Austerlitz Acquisition Corp I - Annual Report: 2021 (Form 10-K)

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

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

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

The aggregate market value of the Class A ordinary shares held by of the registrant as of June 30, 2021, was $684,223,072 based on the closing price of $9.92 as reported by the New York Stock Exchange.

Following the closing of the IPO and Private Placement on March 2, 2021, an amount of $690,000,000 ($10.00 per Unit) of the proceeds from the IPO were placed in a U.S.-based, trust account at JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, acting as trustee (the “Trust Account”). Except with respect to interest earned on the funds in the Trust Account, if any, that may be released to the Company to pay its franchise and income taxes and expenses relating to the administration of the trust account, the proceeds from the IPO and the Private Placement held in the Trust Account will not be released until the earliest of (a) the completion of a Business Combination, (b) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of its obligation to redeem 100% of its public shares if the Company does not complete its initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of the IPO or (ii) with respect to any other provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or business combination activity, and (c) the redemption of all of the Company’s public shares if it is unable to complete its business combination within 24 months from the closing of the IPO, subject to applicable law.

The forgoing is a summary of the Company’s history and general business purpose. For a complete discussion of the development of the Company’s business refer to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form (File filed with the SEC on February 22, 2021 (the “IPO Prospectus”), which is incorporated by reference herein. The following is a discussion of the updates to our development of business subsequent to the date of our IPO Prospectus.

On November 11, 2021, the Company entered into a mutual termination agreement (the “Mutual Termination Agreement”) to terminate the Business Combination Agreement. In conjunction with the Mutual Termination Agreement, the Company received $5,000,000 as reimbursement for expenses (the “WIL Expense Reimbursement”). As a result of the termination of the Business Combination Agreement, the Backstop Agreement and the Amended and Restated Sponsor Agreement were automatically terminated.

The Company’s Annual Reports on Form Quarterly Reports on Form Current Reports on Form and amendments to reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and files or furnishes reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov.

Our website address is www.Austerlitz2.com. We make available free of charge on or through our website our Annual Report on Quarterly Reports on Current Reports on and all amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. However, the information found on our website is not part of this or any other report.

Our executive offices are located at 1701 Village Center Circle, Las Vegas, NV 89134 and our telephone number at that location is

Our initial shareholders own, on an basis, 30% of our issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares. Our initial shareholders and members of our management team also may from time to time purchase Class A ordinary shares prior to our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, if we seek shareholder approval of an initial business combination, such initial business combination will be approved if we receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares voted at such meeting, including our Class B and Class C ordinary shares. If we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, pursuant to the terms of letter agreements entered into with us, our Sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their Class B and Class C ordinary shares and any public shares purchased during or after our IPO, in favor of our initial business combination. Accordingly, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreement by our initial shareholders and each member of our management team, and Cannae Holdings to vote in favor of our initial business combination will increase the likelihood that we will receive the requisite shareholder approval for such initial business combination.

At the time we enter into an agreement for our initial business combination, we will not know how many shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, and therefore will need to structure the transaction based on our expectations as to the number of shares that will be submitted for redemption. If our business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, we will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the trust account to meet such requirements, or arrange for third party financing. In addition, if a larger number of shares are submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for additional third party financing. Raising additional third-party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure. The amount of the deferred underwriting commissions payable to the underwriters will not be adjusted for any shares that are redeemed in connection with an initial business combination. The amount we will distribute to shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions and after such redemptions, the amount held in trust will continue to reflect our obligation to pay the entire deferred underwriting commissions.

Our Sponsor, officers and directors have agreed that we must complete our initial business combination within 24 months from our IPO. We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete an initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of our IPO. Our ability to complete our initial business combination may be negatively impacted by general market conditions, volatility in the capital and debt markets and the other risks described herein. For example, the outbreak of coronavirus continues to grow both in the U.S. and globally and, while the extent of the impact of the outbreak on us will depend on future developments, it could limit our ability to complete our initial business combination, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all. Additionally, the outbreak of may negatively impact businesses we may seek to acquire. If we have not completed an initial business combination within such applicable 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 price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law; and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, 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. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, if we wind up for any other reason prior to the completion 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. In such case, our public shareholders may only receive $10.00 per share, and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares.

The pandemic, together with resulting voluntary and U.S. federal and state and governmental actions, including, without limitation, mandatory business closures, public gathering limitations, restrictions on travel and quarantines, has meaningfully disrupted the global economy and markets since its outbreak in 2020. Although the long-term economic fallout of is difficult to predict, it has had and is expected to continue to have ongoing material adverse effects across many, if not all, aspects of the regional, national and global economy. The pandemic has adversely affected the economies and financial markets worldwide, and the business of any potential target business with which we complete a business combination could be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, we may be unable to complete a business combination if concerns relating to continue to restrict travel or limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors, or the target company’s personnel, vendors and services providers are unavailable to negotiate and complete a transaction in a timely manner. The extent to which the coronavirus impacts our search for a business combination will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of the coronavirus pandemic and the actions to contain the coronavirus or treat its impact, among others. If the disruptions posed by or other matters of global concern continue for an extensive period of time, it could have a material adverse effect on our ability to complete a business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately complete a business combination.

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

The funds available to us outside of the trust account to fund our working capital requirements may not be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least 24 months following our IPO, assuming that our initial business combination is not completed during that time. We believe that the funds available to us outside of the trust account, together with funds available from loans from our Sponsor will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least 24 months following our IPO; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Of the funds available to us, we expect to use a portion of the funds available to us to pay fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business. We could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a provision (a provision in letters of intent designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a target business. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share upon our liquidation.

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

Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we have not completed an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of our IPO, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the ten years following redemption. Accordingly, the redemption amount received by public shareholders could be less than the $10.00 per public share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Pursuant to the letter agreement the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the IPO Registration Statement, our Sponsor has agreed that they will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) the actual amount per share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest that may be withdrawn to pay our taxes, if the funds in the trust account are held in an interest-bearing account, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business that executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account nor will it apply to

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

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

We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, immediately following the completion of our IPO, the proceeds were not invested and are held in a trust account. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. Investments in our Public Shares are not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of either: (a) the completion of our initial business combination; (b) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (i) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of our IPO or (ii) with respect to any other provisions relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares; or (c) absent our completing an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of our IPO, our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public shareholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete a business combination. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.

We may issue a substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares or preference shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares to redeem the warrants or upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares or Class C ordinary shares at a ratio greater than on the first business day following our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. However, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide, among other things, that prior to or in connection with our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination or on any other proposal presented to shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, like all provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may be amended with a shareholder vote. The issuance of additional ordinary shares or preference shares:

The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares on the first business day following our initial business combination, on a basis, subject to adjustment for share share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. The Class C ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the earlier of (i) our meeting certain share price performance thresholds following the completion of our initial business combination, and (ii) subsequent to the completion of our initial business combination, the date on which we complete a merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in both a change of control and all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, in each case, on a basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in our IPO and related to the closing of our initial business combination, except if such is the result of the conversion of our Class B ordinary shares or Class C ordinary shares, the ratio at which the Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary shares will convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary shares, as applicable in each case, agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an basis, 15% and 15%, respectively, of the sum of (i) the total number of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares after our IPO, plus (ii) the total number of ordinary shares issued or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities (as defined herein) or deemed issued by the company in connection with or in relation to the completion of the initial business combination, excluding (1) any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination, and (2) any private placement warrants issued to our sponsor or any of its affiliates upon conversion of working capital loans. In no event will the Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares at a rate of less than one to one. This is different than most other similarly structured blank check companies in which the initial shareholders will only be issued an aggregate of 20% of the total number of shares to be outstanding prior to the initial business combination.

In order to effectuate a business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds, changed industry focus and, with respect to their warrants, amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. Amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require at least a special resolution of our shareholders as a matter of Cayman Islands law, meaning the approval of holders of at least of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then-outstanding public warrants, to make any change to the terms of such warrants that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of the public warrants, and solely with respect to the terms of the private placement warrants, requires the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then-outstanding private placement warrants, voting together as a single class. In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association require us to provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash if we propose an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of our IPO or with respect to any other provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or business combination activity. To the extent any of such amendments would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of any of the securities offered through this registration statement, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments or extend the time to consummate an initial business combination in order to effectuate our initial business combination.

Some other blank check companies have a provision in their charter which prohibits the amendment of certain of its provisions, including those which relate to a company’s combination activity, without approval by a certain percentage of the company’s shareholders. In those companies, amendment of these provisions typically requires approval by 90% of the company’s shareholders attending and voting at a general meeting. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that any of its provisions related to combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of our IPO and the Private Placement into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public shareholders) may be amended if approved by special resolution, meaning holders of at least of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of at least 65% of our ordinary shares. Our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees, if any, who collectively beneficially own, on an as converted basis, 30% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association which govern our combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to complete a business combination with which you do not agree. Our shareholders may pursue remedies against us for any breach of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.

per-share

Although we believe that the net proceeds from our IPO and the Private Placement will be sufficient to allow us to complete our initial business combination, because we have not yet selected any prospective target business we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction. If the net proceeds from our IPO and the Private Placement prove to be insufficient, either because of the size of our initial business combination, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, the obligation to redeem for cash a significant number of shares from shareholders who elect redemption in connection with our initial business combination or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase shares in connection with our initial business combination, we may be required to seek additional financing or to abandon the proposed business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. The current economic environment may make it difficult for companies to obtain acquisition financing. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders and not previously released to us to pay our taxes on the liquidation of our trust account, and our warrants will expire worthless. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account, and our warrants will expire worthless.

In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations accordance with FASB’s Accounting Standards Update 2014-15, we have determined that if the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination by March 2, 2023, then the Company will cease all operations except for the purpose of liquidating. The date for mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements contained elsewhere in this report do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to continue as a going concern.

wind-up,

 

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If we are forced to enter into an insolvent liquidation, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed as an unlawful payment if it was proved that immediately following the date on which the distribution was made, we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. As a result, a liquidator could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to us or our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, thereby exposing themselves and our company to claims, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons. We and our directors and officers who knowingly and willfully authorized or permitted any distribution to be paid out of our share premium account while we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business would be guilty of an offence and may be liable for a fine of approximately $18,292 and to imprisonment for five years in the Cayman Islands.

In accordance with the NYSE corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual general meeting until the year after our first fiscal year end in which our stock was listed on the NYSE. There is no requirement under the Companies Act for us to hold annual or extraordinary meetings to appoint directors. Until we hold an annual general meeting, public shareholders may not be afforded the opportunity to appoint directors and to discuss company affairs with management.

Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B and Class C ordinary shares, voting together as a single class, will have the right to vote on the appointment and removal of directors of directors. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares and alignment shares will have the right to vote on continuing the company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands. Accordingly, you may not have any say in the management of our company prior to the completion of an initial business combination.

We registered the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act. Under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed to use our commercially reasonable efforts to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. If the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, in which case the number of Class A ordinary shares that you will receive upon cashless exercise will be based on a formula subject to a maximum number of shares equal to 0.3611 Class A ordinary shares per whole warrant (subject to adjustment). However, no such warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption from state registration is available. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will be required to use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws and there is no exemption available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the Class A ordinary shares included in the units. There may be a circumstance where an exemption from registration exists for holders of our private placement warrants to exercise their warrants while a corresponding exemption does not exist for holders of the warrants included as part of the Units. In such an instance, Cannae Holdings, LLC and its transferees (which may include our directors and executive officers) would be able to sell the ordinary shares underlying their warrants while holders of our public warrants would not be able to exercise their warrants and sell the underlying ordinary shares. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

 

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If we call the warrants for redemption, we will have the option, in our sole discretion, to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a cashless basis in certain circumstances. If we choose to require holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis or if holders elect to do so when there is no effective registration statement, the number of Class A ordinary shares received by a holder upon exercise will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised his or her warrant for cash. For example, if the holder is exercising 875 public warrants at $11.50 per share through a cashless exercise when the Class A ordinary shares have a fair market value of $17.50 per share when there is no effective registration statement, then upon the cashless exercise, the holder will receive 300 Class A ordinary shares. The holder would have received 875 Class A ordinary shares if the exercise price was paid in cash. This will have the effect of reducing the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in our company because the warrant holder will hold a smaller number of Class A ordinary shares upon a cashless exercise of the warrants they hold.

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

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

We may pursue business combination opportunities in any sector, except that we will not, under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet selected or approached any specific target business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the

 

18

chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

tax-transparent

It is possible that after our initial business combination, a majority of our directors and officers will reside outside of the United States and all of our assets will be located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult, or in some cases not possible, for investors in the United States to enforce their legal rights, to effect service of process upon all of our directors or officers or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal penalties on our directors and officers under United States laws.

Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those Class A ordinary shares that such shareholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of our IPO or (B) with respect to any other provisions relating to the rights of our Class A ordinary shares, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we have not completed an initial business within 24 months from the closing of our IPO, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. Public shareholders who redeem their Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote described in clause (ii) in the preceding sentence shall not be entitled to funds from the trust account upon the subsequent completion of an initial business combination or liquidation if have not completed an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of our IPO, with respect to such Class A ordinary shares so redeemed. In addition, if we do not complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of our IPO is not completed for any reason, compliance with Cayman Islands law may require that we submit a plan of dissolution to our then-existing shareholders for approval prior to the distribution of the proceeds held in our trust account. In that case, public shareholders may be forced to wait beyond 24 months from the closing of our IPO before they receive funds from our trust account. In no other circumstances will a public shareholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

Our Class A ordinary shares and warrants are listed on the NYSE. We cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on the NYSE in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on the NYSE prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and share price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum market capitalization (generally $50,000,000) and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 400 public holders).

 

19

Additionally, our units will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination and, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with the NYSE’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than the NYSE’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on the NYSE. For instance, our share price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share and our shareholders’ equity would generally be required to be at least $4.0 million. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.

 

 

 

 

 

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

8-K,

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

In addition, because there are more special purpose acquisition companies seeking to enter into an initial business combination with available targets, the competition for available targets with attractive fundamentals or business models may increase, which could cause target companies to demand improved financial terms.

Attractive deals could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry sector downturns, geopolitical tensions, or increases in the cost of additional capital needed to close business combinations or operate targets post-business combination. This could increase the cost of, delay or otherwise complicate or frustrate our ability to find and consummate an initial business combination, and may result in our inability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors altogether.

 

20

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

Although we have no commitments as of the date of this Annual Report to issue any notes or other debt securities, or to otherwise incur outstanding debt following our IPO, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our initial business combination. We and our officers have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held in the trust account. As such, no issuance of debt will affect the amount available for redemption from the trust account. Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:

Upon closing of our IPO, our initial shareholders own, on an basis, 30% of our issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares. Accordingly, they may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Neither our initial shareholders nor, to our knowledge, any of our officers or directors, have any current intention to purchase additional securities, other than as disclosed in our IPO Prospectus. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, our Board, whose members were elected by our sponsor, is divided into three classes, each of which generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being appointed in each year. We may not hold an annual general meeting to appoint new directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the completion of the business combination. If there is an annual general meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” Board, only a minority of the Board will be considered for election and our initial shareholders, because of their ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares and alignment shares have the right to appoint all of our directors and may remove a member of the Board for any reason. Accordingly, our initial shareholders will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination.

We have the ability to redeem the outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, if, among other things, the Reference Value equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like). If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. Redemption of the outstanding warrants as described above could force holders to (i) exercise their warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for holders to do so, (ii) sell their warrants at the then-current market price when holders might otherwise wish to hold their warrants or (iii) accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, we expect would be substantially less than the Market Value of your warrants. None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our Sponsor or their permitted transferees.

In addition, we have the ability to redeem the outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.10 per warrant if, among other things, the Reference Value equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted for share share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like). In such a case, the holders will be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption for a number of Class A ordinary shares determined based on the redemption date and the fair market value of our Class A ordinary shares. The value received upon exercise of the warrants (1) may be less than the value the holders would have received if they had exercised their warrants at a later time where the underlying share price is higher and (2) may not compensate the holders for the value of the warrants, including because the number of ordinary shares received is capped at 0.3611 Class A ordinary shares per whole warrant (subject to adjustment) irrespective of the remaining life of the warrants.

We have issued warrants to purchase 17,250,000 of our Class A ordinary shares as part of the units sold in our IPO and issued in a private placement an aggregate of 10,533,333 private placement warrants, each exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share. Our initial shareholders currently own an aggregate of 14,785,715 founder shares and 14,785,715 alignment shares. The founder shares and alignment shares are convertible into Class A ordinary shares on a basis, subject to adjustment as set forth in our IPO Prospectus. In addition, if our sponsor, or any of its affiliates makes any working capital loans, up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be converted into warrants, at the price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. Our public warrants are also redeemable by us for our Class A ordinary shares.

Each unit contains of one warrant. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, no fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units, and only whole units will trade. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the warrant holder. This is different from other IPOs similar to ours whose units include one ordinary share and one warrant to purchase one whole share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for one third of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive merger partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if it included a warrant to purchase one whole share.

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

We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. The material weakness was a result of deficiencies in management’s review of the accounting treatment for the financial instruments issued in the IPO and Private Placement. Management’s review of the accounting for such instruments was insufficient to identify a classification error that led to our revision or restatement of our financial statements, as described in the Explanatory Note in our Quarterly Report Form filed on January 10, 2022 and in the footnotes to the financial statements included in our Quarterly Report on Form for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2021, as filed with the SEC on May 17, 2021.

An investment in our units, ordinary shares or warrants may result in uncertain U.S. federal income tax consequences. For instance, because there are no authorities that directly address instruments similar to the Units, the allocation an investor makes with respect to the purchase price of a unit between the Class A ordinary shares and the of a warrant to purchase one Class A ordinary share included in each unit could be challenged by the IRS or courts. Furthermore, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of warrants included in the Units is unclear under current law. Finally, it is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to our ordinary shares suspend the running of a U.S. Holder’s holding period for purposes of determining whether any gain or loss realized by such holder on the sale or exchange of Class A ordinary shares is long-term capital gain or loss and for determining whether any dividend we pay would be considered a “qualified dividend” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors with respect to these and other tax consequences when purchasing, holding or disposing of our units.

We do not intend to utilize these exemptions and intend to comply with the corporate governance requirements of the NYSE, subject to applicable rules. However, if we determine in the future to utilize some or all of these exemptions, you will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the NYSE corporate governance requirements.

certain of our directors and executive officers have time and attention requirements for private investment funds of which affiliates of Trasimene Capital Management, LLC (“Trasimene Capital”) are the investment managers and certain of our officers and directors intend to devote time and attention to Austerlitz Acquisition Corporation II (“Austerlitz II”), a blank check company sponsored by Trasimene Capital, focused on a business combination with a target business in financial technology or information and business services. We do not have an employment agreement with, or insurance on the life of, any of our directors or executive officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or executive officers could have a detrimental effect on us.

The personal and financial interests of our executive officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination. This risk may become more acute as the anniversary of the closing of our IPO nears, which is the deadline for our completion of an initial business combination.

 

 

 

 

 

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

Following our initial business combination, our management may resign from their positions as officers or directors of the company and the management of the target business at the time of the business combination will remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with United States securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.

The economic, political and social conditions, as well as government policies, of the country in which our operations are located could affect our business. Economic growth could be uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy and such growth may not be sustained in the future. If in the future such country’s economy experiences a downturn or grows at a slower rate than expected, there may be less demand for spending in certain industries. A decrease in demand for spending in certain industries could materially and adversely affect our ability to find an attractive target business with which to complete our initial business combination and if we effect our initial business combination, the ability of that target business to become profitable.

non-U.S.

In connection with our initial business combination, we may relocate the home jurisdiction of our business from the Cayman Islands to another jurisdiction. If we determine to do this, the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital.

We are subject to rules and regulations by various governing bodies, including, for example, the SEC, which are charged with the protection of investors and the oversight of companies whose securities are publicly traded, and to new and evolving regulatory measures under applicable law. Our efforts to comply with new and changing laws and regulations have resulted in and are likely to continue to result in, increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from revenue generating activities to compliance activities.

 

31

The credit and financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and disruptions due to the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The conflict is expected to have further global economic consequences, including but not limited to the possibility of severely diminished liquidity and credit availability, declines in consumer confidence, declines in economic growth, increases in inflation rates and uncertainty about economic and political stability. In addition, the United States and other countries have imposed sanctions on Russia which increases the risk that Russia, as a retaliatory action, may launch cyberattacks against the United States, its government, infrastructure and businesses. Any of the foregoing consequences, including those we cannot yet predict, may cause our business, financial condition, results of operations and the price of our ordinary shares to be adversely affected.

We are a recently incorporated company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands with no operating results, and we did not commence operations until obtaining funding through our IPO. Because we lack an operating history, you have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective of completing our initial business combination with one or more target businesses. We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning a business combination and may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we do not complete our initial business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.

start-up

non-interest-bearing

start-up

start-up

start-up

start-up

start-up

start-up

start-up

start-up

start-up

non-affiliates

 

32

any June 30th before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.

non-emerging

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

 

None.

 

We do not own any real estate or other physical properties materially important to our operation. We currently maintain our executive offices at 1701 Village Center Circle, Las Vegas, NV 89134. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.

 

There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacity.

 

None.

 

33

 

Our Units began trading on the NYSE under the symbol “AUS.U” on February 26, 2021. Commencing on April 19, 2021, holders of the Units could elect to separately trade our Class A ordinary shares and Warrants included in the Units. The Class A ordinary shares and Warrants that are separated, trade on the NYSE under the symbols “AUS” and “AUS WS,” respectively. Those Units not separated continue to trade on the NYSE under the symbol “ASZ.U”

At February 28, 2022, there was 1 holder of record of our Units, 1 holder of record of our Class A ordinary shares, 5 holders of record of our Class B ordinary shares, 5 holders of record of our Class C ordinary shares, 2 holders of record of our Public Warrants and 1 holder of record of our Private Placement Warrants.

We have not paid any cash dividends on our Class A, Class B or Class C ordinary shares and currently do not expect to pay any such dividends.

None.

The sales of our Class B and Class C ordinary shares and Private Placement Warrants to our Sponsor as described herein and in our IPO Prospectus were deemed to be exempt from registration under the Securities Act, in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act as transactions by an issuer not involving a public offering.

S-1

333-252932).

Of the gross proceeds received from the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, $690,000,000 was placed in the Trust Account.

We paid a total of $13,800,000, in underwriting discounts and commissions and $778,795 for other offering costs and expenses related to the Initial Public Offering. In addition, the underwriters agreed to defer $24,150,000 in underwriting discounts and commissions.

There has been no material change in the planned use of proceeds from the Initial Public Offering as described in our IPO Prospectus.

 

 

34

We are a blank check company incorporated on December 21, 2020 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. We intend to effectuate a Business Combination using cash from the proceeds of our IPO and the Private Placement, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with a Business Combination, shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing.

one-fourth

Following our IPO, the full exercise of the over-allotment option and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, a total of $690,000,000 was placed in the Trust Account. We incurred $38,680,632 in transaction costs, including $13,800,000 of underwriting fees, $24,150,000 of deferred underwriting fees and $730,632 of other offering costs. Offering costs of $1,623,874 were allocated to warrant liabilities and expensed as incurred.

The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of its IPO and the sale of Private Placement Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. The Company’s initial business combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the Trust Account) at the time the Company signs a definitive agreement in connection with an initial business combination. However, the Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise is not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act.

COVID-19

COVID-19

COVID-19

COVID-19,

COVID-19

COVID-19

non-cash

 

35

non-cash

As of December 31, 2021, we had cash of $3,968,177 outside of the Trust Account. As of February 28, 2022, we had cash of $1,930,657 outside of the Trust Account. We paid approximately $2,037,522 relating to accounts payable and accrued expenses subsequent to December 31, 2021. We intend to use the funds held outside the Trust Account primarily to fund working capital, identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, and structure, negotiate and complete a Business Combination.

In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with our 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. If we complete a Business Combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial Business Combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the Trust Account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our Trust Account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants identical to the Private Placement Warrants, at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender.

We do not currently 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 due diligence and negotiating a Business Combination are more than we estimate, 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 initial Business Combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our Public Shares upon consummation of our initial Business Combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such Business Combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our initial Business Combination. If we are unable to complete our initial Business Combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the Trust Account. In addition, following our initial Business Combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.

non-cash

For the period from December 21, 2020 (Inception) through December 31, 2020, cash used in operating activities was $5,000. Net loss of $5,000 was affected by expenses of $5,000 related to the formation and operating expenses funded by a note payable through the Sponsor.

As of December 31, 2021, we had cash of $690,000,000 held in the Trust Account. We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the Trust Account (less taxes paid and deferred underwriting commissions) to complete our initial Business Combination. To the extent that our capital stock or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our initial 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.

See discussion under the header “Liquidity and Going Concern Consideration” in Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this Annual Report for discussion of management’s consideration of the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

Sheet Financing Arrangements

off-balance

off-balance

non-financial

 

36

We do not have any long-term debt, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations or long-term liabilities, other than an agreement to pay Cannae a monthly fee up to $5,000 for office space and administrative support services. We began incurring these fees on February 25, 2021 and will continue to incur these fees monthly until the earlier of the completion of a Business Combination and our liquidation.

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

non-cash

815-40

See Note 8 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this Annual Report for further discussion of the pertinent terms of the Warrants and Note 9 for further discussion of the methodology used to determine the fair value of the Company’s liability for the Warrants and asset for the Backstop Agreement.

We account for our Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC 480. Class A ordinary shares subject to mandatory redemption 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 our control) are classified as temporary equity. At all other times, ordinary shares are classified as shareholders’ equity. Our Class A ordinary shares feature certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of our control and subject to occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, the Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption are presented as temporary equity, outside of the shareholders’ deficit section of our consolidated balance sheet.

 

37

two-class

Refer to Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part 1 of this Annual Report for discussion of management’s consideration of recently issued accounting pronouncements.

 

38

 

 

39

To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of

Austerlitz Acquisition Corporation I

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Austerlitz Acquisition Corporation I (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in shareholders’ deficit and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021 and the period from December 21, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021 and the period from December 21, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

As described in Note 2 to the financial statements, the Company’s previously issued March 2, 2021 financial statement has been restated herein to correct certain misstatements.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, if the Company is unable to complete a business combination by March 2, 2023, then the Company will cease all operations except for the purpose of liquidating. The date for mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 2. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

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

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

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

/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC

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

New York, New York

March 16, 2022

PCAOB ID Number 100

 

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On March 2, 2021, the Company consummated its initial public offering (the “IPO” or “Initial Public Offering”) of 69,000,000 units (the “Units”), including 9,000,000 Units sold pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional Units to cover over-allotments. The Units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share (the “Public Shares”) and of a redeemable warrant (each whole warrant a “Public Warrant”), were sold at a price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds to the Company of $690,000,000, which is described in Note 3.

Following the closing of the IPO and Private Placement on March 2, 2021, an amount of $690,000,000 ($10.00 per Unit) of the net proceeds were placed in a U.S.-based trust account at JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, acting as trustee (“Trust Account”). Except with respect to interest earned, if any, the proceeds from the IPO and the Private Placements held in the trust account will not be released until the earliest of (a) the completion of a Business Combination, (b) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of its obligation to redeem 100% of its public shares if the Company does not complete its initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the IPO or (ii) with respect to any other provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or Business Combination activity, and (c) the redemption of all of the Public Shares (as defined in Note 4) if it is unable to complete its Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the IPO, subject to applicable law.

The Sponsor has agreed (a) to waive its redemption rights with respect to any Founder Shares (as defined in Note 5), Alignment Shares (as defined in Note 5) and any Public Shares held by it in connection with the completion of a Business Combination and (b) not to propose an amendment to the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (i) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of the Public Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period (as defined below) or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholder’s rights or Business Combination activity, unless the Company provides the public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares in conjunction with any such amendment and (iii) to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to the Founder Shares and Alignment Shares if the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination.

The Company has until 24 months from the closing of the IPO (the “Combination Period”) to consummate a Business Combination. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding Public Shares, at a price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned, if such funds are held in an interest-bearing account (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public 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 the remaining shareholders and the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”), liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to its obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

On November 11, 2021, the Company entered into a mutual termination agreement (the “Mutual Termination Agreement”) to terminate the Business Combination Agreement. In conjunction with the Mutual Termination Agreement, the Company received $5,000,000 as reimbursement for expenses. As a result of the termination of the Business Combination Agreement, the Backstop Agreement and the Amended and Restated Sponsor Agreement were automatically terminated. The Backstop Placement Fee was reversed as a result of the termination.

Management continues to evaluate the impact of the pandemic and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations and the closing of the Business Combination, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of the consolidated financial statements. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

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

The Company accounts for the Warrants and Backstop Agreement in accordance with ASC under which the Warrants and Backstop Agreement do not meet the criteria for equity classification and must be recorded as assets or liabilities. The Warrant liabilities are included in Warrant liability on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2021. See Note 8 for further discussion of the pertinent terms of the Warrants and Note 9 for further discussion of the methodology used to determine the fair value of the Company’s liabilities for the Warrants.

The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of ASC Topic 260, . The Company has three classes of shares, one for each of its Class A, Class B, and Class C ordinary shares. Income and losses are shared pro rata between the three classes of shares. Net income (loss) per ordinary share is computed by dividing net income or loss by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding for the year. Net income (loss) is allocated to the Company’s Class A, B and C ordinary shares based on the relative shares outstanding for each class of shares compared to the Company’s total shares outstanding. The Company has not considered the effect of the Public Warrants or the Private Placement Warrants in the calculation of diluted income (loss) per share, since the exercise of the warrants are contingent upon the occurrence of future events

The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares on the business day following the completion of a Business Combination, on a basis, subject to adjustment. The Class C ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the earlier of (i) the Company meeting certain share price performance thresholds following the completion of the Company’s Business Combination, and (ii) subsequent to the completion of a Business Combination, the date on which the Company complete a merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in both a change of control and all of the Company’s public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, in each case, on a basis, subject to adjustment.

The Class C ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the earlier of (i) a time after the completion of a Business Combination in which the last reported sale price of Class A ordinary shares for any 20 trading days within a day period equals or exceeds $15.25 if occurring before the third anniversary of a Business Combination, $23.00 if occurring before the sixth anniversary of a Business Combination or $35.00 if occurring before the ninth anniversary of a Business Combination, and (ii) subsequent to the completion of the Business Combination, the date on which the Company completes a merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in both a change of control and all of its public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, in each case, on a basis, subject to adjustment. The Class C ordinary shares will be returned to the Company for cancellation in the event that they have not converted into Class A ordinary shares nine years after a Business Combination.

The Company complies with the accounting and reporting requirements of ASC Topic 740, , which prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company is considered an exempted Cayman Islands Company and is presently not subject to income taxes or income tax filing requirements in the Cayman Islands or the United States. As such, the Company’s tax provision was zero for the year presented.

In August 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update , which among other things adds certain specific requirements to achieve equity classification and/or qualify for the derivative scope exception for contracts indexed to an entity’s own equity, which is expected to result in more freestanding instruments and embedded features to qualify for equity accounting treatment. The new standard is effective for companies that are SEC filers (except for Smaller Reporting Companies) for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021 and interim periods within that year, and two years later for other companies. Companies can early adopt the standard at the start of a fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2020. The standard can either be adopted on a modified retrospective or a full retrospective basis. The Company is currently reviewing the newly issued standard and does not believe it will materially impact the Company.

previously disclosed in our Quarterly Report on Form for the period ended September 30, 2021, in connection with the preparation of the Company’s financial statements as of and for the period ended September 30, 2021, management determined it should restate its previously reported financial statements. The Company previously valued its Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption by adjusting the balance presented in temporary equity such that the Company’s total equity was not less than $ 5,000,001 in order to satisfy certain requirements of its Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (“Articles”). Upon further review of the Articles and listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, management determined that, as of any given balance sheet date, the number of Class A ordinary shares which can be redeemed or become redeemable subject to the occurrence of future events considered outside the Company’s control is not impacted by the requirement of the Articles to maintain $ 5,000,001 of net tangible assets. Therefore, management concluded that the redemption value should include all Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption, resulting in the Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption being equal to their redemption value. As a result, management made a reclassification adjustment between temporary and permanent equity as of September 30, 2021. This resulted in an adjustment to the initial carrying value of the Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption with the offset recorded to additional capital (to the extent available), accumulated deficit and Class A ordinary shares.

Pursuant to the IPO, the Company sold 69,000,000 Units at a purchase price of $ 10.00 per Unit, including 9,000,000 Units sold pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional Units to cover over-allotments. Each Unit consists of one Public Share and of one Public Warrant. Each whole Public Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at an exercise price of $ 11.50 per share, subject to adjustment (see Note 8).

The Sponsor has agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of its (1) Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of a Business Combination; and (B) subsequent to a Business Combination, (x) if the last reported sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $ 12.00 per share (as adjusted for share share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any

day period commencing at least 150 days after the completion of a Business Combination, or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, amalgamation, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the Company’s shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property; and (2) Alignment Shares and any Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion thereof until the earlier of: (A) their conversion into Class A ordinary shares; and (B) subsequent to a Business Combination, the date on which the Company completes a merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in both a change in control and all of the Company’s public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.

On January 5, 2021, the Company issued a promissory note (the “Promissory Note”) to the Sponsor and an affiliate of the Sponsor, pursuant to which the Company could borrow up to an aggregate principal amount of $800,000. The Promissory Note was bearing and payable on the earlier of (i) September 30, 2021, and (ii) the completion of the IPO. The outstanding balance under the Promissory Note of $191,827 was repaid upon consummation of the IPO.

An affiliate of the Sponsor paid certain operating costs on behalf of the Company. These advances are due on demand and bearing. During the year ended December 31, 2021 and period from December 21, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, the related party paid $27,116 and $25,000, respectively, of operating costs on behalf of the Company. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the amounts due to the related party were $27,116 and $25,000, respectively.

The Company is authorized to issue 80,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the Class B ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, there were 14,785,715 and 1 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding, respectively.

The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares on the business day following the completion of a Business Combination, on a basis, subject to adjustment.

The Class C ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the earlier of (i) a time after the completion of a Business Combination in which the last reported sale price of Class A ordinary shares for any 20 trading days within a day period equals or exceeds $15.25 if occurring before the third anniversary of a Business Combination, $23.00 if occurring before the sixth anniversary of a Business Combination or $35.00 if occurring before the ninth anniversary of a Business Combination, and (ii) subsequent to the completion of a Business Combination, the date on which the Company completes a merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in both a change of control and all of its public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, in each case, on a basis, subject to adjustment. The Class C ordinary shares will be returned to the Company for cancellation in the event that they have not converted into Class A ordinary shares nine years after a Business Combination.

In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in the IPO and related to the closing of the Company’s initial Business Combination, except if such is the result of the conversion of the Company’s Class B ordinary shares or Class C ordinary shares, the ratio at which the Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary shares will convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary shares, as applicable in each case, agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an basis, 15% and 15%, respectively, of the sum of (i) the total number of the Company’s issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon completion of the IPO, plus (ii) the total number of ordinary shares issued or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities (as defined herein) or deemed issued by the Company in connection with or in relation to the completion of the initial Business Combination (including the forward purchase shares, but not the forward purchase warrants), excluding (1) any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial Business Combination, and (2) any private placement warrants issued to the Sponsor or any of its affiliates upon conversion of working capital loans. Any conversion of Class B ordinary shares or Class C ordinary shares described herein will take effect as a compulsory redemption of Class B ordinary shares or Class C ordinary shares and an issuance of Class A ordinary shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. In no event will Class B ordinary shares or Class C ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares at a rate of less than one to one.

Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding Public Warrants:

If and when the Warrants become redeemable by the Company, the Company may exercise its redemption right even if it is unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. However, the Company will not redeem the warrants unless an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the redemption period.

Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants:

The Warrants are accounted for as liabilities pursuant to ASC and are measured at fair value as of each reporting period. Changes in the fair value of the Warrants are recorded in the consolidated statement of operations each period.

None.

 

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.

13a-15

15d-15

13a-15

15d-15

10-Q/A

10-Q

10-K

Other than the material weakness identified and further described below, there was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2021 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

10-Q/A

 

None.

 

Not applicable.

 

59

 

Our directors and executive officers are as follows:

 

co-Executive

 

60

 

61

Our Board is divided into three classes, with only one class of directors being appointed in each year, and with each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting of shareholders) serving a three-year term. In accordance with the NYSE corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual general meeting until the year after our first fiscal year end in which our stock was listed on the NYSE. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Hugh R. Harris, will expire at our first annual general meeting of shareholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Mark D. Linehan and Erika Meinhardt, will expire at our second annual general meeting of the shareholders. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of William P. Foley, II and Richard N. Massey, will expire at our third annual general meeting of shareholders. We may not hold an annual general meeting of shareholders until after we complete our initial business combination.

Prior to the completion of an initial business combination, any vacancy on the Board may be filled by a nominee chosen by holders of a majority of our founder shares and alignment shares. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares and alignment shares may remove a member of the Board for any reason.

Our officers are appointed by the Board and serve at the discretion of the Board, rather than for specific terms of office. Our Board 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 provide that our officers may consist of one or more chairman 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.

There are no family relationships among any of our executive officers or directors.

NYSE listing standards require that a majority of our Board be independent. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship which in the opinion of the company’s Board, would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Our Board has determined that each of Hugh R. Harris, Mark D. Linehan and Erika Meinhardt are “independent directors” as defined in the NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.

 

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phase-in

phase-in

We established an audit committee of the Board. Hugh R. Harris, Mark D. Linehan and Erika Meinhardt serve as members of our audit committee. Our Board has determined that each of Hugh R. Harris, Mark D. Linehan and Erika Meinhardt is independent under the NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Mark D. Linehan serves as the chairman of the audit committee. Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our Board has determined that each of Hugh R. Harris, Erika Meinhardt and Mark D. Linehan qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.

The primary functions of the audit committee include:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The audit committee is a separately designated standing committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act.

We established a compensation committee of our Board. The members of our compensation committee are Hugh R. Harris, Erika Meinhardt and Mark D. Linehan, and Erika Meinhardt serves as chairman of the compensation committee.

Under the NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors. Our board of directors has determined that each of Hugh R. Harris, Erika Meinhardt and Mark D. Linehan are independent.

 

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The principal functions of the compensation committee include: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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.

We established a corporate governance and nominating committee of our Board. The members of our corporate governance and nominating committee are Mark D. Linehan, Erika Meinhardt and Hugh R. Harris, and Hugh R. Harris serves as chairman of the corporate governance and nominating committee. Under the NYSE listing standards, we are required to have a corporate governance and nominating committee composed entirely of independent directors. Our Board has determined that each of Hugh R. Harris, Mark D. Linehan and Erika Meinhardt is independent.

The primary functions of the corporate governance and nominating committee include: