consists of
Note 4 — Related Party Transactions
Founder Shares
On September 7, 2020, the Sponsor paid $
The initial shareholders agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of: (i) one year after the completion of the initial Business Combination or (ii) the date following the completion of the initial Business Combination on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $
On August 3, 2023, the Sponsor, the Company, and the NRA investors entered into a Non-Redemption Agreement, pursuant to which, the NRA Investors agreed not to redeem an aggregate of
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Private Placement Warrants
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the Private Placement of
Each whole Private Placement Warrant is exercisable for one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $
The Sponsor and the Company’s officers and directors agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Private Placement Warrants until
Related Party Loans
Promissory Note - Related Party
On September 7, 2020, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of up to $
Non-Convertible Promissory Note
On March 6, 2023, the Company issued an unsecured convertible promissory note (the “March 2023 Note”) to the Sponsor, pursuant to which the Company may borrow up to $
The March 2023 Note will not bear any interest, and will be repayable by the Company to the Sponsor, if not converted or repaid on the effective date of an initial Business Combination involving the Company and one or more businesses. The maturity date of the March 2023 Note may be accelerated upon the occurrence of an Event of Default (as defined under the March 2023 Note). In the event that an initial Business Combination is not consummated, the Extension Deposit Amount will be forgiven or eliminated, except to the extent of any fund held by the Company outside of the Trust Account.
Convertible Promissory Note
The General Corporate Amount under the March 2023 Note may, at the Sponsor’s discretion, be converted into warrants (the “General Corporate Amount Warrants”) to purchase Class A ordinary shares, at a conversion price equal to $
On June 7, 2023, the Company issued an unsecured convertible promissory note (the “June 2023 Note”) to the Sponsor, pursuant to which the Company may borrow up to $
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Pursuant to the June 2023 Note, at the option of the Sponsor, at any time prior to the maturity date, an amount up to $
The June 2023 Note will not bear any interest, and will be repayable by the Company to the Sponsor, if not converted or repaid on the effective date of an initial merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination involving the Company and one or more businesses. The maturity date of the June 2023 Note may be accelerated upon the occurrence of an Event of Default (as defined under the June 2023 Note). In the event that an initial Business Combination is not consummated, the Extension Deposit Amount will be forgiven or eliminated, except to the extent of any fund held by the Company outside of the Trust Account.
On August 28, 2023, the Company and the Sponsor amended and restated the June 2023 Note (the “Amended June 2023 Note”), so that (i) the Company will reimburse the Sponsor $
Working Capital 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 will 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 the 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 $
On September 15, 2022, the Company issued an unsecured convertible promissory note to its Sponsor, pursuant to which the Company may borrow up to $
Administrative Service Agreement
Commencing on the date the Company’s securities are first listed on the New York Share Exchange, the Company agreed to pay the Sponsor a total of $
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$
Note 5 — Capital Contribution Note
On August 8, 2023 the Company entered into the Subscription Agreement with the Sponsor and Polar, an unaffiliated third party of the Company. Pursuant to the Subscription Agreement, Polar agrees to make certain capital contributions from time to time, at the request of the Sponsor, subject to the terms and conditions of the Subscription Agreement, to the Sponsor to meet the Sponsor’s commitment to fund the Company’s working capital needs.
The maximum aggregate investor capital contribution (the “Investor Capital Contribution”) is $
In exchange for the forgoing commitment of Polar to make capital contributions to the Sponsor, the Company agrees to, or cause the surviving entity following the closing of the Company’s initial Business Combination to, issue
Any loan by the Sponsor to the Company funded by the Investor Capital Contribution shall not accrue interest and shall be repaid by the Company upon the closing of an initial Business Combination. Upon such repayment to the Sponsor, the Sponsor shall pay to Polar an amount equal to the Investor Capital Contribution actually funded and received by the Sponsor within
If the Company liquidates without consummating any Business Combination, any amounts remaining in the Sponsor’s or the Company’s cash accounts (not including the Trust Account), to the extent legally permissible and permissible under agreements which Sponsor or the Company is party to, will be paid to Polar by the Sponsor within
calendar days of the liquidation. Such payment from the Sponsor shall fulfill the Company’s and the Sponsor’s joint obligations to repay the amounts due to Polar under the Subscription Agreement and release the Company and the Sponsor from any and all joint obligations to repay Polar pursuant to the Subscription Agreement.In the event that the Company or the Sponsor defaulted under their respective obligations to issue Class A ordinary shares of the Company, and/or repay the Investor Capital Contribution funded by Polar in cash or Class A ordinary shares of the Company, in each case to Polar at or around the closing of the initial Business Combination of the Company in accordance with the Subscription Agreement, and such default continues for a period of
Note 6 — Due to Third Party
DiaCarta agreed to loan the Company
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the extent of any funds held outside of the Trust Account. If the Company terminates an extension period at any time up to the applicable Extended Date, the Company will liquidate and dissolve in accordance with the Second MAA, provided that the Company shall have deposited the applicable Contribution for such extension period.
On February 16, 2023, March 16, 2023 and April 18, 2023, the Company received
Note 7 — Commitments and Contingencies
Registration and Shareholder Rights
The holders of (i) Founder Shares, (ii) Private Placement Warrants (and the Class A ordinary shares underlying such Private Placement Warrants), and (iii) Private Placement Warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans are entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration and shareholder rights agreement signed upon consummation of the Initial Public Offering. These holders are entitled to certain demand and “piggyback” registration rights. However, the registration and shareholder rights agreement provide that the Company will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until the termination of the applicable lock-up period for the securities to be registered. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
The Company granted the underwriter a
The underwriter was entitled to an underwriting discount of $
On October 7, 2022, Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C., one of the participating underwriters in the Company’s Initial Public Offering, waived its entitlement to its portion of the deferred underwriting fee, resulting in an adjustment to Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption of approximately $
On October 13, 2022, Credit Suisse executed a letter agreement with the Company, in which Credit Suisse waived its portion of the deferred underwriting fee of approximately $
Risks and Uncertainties
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. The impact of this action and related sanctions on the world economy, the specific impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows are not yet determinable.
Note 8 — Derivative Warrant Liabilities
As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company has
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The Public Warrants will become exercisable at $
The warrants will expire
The exercise price and number of ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a share dividend, or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital-raising purposes in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $
The terms of the Private Placement Warrants are identical to those of the Public Warrants, except that the Private Placement Warrants and the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants, so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, (i) will not be redeemable by the Company, (ii) may not (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of these warrants), subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders until
Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may call the Public Warrants for redemption (except with respect to the Private Placement Warrants):
● | in whole and not in part; |
● | at a price of $ |
● | upon a minimum of |
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● | if, and only if, the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $ |
If the Company calls the warrants for redemption as described above, the Company will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise his, her or its warrant to do so on a “cashless basis.” In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any warrant. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination by the Extended Date 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.
Note 9 — Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption
The Company’s Class A ordinary shares feature certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of the Company’s control and subject to the occurrence of future events. The Company is authorized to issue
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The Class A ordinary share subject to possible redemption reflected on the condensed consolidated balance sheets is reconciled on the following table:
Gross proceeds |
| $ | |
Less: | |||
Fair value of Public Warrants at issuance |
| ( | |
Offering costs allocated to Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption |
| ( | |
Plus: |
|
| |
Accretion of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption amount |
| | |
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption - December 31, 2021 | | ||
Plus: | |||
Waiver of Class A ordinary shares issuance costs | | ||
Less: | |||
Remeasurement of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption | ( | ||
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption - December 31, 2022 | | ||
Plus: | |||
Accretion of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption | | ||
Less: | |||
Redemption of Class A ordinary shares | ( | ||
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption - March 31, 2023 | | ||
Plus: | |||
Accretion of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption | | ||
Less: | |||
Redemption of Class A ordinary shares | ( | ||
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption - June 30, 2023 | $ | | |
Plus: | |||
Accretion of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption | | ||
Less: | |||
Redemption of Class A ordinary shares | ( | ||
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption - September 30, 2023 | $ | |
Note 10 — Shareholders’ Deficit
Preference Shares—The Company is authorized to issue
Class A Ordinary Shares— The Company is authorized to issue
Class B Ordinary Shares— The Company is authorized to issue
Holders of the Class A ordinary shares and holders of the Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of the Company’s shareholders, except as required by law.
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If the Company calls the warrants for redemption as described above, the Company will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise his, her or its warrant to do so on a “cashless basis.” In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any warrant. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination by the Extended Date 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.
The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of the initial Business Combination on a
Note 11 — Fair Value Measurements
The following tables present information about the Company’s financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques that the Company utilized to determine such fair value.
Fair Value Measured as of September 30, 2023 | |||||||||
|
|
|
| Significant Other | |||||
Quoted Prices in | Significant Other | Unobservable | |||||||
Active Markets | Observable Inputs | Inputs | |||||||
Description | (Level 1) | (Level 2) | (Level 3) | ||||||
Liabilities: | |||||||||
Derivative warrant liabilities - Public Warrant | $ | — | $ | | $ | — | |||
Derivative warrant liabilities - Private Placement Warrant | $ | — | $ | — | $ | |
Fair Value Measured as of December 31, 2022 | |||||||||
Significant Other | |||||||||
Quoted Prices in | Significant Other | Unobservable | |||||||
Active Markets | Observable Inputs | Inputs | |||||||
Description |
| (Level 1) | (Level 2) |
| (Level 3) | ||||
Assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
Cash and Investments held in Trust Account | $ | | $ | — | $ | — | |||
Liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
Derivative warrant liabilities - Public Warrant | $ | | $ | — | $ | — | |||
Derivative warrant liabilities - Private Placement Warrant | $ | — | $ | — | $ | |
The Company utilized a Monte-Carlo simulation to estimate the fair value of the warrants initially and subsequently for the Private Warrants, with changes in fair value recognized on the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations. At September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the fair value of the Public Warrants was measured using the public trading price. Due to the insufficient trading volume of Public Warrants, the fair value of the Public Warrants was reclassified to Level 2 as of September 30, 2023.
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For the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized a loss from an increase in the fair value of derivative warrant liabilities of approximately $
The change in the fair value of the derivative warrant liabilities measured with Level 3 inputs for the period ended September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, is summarized as follows:
Derivative warrant liabilities at December 31, 2021 - Level 3 | $ | | |
( | |||
Derivative warrant liabilities at December 31, 2022 - Level 3 | | ||
| |||
Derivative warrant liabilities at March 31, 2023 - Level 3 | | ||
( | |||
Derivative warrant liabilities at June 30, 2023 - Level 3 | $ | | |
| |||
Derivative warrant liabilities at September 30, 2023 - Level 3 | $ | |
The estimated fair value of the private derivative warrant liabilities has been determined using Level 3 inputs. Inherent in a Monte-Carlo simulation are assumptions related to expected stock-price volatility, expected life and risk-free interest rate. The Company estimates the volatility of its ordinary shares based on historical volatility of select peer companies that matches the expected remaining life of the warrants. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon yield curve on the grant date for a maturity similar to the expected remaining life of the warrants. The expected life of the warrants is assumed to be equivalent to their remaining contractual term.
The following table provides quantitative information regarding the Level 3 fair value measurements inputs at their measurement dates:
| December 31, 2022 |
| September 30, 2023 |
| |||
Exercise price | $ | | $ | | |||
Volatility |
| | % | | % | ||
Stock price | $ | | $ | | |||
Expected life of the options to convert | | | |||||
Risk-free rate | | % | | % | |||
Implied Success | | % | | % |
The primary significant unobservable input used in the fair value measurement of the Company’s private warrants is the expected volatility of the ordinary shares. Significant increases (decreases) in the expected volatility in isolation would result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement.
Transfers to/from Levels 1, 2 and 3 are recognized at the end of the reporting period in which a change in valuation technique or methodology occurs. Other than the transfer of Public Warrants to Level 2 during the three months ended September 30, 2023,
Note 12 — Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred up to the date the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements were issued. Based upon this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that have occurred that would require adjustment or disclosures in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
References to the “Company,” “our,” “us” or “we” refer to HH&L Acquisition Co. References to “our management” refer to our officers and directors. The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this report. Capitalized but not otherwise defined terms have the meaning as ascribed to such terms in the notes to the accompanying financial statements. 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 (“This Quarterly Report” or “this report”) includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act that are not historical facts and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected and projected. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this Quarterly Report, including, without limitation, statements in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” regarding the completion of the Business Combination, our financial position, business strategy and plans and objective of management for future operations, are 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 SEC filings. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance, but reflect our management’s current beliefs, based on information currently available. 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. For information identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Risk Factors section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the SEC on March 31, 2023 and Item 1A of this Quarterly Report. Our securities filings can be accessed on the EDGAR section of the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Except as expressly required by applicable securities law, we disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on September 4, 2020. We were formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar Business Combination with one or more businesses. We are an emerging growth company and, as such, we are subject to all of the risks associated with emerging growth companies.
Our Sponsor is HH&L Investment Co., a Cayman exempted company. The registration statement for our Initial Public Offering was declared effective on February 4, 2021. On February 9, 2021, we consummated our Initial Public Offering of 41,400,000 Units, including 5,400,000 Over-Allotment Units, at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $414.0 million, and incurring offering costs of approximately $23.7 million, of which approximately $14.5 million was for deferred underwriting commissions (see Note 7 to the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements).
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we consummated the Private Placement of 10,280,000 Private Placement Warrant, at a price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant with the Sponsor, generating gross proceeds of approximately $10.3 million (see Note 4 to the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements).
Upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, a total of $414.0 million ($10.00 per Unit) of the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and certain of the proceeds of the Private Placement was placed in the Trust Account, located in the United States with Continental Share Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and will be invested only in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, or 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, until the earlier of: (i) the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account as described below. On February 7, 2023, in connection with the First Extraordinary General Meeting, the holders of 31,281,090 Class A ordinary shares elected to redeem their shares for cash at a redemption price of approximately $10.18 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $318.6 million, leaving approximately $103.1
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million in the Trust Account. On May 9, 2023, in connection with the Second Extraordinary General Meeting, the holders of 3,887,893 Class A ordinary shares elected to redeem their shares for cash at a redemption price of approximately $10.33 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $40.4 million, leaving approximately $64.9 million in the Trust Account. On August 9, 2023, in connection with the Third Extraordinary General Meeting, the holders of 2,025,832 Class A ordinary shares elected to redeem their shares for cash at a redemption price of approximately $10.60 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $21.5 million, leaving approximately $44.6 million in the Trust Account.
Our 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 we will be able to complete a Business Combination successfully. We must complete one or more initial Business Combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable, if any, on income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial Business Combination. Additionally, pursuant to NYSE rules, any Business Combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors until the 80% of net assets test described above is satisfied. However, we 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 sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
Pursuant to the second amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as amended on February 7, 2023, May 9, 2023 and August 9, 2023, if we are unable to complete the initial Business Combination by February 9, 2024 (assuming the Board us has taken appropriate actions in accordance with the Third Extension Amendment Proposal), we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no 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 (less taxes payable and 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 shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining shareholders and the board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the other requirements of applicable law. The Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to their Founder Shares if we fail to complete the initial Business Combination by February 9, 2024 (assuming the Board has taken appropriate actions in accordance with the Third Extension Amendment Proposal),or such later period approved by the Company’s shareholders in accordance with the Second MAA. However, if our Sponsor or management team acquire Public Shares after our Initial Public Offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such Public Shares if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within the prescribed time period.
Proposed Business Combination
On October 14, 2022, we entered into a Business Combination Agreement by and among us, Diamond Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of us, and DiaCarta, Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company limited by shares, as fully disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8-K as filed with the SEC by us on October 14, 2022 and in our registration statement on Form S-4/A filed with the SEC on January 23, 2023.
The obligations of the parties (or, in some cases, some of the parties) to consummate the Proposed Business Combination are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain customary closing conditions of the respective parties, including, among others: (i) the accuracy of representations and warranties to various standards, from no material qualifier to a material adverse effect qualifier, (ii) material compliance with pre-closing covenants, (iii) no material adverse effect both for us and DiaCarta and its subsidiaries, (iv) the delivery of customary closing certificates, (v) the waiting period of periods required by any Antitrust Authorities and any other Governmental Approvals shall have been obtained, expired or been terminated, as applicable, (vi) the absence of a legal prohibition on consummating the transactions, (vii) approval by us and DiaCarta’s shareholders, (viii) approval of the listing on the NYSE for newly issued shares, and (ix) we having at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets remaining after redemption.
We agreed, pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, to seek additional investors through one or more private placements of common stock of the Domesticated SPAC. In connection with the Proposed Business Combination, our Sponsor has agreed to contribute or forfeit certain Class B ordinary shares owned by itself to facilitate financing after signing of the Business Combination Agreement and certain forfeiture arrangement with an agreed cap.
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Additionally, on October 7, 2022, we received a letter from Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C., which, among others, waived any entitlement to their respective portions of the $14,490,000 deferred underwriting fee, and on October 13, 2022, we executed a letter agreement with Credit Suisse, whereby Credit Suisse waived their respective portions of the remaining deferred underwriting fee with respect to the Proposed Business Combination. On November 14, 2022, Credit Suisse delivered a notice of resignation to the SEC pursuant to Section 11(b)(1) under the Securities Act indicating that, effective as of October 13, 2022, Credit Suisse had resigned from, or ceased or refused to act in, any capacity and relationship with respect to the Proposed Business Combination and had disclaimed taking part in any preparation and any responsibility for any portion of information disclosed in any registration statement/proxy statement filed in connection with the Proposed Business Combination.
On January 20, 2023, our Company, Merger Sub and DiaCarta entered into the BCA Amendment, pursuant to which the Business Combination Agreement was amended to provide that, among other things, DiaCarta shall prepare and submit to NYSE or Nasdaq an initial listing application, if required under NYSE or Nasdaq rules, in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement and covering the Domesticated SPAC Common Stock issuable in accordance with the Business Combination Agreement and obtain approval for the listing on NYSE or Nasdaq of such Domesticated SPAC Common Stock.
On June 26, 2023, we sent DiaCarta a Termination Notice that we had terminated the Business Combination Agreement and all ancillary agreements and as a remedy at law, based on breaches by DiaCarta of certain representations and covenants contained in the Business Combination Agreement and fraudulent misrepresentation on the part of DiaCarta.
The Termination Notice does not constitute a waiver of, or shall prejudice any of our rights under the Business Combination Agreement or at law, and we reserve all such rights in full to pursue any and all loss of us, the Sponsor, and our shareholders with respect to the Termination.
We are still searching for other potential Business Combination target as of the issuance date of this Quarterly Report.
Extension, Redemptions and Trust Account
On February 7, 2023, we held the First Extraordinary General Meeting, at which, the shareholders approved (1) by a special resolution to amend our second amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the Termination Date from February 9, 2023 to March 9, 2023, and if we do not consummate a Business Combination by the First Extended Date, to further extend the Termination Date, without further approval of the Company’s shareholders, by resolutions of the Board at least three days prior to First Extended Date, and to April 9, 2023, which may be further extended, by resolutions of the Board passed at least three days prior to the Second Extended Date, to May 9, 2023 and (2) the proposal to approve amendment of our Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated February 5, 2021 to allow us to maintain any remaining amount in the Trust Account in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank. In connection with the First Extraordinary General Meeting, the holders of 31,281,090 Class A ordinary shares elected to redeem their shares for cash at a redemption price of approximately $10.18 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $318.6 million, leaving approximately $103.1 million in the Trust Account.
On February 7, 2023, in connection with the First Extraordinary General Meeting, our Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company entered into the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement to (i) reflect the extension as described under the First Extension Amendment Proposal and (ii) allow the Company to maintain any remaining amount in its Trust Account established in connection with its Initial Public Offering in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank. A copy of the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement was filed on February 9, 2023 with the SEC on a Current Report on Form 8-K. On February 8, 2023, the Company instructed Continental Share Transfer & Trust Company to hold all funds in the Trust Account uninvested in an interest bearing bank deposit account.
In connection with the First Extension Amendment Proposal, we agreed that (A) for the period from February 9, 2023 until the First Extended Date, we shall deposit into the Trust Account $380,000 for the benefit of Public Shareholders who did not redeem as of February 9, 2023, (B) if we do not consummate a Business Combination by the First Extended Date and the Board elects to extend the period to consummate a Business Combination from the First Extended Date to the Second Extended Date, for the period from the First Extended Date to the Second Extended Date, we shall deposit into the Trust Account another $380,000 for the benefit of Public Shareholders who did not redeem as of the First Extended Date, and (C) if the we do not consummate a Business Combination by the Second Extended Date and the Board elects to extend the period to consummate a business combination from the Second Extended Date to the Third Extended Date, for the period from the Second Extended Date to the Third Extended Date, we shall deposit into the Trust Account another $380,000 for each Public Shareholders that did not redeem as of the Second Extended Date.
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Each Contribution under the Fist Extension Amendment Proposal was deposited in the Trust Account on February 16, 2023, March 16, 2023 and April 18, 2023, respectively. Our Sponsor and DiaCarta each loaned our Company 50% of each Contribution in advance of its deposit into the Trust Account. The loans to our Company for the Contributions do not bear interest and will be repayable by us to our Sponsor and DiaCarta upon consummation of an initial Business Combination. The loans will be forgiven if we are unable to consummate an initial Business Combination except to the extent of any funds held outside of the Trust Account.
On May 9, 2023, we held the Second Extraordinary General Meeting, at which, the shareholders approved by a special resolution to amend our Second MAA to extend the Termination Date for three months, from May 9, 2023 to August 9, 2023, and, if we do not consummate a business combination by August 9, 2023, to further extend the Termination Date, without the need for any further approval of the Company’s shareholders, by resolutions of the Board at least three days prior to the applicable Extended Date, up to six times, each by an additional month, for an aggregate of six additional months, until February 9, 2024.
In connection with the Second Extension Amendment Proposal, we agreed that, (A) for the First-Phase Extension Period, we shall deposit into the Trust Account the lesser of $487,500 or $0.0975 for each public share that is not redeemed as of May 9, 2023, (B) if we do not consummate a business combination by the First-Phase Extended Date and the Board elects to further extend the period to consummate a business combination, for each Second-Phase Extension Period, we shall deposit into the Trust Account the lesser of US$162,500 or US$0.0325 for each public share that is not redeemed as of May 9, 2023.
As of September 30, 2023 the Company has deposited or caused to be deposited the First-Phase Contribution in three equal instalments of $162,500 on May 18, 2023, June 21, 2023, and August 18, 2023, respectively.
Each Contribution, under the Second Extension Amendment Proposal, was deposited in full into the Trust Account, funded by the proceeds from one or more loans to the Company from the Sponsor and/or DiaCarta. The loans to the Company for the Contributions will not bear interest and will be repayable by the Company to the Sponsor and/or DiaCarta, as the case may be, upon consummation of an initial Business Combination. The loans from the Sponsor and/or DiaCarta, as the case may be, will be forgiven if the Company is unable to consummate an initial Business Combination except to the extent of any fund held outside of the Trust Account. If the Company terminates an Extension Period at any time up to the applicable Extended Date, the Company will liquidate and dissolve in accordance with the Second MAA.
Each of our Company and DiaCarta is responsible for one half of the costs and expenses in connection with the extension in connection with the Second Extraordinary General Meeting, including the entire cost of soliciting proxies.
In connection with the Second Extraordinary General Meeting, the holders of 3,887,893 Class A ordinary shares elected to redeem their shares for cash at a redemption price of approximately $10.33 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $40.4 million, leaving approximately $64.9 million in the Trust Account.
On August 9, 2023, we held the Third Extraordinary General Meeting, at which, the shareholders approved special resolution to amend our second amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as amended on February 7, 2023 and May 9, 2023 to extend the Termination Date from August 9, 2023, without the need for any further approval of our shareholders, by resolutions of the Board at least three days prior to the applicable Extended Date, up to six times, each by an additional month, for an aggregate of six additional months, until February 9, 2024, without requiring the Company to make any deposit into the Trust Account.
Pursuant to the Second MAA, if we are unable to complete the initial Business Combination by February 9, 2024 (assuming the Board has taken appropriate actions in accordance with the Third Extension Amendment Proposal), we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no 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 (less taxes payable and 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 shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining shareholders and the board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the other requirements of applicable law. The Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their Founder Shares if we fail to complete the initial Business Combination by February 9, 2024 (assuming the Board has taken appropriate actions in accordance with the Third Extension Amendment Proposal), or such later period approved by our shareholders in accordance with the Second MAA.
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In connection with the vote to approve the Third Extension Amendment Proposal, the holders of 2,025,832 Class A ordinary shares elected to redeem their shares for cash at a redemption price of approximately $10.60 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $21.5 million, leaving approximately $44.6 million in the Trust Account and 4,205,185 Class A ordinary shares remain outstanding.
Non-Redemption Agreement
On August 3, 2023, the Sponsor, the Company, and the NRA investors entered into a Non-Redemption Agreement, pursuant to which, the NRA Investors agreed not to redeem an aggregate of 4,273,992 Non-Redeemed Shares at the Third Extraordinary General Meeting. In exchange for the foregoing commitment not to redeem such shares, the Sponsor has agreed to transfer to the NRA Investors an aggregate of 854,798 Class B ordinary shares of the Company held by the Sponsor promptly following consummation of an initial Business Combination if the NRA Investors continue to hold the Non-Redeemed Shares through the Third Extraordinary General Meeting. The Non-Redemption Agreement is not expected to increase the likelihood that the Third Extension Amendment Proposal is approved by shareholders but will increase the amount of funds that remain in the Company’s Trust Account following the Third Extraordinary General Meeting. The Company has assessed the Non-Redemption Agreement under ASC 815 and concluded that, the transfer of Class B ordinary shares by a principal shareholder to NRA Investors should be classified as equity instrument. Accordingly, the Company recorded the fair value of 854,798 Class B ordinary shares, at inception, as additional paid-in capital and recorded an expense for the waiver of redemption rights originally provided to NRA Investors. The fair value of theses Class B ordinary shares was $4,060,164, determined using a Monte Carlo Model, with the following key inputs, (i) volatility of 1.9%; (ii) risk- free rate of 4.9%, (iii) stock price of $10.56 and (iv) estimated remaining terms of 2 years.
Capital Contribution Note
On August 8, 2023 the Company entered into the Subscription Agreement with the Sponsor and Polar, an unaffiliated third party of the Company. Pursuant to the Subscription Agreement, Polar agrees to make certain capital contributions from time to time, at the request of the Sponsor, subject to the terms and conditions of the Subscription Agreement, to the Sponsor to meet the Sponsor’s commitment to fund the Company’s working capital needs.
The maximum aggregate Investor Capital Contribution is $1,500,000, with (i) an initial Investor Capital Contribution of $500,000 available for drawdown within five business days of the Subscription Agreement; (ii) an Investor Capital Contribution of $500,000 available for drawdown within five business days after the date that the Company announces a business combination agreement; and (iii) an Investor Capital Contribution of $500,000 available for drawdown after the date of filing of a registration statement in relation to the Business Combination. The Sponsor has the right but no obligation to drawdown any amount pursuant to and under the Subscription Agreement. Up to the date the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements were issued, in connection with the Subscription Agreement, the Sponsor has not yet loaned to the Company. As of September 30, 2023, the Company received $500,000 under the Subscription Agreement and recorded the amounts as a Capital Contribution Note on the accompanying condensed balance sheets.
In exchange for the forgoing commitment of Polar to make capital contributions to the Sponsor, the Company agrees to, or cause the surviving entity following the closing of the Company’s initial Business Combination to, issue one Class A ordinary share of the Company (or the surviving entity) for each dollar of Investor Capital Contribution received by the Sponsor, at the closing of the Business Combination. The Company or the surviving entity of the Business Combination shall file a registration statement to register the Subscription Shares promptly but no later than 30 calendar days after the closing of the Business Combination, and cause the registration statement to be declared effective no later than 90 calendar days after the closing of Business Combination.
Any loan by the Sponsor to the Company funded by the Investor Capital Contribution shall not accrue interest and shall be repaid by the Company upon the closing of an initial Business Combination. Upon such repayment to the Sponsor, the Sponsor shall pay to Polar an amount equal to the Investor Capital Contribution actually funded and received by the Sponsor within five business days of the closing of the Business Combination. The Sponsor shall not sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of any securities owned by the Sponsor until the full amount of the payments due has been paid to Polar. The Company and Sponsor shall be jointly and severally obligated for such repayment to Polar. If the Company consummates its Business Combination, Polar may elect at closing of the Business Combination to receive such repayments either in cash or in the form of Class A ordinary share at a rate of one Class A ordinary share for each $10 of the Investor Capital Contribution actually funded and received by the Sponsor.
If the Company liquidates without consummating any Business Combination, any amounts remaining in the Sponsor’s or the Company’s cash accounts (not including the Trust Account), to the extent legally permissible and permissible under agreements which Sponsor or
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the Company is party to, will be paid to Polar by the Sponsor within five calendar days of the liquidation. Such payment from the Sponsor shall fulfill the Company’s and the Sponsor’s joint obligations to repay the amounts due to Polar under the Subscription Agreement and release the Company and the Sponsor from any and all joint obligations to repay Polar pursuant to the Subscription Agreement.
The full Subscription Agreement has been filed by the Company on a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC on August 9, 2023.
Liquidity and Going Concern
As of September 30, 2023, we had $123,334 in our operating bank account, and a working capital deficit of approximately $7.4 million, exclusive of working capital loan – related party of $500,000, convertible promissory note- related party of $290,000 and non-convertible promissory note - related party of $570,000.
Our liquidity needs until the Initial Public Offering were satisfied through a contribution of $25,000 from our Sponsor to cover for certain expenses on behalf of us in exchange for the issuance of the Founder Shares and a loan of approximately $185,000 from our Sponsor pursuant to the Note. We repaid the Note in full in February 2021, at which time the Note was terminated. Subsequent to the consummation of the Initial Public Offering our liquidity needs have been satisfied through the net proceeds from the consummation of the Private Placement not held in the Trust Account, Working Capital Loans, convertible promissory note issued to Sponsor, Capital Contribution Note and loans from DiaCarta (see Note 4 and Note 6 to the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements). As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, there were amounts of $500,000 and $500,000 outstanding under the Working Capital Loans, $290,000 and $0 outstanding under the convertible note issued to Sponsor, $570,000 and $0 outstanding under the non - convertible note issued to Sponsor, $500,000 and $0 outstanding under the Capital Contribution Note, $895,000 and $0 outstanding under the loan from DiaCarta, respectively.
In connection with our assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with FASB ASC 205-40, “Basis of Presentation - Going Concern,” our management has determined that the working capital deficit and mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. As such, our management plans to consummate a Business Combination prior to the mandatory liquidation date. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should we be required to liquidate after February 9, 2024 (assuming the Board has taken appropriate actions in accordance with the Third Extension Amendment Proposal), or such later time as the Company’s shareholders may approve in accordance with the Second MAA. Our management plans to complete a Business Combination prior to the mandatory liquidation date and expects to receive financing from our Sponsor or an affiliate of our Sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to meet our obligations through the earlier of the consummation of our Business Combination or the time of liquidation. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustment that might be necessary if we are unable to continue as a going concern.
Risks and Uncertainties
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. The impact of this action and related sanctions on the world economy, the specific impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows are not determinable as of the date of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
Results of Operations
Our entire activity from inception to September 30, 2023 was in preparation for our formation and the Initial Public Offering, and since the Initial Public Offering, a search for a target company for a Business Combination. We will not be generating any operating revenues until the closing and completion of our initial Business Combination. We generate non-operating income from our cash and investments held in the Trust Account funded by the proceeds of the Initial Public Offering.
For the three months ended September 30, 2023, we had a net loss of approximately $4.4 million, which consisted of approximately $4.1 million compensation expenses incurred for transfer of class B ordinary shares to NRA Investors, approximately $0.5 million of general and administrative expenses, $45,000 of general and administrative expenses - related part and approximately $0.3 million of non-operating loss resulting from the change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities, partially offset by approximately $0.5 million of income from cash and investments held in Trust Account.
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For the three months ended September 30, 2022, we had a net income of approximately $4.8 million, which consisted of approximately $4.3 million of non-operating income resulting from the change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities and approximately $1.9 million in income from investments held in Trust Account, offset by approximately $1.4 million of general and administrative expenses and $45,000 of general and administrative expenses - related party.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, we had a net loss of approximately $2.0 million, which consisted of approximately $4.1 million compensation expenses incurred for transfer of class B ordinary shares to NRA Investors, approximately $1.9 million of general and administrative expenses and $90,000 of general and administrative expenses - related party, partially offset by approximately $0.6 million of non-operating gain resulting from the change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities and approximately $3.5 million of income from cash and investments held in Trust Account.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, we had a net income of approximately $16.3 million, which consisted of approximately $16.4 million of non-operating income resulting from the change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities and approximately $2.5 million of income from investments held in Trust Account, offset by approximately $2.5 million of general and administrative expenses and $135,000 of general and administrative expenses - related party.
Contractual Obligations
Administrative Support Agreement
We agreed to pay the Sponsor a total of $15,000 per month, commencing on the effective date of the Initial Public Offering, for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative support services provided to members of the management team. Upon completion of the initial Business Combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees. For the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred $45,000 and $45,000 of expenses for these services which are recognized in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations as administrative expenses - related party. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred $1350,000 and 135,000 of expenses in connection with such services, which were recognized in the accompanying condensed statements of operations as administrative expenses – related party. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, there was $485,000 and $345,000 outstanding related to these expenses, respectively, in accounts payable – related party on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.
Registration Rights
The holders of Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants, and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans, if any, are entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement. These holders will be entitled to certain demand and “piggyback” registration rights. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until the termination of the applicable lock-up period for the securities to be registered. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
We granted the underwriters a 45-day option from the final prospectus relating to the Initial Public Offering to purchase up to 5,400,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the Initial Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions. On February 9, 2021, the underwriters fully exercised their over-allotment option.
The underwriters were entitled to an underwriting discount of $0.20 per unit, or approximately $8.9 million in the aggregate, paid upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering. In addition, $0.35 per unit, or approximately $14.5 million in the aggregate will be payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions. 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.
On October 7, 2022, Goldman Sachs, one of the participating underwriters in our Initial Public Offering, waived its entitlement to its portion of the deferred underwriting fee, resulting in an adjustment to Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption of approximately $8.4 million and a gain from extinguishment of the deferred underwriting commissions allocated to derivative warrant liabilities of approximately $296,000 as presented on the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022.
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On October 13, 2022, we entered into a letter agreement with Credit Suisse, pursuant to which, Credit Suisse agreed to waive its portions of the deferred underwriting fee of approximately $5.8 million, with respect to the Proposed Business Combination.
Critical Accounting Policies
This management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and judgments, including those related to fair value of financial instruments and accrued expenses. We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We have identified the following as our critical accounting policies and estimates:
Derivatives
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, debt with convertible features and the transfer of Class B ordinary shares to NRA Investors in connection with the Non-Redemption Agreement, 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”. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is re-assessed at the end of each reporting period.
The Public Warrants and Private Placement Warrants are recognized as derivative warrant liabilities in accordance with ASC 815. Accordingly, we recognize the warrant instruments as liabilities at fair value and adjusts the instruments to fair value at each reporting period until they are exercised. The fair value of warrants issued by the Company in connection with the Initial Public Offering and Private Placement have initially been estimated using Monte-Carlo simulations at each measurement date. The Private Placement Warrants continue to be estimated using Monte Carlo simulations. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the fair value of the Public Warrants was estimated at their listed public trading price. Derivative warrant liabilities are classified as non-current liabilities as their liquidation is not reasonably expected to require the use of current assets or require the creation of current liabilities.
Working Capital Loans and Convertible Promissory Note (for further details, see Note 4) may be converted into warrants of the Company at a price of $1.00 per warrant, at the option of the holder. The warrants obtained from conversion will be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. The embedded conversion option is not clearly and closely related to the debt host instrument and was bifurcated from the loan host instrument pursuant to ASC 815, with a de minimis value, and classified on a combined basis with the loan host instrument in Working Capital Loan—related party and Convertible Promissory Note in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.
The transfer of Class B ordinary shares by a principal shareholder to NRA Investors is classified as equity instrument in accordance with ASC 815. Accordingly, the Company recorded the fair value of 854,798 Class B ordinary shares, at inception, as additional paid-in capital and recorded an expense for the waiver of redemption rights originally provided to NRA Investors. The Company also considered the relevance of SAB Topic 5T and concluded that if a business combination is consummated and if the Sponsor forfeits shares to be issued to the NRA Investor as a result of non-redemption, any settlement amounts in excess of the fair value originally recorded under ASC 815, would be recorded as an expense under SAB Topic 5T.
Capital Contribution Note
The Company analyzed the Subscription Agreement under ASC 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity” and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and concluded that, (i) the Subscription Shares issuable under the Subscription Agreement are not required to be accounted for as a liability under ASC 480 or ASC 815, and (ii) bifurcation of a single derivative that comprises all of the fair value of the Subscription Share feature(s) (i.e., derivative instrument(s)) is not necessary under ASC 815-15-25-7 through 25-10. As a result, all debt proceeds received from Polar have been recorded based on the proceeds received. As of September 30, 2023, the Company received $500,000 under the Subscription Agreement and recorded the amounts as a Capital Contribution Note on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.
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Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption
We account for our Class A ordinary share subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Class A ordinary share subject to mandatory redemption (if any) is classified as liability instruments and are measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable Class A ordinary share (including Class A ordinary share 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 our control) are classified as temporary equity. At all other times, Class A ordinary share is classified as shareholders’ equity. Our Class A ordinary share feature certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of our control and subject to the occurrence of uncertain future events. On February 7, 2023, in connection with the First Extraordinary General Meeting, the holders of 31,281,090 Class A ordinary shares elected to redeem their shares for cash at a redemption price of approximately $10.18 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $318.6 million, leaving approximately $103.1 million in the Trust Account. On May 9, 2023, in connection with the Second Extraordinary General Meeting, the holders of 3,887,893 Class A ordinary shares elected to redeem their shares for cash at a redemption price of approximately $10.33 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $40.4 million, leaving approximately $64.9 million in the Trust Account. On August 9, 2023, in connection with the Third Extraordinary General Meeting, the holders of 2,025,832 Class A ordinary shares elected to redeem their shares for cash at a redemption price of approximately $10.60 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $21.5 million, leaving approximately $44.6 million in the Trust Account. Accordingly, as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, 4,205,185 and 41,400,000 Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption are presented at redemption value as temporary equity, outside of the shareholders’ equity section of our balance sheets, respectively.
Under ASC 480-10-S99, the Company has elected to recognize changes in the redemption value immediately as they occur and adjust the carrying value of the security to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. This method would view the end of the reporting period as if it were also the redemption date for the security.
Effective with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we recognized the accretion from initial book value to redemption amount, which resulted in charges against additional paid-in capital (to the extent available) and accumulated deficit.
Net Income (Loss) per Ordinary Share
We comply with accounting and disclosure requirements of FASB ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” We have two classes of shares, which are referred to as Class A ordinary share and Class B ordinary share. Income and losses are shared pro rata between the two classes of shares. This presentation assumes a business combination as the most likely outcome. Net income (loss) per share is calculated by dividing the net income by the weighted average ordinary shares outstanding for the respective period.
The calculation of diluted net income (loss) per ordinary share does not consider the effect of the warrants issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement to purchase an aggregate of 30,980,000 ordinary shares in the calculation of diluted income (loss) per share, because their exercise is contingent upon future events. Accretion associated with the redeemable Class A ordinary share is excluded from earnings per share as the redemption value approximates fair value.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards if currently adopted would have a material effect on the accompanying financial statements.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of September 30, 2023, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K.
JOBS Act
The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We qualify as an “emerging growth company” and under the JOBS Act are allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, the financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
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Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company,” we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an auditor’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis) and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of our Initial Public Offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information otherwise required under this item. As of September 30, 2023, we were not subject to any market or interest rate risk, other than related to the derivative warrant liabilities. The net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering, including amounts in the Trust Account, was initially invested in U.S. government securities with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds that meet certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act, that invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. On and following February 8, 2023, the Company’s portfolio of investments is comprised of deposits in interest bearing demand deposit accounts at banks. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believed there were no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.
We have not engaged in any hedging activities since our inception, and we do not expect to engage in any hedging activities with respect to the market risk to which we are exposed.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2023, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based on this evaluation, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer has concluded that during the period covered by this report, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of September 30, 2023.
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 chief executive officer and chief financial officer or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2023, covered by this Quarterly Report 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 are any of the risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the SEC on March 31, 2023. Any of these factors could result in a significant or material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additional risk factors not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business, financial condition and results of operations. As of the date of this Quarterly Report, other than as set forth below, there have been no material changes to the risk factors disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the SEC. We may disclose further changes to the risk factors or disclose additional factors from time to time in our future filings with the SEC.
The risk factor disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 set forth under the heading “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 recent COVID-19 outbreak and the status of debt and equity markets, as well as protectionist legislation in our target markets.” is replaced in its entirety with the following risk factor in this Quarterly Report:
Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate our initial business combination, may be materially adversely affected by any future pandemic and the status of debt and equity markets.
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) was reported to have surfaced, which has and is continuing to spread throughout parts of the world. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a “pandemic.” COVID-19 has adversely affected, and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases) could adversely affect, economies and financial markets worldwide, business operations and the conduct of commerce generally, and the business of any potential target business with which we consummate a business combination could be, or may already have been, materially and adversely affected. Although lockdowns, shelter-in-place restrictions, and vaccine mandates, prevalent during the initial stages of COVID-19, have generally been lifted worldwide, there is no guarantee that COVID-19 will not spread again or there will be no other pandemic in the future. Disruptions posed by any future pandemic or other events (such as terrorist attacks or natural disasters), including as a result of protectionist sentiments or legislation in our target markets, may materially adversely affect our ability to consummate a business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination.
In addition, our ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by a number of factors, such as a pandemic, military conflict, terrorism, sanctions and other events, including, as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and availability of acceptable third-party financing. Political developments impacting government spending, including inflation or raising interest rates, may also negatively impact markets and cause weaker macro-economic conditions. The effect of any or all of these events could adversely impact our ability to find a suitable business combination, as it may harm a potential target company’s operations and weaken its financial results.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
None.
Item 3. Defaults upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
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Item 5. Other Information
None.
Item 6. Exhibits
Exhibit |
| Description |
31.1 | ||
31.2 | ||
32.1* | ||
32.2* | ||
101.INS | XBRL Instance Document | |
101.SCH | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document | |
101.CAL | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document | |
101.DEF | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document | |
101.LAB | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document | |
101.PRE | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document | |
104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File - The cover page interactive data file does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document |
* | These certifications are furnished to the SEC pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and are deemed not filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, nor shall they be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing. |
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SIGNATURE
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 20, 2023 | HH&L ACQUISITION CO. | |
By: | /s/ Richard Qi Li | |
Name: | Richard Qi Li | |
Title: | Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
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