Aimfinity Investment Corp. I - Annual Report: 2022 (Form 10-K)
Table of Contents
☒ | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
☐ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
Cayman Islands |
98-1641561 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) | |
221 W 9th St , Wilmington, Delaware |
19801 | |
(Address of principal executive offices) |
(Zip Code) |
Title of each class |
Trading Symbol |
Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
Units, consisting of one Class A ordinary share, $0.0001 par value, one Class 1 redeemable warrant and one-half of one Class 2 redeemable warrant |
AIMAU |
The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC | ||
Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value |
AIMA |
The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC |
Class 1 redeemable warrants, each exercisable for one Class A ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50 |
AIMAW |
The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC | ||
Class 2 redeemable warrants, each exercisable for one Class A ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50 |
AIMAW |
The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC | ||
New Units, consisting of one Class A ordinary share, $0.0001 par value, and one-half of one Class 2 redeemable warrant |
AIMBU |
The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC |
Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||
Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☒ | |||
Emerging growth company | ☒ |
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This report, including, without limitation, statements under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this report may include, for example, statements about:
• | our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses; |
• | our ability to complete an initial business combination; |
• | our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses; |
• | our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination; |
• | our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination; |
• | our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination; |
1
Table of Contents
• | our pool of prospective target businesses; |
• | our ability to consummate an initial business combination due to the uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing military action with the country of Ukraine commenced by the Russian Federation and Belarus in February 2022, adverse changes in general economic industry and competitive conditions, or adverse changes in government regulation or prevailing market interest rates; |
• | the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential business combination opportunities; |
• | our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading; |
• | the lack of a market for our securities; |
• | the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance; |
• | the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or |
• | our financial performance following our initial public offering. |
The forward-looking statements contained in this report are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
PART I
References in this report to “we,” “our,” “us” or the “Company” refer to Aimfinity Investment Corp. I. References to our “management” or our “management team” refer to our current officers and directors, and references to the “sponsor” refer to Aimfinity Investment LLC. References to “founder shares” are to shares of our Class B ordinary shares initially purchased by our sponsor in a private placement prior to our initial public offering, and the shares of our Class A ordinary shares issued upon the conversion thereof as provided herein, and references to “initial shareholders” are to holders of our founder shares prior to our initial public offering and any transferees of such founder shares.
Item 1. Business.
General
We are a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this report as our initial business combination. We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenue to date. Based on our business activities, we are a “shell company” as defined under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) because we have no operations and nominal assets consisting almost entirely of cash. On April 28, 2022, we consummated our initial public offering (the “IPO”) of 8,050,000 units, which included 1,050,000 units issued pursuant to the full exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option (the “Units”), each Unit consisting of one Class A ordinary share of the Company, par
2
Table of Contents
value $0.0001 per share (the “public shares”), one Class 1 redeemable warrant (the “Class 1 Warrant”) and one-half of one Class 2 redeemable warrant (the “Class 2 Warrant”) of the Company (each, a “Public Warrant”), each whole Public Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share for $11.50 per share. The Units were sold at a price of $10.00 per Unit, and the IPO generated gross proceeds of $80,500,000. Simultaneously with the closing of the IPO, we consummated a private placement (the “Private Placement”) with our sponsor, of an aggregate of 492,000 units (the “Private Placement Units”) (including 42,000 Private Placement Units purchased pursuant to the full exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option) at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, generating gross proceeds to the Company of $4,920,000. Each Private Placement Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share (the “Private Placement Shares”), one Class 1 Warrant, and one-half of one Class 2 Warrant. The terms and provisions of the warrants in the Private Placement Units (together, the “Private Placement Warrants”) are identical to the Public Warrants, except that, subject to certain limited exceptions, they are subject to transfer restrictions until 30 days following the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination. On April 28, 2022, a total of $82,110,000 of the net proceeds from the IPO and the Private Placement was deposited in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) established for the benefit of the Company’s public shareholders at a U.S. based trust account, with U.S. Bank, National Association, acting as trustee.
The Class 1 Warrant and Class 2 Warrants have similar terms, except that the Class 1 Warrants separated and began separate trading on June 16, 2022 (the 52nd day following the effective date of the IPO). Holders have the option to continue to hold the Units or separate the Class 1 Warrants from the Units. Separation of the Class 1 Warrants from the Units will result in new units consisting of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one Class 2 Warrant (the “New Units”). Holders will need to have their brokers contact the Company’s transfer agent in order to separate the Units into Class 1 Warrants and New Units consisting of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one Class 2 Warrant. Additionally, the Units and the New Units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of the initial business combination.
Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account that may be released to the Company to pay its tax obligations (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), the funds held in the Trust Account will not be released from the Trust Account until the earliest of (i) the completion of the Company’s initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any of the Company’s public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (a) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to provide for the redemption of the Company’s public shares in connection with any proposed initial business combination or to redeem 100% of the Company’s public shares if it does not complete its initial business combination by July 28, 2023, or by January 28, 2024 if the period of time to consummate a business combination is extended (such period, the “Completion Window”) (such shareholder vote, a “Shareholder Extension Vote”) or (b) with respect to any other material provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii) the redemption of the Company’s public shares if it is unable to complete its initial business combination within the Completion Window, subject to applicable law.
We are focused on identifying unique business concepts with high-performing organizations that have both aspirations to accelerate growth and create enduring value within the technology, hospitality or consumer services sector. While we will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region in our identification and acquisition of a target company, we intend to focus on technology, consumer and hospitality and will not complete our initial business combination with a target that is headquartered in China (including Hong Kong and Macau) or conducts a majority of its business in China (including Hong Kong and Macau).
Founder Share and Private Placement Unit Distribution and Repurchase
On March 17, 2023, the sponsor initiated a distribution of 280,000 founder shares and 492,000 Private Placement Units of the Company held by the sponsor to Imperii Strategies LLC, Aimfinity Investment & Co., and Yuming Investments LLC, all existing members of the sponsor at that time, and entered into a repurchase agreement with Xin Wang, Joshua Gordon, James J. Long and Nicholas Torres III, then directors and officers of the Company, to transfer 10,000 founder shares each to the sponsor, as a result of which, the sponsor directly held 1,692,500 founder shares as of March 17, 2023. The sale and repurchase of the founder shares and the distributions were made pursuant to an exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
Management Change
We were incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on July 26, 2021. On the same date, Jing Cao and Qiang Wang were appointed as directors of the Company. On November 26, 2021, Jing Cao was also appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. On April 25, 2022, the registration statement of the Company’s IPO was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). On the same date, Joshua Gordon, James J. Long and Xin Wang became directors of the Company. Nicholas Torres III was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer of the company on the same date.
On March 17, 2023, all of our directors and officers resigned from their respective positions. There was no known disagreement with any of the Company’s outgoing directors on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices. Concurrently with the resignations, the Company, by ordinary resolution of the holders of the Class B ordinary shares of the Company, or the “founder shares”, appointed I-Fa Chang as sole director of the board of directors (the “Board”). On the same day, I-Fa Chang, exercising his authority as the sole director of the Board, appointed four new members to the Board to fill such vacancies, consisting of Kevin Vassily as a Class I director, Hanzhong (Han) Li and Teng-Wei Chen as Class II directors, and Xuedong (Tony) Tian as a Class III director, effective immediately. The Board then appointed Mr. Chang as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and Mr. Tian as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effectively immediately. The Board further designated Mr. Chang as a Class III director.
All of our current officers and directors are U.S. citizens except that certain members of our management are Taiwan citizens. We do not believe that our officers, directors, sponsor and members of our sponsor have significant ties to China, except that our CFO, Mr. Tian, and our director, Dr. Li, lived in China more than twenty years ago. However, both Mr. Tian and Dr. Li are U.S. citizens and have spent their professional career in the United States (with the exception that Dr. Li worked as the CFO of a pharmaceutical company in China from 2017 to 2018). As we disclose in our Prospectus that we will not complete our initial business combination with a target that is headquartered in China (including Hong Kong and Macau) or conducts a majority of its business in China (including Hong Kong and Macau), we do not believe the historical path of one officer and one director will result in a material change in our search for a target company and the value of the securities that we are registering for sale. However, we cannot predict the perception from potential target companies or the market, it is uncertain whether that would make us a less attractive partner to a non-China-based target company and such perception may potentially limit or negatively impact our search for an initial business combination. See “Item 1A - Risk Factors - We do not have significant tie to China except that our CFO and one director, both of which are U.S. citizens, lived in China more than 20 years ago. It is uncertain whether that would make us a less attractive partner to a non-China -based target company and such perception may potentially limit or negatively impact our search for an initial business combination.” in this Report.
Business Strategy and Competitive Strengths
Our business strategy is to identify and complete our initial business combination with a company within the technology, hospitality or consumer services sector. Our selection process will leverage our team’s broad and deep relationship network, unique industry experiences and strong deal sourcing capabilities to access a broad spectrum of differentiated opportunities. This network has been developed through our team’s extensive experience and demonstrated success in both investing in and operating businesses in our target sectors and across a variety of industries.
3
Table of Contents
Our team will communicate with their networks of relationships to articulate the parameters for our search for a target company and a potential business combination and begin the process of pursuing and reviewing potential opportunities.
We believe that our management team is well positioned to identify attractive business combination opportunities with a compelling industry backdrop and an opportunity for transformational growth. Our team’s objectives are to generate attractive returns for shareholders and enhance value through improving operational performance of the acquired company. We expect to favor opportunities with certain industry and business characteristics. Key industry characteristics include compelling long-term growth, attractive competitive dynamics, consolidation opportunities and low risk of technological obsolescence. Key business characteristics include high barriers to entry, significant streams of recurring revenue, opportunity for operational improvement, attractive steady-state margins, high incremental margins and attractive free cash flow characteristics.
Business Combination Criteria
Consistent with our business strategy, we have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. We will use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet some or all of these criteria and guidelines, which are not meant to be exhaustive. However, we intend to seek to acquire businesses that we believe:
• | are fundamentally sound but are underperforming their potential; |
• | exhibit unrecognized value or other characteristics that we believe have been misevaluated by the marketplace; |
• | are at an inflection point where we believe we can drive improved financial performance; |
• | offer opportunities to enhance financial performance through organic initiatives and/or inorganic growth opportunities that we identify in our analysis and due diligence; |
• | can benefit from our management and directors’ knowledge of the target sectors, proven collection of operational strategies and tools, and past experiences in profitability and rapidly scaling businesses; |
• | are valued attractively relative to their existing cash flows and potential for operational improvement; and |
• | offer an attractive potential return for our shareholders, weighing potential growth opportunities and operational improvements in the target business against any identified downside risks. |
These criteria and guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general criteria and guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. However, we will not complete our initial business combination with a target that is headquartered in China (including Hong Kong and Macau) or conducts a majority of its business in China (including Hong Kong and Macau). In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria and guidelines in our shareholder communications related to our initial business combination, which would be in the form of proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents that we would file with the SEC.
4
Table of Contents
Initial Business Combination
Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations with a total aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the Trust Account (excluding any deferred underwriters’ fees and taxes payable on the interest income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of our signing of a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. We refer to this as the 80% of net assets test. If our board of directors determines that it is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or an independent valuation or appraisal firm, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. In addition, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors.
We will have until July 28, 2023, 15 months after the closing of the IPO (or up to 21 months as described below), to consummate an initial business combination. However, if we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 15 months, we will, by resolution of our board if requested by our sponsor, extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by up to six times, each time by an additional one months (up to January 28, 2024 to complete a business combination), subject to the sponsor depositing additional funds into the Trust Account as set out below. In connection with any such extension, public shareholders will not be offered the opportunity to vote on or redeem their shares. Pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the trust agreement, in order to extend the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination for an additional three months, our sponsor or its affiliates or designees must deposit into the Trust Account $268,330.65 ($0.033333 per public share) on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, for each one-month extension (up to an aggregate of $1,610,000, or $0.20 per public share, if we extend the period in full). We will issue a press release announcing each extension at least three days prior to the deadline. In addition, we will issue a press release the day after the deadline, announcing whether the funds have been timely deposited. Our sponsor and its affiliates or designees are obligated to fund the Trust Account in order to extend the time for us to complete our initial business combination, but our sponsor will not be obligated to extend such time. In addition to the foregoing arrangements, we may extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act.
Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If our initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses. In addition, we have agreed not to enter into a definitive agreement regarding an initial business combination without the prior consent of our sponsor. If our securities are not then listed on Nasdaq for whatever reason, we would no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% of net asset test.
5
Table of Contents
We may, at our option, pursue a business combination opportunity jointly with one or more entities affiliated with US Tiger Securities, Inc., a New Jersey corporation, a representative of the underwriters in the IPO (“US Tiger”). US Tiger and/or one or more investors in funds or separate accounts managed by or affiliated with US Tiger, which we refer to as an “Affiliated Joint Transaction.” Any such parties would co-invest only if (i) permitted by applicable regulatory and other legal limitations; (ii) we and US Tiger considered a transaction to be mutually beneficial to us as well as the affiliated entity; and (iii) other business reasons exist to do so, such as the strategic merits of including such co-investors, the need for additional capital beyond the amount held in our Trust Account to fund the initial business combination and/or the desire to obtain committed capital for closing the initial business combination. An Affiliated Joint Transaction may be effected through a co-investment with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the initial business combination by issuing to such parties a class of equity or equity-linked securities. We refer to this potential future issuance, or a similar issuance to other specified purchasers, as a “specified future issuance” throughout. The amount and other terms and conditions of any such specified future issuance would be determined at the time thereof. We are not obligated to make any specified future issuance and may determine not to do so. This is not an offer for any specified future issuance. Pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of our Class B ordinary shares, any such specified future issuance would result in an adjustment to the conversion ratio such that our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees, if any, would retain their aggregate percentage ownership of founder shares at 20% of the sum of the total number of all ordinary shares issued and outstanding upon completion of the IPO plus all shares issued in the specified future issuance, unless the holders of a majority of the then-issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares agreed to waive such adjustment with respect to the specified future issuance at the time thereof. We cannot determine at this time whether a majority of the holders of our Class B ordinary shares at the time of any such specified future issuance would agree to waive such adjustment to the conversion ratio. They may waive such adjustment due to (but not limited to) the following: (i) closing conditions which are part of the agreement for our initial business combination; (ii) negotiation with Class A shareholders on structuring an initial business combination; (iii) negotiation with parties providing financing which would trigger the anti-dilution provisions of the Class B ordinary shares; or (iv) as part of the Affiliated Joint Transaction. If such adjustment is not waived, the specified future issuance would not reduce the percentage ownership of holders of our Class B ordinary shares, but would reduce the percentage ownership of holders of our Class A ordinary shares. If such adjustment is waived, the specified future issuance would reduce the percentage ownership of holders of both classes of our ordinary shares.
To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination.
Acquisition Process
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review which will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information which will be made available to us. We will also utilize our management team’s expertise in analyzing and evaluating operating plans, financial projections and determining the appropriate return expectations given the risk profile of the target business as well as the suitability of the target to become a public company.
6
Table of Contents
Members of our management team and board of directors may, directly or indirectly, own founder shares and/or Private Placement Units and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. In particular, because the founder shares were purchased at approximately $0.012 per share, the holders of our founder shares (including our management team that directly or indirectly own founder shares) could make a substantial profit after our initial business combination even if our public shareholders lose money on their investment as a result of a decrease in the post-combination value of their ordinary shares (after accounting for any adjustments in connection with an exchange or other transaction contemplated by the business combination). Further, such officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
We may, at our option, pursue an Affiliated Joint Transaction opportunity with an entity to which US Tiger, investment funds advised by US Tiger or an officer or director has a fiduciary or contractual obligation. Any such entity may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the initial business combination by making a specified future issuance to any such entity. In addition, our CFO is also the Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets of US Tiger. As a result, US Tiger, as a representative to the underwriters of the IPO and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, is an affiliate of us. We may utilize Mr. Tian’s affiliation with US Tiger during our search for suitable targets, if that occurs, we may engage US Tiger to act as our advisor in connection with the marketing of our business combination and pay to US Tiger a fee for such services upon consummation of our initial business combination. US Tiger is also affiliated or associated with Tradeup Inc., a founder of TradeUP Acquisition Corp. (“TradeUP Acquisition”), a SPAC listed on Nasdaq that has entered into a definitive business combination agreement with a biotech company. If we engage US Tiger to assist with marketing of our business combination, we may compete with TradeUP Acquisition for business opportunities, to the extent that TradeUP Acquisition’s business combination is not consummated, and certain members of management who presently has, and any of them in the future may have, additional fiduciary, contractual or other obligations to US Tiger, TradeUP Acquisition or to clients of US Tiger, or other affiliates of our sponsor pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity. Additionally, certain of our officers and directors have fiduciary and contractual duties to other SPACs listed or to be listed on Nasdaq including Denali Capital Acquisition Corp., Inkstone Feibo Acquisition Corporation, Feutune Light Acquisition Corp. and Fortune Joy International Acquisition Corporation. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary, contractual or other obligations, including TradeUP Acquisition, Denali Capital Acquisition Corp., Inkstone Feibo Acquisition Corporation, Feutune Light Acquisition Corporation or Fortune Joy International Acquisition Corporation, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary, contractual or other obligations to present such opportunity to such entity and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity and he or she determines to present the opportunity to us (including as described above). These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us. However, we do not believe that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
Redemption Rights for Public Shareholder upon Completion of Our Initial Business Combination
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-issued and outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the Trust Account is initially anticipated to be $10.20 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial owner must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Further, we will not proceed with redeeming our public shares, even if a public shareholder has properly elected to redeem its shares, if a business combination does not close. Our initial shareholders have entered into agreements with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by July 28, 2023 (or by January 28, 2024, if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, or as may be extended by a Shareholder Extension Vote, as applicable) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares.
Manner of Conducting Redemptions
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement
7
Table of Contents
or whether we were deemed to be a foreign private issuer (which would require a tender offer rather than seeking shareholder approval under SEC rules). Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would typically require shareholder approval. We currently intend to conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote unless shareholder approval is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement or we choose to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC for business or other reasons. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with Nasdaq rules. If we held a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:
• | conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules; and |
• | file proxy materials with the SEC. |
Submission of Our Initial Business Combination to a Stockholder Vote
In the event that we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our public shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon completion of the initial business combination.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. In such case, our initial shareholders have agreed to vote their founder shares and public shares in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, assuming our initial shareholders continue to own the shares they currently own, we would not need any additional shares to be voted in favor of a transaction, in order to have such initial business combination approved. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or vote at all. In addition, our initial shareholders have entered into agreements with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with (i) the completion of a business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by July 28, 2023 (or by January 28, 2024, if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, or as may be extended by a Shareholder Extension Vote, as applicable) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares.
Limitation on Redemption upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination if We Seek Stockholder Approval
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide 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 Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in the IPO, which we refer to as “Excess Shares,” without our prior consent. We believe this restriction will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed business combination as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on
8
Table of Contents
other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in the IPO could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our sponsor or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares sold in the IPO without our prior consent, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash.
However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.
Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if No Initial Business Combination
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will have by July 28, 2023 (or by January 28, 2024, if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, or as may be extended by a Shareholder Extension Vote, as applicable) to consummate an initial business combination. If we have not consummated an initial business combination within such prescribed time period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of the then issued and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to consummate an initial business combination within the prescribed time period. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, if we wind up for any other reason prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will follow the foregoing procedures with respect to the liquidation of the Trust Account as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to applicable Cayman Islands law.
Corporate Information
Our executive offices are located at 221 W 9th St, PMB 235, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 since March 2023, and our telephone number is 425-365-2933. We are required to file Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q with the SEC on a regular basis, and are required to disclose certain material events in Current Reports on Form 8-K. The SEC maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s Internet website is located at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, the Company will provide copies of these documents without charge upon request from us at by telephone at 425-365-2933.
Status as a Public Company
We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative to a traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination with us. In a business combination transaction with us, the owners of the target business may, for example, exchange their shares of stock in the target business for our Class A ordinary shares (or shares of a new holding company) or for a combination of our Class A ordinary shares and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. We believe target businesses will find this method a more expeditious and cost effective method to becoming a public company than a typical initial public offering. The typical initial public offering process takes a significantly longer period of time than the typical business combination transaction process, and there are significant expenses in the initial public offering process, including underwriting discounts and commissions, that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us.
9
Table of Contents
Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriter’s ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring or have negative valuation consequences. Once public, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital, an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with shareholders’ interests and the ability to use its shares as currency for acquisitions. Being a public company can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
While we believe that our structure and our management team’s backgrounds will make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view our status as a special purpose acquisition company, including our lack of an operating history and our potential need to seek shareholder approval of a proposed initial business combination, negatively.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) and as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of the IPO, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we have encountered, and expect to continue to encounter, intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups, leveraged buyout funds, public companies and operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than us. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public shareholders who exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and potential future dilutions that our outstanding warrants represent, which may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination.
10
Table of Contents
Facilities
We currently maintain our executive offices at 221 W 9th St, PMB 235, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 since March 2023.
Previously, we maintained our executive offices at 1 Rockefeller Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, New York 10022
between our inception and March 2023. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We currently have two executive officers, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, I-Fa (Ivan) Chang, our Chief Financial Officer and Director, Xuedong (Tony) Xu. The two individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on the status of the proposed Transactions and, if the proposed Transactions are not consummated, whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the stage of the business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to include risk factors in this Report. However, below is a partial list of material risks, uncertainties and other factors that could have a material effect on us and our operations:
• | We are a recently incorporated blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective. |
• | Our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.” |
• | Our public shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such a combination. |
• | If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote. |
• | Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination will be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash, unless we seek shareholder approval of the business combination. |
• | The ability of our public shareholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a business combination with a target. |
• | The ability of our shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure. |
• | The ability of our shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares could increase the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your shares. |
• | The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may decrease our ability to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our business combination on terms that would produce value for our shareholders. |
11
Table of Contents
• | We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public shareholders may only receive $10.20 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless. |
• | If the net proceeds of the IPO and the sale of the Private Placement Units not being held in the Trust Account are insufficient to allow us to operate until July 28, 2023 (or by January 28, 2024, as applicable), it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and our ability to complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from our sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination. |
• | As the number of special purpose acquisition companies evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive targets. This could increase the cost of our initial business combination and could even result in our inability to find a target or to consummate an initial business combination. |
• | If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares from public shareholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares or Public Warrants. |
• | If a public shareholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed. |
• | Nasdaq may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions. |
• | Our shareholders will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies. |
• | We may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and executive officers. |
• | You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the Trust Account, except under certain limited circumstances. To liquidate your investment, therefore, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss. |
• | We may be a passive foreign investment company, or “PFIC,” which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors. |
• | We may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination and such reincorporation may result in taxes imposed on shareholders. |
• | We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to “emerging growth companies” or “smaller reporting companies,” this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies. |
• | The current economic downturn may lead to increased difficulty in completing our business combination. |
12
Table of Contents
• | Recent volatility in capital markets may affect our ability to obtain financing for our business combination through sales of our ordinary shares or issuance of indebtedness. |
• | Military conflict in Ukraine or elsewhere may lead to increased and price volatility for public traded securities, which could make it difficult for us to consummate the business combination. |
For the complete list of risks relating to our operations, see the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in our registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 263874) filed in connection with our IPO and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2022, June 30, 2022 and September 30, 2022, as filed with SEC on June 9, 2022, August 12, 2022, and November 14, 2022, respectively.
In addition to any risk factors disclosed in our Prospectus, we believe the risks described below outline additional items of most concern to us:
We do not have significant tie to China except that our CFO, Mr. Tian, and one of our directors, Dr. Li, are U.S. citizens who had lived in China in the past, it is uncertain whether that would make us a less attractive partner to a non-China -based target company and such perception may potentially limit or negatively impact our search for an initial business combination.
All of our officers and directors/director nominees are U.S. citizens except that certain members of our management are Taiwan citizens. We believe that none of our officers, directors/director nominees, sponsor and member of our sponsor have significant ties to China. We do not believe that our officers, directors/director nominees, sponsor and members of our sponsor have significant ties to China, except that both our CFO, Mr. Tian, and our director, Dr. Li, lived in China more than twenty years ago. However, both Mr. Tian and Dr. Li are U.S. citizens and have spent their professional career in the United States (with the exception that Dr. Li worked as the CFO of a pharmaceutical company in China from 2017 to 2018). As provided in our Prospectus. we will not undertake an initial business combination with any company being based in or having the majority of the company’s operations in China (including Hong Kong and Macau). We do not believe the historical path of one officer and one director will result in a material change in our search for a target company and the value of the securities that we are registering for sale. However, we cannot predict the perception from potential target companies or the market, it is uncertain whether that would make us a less attractive partner to a non-China-based target company and such perception may potentially limit or negatively impact our search for an initial business combination.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
None.
Item 2. Properties.
We do not own or lease any real estate or other physical properties materially important to our operation. We currently maintain our executive offices at 221 W 9th St, PMB 235, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 since March 2023. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
To the knowledge of our management, there is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us, any of our officers or directors in their capacity as such or against any of our property.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Market Information
Our units, new units, Class A ordinary shares, warrants are each traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC under the symbols “AIMAU,” “AIMBU,” “AIMA,” “AIMAW,” respectively. Our units commenced public trading on April 26, 2022, and our new units and class 1 warrants commenced separate public trading on June 16, 2022.
Holders
On December 31, 2022, there were 2 holders of record of our units, 1 holder of record of our Class A ordinary shares, 1 holder of record of our warrants, and 6 holders of record of our founder shares.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
None.
13
Table of Contents
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
In December 2021, we issued an aggregate of 2,875,000 founder shares to our sponsor in exchange for a payment of $25,000 from our sponsor to cover for certain expenses on behalf of us, or approximately $0.009 per share. On March 18, 2022, our sponsor surrendered to the Company for cancellation 862,500 Class B ordinary shares for no consideration, resulting in our initial shareholders holding an aggregate of 2,012,500 Class B ordinary shares, or approximately $0.012 per share. On March 29, 2022, the sponsor transferred 20,000 founder shares to Nicholas Torres III, then Chief Financial Officer of the Company, and 60,000 founder shares to Xin Wang, Joshua Gordon and James J. Long, then independent directors of the Board. On March 17, 2023, the sponsor initiated a distribution of 280,000 founder shares held under its record to Imperii Strategies, LLC, Aimfinity & Co. Ltd., and Yuming Investments LLC, its then existing members, all of which are permitted transferees of the founder shares. On the same date, it entered into a repurchase agreement with Nicholas Torres III, Xin Wang, Joshua Gordon and James J. Long, each of which agreed to sell 10,000 founder shares back to the sponsor. The sale and repurchase of the founder shares were made pursuant to an exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
As described above under the heading “Business – General” in Part I of this report, on April 28, 2022, we consummated the Private Placement, with our sponsor and the underwriters, of an aggregate of 492,000 Private Placement Units (including over-allotment of 42,000 units) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, to the sponsor, generating gross proceeds to the Company of $4,920,000. On March 17, 2023, the sponsor initiated a distribution of all 492,000 Private Placement Units of the Company held by the sponsor to Imperii Strategies, LLC, Aimfinity & Co. Ltd., and Yuming Investments LLC, its then existing members, all of which are permitted transferees of the Private Placement Units. The private placement warrants in the Private Placement Units are substantially similar to the Public Warrants, except that if held by the sponsor or its permitted transferees, they may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis and subject to certain limited exceptions, will be subject to transfer restrictions until 30 days following the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination. If the Private Placement Warrants are held by holders other than the sponsor or its permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company under all redemption scenarios and exercisable by holders on the same basis as the Public Warrants. The Private Placement Warrants have been issued pursuant to, and are governed by the Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement. The issuances of the Private Placement Warrants were made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. The sale of the Private Placement Warrants was made pursuant to an exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
Use of Proceeds from the Initial Public Offering
On April 28, 2022, we consummated our IPO of 8,050,000 Units, which included 1,050,000 Units issued pursuant to the full exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option. The Units were sold at a price of $10.00 per Unit, and the IPO generated gross proceeds of $80,500,000. US Tiger Securities, Inc. and EF Hutton, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC acted as the underwriters of the IPO. The securities sold in the IPO were registered under the Securities Act on a registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-263874). The SEC declared the registration statement effective on April 25, 2022.
On April 28, 2022, a total of $82,110,000 of the net proceeds from the IPO and the sale of the Private Placement Units was deposited in the Trust Account. The net proceeds deposited into the Trust Account remain on deposit in the Trust Account and are invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less, or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund and meeting the conditions of Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the consummation of a business combination or (ii) the distribution of the funds in the Trust Account to the Company’s shareholders,
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
None.
Item 6. [Reserved]
14
Table of Contents
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
References to the “Company,” “our,” “us,” “Aimfinity,” or “we” refer to Aimfinity Investment Corp. I. The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and the notes related thereto which are included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those set forth under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated on July 26, 2021 (inception) as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (the “Business Combination”). We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We intend to effectuate our initial Business Combination using cash from the proceeds of our IPO and the sale of our shares, debt or a combination of cash, equity and debt. We expect to continue to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to complete a Business Combination will be successful.
Recent Development
On March 17, 2023, Aimfinity Investment LLC (the “Sponsor”) initiated a distribution of 280,000 founder shares and 492,000 private placement units of the Company held by the sponsor to Imperii Strategies LLC, Aimfinity & Co. Ltd., and Yuming Investments LLC, all existing members of the sponsor at that time, and entered into a repurchase agreement with Xin Wang, Joshua Gordon, James J. Long and Nicholas Torres III, then directors and officers of the Company, to transfer 10,000 founder shares each to the sponsor, as a result of which, the sponsor directly held 1,692,500 founder shares as of March 17, 2023.
On the same date, Mr. I-Fa Chang entered into a Membership Interest Purchase and Transfer Agreement (the “Membership Purchase Agreement”) with Aimfinity Investment LLC (the “Sponsor”), Imperii Strategies LLC, Aimfinity & Co. LTD and Yuming Investments LLC (each a “Seller, and collectively, the “Sellers”). Pursuant to the Membership Purchase Agreement, Mr. I-Fa Chang purchased all outstanding membership interests of the Sponsor from the Sellers, and became sole manager and member of the Sponsor, in exchange for the consideration of $1,000,000. Upon the purchased of membership interest, Mr. I-Fa Chang, as the sole member and manager of the sponsor, is deemed the beneficial owner of 1,692,500 founder shares.
All founder shares and private placement units remain subject to the terms of the Letter Agreement dated April 25, 2022 and applicable lockup restrictions (as described in the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 (File No.: 263874), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, relating to the initial public offering of the Company).
In connection with the purchase of membership interest, on March 17, 2023, all of our then directors and officers resigned from their respective positions. There was no known disagreement with any of the Company’s outgoing directors on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices. Concurrently with the resignations, the Company, by ordinary resolution of the holders of the Class B ordinary shares of the Company, or the “founder shares”, appointed I-Fa Chang as sole director of the board of directors (the “Board”). On the same day, I-Fa Chang, exercising his authority as the sole director of the Board, appointed four new members to the Board to fill such vacancies, consisting of Kevin Vassily as a Class I director, Hanzhong (Han) Li and Teng-Wei Chen as Class II directors, and Xuedong (Tony) Tian as a Class III director, effective immediately. The Board then appointed Mr. Chang as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and Mr. Tian as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effectively immediately. The Board further designated Mr. Chang as a Class III director.
None of our officers or directors will receive any cash compensation for services rendered to us and the Company has entered into an Indemnity Agreement with each of our current directors and officers on March 17, 2023.
Results of Operations
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities from July 26, 2021 (inception) to December 31, 2022 were organizational activities, those necessary to prepare for the IPO, described below, and, after the IPO, identifying a target company for a Business Combination. We do not expect to generate any operating revenues until after the completion of our Business Combination. We may generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on marketable securities held in the Trust Account. We incur expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses in connection with completing a Business Combination.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we had a net loss of $352,037. For the period from July 26, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021, we had a net loss of $2,704.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Until the consummation of the IPO, our only source of liquidity was an initial purchase of ordinary shares by the Sponsor and loans from our Sponsor.
On April 28, 2022, we consummated the IPO of 8,050,000 units (“Public Units”), inclusive of 1,050,000 Public Units sold to the underwriters upon the underwriters’ election to partially exercise their over-allotment option. Each Public Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share, $0.0001 par value per share (such shares included in the Public Units, the “Public Shares”), one Class 1 redeemable warrant (the “Class 1 Warrant”) and one-half of one Class 2 redeemable warrant (the “Class 2 Warrant”, together with the Class 1 Warrant, the “Public Warrants”), each whole Public Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Public Share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share. The Public Units were sold at a price of $10.00 per Public Unit, generating gross proceeds of $80,500,000. Simultaneously with the closing of the IPO, we consummated the sale of 492,000 Private Placement Units to the Sponsor at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, generating gross proceeds of $4,920,000.
Following the closing of the IPO and sale of the Private Placement Units on April 28, 2022, a total of $82,110,000 was placed in a U.S.-based trust account maintained by U.S. Bank, National Association, acting as trustee (the “Trust Account”), and we had $1,495,650 of cash held outside of the Trust Account, after payment of costs related to the IPO, and available for working capital purposes. In connection with the IPO, we incurred $5,117,607 in transaction costs, consisting of $1,610,000 of underwriting fees, $2,817,500 of deferred underwriting fees and $690,107 of other offering costs.
15
Table of Contents
As of December 31, 2022, $82,735,662 held in the Trust Account were held in money market funds, which are invested in U.S. Treasury Securities. We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the Trust Account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the Trust Account, excluding deferred underwriting commissions, to complete our Business Combination. We may withdraw interest from the Trust Account to pay taxes, if any. To the extent that our share capital or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete a Business Combination, the remaining proceeds held in the Trust Account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.
We intend to use the funds held outside the Trust Account to primarily identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, structure, negotiate and complete a Business Combination.
In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, our Sponsor or an affiliate of our Sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If the Company completes the initial Business Combination, it would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that the initial Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of the working capital held outside the Trust Account to repay such loaned amounts, but no proceeds from the Trust Account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into units of the post-business combination entity, at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the Private Placement Units. In the event that the initial Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of the working capital held outside the Trust Account to repay such loaned amounts, but no proceeds from the Trust Account would be used for such repayment.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had cash of $710,573 and working capital of $41,420. In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Company’s Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, provide the Company Working Capital Loans. As of December 31, 2022, there were no amounts outstanding under any Working Capital Loans.
Accordingly, the accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP, which contemplates continuation of the Company as a going concern and the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Further, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of our financing and acquisition plans. Management plans to address this uncertainty during the period leading up to the initial Business Combination. Based on the foregoing, management believes the Company will have sufficient working capital and borrowing capacity to meet its needs through the earlier of the consummation of a business combination or one year from the date of this filing. Over this time period, the Company will be using these funds for paying existing accounts payable, identifying, and evaluating prospective initial Business Combination candidates, performing due diligence on prospective target business, paying for travel expenditures, selecting the target business to merge with or acquire, and structuring, negotiating and consummating the Business Combination.
We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimate of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a Business Combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial Business Combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our Business Combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our Public Shares upon completion of our Business Combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such Business Combination.
16
Table of Contents
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have no obligations, assets or liabilities, which would be considered off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2022. We do not participate in transactions that create relationships with entities or financial partnerships, often referred to as variable interest entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements. We have not entered into any off-balance sheet financing arrangements, established any special purpose entities, guaranteed any debt or commitments of other entities, or purchased any non-financial assets.
Other Contractual Obligations
Registration Rights
The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Units and Private Warrants, including any of those issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans (and any Private Placement Units issuable upon the exercise of the Private Warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration and shareholder rights agreement signed on April 25, 2022. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed after the completion of our initial Business Combination and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. The Company will bear the costs and expenses of filing any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
We granted the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of the IPO to purchase up to 1,050,000 additional Public Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the IPO price less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The underwriters exercised the over-allotment option in full on April 27, 2022.
The underwriters received a cash underwriting discount of $0.20 per Public Unit, or $1,610,000 in the aggregate and paid at the closing of the IPO. In addition, the underwriters will be entitled to a deferred fee of $0.35 per Public Unit, or approximately $2,817,500 in the aggregate upon the consummation of a business combination. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that the Company completes a business combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates.
In preparing these financial statements in conformity with US GAAP, management makes estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported expenses during the reporting period.\
Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, actual results may differ from these estimates. We have identified the following critical accounting policies and estimates
17
Table of Contents
Emerging Growth Company Status
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding 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 a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies, but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Investments held in Trust Account
As of December 31, 2022, the assets held in the Trust Account were held in money market funds, which are invested in U.S. Treasury securities.
The Company classifies its U.S. Treasury and equivalent securities as held-to-maturity in accordance with ASC Topic 320 “Investments — Debt and Equity Securities.” Held-to-maturity securities are those securities which the Company has the ability and intent to hold until maturity. Held-to-maturity treasury securities are recorded at amortized cost on the accompanying balance sheet and adjusted for the amortization or accretion of premiums or discounts.
Warrants
The Company accounts for warrants as either equity-classified or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the warrant’s specific terms and applicable authoritative guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity” (“ASC 480”) and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). The assessment considers whether the warrants are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, whether they meet the definition of a liability pursuant to ASC 480, and whether the warrants meet all of the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether the warrants are indexed to the Company’s own Ordinary Shares and whether the warrant holders could potentially require “net cash settlement” in a circumstance outside of the Company’s control, among other conditions for equity classification. This assessment, which requires the use of professional judgment, is conducted at the time of warrant issuance and as of each subsequent quarterly period end date while the warrants are outstanding.
For issued or modified warrants that meet all of the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded as a component of equity at the time of issuance. For issued or modified warrants that do not meet all the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded as liabilities at their initial fair value on the date of issuance, and each balance sheet date thereafter. Changes in the estimated fair value of the warrants are recognized as a non-cash gain or loss on the statements of operations.
Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption
The Company accounts for its ordinary shares subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Ordinary shares subject to mandatory redemption (if any) are classified as a liability instrument and are measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable ordinary shares (including ordinary shares that feature redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) are classified as temporary equity. At all other times, ordinary shares are classified as shareholder’ equity. The Company’s public shares feature certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of the Company’s control and subject to occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, as of December 31, 2022, ordinary shares subject to possible redemption are presented at a redemption value of $10.28 per share as temporary equity, outside of the shareholder’ equity section of the Company’s balance sheet. The Company recognizes changes in redemption value immediately as they occur and adjusts the carrying value of redeemable ordinary shares to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. Increases or decreases in the carrying amount of redeemable ordinary shares are affected by charges against additional paid in capital or accumulated deficit if additional paid in capital equals to zero.
Deferred Offering Costs
The Company complies with the requirements of FASB ASC Topic 340-10-S99-1, “Other Assets and Deferred Costs – SEC Materials” (“ASC 340-10-S99”) and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 5A, “Expenses of Offering”. Deferred offering costs consist of underwriting, legal, accounting and other expenses (including underwriting discounts and commissions) incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the IPO and was charged to shareholder’s equity upon the completion of the IPO on April 28, 2022.
Net Loss Per Ordinary Share
Net loss per ordinary share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of Class B ordinary shares outstanding during the period, excluding ordinary shares subject to forfeiture by the Sponsor. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 262,500 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters (see Notes 5 and 7). At December 31, 2022, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into ordinary shares and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per share is the same as basic loss per share for the period presented.
18
Table of Contents
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist of a cash account in a financial institution. The Company has not experienced losses on this account and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such account. As of December 31, 2022, approximately $460,573, was over the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) limit.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
ASC Topic 820 “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” defines fair value, the methods used to measure fair value and the expanded disclosures about fair value measurements. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between the buyer and the seller at the measurement date. In determining fair value, the valuation techniques consistent with the market approach, income approach and cost approach shall be used to measure fair value. ASC Topic 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy for inputs, which represent the assumptions used by the buyer and seller in pricing the asset or liability. These inputs are further defined as observable and unobservable inputs. Observable inputs are those that buyer and seller would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company. Unobservable inputs reflect the Company’s assumptions about the inputs that the buyer and seller would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:
• | Level 1 - Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access. Valuation adjustments and block discounts are not being applied. Since valuations are based on quoted prices that are readily and regularly available in an active market, valuation of these securities does not entail a significant degree of judgment. |
• | Level 2 - Valuations based on (i) quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities, (ii) quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets, (iii) inputs other than quoted prices for the assets or liabilities, or (iv) inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by market through correlation or other means. |
• | Level 3 - Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement. |
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under ASC 740 Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). ASC 740 requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for both the expected impact of differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for the expected future tax benefit to be derived from tax loss and tax credit carry forwards. ASC 740 additionally requires a valuation allowance to be established when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized.
ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. ASC 740 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim period, disclosure and transition.
19
Table of Contents
The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of September 30, 2022. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.
The Company determined that the Cayman Islands is the Company’s only major tax jurisdiction.
The Company may be subject to potential examination by federal and state taxing authorities in the areas of income taxes. These potential examinations may include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions and compliance with federal and state tax laws. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.
The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
The net proceeds of our IPO and the Private Placement held in the Trust Account are invested in U.S. government securities with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
Reference is made to Pages F-1 through F-19 comprising a portion of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
20
Table of Contents
As required by Rules 13a-15f and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act, our Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2022. Based upon their evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15 (e) and 15d-15 (e) under the Exchange Act) were not effective.
We do not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all errors and all instances of fraud. Disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the disclosure controls and procedures are met. Further, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all disclosure controls and procedures, no evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures can provide absolute assurance that we have detected all our control deficiencies and instances of fraud, if any. The design of disclosure controls and procedures also is based partly on certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions.
The Company failed to maintain effective controls over period-end reconciliation of account level balances that resulted errors in accrued expenses and operating expenses. The Company concluded it should reconcile the balance with vendor during the year end. As a result, management identified the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting related to the accounting for accrued expense.
To remediate these material weaknesses, we developed a remediation plan with assistance from our accounting advisors and have dedicated significant resources and efforts to the remediation and improvement of our internal control over financial reporting. While we have processes to identify and appropriately apply applicable accounting requirements, we plan to enhance our system of evaluating and implementing the complex accounting standards that apply to our financial statements. Our plans at this time include providing enhanced access to accounting literature, research materials and documents and increased communication among our personnel and third-party professionals with whom we consult regarding complex accounting applications.
Management’s Report on Internal Controls over Financial Reporting
This Report does not include a report of management’s assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting or an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm due to a transition period established by the rules of the SEC for newly public companies.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
During the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, there has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. Other Information.
Not applicable.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.
Not applicable.
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
Directors and Executive Officers
Our directors and executive officers are as follows:
Name |
Age | Position | ||
I-Fa Chang |
51 | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | ||
Xuedong (Tony) Tian |
51 | Chief Financial Officer and Director | ||
Hanzhong (Han) Li |
54 | Director | ||
Teng-Wei Chen |
41 | Director | ||
Kevin Vassily |
56 | Director |
Mr. I-Fa Chang has served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since March 2023. Mr. Chang has more two decades of investment management and advisory experience. Since April 2022, Mr. Chang has served as Chairman and CEO of Inkstone Feibo Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware incorporated special purpose acquisition corporation (“Inkstone SPAC”) seeking Nasdaq listing. In 2012, Mr. Chang founded Inkstone Capital Co., Ltd., a technology-focused investment advisory firm (“Inkstone Capital”) serving clients in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and has served as its chief executive officer ever since. He has also served as an independent director of Sichuan Tianfu Bank, a regional bank based in Southeast China since 2015. Between October 2017 and June 2018, Mr. Chang served as a director and finance control officer for Finconn Inc., a subsidiary of the Taiwanese electronic manufacturing conglomerate, Foxconn. Before founding Inkstone Capital, Mr. Chang had extensive experience in financial and investment management across different sectors. Between June 2006 to December 2008, Mr. Chang served as a financial consultant for Chengdu Jiannanchun Shengbo Technology Co., Ltd., an IT solution company. He also served as a managing director for ARC China Investment Corporation, an investment management company from April 2007 to July 2011, and as a managing director for Xiamen Dazhou-ARC Investment Management Co., Ltd., a joint venture between ARC China and Dazhou Holding Group, a multi-industry conglomerate based in Xiamen, Fujian Province, PRC, from August 2011 to October 2012. Mr. Chang received his MBA in Finance from National Pingtung Science and Technology University in Taiwan, and his B.A. in Management Information System from California State University, San Bernardino.
Mr. Xuedong (Tony) Tian has served as our Chief Financial Officer and a member of our Board since March 2023. Mr. Tian has served as a managing director and head of capital markets at US Tiger Securities, Inc. since October 2020. He has also served as the CEO of Feutune Light Acquisition Corporation (Nasdaq: FLFV), a SPAC listed on Nasdaq, since March 2022, and a director since June 2022. He has also served as CFO and director of Inkstone SPAC. From May 2012 to October 2020, Mr. Tian was the founder and president of Weitian Group LLC, a corporate advisory and investor relations firm. Prior to that, Mr. Tian served as a sell-side equity analyst at various investment banks, including managing director covering China at Merriman Capital, Inc. from June 2013 to January 2016; executive director and lead analyst covering China Industrials and IT outsourcing at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. from May 2011 to May 2012; vice president and lead China analyst at Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. from May 2010 to April 2011; senior associate covering Networking, Hardware & IT Supply Chain at Ticonderoga Securities LLC from October 2009 to May 2010; and associate covering Semiconductor & Semiconductor Capital Equipment at Pacific Crest Securities LLC (now part of KeyBanc) from April 2008 to September 2009. Mr. Tian holds an MBA degree from New York University, a M.A. degree in Economics from the University of Connecticut and M.S. and B.S. degrees in Land Resources and Management from China Agricultural University. Mr. Tian is a CFA charter holder and currently holds Series 7, 24, 63, and 79 licenses.
21
Table of Contents
Dr. Hanzhong (Han) Li has served as a member of our Board since March 2023. Dr. Li has more than two decades of investment, operational and management experience in biotechnology industry. Since February 2019, Dr. Li has served as the senior vice president for Corporate Development at Eureka Therapeutics, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing antibody-TCR T-Cell therapies for oncology treatment based in California. In this role, Dr. Li is responsible for a variety of initiatives on finance, corporate and business development for the company. Before joining Eureka, Dr. Li spent two years as the chief financial officer at Ascentage Pharma Group. Between 2010 and 2017, Dr. Li served as deputy director in the strategy and portfolio management group at Bayer Pharmaceuticals (FWB: BAYN), a German pharmaceutical company. Earlier in his career, Dr. Li served as an equity research analyst at Morgan Stanley, Suntrust Robinson Humphrey and Stanford Financial Group in New York, covering biotech and biopharmaceutical companies for the period between 2002 and 2009. He also worked as a research scientist at Genentech, Inc., where he served as lead inventor of three patents on novel cytokines. Dr. Li received his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the Boston University School of Medicine and MBA from the Anderson School of Business at UCLA. Dr. Li is a director nominee of Inkstone SPAC.
Dr. Teng-Wei Chen has served as a member of our Board since March 2023. Dr. Chen is an active start-up and early-stage investor in Southern Taiwan. Dr. Chen has served as managing director at You-Ci Management Consulting Co., Ltd., an investment company based in Pingtung, Taiwan, since 2015. Since 2018, Dr. Chen has been a director of New-shine Biomedical Co., Ltd., a Taiwanese biotechnology company of which he was also an investor. In 2019, he founded iDentist Business Space Co., Ltd., a provider of coworking and shared conferencing space provider in Pingtung, Taiwan. In 2021, Dr. Chen founded You-Cheng Internet Information Co., Ltd., an IT solution company based in Pingtung, and has served as its Chairman and CEO since then. As a dentist by training, Dr. Chen has been the chief dentist and manager of Sunshine Dental Clinic, in Pingtung, Taiwan since September 2015. From August 2012 to March 2014, Dr. Chen was a visiting dental specialist at Tainan Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan. Dr. Chen finished his residency at National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taiwan, in July 2012, where he was a resident dentist for six years. Dr. Chen received his D.D.S. in Dentistry from China Medical University, Taiwan, in 2006. Dr. Li is a director nominee of Inkstone SPAC.
Mr. Kevin Vassily has served as a member of our Board since March 2023. Mr Vassily is a member of the board of directors of Denali Capital Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: DECA) since April 2022, and Feutune Light Acquisition Corp. (Nasaq: FLFV) since June 2022, two SPACs listed on Nasdaq. In January 2021, he was appointed Chief Financial Officer, and in March 2021, became a member of the board of directors of iPower Inc. (Nasdaq: IPW), an online hydroponic equipment retailer and supplier. Prior to joining iPower, from 2019 to January 2021, Mr. Vassily served as Vice President of Market Development for Facteus, Inc., a financial analytics company focused on the Asset Management industry. From March 2019 through Janurary 2020, he served as an advisor at Woodseer Global, a financial technology firm providing global dividend forecasts. From October 2018 through its acquisition in March 2020, Mr. Vassily served as an advisor at Go Capture (which was acquired by Deloitte China in 2020), where he was responsible for providing strategic, business development, and product development advisory services for the company’s emerging “Data as a Service” platform. Since February 2020, Mr. Vassily has served as a director of Zhongchao Inc. (Nasdaq: ZCMD), a provider of healthcare information, education and training services to healthcare professionals and the public in China. Since July 2018, Mr. Vassily has also served as an advisor at Prometheus Fund, a Shanghai-based merchant bank/private equity firm focused on the “green” economy. From April 2015 through May 2018, Mr. Vassily served as an associate director of research at Keybanc Capital Markets Inc. From June 2010 to April 2015, he served as the director of research at Pacific Epoch, LLC (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pacific Crest Securities LLC). From May 2007 to May 2010, he served as the Asia Technology business development representative and as a senior analyst at Pacific Crest Securities. From July 2003 to September 2006, he served as senior research analyst in the semiconductor technology group at Susquehanna International Group, LLP. From September 2001 to June 2003, Mr. Vassily served as the vice president and senior research analyst for semiconductor capital equipment at Thomas Weisel Partners Group, Inc. Mr. Vassily began his career on Wall Street in August 1998, as a research associate covering the semiconductor industry at Lehman Brothers. He holds a B.A. in liberal arts from Denison University and an M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Mr. Vassily is a director nominee of Tungray Technologies Inc., a Singapore-based manufacturing solution company seeking Nasdaq listing, and a director of Fortune Joy International Acquisition Corporation and of Inkstone SPAC.
22
Table of Contents
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
Our board of directors consists of five members. Holders of our founder shares will have the right to elect all of our directors prior to consummation of our initial business combination and holders of our public shares will not have the right to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended if approved by holders of at least 90% of our outstanding ordinary shares entitled to vote thereon. Each of our directors will hold office for a two-year term. Subject to any other special rights applicable to the shareholders, any vacancies on our board of directors may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors of our board or by a majority of the holders of our ordinary shares (or, prior to our initial business combination, a majority of the holders of our founder shares).
Pursuant to a registration and shareholder rights agreement entered on April 25, 2022, our sponsor, upon and following consummation of an initial business combination, will be entitled to nominate three individuals for appointment to our board of directors, as long as the sponsor holds any securities covered by the registration and shareholder rights agreement.
Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association as it deems appropriate. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that our officers may consist of one or more chair of the board, chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, vice presidents, secretary, treasurer and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.
23
Table of Contents
Committees of the Board of Directors
Our board of directors has one standing committee: an audit committee. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, the rules of Nasdaq and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors.
Audit Committee
We have established an audit committee of the board of directors. Kevin Vassly, Hanzhong (Han) Li, and Teng-Wei Chen will serve as members of our audit committee. Our board of directors has determined that each member of our audit committee is independent under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Kevin Vassily serves as the Chair of the audit committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least three members of the audit committee, all of whom must be independent within one year of the listing of our Class A ordinary shares. Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that Kevin Vassily qualifies as “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.
The audit committee is responsible for:
• | meeting with our independent registered public accounting firm regarding, among other issues, audits, and adequacy of our accounting and control systems; |
• | monitoring the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm; |
• | verifying the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law; |
• | inquiring and discussing with management our compliance with applicable laws and regulations; |
• | pre-approving all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent registered public accounting firm, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed; |
• | appointing or replacing the independent registered public accounting firm; |
• | determining the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditor regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work; |
• | establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies; |
• | monitoring compliance on a quarterly basis and, if any non-compliance is identified, immediately taking all action necessary to rectify such non-compliance or otherwise causing compliance; and |
• | reviewing and approving all payments made to our existing shareholders, executive officers or directors and their respective affiliates. Any payments made to members of our audit committee will be reviewed and approved by our board of directors, with the interested director or directors abstaining from such review and approval. |
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our executive officers currently serves, and in the past year has not served, as a member of the compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our board of directors.
24
Table of Contents
Code of Ethics
We have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. A copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K.
Availability of Documents
We have filed a copy of our Code of Ethics and our audit committee charter as exhibits to the registration statement relating to our IPO. You will be able to review these documents by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
Executive Officer and Director Compensation
None of our executive officers or directors have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Our sponsor, executive officers and directors, or their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made using funds held outside the Trust Account. Other than quarterly audit committee review of such reimbursements, we do not expect to have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors and executive officers for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with our activities on our behalf in connection with identifying and consummating an initial business combination. Other than these payments and reimbursements, no compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid by the company to our sponsor, executive officers and directors, or their respective affiliates, prior to completion of our initial business combination.
After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer materials furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed business combination. We have not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to our directors or members of management. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed business combination, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our executive officers will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.
We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our executive officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business but we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our executive officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
25
Table of Contents
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of March 23, 2023, based on information obtained from the persons named below, with respect to the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares, by:
• | each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding ordinary shares; |
• | each of our executive officers and directors; and |
• | all of our executive officers and directors as a group. |
Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all ordinary shares beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the Private Placement Warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this report.
Class B ordinary shares | Class A ordinary shares | |||||||||||||||
Name of Beneficial Owners(1) |
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned |
Approximate Percentage of Class |
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned |
Approximate Percentage of Class |
||||||||||||
Aimfinity Investment LLC (our sponsor) |
1,692,500 | (1) | 84.10 | % | — | — | ||||||||||
I-Fa Chang |
1,692,500 | (1) | 84.10 | % | — | — | ||||||||||
All officers and directors as a group (5 individuals) |
1,692,500 | 84.10 | % | — | — | |||||||||||
George Jing Cao |
280,000 | 13.91 | % | 492,000 | (2) | 6.11 | % | |||||||||
Nicholas Torres III |
10,000 | * | — | — | ||||||||||||
James J. Long |
10,000 | * | — | — | ||||||||||||
Joshua Gordon |
10,000 | * | — | — | ||||||||||||
Xin Wang |
10,000 | * | — | — | ||||||||||||
Hudson Bay Capital Management LP |
— | — | 700,000 | (3) | 8.19 | % | ||||||||||
Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. |
— | — | 567,916 | (4) | 6.65 | % | ||||||||||
Kerry Propper |
— | — | 500,000 | (5) | 6.90 | % | ||||||||||
AQR Capital Management, LLC |
— | — | 493,000 | (6) | 5.77 | % |
* | Less than one percent. |
(1) | The shares reported above are held in the name of our sponsor. I-Fa Chang is the manager and sole member of our sponsor. As such, each of the sponsor and I-Fa Chang may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the ordinary shares held directly by our sponsor. I-Fa Chang disclaims any beneficial ownership of the ordinary shares held directly by our sponsor, and disclaims any beneficial ownership of such shares other than to the extent of any pecuniary interest each may have therein, directly or indirectly. |
(2) | 492,000 Private Placement Units, each Private Placement Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share, one Class 1 warrant and one-half of one warrant. |
(3) | This information is based solely on a Schedule 13G filed by Hudson Bay Capital Management LP and Sander Gerber (collectively, the “Hudson Reporting Persons”) with the SEC on February 6, 2023. The Hudson Reporting Persons have a shared voting power of 700,000 shares and shared dispositive power of 700,000 shares. The business address of such holder is 28 Havemeyer Place, 2nd Floor, Greenwich, CT 06830 |
(4) | This information is based solely on a Schedule 13G filed by Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. (“Polar”) with the SEC on February 10, 2023. Polar has sole voting power of 500,000 shares and sole dispositive power of 500,000 shares. The business address of such holder is 16 York Street, Suite 2900, Toronto, ON, Canada M5J 0E6. |
26
Table of Contents
(5) | This information is based solely on a Schedule 13G filed by Kerry Propper and Atonio Ruiz-Gimenez (“Propper Persons”) with the SEC on February 14, 2023. Propper Persons has sole voting power of 589,323 shares and sole dispositive power of 589,232 shares. The business address of such holder is 17 State Street, Suite 2100, New York, New York 10004. |
(6) | This information is based solely on a Schedule 13G filed by AQR Capital Management, LLC, AQR Capital Management Holdings, LLC and AQR Arbitrage, LLC (collectively, the “AQR Persons”) with the SEC on February 14, 2023. The AQR Persons has a shared voting power of 493,000 shares and a shared dispositive power of 493,000 shares. |
As of March [*], 2023, our initial shareholders beneficially owned approximately 20% of issued and outstanding ordinary shares and have the right to appoint all of our directors prior to our initial business combination. Holders of our public shares will not have the right to appoint any directors to our board of directors prior to our initial business combination. Because of this ownership block, our sponsor may be able to effectively influence the outcome of all other matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approval of significant corporate transactions including our initial business combination.
Our sponsor has agreed (a) to vote any founder shares and public shares held by it in favor of any proposed business combination and (b) not to redeem any founder shares or public shares held by it in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination.
Our sponsor, our officers, our directors and US Tiger are deemed to be our “promoters” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws.
Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants
The founder shares, Private Placement Units, Private Placement Shares, Private Placement Warrants and any Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in the agreements entered into by our sponsor and our initial shareholders. Our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. The Private Placement Units and the securities within the units are not transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. The foregoing restrictions are not applicable to transfers (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of our officers or directors, any members or partners of our sponsor or their affiliates, any affiliates of our sponsor, or any employees of such affiliates; (b) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of one of the individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of the individual’s immediate family, an affiliate of such person or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) by private sales or transfers made in connection with any forward purchase agreement or similar arrangement or in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the founder shares, Private Placement Units or Class A ordinary shares, as applicable, were originally purchased; (f) by virtue of our sponsor’s organizational documents upon liquidation or dissolution of our sponsor; (g) to the company for no value for cancellation in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination; (h) in the event of our liquidation prior to the completion of our initial business combination; or (i) in the event of our completion of a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property after our completion of our initial business combination; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (f) these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and the other restrictions contained in the letter agreement.
27
Table of Contents
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
In December 2021, we issued an aggregate of 2,875,000 founder shares to our sponsor in exchange for a payment of $25,000 from our sponsor to cover for certain expenses on behalf of us, or approximately $0.009 per share. On March 18, 2022, our sponsor surrendered to the Company for cancellation 862,500 Class B ordinary shares for no consideration, resulting in our initial shareholders holding an aggregate of 2,012,500 Class B ordinary shares, or approximately $0.012 per share. The sponsor later transferred 20,000 founder shares to the Chief Financial Officer of the Company and 60,000 founder shares to certain members of our board of directors on March 29, 2022.
Our sponsor has purchased an aggregate of 492,000 Private Placement Units (with each Private Placement Unit consisting of one Private Placement Share, one Class 1 Warrant and one-half of one Class 2 Warrant (together the “Private Placement Warrant”)) at the price of $10.00 per unit. Each Private Placement Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one ordinary share at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The Private Placement Warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. In addition, we have agreed not to enter into a definitive agreement regarding an initial business combination without the prior consent of our sponsor.
On March 16, 2023, the sponsor initiated a distribution of 280,000 founder shares and 492,000 private placement units of the Company held by the sponsor to its existing members. On the same date, it also entered into a repurchase agreement with Xin Wang, Joshua Gordon, James J. Long and Nicholas Torres III, then directors and officers of the Company, to transfer 10,000 founder shares each to the sponsor, as a result of which, the sponsor will directly hold 1,692,500 founder shares.
If any of our sponsor, officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he, she or it has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, then, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law, he, she or it will need to honor such fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, before we can pursue such opportunity.
No compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid by the company to our sponsor, executive officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination. However, these individuals will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating and completing an initial business combination. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates.
In addition, in order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required on a non-interest basis. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds held in the Trust Account released to us. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the Trust Account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our Trust Account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. Except as set forth above, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our Trust Account.
After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our shareholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, furnished to our shareholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a general meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.
28
Table of Contents
We have entered into a registration and shareholder rights agreement with respect to the founder shares and Private Placement Warrants, which is described under the heading “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Other Contractual Obligations.”
Policy for Approval of Related Party Transactions
The audit committee of our board of directors has adopted a charter, providing for the review, approval and/or ratification of “related party transactions,” which are those transactions required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K as promulgated by the SEC, by the audit committee. At its meetings, the audit committee shall be provided with the details of each new, existing, or proposed related party transaction, including the terms of the transaction, any contractual restrictions that the company has already committed to, the business purpose of the transaction, and the benefits of the transaction to the company and to the relevant related party. Any member of the committee who has an interest in the related party transaction under review by the committee shall abstain from voting on the approval of the related party transaction, but may, if so requested by the chairman of the committee, participate in some or all of the committee’s discussions of the related party transaction. Upon completion of its review of the related party transaction, the committee may determine to permit or to prohibit the related party transaction.
Management will present to the audit committee each proposed related party transaction, including all relevant facts and circumstances relating thereto. Under the policy, we may consummate related party transactions only if our audit committee approves or ratifies the transaction in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the policy. The policy does not permit any director or executive officer to participate in the discussion of, or decision concerning, a related person transaction in which he or she is the related party.
Director Independence
We will be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq rules prior to the consummation of our initial business combination. As a controlled company, we will not be required to comply with the Nasdaq rules that require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person who has no material relationship with the listed company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the company). Our board of directors has determined that each of Kevin Vassly, Hanzhong (Han) Li, and Teng-Wei Chen are “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules. We expect a majority of our board of directors to be comprised of independent directors within 15 months from the date of listing to comply with the majority independent board requirement in Rule 5605(b) of the Nasdaq listing rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
The following is a summary of fees paid or to be paid to Marcum LLP (formerly, Friedman LLP, prior to Friedman LLP combining with Marcum LLP effective September 1, 2022), for services rendered in 2022:
Type of Fee | From July 26, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021 |
For the year ended December 31, 2022 |
||||||
Audit Fees |
$ | 30,000 | $ | 92,000 | ||||
Audit-Related Fees |
— | |||||||
Tax Fees |
— | |||||||
All Other Fees |
— |
29
Table of Contents
Pre-Approval Policy
Our audit committee was formed upon the consummation of our IPO. As a result, the audit committee did not pre-approve all of the foregoing services, although any services rendered prior to the formation of our audit committee were approved by our board of directors. Since the formation of our audit committee, and on a going-forward basis, the audit committee has and will pre-approve all auditing services and permitted non-audit services to be performed for us by our auditors, including the fees and terms thereof (subject to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in the Exchange Act which are approved by the audit committee prior to the completion of the audit).
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a) | The following documents are filed as part of this report: |
(1) | Financial Statements |
(2) | Financial Statements Schedules |
All financial statement schedules are omitted because they are not applicable or the amounts are immaterial and not required, or the required information is presented in the financial statements and notes herein.
(3) | Exhibits |
We hereby file as part of this report the exhibits listed in the attached Exhibit Index. Copies of such material can be obtained on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary.
Not applicable.
30
Table of Contents
F-2 |
F-3 |
||||
F-4 |
||||
F-5 |
||||
F-6 |
||||
F-7 |
||||
F-8 |
DECEMBER 31, 2022 |
DECEMBER 31, 2021 |
|||||||
Assets |
||||||||
Current assets: |
||||||||
Cash |
$ | 710,573 | $ | — | ||||
Deferred offering costs |
— | 245,025 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses—current portion |
156,845 | — | ||||||
Total current assets |
867,418 | 245,025 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses—non-current portion |
13,070 | |||||||
Cash held in Trust Account |
82,735,662 | — | ||||||
Total Assets |
$ | 83,616,150 | $ | 245,025 | ||||
Liabilities, Temporary Equity, and Shareholders’ (Deficit) Equity |
||||||||
Current liabilities: |
||||||||
Accounts payable and accrued expenses |
$ | 812,249 | $ | — | ||||
Payable—related party |
13,749 | — | ||||||
Promissory note—related party |
— | 222,729 | ||||||
Total Current Liabilities |
825,998 | 222,729 | ||||||
Deferred underwriters’ discount |
2,817,500 | — | ||||||
Total Liabilities |
3,643,498 | 222,729 | ||||||
Commitments and Contingencies |
||||||||
Ordinary shares subject to possible redemption, 8,050,000 shares at conversion value of $10.28 per share |
82,735,662 | — | ||||||
Shareholders’ (Deficit) Equity: |
||||||||
Preference shares, $0.0001 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized, non issued and outstanding |
— | — | ||||||
Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized, 492,000 and 0 issued and outstanding (excluding 8,050,000 shares subject to possible redemption) |
49 | — | ||||||
Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 20,000,000 shares authorized, 2,012,500 shares issued and outstanding |
201 | 201 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital |
— | 24,799 | ||||||
Accumulated deficit |
(2,763,260 | ) | (2,704 | ) | ||||
Total Shareholders’ (Deficit) Equity |
(2,763,010 | ) | 22,296 | |||||
Total Liabilities, Temporary Equity and Shareholders’ (Deficit) Equity |
$ | 83,616,150 | $ | 245,025 | ||||
For the Year Ended December 31, 2022 |
For the Period From July 26, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021 |
|||||||
Formation and operating costs |
$ | 977,699 | $ | 2,704 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Loss from Operations |
(977,699 | ) | (2,704 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Other income: |
||||||||
Interest earned on investment held in Trust Account |
625,662 | — | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Net Loss |
$ | (352,037 | ) | $ | (2,704 | ) | ||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Basic and diluted weighted ordinary average shares outstanding, subject to possible redemption |
5,447,534 | — |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Basic and diluted net income per ordinary shares subject to possible redemption |
$ | 0.44 | $ | — | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Basic and diluted weighted average ordinary shares outstanding |
2,345,442 | 1,750,000 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share attributable to Aimfinity Investment LLC |
$ | (1.17 | ) | $ | (0.002 | ) | ||
|
|
|
|
Preference shares |
Ordinary Shares |
Additional |
Total |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A |
Class B |
Paid-in |
Accumulated |
Shareholders’ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares |
Amount |
Shares |
Amount |
Shares |
Amount |
Capital |
Deficit |
Equity (Deficit) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance as of December 31, 2021 |
— | $ | — | — | $ | — | 2,012,500 | $ | 201 | $ | 24,799 | $ | (2,704) | $ | 22,296 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Sale of public units through public offering |
— | — | 8,050,000 | 805 | — | — | 80,499,195 | — | 80,500,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sale of private placement shares |
— | — | 492,000 | 49 | — | — | 4,919,951 | — | 4,920,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Underwriters’ discount |
— | — | — | — | — | — | (4,427,500 | ) | — | (4,427,500 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other offering expenses |
— | — | — | — | — | — | (690,107 | ) | — | (690,107 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reclassification of ordinary shares subject to redemption |
— | — | (8,050,000 | ) | (805 | ) | — | — | (78,969,389 | ) | — | (78,970,194 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Allocation of offering costs to ordinary shares subject to redemption |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 5,020,353 | — | 5,020,353 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Accretion of carrying value to redemption value |
— | — | — | — | — | — | (6,377,302 | ) | (2,408,519 | ) | (8,785,821 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net Loss |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | (352,037 | ) | (352,037 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Balance as of December 31, 2022 |
— | $ | — | 492,000 | $ | 49 | 2,012,500 | $ | 201 | $ | — | $ | (2,763,260 | ) | $ | (2,763,010 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
For the Period From July 26, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preference shares |
Ordinary Shares |
Additional |
Total |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A |
Class B |
Paid-in |
Accumulated |
Shareholders’ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares |
Amount |
Shares |
Amount |
Shares |
Amount |
Capital |
Deficit |
Equity (Deficit) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance as of July 26, 2021 (inception) |
— | $ | — | — | $ | — | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
Founder shares issued to initial shareholders |
— |
— |
— |
— |
2,012,500 | 201 | 24,799 | — |
25,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net Loss |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | (2,704 | ) | (2,704 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Balance as of December 31, 2021 |
— | $ | — | — | $ | — | 2,012,500 | $ | 201 | $ | 24,799 | $ | (2,704 | ) | $ | 22,296 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the Year Ended December 31, 2022 |
For the Period From July 26, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021 |
|||||||
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: |
||||||||
Net loss |
$ | (352,037 | ) | $ | (2,704 | ) | ||
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
||||||||
Interest earned on investment held in Trust Account |
(625,662 | ) | ||||||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
||||||||
Prepaid expenses |
(169,915 | ) | — | |||||
Accrued expense |
812,249 | — | ||||||
Payable—related party |
13,749 | — | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Net cash used in operating activities |
(321,616 | ) | (2,704 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Cash Flows from Investing Activities: |
||||||||
Purchase of investment held in trust account |
(82,110,000 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Net cash used in investing activities |
(82,110,000 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Cash Flows from Financing Activities: |
||||||||
Proceeds from sale of Class B ordinary shares |
— | 25,000 | ||||||
Proceeds from sale of public units through public offering |
80,500,000 | — | ||||||
Proceeds from sale of private placement shares |
4,920,000 | — | ||||||
Payment of underwriters’ discount |
(1,610,000 | ) | — | |||||
Payment of offering costs |
(690,107 | ) | (22,296 | ) | ||||
Proceeds from issuance of promissory from founder |
351,150 | — | ||||||
Repayment on promissory note to related party |
(328,854 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Net cash provided in financing activities |
83,142,189 | 2,704 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Net Change in Cash |
710,573 | — | ||||||
Cash at beginning of period |
— | — | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Cash at end of period |
$ | 710,573 | $ | — | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Supplemental Disclosure of Non-cash Financing Activities |
||||||||
Deferred offering costs paid by promissory note-related party |
$ | — |
$ | 222,729 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Reclassification of ordinary shares subject to redemption |
$ | 82,110,000 | $ | — | ||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accretion of carrying value to redemption value |
|
$ |
8,785,821 |
|
|
$ |
— | |
|
|
|
|
For the Year Ended |
For the Year Ended |
|||||||
December 31, 2022 |
December 31, 2021 |
|||||||
Net loss |
$ |
(352,037 | ) |
$ |
(2,704 | ) | ||
Accretion of carrying value to redemption value |
(8,785,821 | ) |
— |
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Net loss including accretion of carrying value of redemption value |
$ |
(9,137,858 | ) |
$ |
(2,704 | ) | ||
|
|
|
|
For the Year Ended |
For the Year Ended |
|||||||||||||||
December 31, 2022 |
December 31, 2021 |
|||||||||||||||
Redeemable Common Stock |
Non- Redeemable Common Stock |
Redeemable Common Stock |
Non- Redeemable Common Stock |
|||||||||||||
Basic and diluted net loss per share: |
||||||||||||||||
Numerators: |
||||||||||||||||
Allocation of net loss including carrying value to redemption value |
$ |
(6,387,648 | ) |
$ |
(2,750,210 | ) |
$ |
— |
$ |
(2,704 | ) | |||||
Accretion of carrying value to redemption value |
8,785,821 | — |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Allocation of net income/(loss) |
$ |
2,398,173 | $ |
(2,750,210 | ) |
$ |
— |
$ |
(2,704 | ) | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Denominators: |
||||||||||||||||
Weighted-average shares outstanding |
5,447,534 |
2,345,442 |
— |
1,750,000 |
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Basic and diluted net income/ (loss) per share |
$ |
0.44 |
$ |
(1.17 |
) |
$ |
— |
$ |
(0.002 |
) | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
• | Level 1—Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access. Valuation adjustments and block discounts are not being applied. Since valuations are based on quoted prices that are readily and regularly available in an active market, valuation of these securities does not entail a significant degree of judgment. |
• | Level 2—Valuations based on (i) quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities, (ii) quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets, (iii) inputs other than quoted prices for the assets or liabilities, or (iv) inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by market through correlation or other means. |
• | Level 3—Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement. |
Description |
Level |
December 31, 2022 |
||||||
Assets: |
||||||||
Trust Account—U.S. Treasury Securities Money Market Fund |
1 |
$ | 82,735,662 |
As of December 31, 2022 |
||||
Gross proceeds |
$ | 80,500,000 | ||
Less: |
||||
Proceeds allocated to Class 1 public warrants |
(1,529,806 | ) | ||
Offering costs of public shares |
(5,020,353 | ) | ||
Plus: |
||||
Accretion of carrying value to redemption value |
8,785,821 | |||
Ordinary Shares subject to possible redemption |
$ | 82,735,662 | ||
• | in whole and not in part; |
• | at a price of $0.01 per warrant; |
• | upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder; and |
• | if, and only if, the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $16.50 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “-Warrants-Public Shareholders’ Warrants-Anti-dilution Adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending three trading days before the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders). |
Table of Contents
EXHIBIT INDEX
* | Filed herewith |
** | Furnished herewith |
*** | Schedules omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. Aimfinity Investment Corp. I agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of any omitted schedule to the SEC upon request. |
(1) | Filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on March 25, 2022 (File No. 333-263874). |
(2) | Filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 29, 2022 (File No. 001-41361). |
(3) | Filed as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 20, 2023 (File No. 001-41361). |
Table of Contents
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
April 17, 2023 | Aimfinity Investment Corp. I | |||||
By: | /s/ I-Fa Chang | |||||
Name: I-Fa Chang | ||||||
Title: Chief Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
/s/ I-Fa Chang I-Fa Chang |
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
April 17, 2023 | ||
/s/ Xuedong (Tony) Tian Xuedong (Tony) Tian |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
April 17, 2023 | ||
/s/ Hanzhong (Han) Li Hanzhong (Han) Li |
Director | April 17, 2023 | ||
/s/ Kevin D. Vassily Kevin D. Vassily |
Director | April 17, 2023 | ||
/s/ Teng-Wei Chen Teng-Wei Chen |
Director | April 17, 2023 |