Clover Leaf Capital Corp. - Annual Report: 2022 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

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

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022

or

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

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission file number: 001-40625

Clover Leaf Capital Corp.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (305) 577-0031

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).  ☐

The aggregate market value of the outstanding shares of the registrant’s Class A common stock, other than shares held by persons who may be deemed affiliates of the registrant, computed by reference to the closing price for the Class A common stock on June 30, 2022, as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market was $140,110,360.

As of April 14, 2023 there were 2,441,063 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 3,457,807 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the registrant issued and outstanding.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Report (as defined below), including, without limitation, statements under “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act (as defined below) and Section 21E of the Exchange Act (as defined below). These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “may,” “will,” “potential,” “projects,” “predicts,” “continue,” or “should,” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. There can be no assurance that actual results will not materially differ from expectations. Such statements include, but are not limited to, any statements relating to our ability to consummate any acquisition or other business combination and any other statements that are not statements of current or historical facts. These statements are based on management’s current expectations, but actual results may differ materially due to various factors, including, but not limited to:

The forward-looking statements contained in this Report are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. Future developments affecting us may not be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. 

Unless otherwise stated in this Report, or the context otherwise requires, references to:

PART I

Item 1. Business.

General

We are a blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation whose business purpose is to effect an initial business combination with one or more businesses.

Initial Public Offering

On July 22, 2021, we consummated our initial public offering of 13,831,230 units. Each unit consists of one share of Class A common stock and one right to receive one-eighth (1/8) of a share of Class A common stock upon the consummation of an initial business combination, with every eight (8) rights entitling the holder thereof to receive one share of Class A common stock at the closing of the business combination. The units were sold at a price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds to the Company of $138,312,300.

Simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering, we completed the private sale of an aggregate of 675,593 units to our sponsor and the representative at a purchase price of $10.00 per private placement unit, generating gross proceeds of $6,755,930.

Upon the consummation of our initial public offering, we also issued an additional 138,312 shares of Class A common stock, valued at $10.00 per share, to the representative and/or its designees.

A total of $140,386,985, comprised of $138,312,300 of the proceeds from the initial public offering and $2,074,685 of the proceeds of the sale of the private placement units, was placed in the trust account maintained by Continental, acting as trustee.

We originally had up to 12 months from the closing of our initial public offering, or until July 22, 2022, to consummate an initial business combination. However, as requested by our sponsor and as permitted under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, on July 19, 2022, we extended the period of time to consummate a business combination by an additional three months from July 22, 2022 to October 22, 2022. In addition, at the 2022 Special Meeting held on October 19, 2022, our stockholders approved an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination from October 22, 2022 to July 22, 2023, or such earlier date as determined by our board of directors. For more information regarding the extensions, see “Effecting Our Initial Business Combination” below.

It is the job of our sponsor and management team to complete our initial business combination. Our management team is led by Felipe MacLean, our President and CEO. We must complete our initial business combination by July 22, 2023. If our initial business combination is not consummated by July 22, 2023, then our existence will terminate, and we will distribute all amounts in the trust account.

Business

We are an early stage blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting an initial business combination with one or more businesses or entities. While we may pursue a business combination target in any business, industry or geographic region, we have focused our search on cannabis industry businesses that are compliant with all applicable laws and regulations within the jurisdictions in which they are located or operate, and, in particular, we will not invest in, or consummate a business combination with, a target business that we determine has been operating, or whose business plan is to operate, in violation of U.S. federal laws, including the CSA.

Under the current legal landscape, examples of the business combination targets that we may pursue in the United State include providers of ancillary services that support the functioning of cannabis activity, but which are not themselves directly plant touching businesses. Such businesses have emerged, driven by the growth of the cannabis industry in sales and footprint, and include the following:

Another area of focus for a potential business combination target is Specialty Finance. We believe there is an attractive investment opportunity to focus on those that provide asset-based loans, mainly with real estate. The opportunity is to provide financing and/or sale-leaseback of specialized industrial real estate assets for the regulated cannabis industry. Offering real estate solutions is an attractive alternative to state-licensed operators that have limited access to efficient traditional financing solutions. We believe that the existence of established, creditworthy cannabis companies without access to conventional sources of capital is a compelling business opportunity for the creation of a leading specialty finance company in the cannabis industry.

In addition to the above, we may consider pursuing a non-plant touching target business with a focus on e-commerce. The e-commerce revolution has significantly impacted the cannabis industry. The overall growth in the cannabis industry over the past couple of years has increased direct-to-consumer sales platforms and online ordering in those states where legally available. Technologies include existing and developing online platforms and transportation/delivery services that have started to change the industry.

If we target a business with a focus on e-commerce, we would only target a business that limits its activities to those states where such activities are legal. To the extent the target business involves a product that is excluded from Schedule 1 of the CSA, such as hemp or hemp-derived products, such target company may engage in interstate commerce. E-commerce in the cannabis industry can be distinguished in the following ways:

We may also consider entering into a business combination to market or develop products regulated by the FDA, including pharmaceutical applications and treatments that entail compounds found in cannabis. It is unclear how the FDA will respond to the approach taken by a target business we acquire, or whether the FDA will propose or implement new or additional regulations. In addition, such products may be subject to regulation at the state or local levels. Unforeseen regulatory obstacles may hinder our ability to find a target business that can successfully compete in the market for such products. However, recent regulatory movements such as the proposed amendment to the FFDCA may provide the FDA with the flexibility to regulate hemp-based CBD as a dietary supplement and a potential pathway forward for hemp-derived health and wellness products.

The Cannabis Industry

The current trend to legalize different uses and applications of cannabinoid products in the United States has begun to normalize a situation that had been known to science for many years: that there are numerous benefits from the use of the derived substances of the Cannabis plant. While cannabis is currently illegal under U.S. federal law since it is classified as a Schedule I drug under the CSA, which imposes various criminal penalties, the laws and regulations governing cannabis are still developing including in ways that we may not foresee. For example, the 2018 Farm Bill has taken hemp and hemp-derived cannabinoids out of the most restrictive class of controlled substances under U.S. federal law. Furthermore, numerous U.S. states have legalized the adult use of marijuana, even though its use remains a violation of U.S. federal law.

The evolving regulatory landscape of cannabis is creating the possibility of a new legalized industry, for both the medical and adult use of cannabinoid products, understanding that cannabis continues to be illegal under U.S. federal law. The public perception of this old prohibition, alongside with the social support and better government understanding of this issue, has paved the way for one of the fastest growing industries in today’s market. This presents a unique opportunity for companies with the capital, knowledge and experience to benefit from this seismic change.

This new potential is increased with continual scientific developments that have been unlocking the different properties of the cannabis plant, especially for its two main cannabinoids: Cannabinol or “CBD” and Tetrahydrocannabinol or “THC”. The Cannabis Industry today has been growing at a rapid pace, when more and more of the health and wellness benefits of the use of these cannabinoids gets unlocked by human discovery.

But this novel industry is still in its infancy, as regulatory changes have been gradually changing the state legalized use of cannabis products, both for its medical use, that mainly use non-psychoactive CBD components, and the social or adult use that have controlled psychoactive THC components.

The cannabis industry can be segmented into the following four main categories:

In 2018, the U.S. Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized a significant portion of the hemp industry. With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, there has been a significant increase in the availability of hemp-derived products, including products containing CBD. Hemp-derived CBD products are now legally available through mainstream distribution channels and retailers. A wide range of CBD-infused products, including lotions, serums, balms, tinctures, shampoos, soaps and pet treats, can now be found online and at a variety of retailers, such as supermarkets, cosmetic stores, beauty salons and pet supply stores. Consumers are beginning to use hemp-based products to treat a variety of medical conditions, including anxiety, insomnia, pain and inflammation. In aggregate, across all state medical hemp laws in the United States, hemp is legally recognized as a form of therapy or medicine for more than 50 medical conditions. However, even the hemp sector continues to have certain market uncertainty, particularly related to the CBD-infused food and beverage market, as the FDA has asserted that the sale of such products violates the FFDCA.

Currently, state legalized sales are only a fraction of the overall market for cannabis products. This legalized portion has been growing rapidly, and in the United States, more and more states have legalized and regulated the permitted uses of cannabis products. This has also created a new consumer base, on two fronts, both for consumers who now find alternative products for health and wellness reasons, and for those consumers, who have embraced adult use in those states where it is legal.

Due to the current illegality of cannabis at the U.S. federal level and potential for criminal penalties for violations of the CSA, many U.S. private companies in this sector have been dependent on private money or smaller funds, many institutional investors have shied away from deploying capital on them, and, in addition, access to regular banking finance solutions is almost non-existent. In addition to capital and improved management practices, we believe that achieving a successful business combination will also allow us to unlock this value for both the business combination target and our shareholders.

As more states legalize cannabis in the United States and the industry continues to adjust to an evolving regulatory landscape, additional opportunities in ancillary services for the cannabis industry are being created. Examples of such are business to consumer platforms, specialized marketplaces, research and development (both for new technologies and for product development), among others. Our management believes that by selecting the proper target business, we have the opportunity to create one of the leading cannabis companies, by combining institutional quality practices, proper capital allocation and potentially disruptive products and services to this new and evolving industry.

Regulatory Framework in the United States

We seek a target business in the United States that operates in the cannabis industry that is in compliance with all applicable U.S. federal and state laws and regulations. Below is a summary of the regulatory landscape in the United States.

Legal status of cannabis, other than hemp

All but four U.S. states have legalized, to some extent, cannabis for medical purposes. Thirty-six states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam have legalized some form of whole-plant cannabis cultivation, sales and use for certain medical purposes (medical states). Seventeen of those states and the District of Columbia and Northern Mariana have also legalized cannabis for adults for non-medical purposes (sometimes referred to as adult use). Twelve additional states have legalized low-THC/high-CBD extracts for select medical conditions (CBD states).

Under U.S. federal law, however, those activities are illegal. The CSA continues to list cannabis (marijuana, but not including hemp) as a Schedule I controlled substance (i.e., deemed to have no medical value), and accordingly, the manufacture (growth), sale or possession of cannabis is federally illegal, even for personal medical purposes. It also remains federally illegal to advertise the sale of cannabis or to sell or advertise the sale of paraphernalia designed or intended primarily for use with cannabis, unless the paraphernalia is traditionally used with tobacco or authorized by federal, state or local law. Entities or persons who knowingly lease or rent a property for the purposes of manufacturing, distributing or using any controlled substances, or merely knows that any of those activities are occurring on land that they control, can also be found liable under the CSA. Additionally, violating the CSA is a predicate crime under U.S. anti-money laundering laws.

Violation of any U.S. federal laws and regulations can result in arrest, criminal charges, forfeiture of property, significant fines and penalties, disgorgement of profits, administrative sanctions, criminal conviction and cessation of business activities, as well as civil liabilities arising from proceedings initiated by either the U.S. government or private citizens. The U.S. government could enforce the federal cannabis prohibition laws even against companies complying with state law. Enforcement in the United States could slow the progress of global legalization, which could negatively impact even cannabis businesses not operating in the U.S. or subject to any U.S. enforcement action.

Legal status of hemp and hemp derivatives

Until recently, hemp (defined by the U.S. government as Cannabis sativa L. with a THC concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis) and hemp’s extracts (except mature stalks, fiber produced from the stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds and any other compound, manufacture, salt derivative, mixture or preparation of such parts) were illegal Schedule I controlled substances under the CSA. The Agricultural Act of 2014 (the “2014 Farm Bill”) authorized states to establish industrial hemp research programs. The majority of states established programs purportedly in compliance with the 2014 Farm Bill. Many industry participants and even states interpreted the law to include “research” into the commercialization of, and commercial markets for, CBD from hemp, including products containing CBD.

In December 2018, the U.S. government changed hemp’s legal status. The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp and extracts of hemp, including CBD, from the CSA schedules. Accordingly, the production, sale and possession of hemp or extracts of hemp, including CBD, no longer violate the CSA. The 2018 Farm Bill did not create a system in which individuals or businesses can grow hemp whenever and wherever they want. There are numerous restrictions. The 2018 Farm Bill allows hemp cultivation under state plans approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) or under USDA regulations in states that have legalized hemp but not implemented their own regulations. It also allows the transfer of hemp and hemp-derived products across state lines for commercial or other purposes, even through states that have not legalized hemp or hemp-derived products. Nonetheless, states can still prohibit hemp or limit hemp more stringently than the federal law.

Despite the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp products’ legal status is complicated further by state and other federal law. The states have a patchwork of different laws on hemp and its extracts, including CBD. Additionally, the FDA claims that the FFDCA significantly limits the legality of hemp-derived CBD products.

It is important to note that the 2018 Farm Bill preserves the authority and jurisdiction of the FDA (pursuant to the FFDCA) to regulate the manufacture, marketing, and sale of food, drugs, dietary supplements, and cosmetics, including products that contain CBD and other cannabinoids. We are focusing our search on businesses in the CBD industry that are compliant with the FFDCA, including the regulations applicable to manufacturing and marketing of certain products, including food, dietary supplements, and cosmetics.

The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (the “DSHEA”) amended the FFDCA and established a framework governing the composition, safety, labeling, manufacturing and marketing of dietary supplements in the United States. Generally, under DSHEA, dietary ingredients marketed in the United States prior to October 15, 1994 may be used in dietary supplements without notifying the FDA. By contrast, “new” dietary ingredients (i.e., dietary ingredients not marketed in the United States before October 15, 1994) must be the subject of a new dietary ingredient notification submitted to the FDA, unless the ingredient has been “present in the food supply as an article used for food” and is not “chemically altered.” Any new dietary ingredient notification must provide the FDA with evidence of a “history of use or other evidence of safety” establishing that the use “will reasonably be expected to be safe.” Per the FFDCA, any substance added to a food is subject to premarket review and approval by the FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as safe under the conditions of the substance’s intended use (otherwise known as “GRAS”).

While the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp (including its derivatives, extracts, and isomers), the FDA has yet to issue regulations governing hemp products. Notwithstanding the lack of regulation of hemp products by the FDA, the FDA has taken the position that neither CBD nor THC can be added to food or marketed as a dietary supplement because CBD (and THC) are active ingredients in FDA-approved drugs (Epidiolex and Marinol, respectively) and have been the subject of “substantial clinical investigations” before CBD (or THC) were marketed as a food or dietary supplement (the “Drug Exclusion Rule”). The Drug Exclusion Rule, codified in 21 U.S.C. § 321(ff) and 21 U.S.C. § 331(ll), provides that an article that is an active ingredient in an FDA-approved drug, or has been the subject of substantial clinical investigations that have been instituted and made public, cannot be added to a food or marketed as a dietary supplement. Despite the position taken by the FDA, industry stakeholders assert there are significant arguments against this position, including (i) that CBD and THC in their naturally occurring form are not subject to the Drug Exclusion Rule and (ii) CBD was present in the food supply and sold in interstate commerce prior to October 15, 1994. Notably, the FDA does not impose the same restrictions on the use of CBD ingredients in cosmetic products, and the Drug Exclusion Rule does not apply to cosmetic products.

In addition, the FFDCA requires a facility that manufactures, packages, and/or labels food and dietary supplements must also establish and follow current Good Manufacturing Practices (“cGMPs”) in compliance with 21 CFR Part 111 (for dietary supplements) and Part 117 (for food). These cGMP requirements and other applicable FFDCA requirements include FDA facility registration, quality control, quality assurance, maintenance of records and documentation, serious adverse event recording and reporting, and compliant packaging and labeling, including absence of drug claims, among other items. The Company will only pursue a target that complies with the foregoing requirements.

To date the FDA has confined its enforcement efforts to issuing warning letters to companies marketing CBD products with disease claims. Any product marketed with claims suggesting that a product is intended to treat, cure, or prevent diseases and ailments will be considered a “drug,” requiring approval by the FDA for its intended use through one of the drug approval pathways. The definition of “drug” under the FFDCA includes, in relevant part, “articles intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in man or other animals” as well as “articles intended for use as a component of a drug as defined in the other sections of the definition.” In determining “intended use,” the FDA has traditionally looked beyond a product’s label, including statements made on websites, on social media, or orally by the company’s representatives. The Company will not pursue a target that markets any products with drug claims.

The FDA possesses significant post-market authority to monitor regulated products that have entered interstate commerce to ensure the product continues to adhere to the FFDCA. Enforcement for noncompliance under the FFDCA may be criminal or civil in nature and can include those who aid and abet a violation, or conspire to violate, the FFDCA. Civil remedies under the FFDCA include civil money penalties, injunctions, and seizures. The FDA also has a number of administrative remedies (e.g., warning letters, recalls, import alerts, and debarment). With respect to CBD products, as noted above, the FDA so far has limited its enforcement to sending cease-and- desist letters to companies selling CBD products and making “egregious, over-the-line” claims, such as “cures cancer,” “treats Alzheimer’s Disease” and “treats chronic pain.” The FDA’s additional guidance on CBD, titled, “Cannabidiol Enforcement Policy; Draft Guidance for Industry,” which the FDA has described as a “risk-based enforcement policy” to prioritize enforcement decisions, was submitted to the White House on July 22, 2020. FDA has since withdrawn its draft guidance. It has not yet indicated whether or when a new guidance document will be submitted.

Although criminal prosecutions of cannabis violations are rare under the FFDCA, the FFDCA also subjects individuals to criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment, for violating certain provisions of the FFDCA. Criminal violations are generally treated as misdemeanors, meaning they are punishable by a fine or imprisonment of a year or less. FFDCA violations may constitute a felony if the violation is a second offense done with the “intent to defraud or mislead.” (21 U.S.C. § 333(a)(2).) For a defendant to act with an “intent to defraud or mislead,” the defendant must intend not only to mislead the product’s ultimate consumer but also the state and federal government regulatory enforcement agencies. The FFDCA provides for a $1,000 fine, imprisonment of up to one year, or both for simple violations and fines of up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both, for subsequent convictions or convictions demonstrating intent to defraud or mislead. For misdemeanors not resulting in death, the current maximum fine for an individual is $100,000, while for misdemeanors resulting in death or for FFDCA felonies, the current maximum fine for an individual is $250,000. For organizations, the current maximum fine is $200,000, and for misdemeanors resulting in death or for FFDCA felonies, the current maximum fine is $500,000.

In addition to the FFDCA, any target’s advertising will be subject to regulation by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) pursuant to the Federal Trade Commission Act. In recent years, the FTC has initiated numerous investigations of dietary and nutritional supplement makers (and their products) based on allegedly deceptive or misleading claims. On December 17, 2020, FTC announced enforcement proceedings against companies making deceptive claims related to CBD products. The six companies targeted by the FTC entered into settlement agreements, and five of the companies paid a fine to FTC. More recently, on May 17, 2021, the FTC announced its latest law enforcement action against a CBD company that marketed their CBD products with false and/or unsubstantiated claims.

The Cannabis Industry Opportunity

Considering the current state of the cannabis industry, we believe that the opportunity is not only driven by a changing regulatory landscape and lack of traditional capital sources, but also by strong sector fundamentals that will allow us to achieve a business combination with accretive value for our shareholders.

Attractive Fundamentals:

The cannabis industry’s current size and growth is surprising considering the inefficiencies that have plagued this market. Potential future favorable changes in the regulatory environment (not limited to potential federal regulation), may accelerate this growth. The industry, in its current state, has achieved significant magnitude as shown by the following data (Source: BDS Analytics):

Fragmented market:

Capital provider’s market:

Business Strategy

Our business strategy is to identify and complete one or more business combinations with a target operating in the cannabis industry that is compliant with all applicable laws and regulations within the jurisdictions in which it is located or operates. We are seeking companies that we believe can efficiently deploy new capital while benefiting from our industry know-how and management team. The goal of our business combination is to achieve revenue growth and to increase profitability. These objectives can be achieved both through acquisitions and/or through organic growth. We are looking for targets that can benefit from one or more of the following: investment in research & development, new technologies and/or additional infrastructure, in order to achieve a dominant position in their market and/or entry in new ones.

While we may pursue a business combination target in any business, industry or geographical location, we are focusing our search for businesses in the cannabis industry that are compliant with all applicable laws and regulations within the jurisdictions in which they are located or operate, and, in particular, we will not invest in, or consummate a business combination with, a target business that we determine has been operating, or whose business plan is to operate, in violation of U.S. federal laws, including the CSA.

While evaluating any business combination, our team believes that the stage of the market should be considered, whether it’s a new, transitioning, or a mature market.

Business Combination Criteria

Consistent with our business strategy, we have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. We use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that meets some but not all of these criteria and guidelines. While we utilize these criteria in evaluating business combination opportunities, we expect that no individual criterion will entirely determine a decision to pursue a particular opportunity.

These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant.

In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that meets some but not all of the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business meets some but not all of the above criteria in our stockholder communications related to our initial business combination, which would be in the form of proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents that we would file with the SEC.

Initial Business Combination

Nasdaq rules require that we complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the 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 of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criterion. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects. Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors.

We will have until July 22, 2023 (24 months from the closing of our initial public offering) to consummate an initial business combination. We anticipate structuring our initial business combination either (i) in such a way so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses, or (ii) in such a way so that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders, or for other reasons. However, we will only complete an initial business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the initial business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target.

However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our stockholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% of net assets test. If the initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the transactions and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for purposes of a tender offer or for seeking stockholder approval, as applicable.

Our Business Combination Process

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

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

Our officers and directors indirectly own founder shares and/or private placement units. Because of this ownership, our sponsor and our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors were to be included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

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

Our sponsor, officers and directors may participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, any other blank check company prior to completion of our initial business combination. As a result, our sponsor, officers or directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other blank check company with which they may become involved.

Our Management Team

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

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

Status as a Public Company

We believe our structure makes us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As a public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination with us. Following an initial business combination, we believe the target business would have greater access to capital and additional means of creating management incentives that are better aligned with stockholders’ interests than it would as a private company. A target business can further benefit by augmenting its profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees. In a business combination transaction with us, the owners of the target business may, for example, exchange their shares of stock in the target business for our shares of Class A common stock (or shares of a new holding company) or for a combination of our shares of Class A common stock and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers.

Although there are various costs and obligations associated with being a public company, we believe target businesses will find this method a more expeditious and cost effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. The typical initial public offering process takes a significantly longer period of time than the typical business combination transaction process, and there are significant expenses in the initial public offering process, including underwriting discounts and commissions, marketing and road show efforts that may not be present to the same extent in connection with an initial business combination with us.

Furthermore, once a proposed initial business combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring or could have negative valuation consequences. Following an initial business combination, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital and an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with stockholders’ interests and the ability to use its shares as currency for acquisitions. Being a public company can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.

While we believe that our structure and our management team’s backgrounds make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view our status as a blank check company, such as our lack of an operating history and our ability to seek stockholder approval of any proposed initial business combination, negatively.

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

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

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following July 22, 2026, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30^th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.

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

Financial Position

With funds available in the trust account for an initial business combination in the amount of approximately $18,276,866 as of December 31, 2022, before payment of $4,840,931 of deferred underwriting fees before fees and expenses associated with our initial business combination, we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt or leverage ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.

Effecting Our Initial Business Combination

We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of our initial public offering and the private placement of the private placement units, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into or otherwise), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.

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

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

We originally had up to 12 months from the closing of our initial public offering, or until July 22, 2022, to consummate an initial business combination. However, as requested by our sponsor and as permitted under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, on July 19, 2022, we extended the period of time to consummate a business combination by an additional three months from July 22, 2022 to October 22, 2022. In connection with the First Extension, our sponsor caused to be deposited into the trust account an aggregate of $1,383,123 (representing $0.10 per public share). The First Extension was the first of three three-month extensions permitted under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.

In addition, at the 2022 Special Meeting held on October 19, 2022, our stockholders approved an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination from October 22, 2022 to July 22, 2023, or such earlier date as determined by our board of directors. In connection with the Second Extension, public stockholders redeemed an aggregate 12,204,072 public shares, and our sponsor loaned to the Company $1,383,123 ($0.85 per public share after redemptions), which was deposited into the trust account.

As a result of the extensions, we must complete our initial business combination by July 22, 2023.

Sources of Target Businesses

We anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers and investment professionals. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us by calls or mailings. Our officers and directors, as well as our sponsor and their affiliates, may also bring to our attention target business candidates that they become aware of through their business contacts as a result of formal or informal inquiries or discussions they may have, as well as attending trade shows or conventions. In addition, we expect to receive a number of proprietary deal flow opportunities that would not otherwise necessarily be available to us as a result of the business relationships of our officers and directors and our sponsor and their affiliates. While we do not presently anticipate engaging the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions on any formal basis, we may engage these firms or other individuals in the future, in which event we may pay a finder’s fee, consulting fee, advisory fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction. We expect to engage a finder only to the extent our management determines that the use of a finder may bring opportunities to us that may not otherwise be available to us or if finders approach us on an unsolicited basis with a potential transaction that our management determines is in our best interest to pursue. Payment of finder’s fees is customarily tied to completion of a transaction, in which case any such fee will be paid out of the funds held in the trust account. In no event, however, will our sponsor or any of our existing officers or directors, or any entity with which our sponsor or officers are affiliated, be paid any finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee, monies in respect of any payment of a loan or other compensation by the company prior to, or in connection with any services rendered for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). None of our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be allowed to receive any compensation, finder’s fees or consulting fees from a prospective business combination target in connection with a contemplated initial business combination. We have agreed to pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and to reimburse our sponsor for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination. Some of our officers and directors may enter into employment or consulting agreements with the post-transaction company following our initial business combination. The presence or absence of any such fees or arrangements will not be used as a criterion in our selection process of an initial business combination candidate.

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with an initial business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors or making the initial business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with an initial business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.

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

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

Nasdaq rules require that we complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the 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 of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. The fair market value of our initial business combination will be determined by our board of directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as discounted cash flow valuation, a valuation based on trading multiples of comparable public businesses or a valuation based on the financial metrics of M&A transactions of comparable businesses. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. Subject to this requirement, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we will not be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.

In any case, we will only complete an initial business combination in which we own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquire a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. If we own or acquire less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses, the portion of such business or businesses that are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company is what will be taken into account for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% of net assets test.

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

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

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

Lack of Business Diversification

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

Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target’s Management Team

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

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

Following an initial business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.

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

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

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

Permitted Purchases of our Securities

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

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

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

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

Redemption Rights for Public Stockholders upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination

We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account as of December 31, 2022 was approximately $11.23 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares, private placement shares and public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.

Manner of Conducting Redemptions

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

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

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

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

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

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

If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the initial business combination. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. Our initial stockholders will count toward this quorum and pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and public shares purchased during or after our initial public offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding shares of common stock voted, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares and the private placement shares, unless otherwise required under applicable law we would not need any of the public shares sold in our initial public offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved. We intend to give approximately 30 days (but not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days) prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial stockholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares without voting, and if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed initial business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed initial business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of Class A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.

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

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 2,074,685, or 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering.

Extension of Time to Complete Business Combination

We originally had up to 12 months from the closing of our initial public offering, or until July 22, 2022, to consummate an initial business combination. However, as requested by our sponsor and as permitted under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, on July 19, 2022, we extended the period of time to consummate a business combination by an additional three months from July 22, 2022 to October 22, 2022. In connection with the First Extension, our sponsor caused to be deposited into the trust account an aggregate of $1,383,123 (representing $0.10 per public share). The First Extension was the first of three three-month extensions permitted under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.

In addition, at the 2022 Special Meeting held on October 19, 2022, our stockholders approved an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination from October 22, 2022 to July 22, 2023, or such earlier date as determined by our board of directors. In connection with the Second Extension, public stockholders redeemed an aggregate 12,204,072 public shares, and our sponsor loaned to the Company $1,383,123 ($0.85 per public share after redemptions), which was deposited into the trust account.

As a result of the extensions, we must complete our initial business combination by July 22, 2023.

Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if no Initial Business Combination

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will have until July 22, 2023 to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination by July 22, 2023 we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our rights, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination by July 22, 2023.

Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares and private placement shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination by July 22, 2023. However, if our sponsor, officers or directors acquire public shares, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination by July 22, 2023.

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

We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the approximately $303,449 of proceeds held outside the trust account as of December 31, 2022, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. We will depend on sufficient interest being earned on the proceeds held in the trust account to pay any franchise and income tax obligations we may owe. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay franchise and income taxes on interest income earned on the trust account balance, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.

If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of our initial public offering of units and the sale of the private placement units, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders upon our dissolution would be approximately $11.23 as of December 31, 2022 (before taking into account the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes, if any, and up to $100,000 in dissolution expenses). The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public stockholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by stockholders will not be substantially less than $11.23. Under Section 281(b) of the DGCL, our plan of dissolution must provide for all claims against us to be paid in full or make provision for payments to be made in full, as applicable, if there are sufficient assets. These claims must be paid or provided for before we make any distribution of our remaining assets to our stockholders. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.

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

In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.15 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.15 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below (i) $10.15 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations and we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be less than $10.15 per public share.

We seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor has to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent auditor), prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. As of December 31, 2022 have access to up to approximately $303,449 from the proceeds of our initial public offering with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $100,000). In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, stockholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors.

Under the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro-rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination by July 22, 2023 may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If the corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro-rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution.

Furthermore, if the pro-rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the specified time is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful (potentially due to the imposition of legal proceedings that a party may bring or due to other circumstances that are currently unknown), then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination by July 22, 2023, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Accordingly, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following our July 22, 2023 and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with those procedures. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend well beyond the third anniversary of such date.

Because we are complying with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the subsequent 10 years. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations are limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers and auditors) or prospective target businesses. As described above, pursuant to the obligation contained in our underwriting agreement, we have sought and will continue to seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent auditor), prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account. As a result of this obligation, the claims that could be made against us are significantly limited and the likelihood that any claim that would result in any liability extending to the trust account is remote. Further, our sponsor may be liable only to the extent necessary to ensure that the amounts in the trust account are not reduced below (i) $10.15 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest withdrawn to pay taxes and will not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims.

If we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.15 per share to our public stockholders. Additionally, if we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by stockholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our stockholders. Furthermore, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons.

Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a stockholder vote to amend any provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of our initial public offering (or up to 21 months from the closing of our initial public offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination by July 22, 2023, subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a stockholder’s voting in connection with the initial business combination alone will not result in a stockholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro-rata share of the trust account. Such stockholder must have also exercised its redemption rights as described above. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, like all provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, may be amended with a stockholder vote.

Competition

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

Employees

We currently have three officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they devote as much of their time as they deem necessary and intend to continue doing so to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they devote in any time period varies based on the stage of the initial business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination.

Periodic Reporting and Financial Information

Our units, Class A common stock and rights are registered under the Exchange Act and, accordingly, we have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports, including this Report, contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accountants.

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

We are required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to have our internal control procedures audited. A target company may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such business combination.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following July 22, 2026, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our shares of Class A common stock that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30^th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.

Item 1A.  Risk Factors.

As a smaller reporting company under Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, we are not required to include risk factors in this Report. However, below is a partial list of material risks, uncertainties and other factors that could have a material effect on the Company and its operations:

Adverse developments affecting the financial services industry, including events or concerns involving liquidity, defaults or non-performance by financial institutions, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, or our prospects.

The funds in our operating account and our trust account are held in banks or other financial institutions. Our cash held in non-interest bearing and interest-bearing accounts would exceed any applicable Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance limits. Should events, including limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments occur with respect to the banks or other financial institutions that hold our funds, or that affect financial institutions or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, our liquidity may be adversely affected. For example, on March 10, 2023, the FDIC announced that Silicon Valley Bank had been closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Although we did not have any funds in Silicon Valley Bank or other institutions that have been closed, we cannot guarantee that the banks or other financial institutions that hold our funds will not experience similar issues.

In addition, investor concerns regarding the U.S. or international financial systems could result in less favorable commercial financing terms, including higher interest rates or costs and tighter financial and operating covenants, or systemic limitations on access to credit and liquidity sources, thereby making it more difficult for us to acquire financing on terms favorable to us in connection with a potential business combination, or at all, and could have material adverse impacts on our liquidity, our business, financial condition or results of operations, and our prospects.

For the complete list of risks relating to our operations, see the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in (i) our Registration Statement, (ii) our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended September 30, 2021, March 31, 2022, June 30, 2022 and September 30, 2022, as filed with the SEC on November 26, 2021, May 17, 2022, August 15, 2022 and November 14, 2022, respectively, and (iii) our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, as filed with the SEC on October 3, 2022. Any of these factors could result in a significant or material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition. Additional risks could arise that may also affect our business or ability to consummate an initial business combination. We may disclose changes to such risk factors or disclose additional risk factors from time to time in our future filings with the SEC.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

Not applicable.

Item 2. Properties.

Our executive offices are located at 1450 Brickell Avenue, Suite 2520, Miami, FL 33131, and our telephone number is (305) 577-0031. The cost for our use of this space is included in the $10,000 per month fee we pay to an affiliate of our sponsor for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

To the knowledge of our management team, there is no litigation currently pending or contemplated against us, any of our officers or directors in their capacity as such or against any of our property.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Our units, public shares and public rights are each traded on Nasdaq under the symbols CLOEU, CLOE and CLOER, respectively. Our units commenced public trading on July 20, 2021, and our public shares and public rights commenced separate public trading on September 9, 2021.

On April 14, 2023, there were three holders of record of our units, two holders of record of our shares of Class A common stock, one holder of record of our shares of Class B common stock and one holder of record of our public rights.

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

None.

None.

For a description of the use of proceeds generated in our initial public offering and private placement, see Part II, Item 2 of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2021, as filed with the SEC on September 2, 2021. There has been no material change in the planned use of proceeds from our initial public offering and private placement as described in the Registration Statement. Our specific investments in our trust account may change from time to time.

On October 19, 2022, we held the 2022 Special Meeting at which our stockholders approved, among other things, the Second Extension, which extended the date by which we must consummate a business combination from October 22, 2022 to July 22, 2023, or such earlier date as determined by our board.

In connection with the Second Extension, stockholders holding 12,204,072 public shares exercised their right to redeem such shares for a pro rata portion of the trust account. We paid cash in the aggregate amount of approximately $125,587,180, or approximately $10.29 per share, to redeeming stockholders in the connection with such redemptions.

The following table contains monthly information about the repurchases of our equity securities for the three months ended December 31, 2022:

Item 6. [Reserved]

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Report including, without limitation, statements in this section regarding our financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward- looking statements. When used in this Report, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of our management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, our management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in our filings with the SEC. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph.

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this Report.

Overview

We are a blank check company incorporated in the State of Delaware for the purpose of effecting an initial business combination with one or more businesses. While we may pursue an initial business combination target in any industry or geographic location, and we are focusing our search for a target business engaged in the cannabis industry.

The Registration Statement for our initial public offering was declared effective on July 19, 2021. On July 22, 2021, we consummated our initial public offering of 13,831,230 units at $10.00 per unit, and the sale of 675,593 units, at a price of $10.00 per unit, in the private placement to our sponsor and the representative that closed simultaneously with the initial public offering. On July 22, 2021, the underwriters partially exercised their over-allotment option and purchased 1,331,230 of their full 1,875,000 units available and subsequently forfeited the remainder of their option as of July 28, 2021. Our management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the initial public offering and sale of the private placement units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating an initial business combination.

Transaction costs amounted to $9,562,126, consisting of $2,766,246 of underwriting commissions, $4,840,931 of deferred underwriting commissions, $1,383,123 of fair value of the representative shares and $571,826 of other cash offering costs.

We originally had up to 12 months from the closing of our initial public offering, or until July 22, 2022, to consummate an initial business combination. However, as requested by our sponsor and as permitted under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, on July 19, 2022, we extended the period of time to consummate a business combination by an additional three months from July 22, 2022 to October 22, 2022. In connection with the First Extension, our sponsor caused to be deposited into the trust account an aggregate of $1,383,123 (representing $0.10 per public share). In addition, at the 2022 Special Meeting held on October 19, 2022, our stockholders approved an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination from October 22, 2022 to July 22, 2023, or such earlier date as determined by our board of directors. In connection with the Second Extension, public stockholders redeemed an aggregate 12,204,072 public shares.

As of October 19, 2022, we caused an aggregate of $1,383,123 to be deposited into the trust account to support the Second Extension, which equates to approximately $0.85 per remaining public share, for the period that the Company needs to complete an initial business combination, and such amount will be distributed either to: (i) all of the holders of public shares upon the Company’s liquidation or (ii) holders of public shares who elect to have their shares redeemed in connection with the consummation of the initial business combination.

Results of Operations

Our entire activity since inception up to December 31, 2022 relates to our formation, the initial public offering and, since the closing of the initial public offering, a search for a business combination candidate. We will not be generating any operating revenues until the closing and completion of our initial business combination, at the earliest.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, we had a net income of $60,237, which consisted of formation and operating costs of $ 1,291,228 and provision for income taxes of $185,423, offset by interest earned on investments held in trust account of $1,195,135, interest earned on cash held in bank of $69 and recovery of previously incurred costs of $341,684.

For the period from February 25, 2021 (inception) to December 31, 2021 we had a net loss of $834,087, which consisted of $851,777 in formation and operating costs, offset by $47 in interest income from operating bank account and interest income of $17,643 from marketable securities held in our trust account. 

Going Concern

As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had cash of $303,449 and $680,302, respectively, and working capital deficit of $2,882,521 and working capital of $418,498, respectively. Prior to the completion of the initial public offering, our liquidity needs had been satisfied through a payment from our sponsor of $25,000 for the founder shares to cover certain offering costs and the loan under an unsecured promissory note from our sponsor of $300,000.

In addition, on July 18, 2022, we issued the First Extension Note to our sponsor in the principal amount of $1,383,123, pursuant to which our sponsor loaned us $1,383,123 ($0.85 per public share after redemptions) to deposit into the trust account for each public share that was not redeemed in connection with the First Extension. At the election of our sponsor, up to $1,383,123 of the unpaid principal amount of the First Extension Note may be converted into Conversion Units, of which the total Conversion Units so issued shall be equal to: (x) the portion of the principal amount of the First Extension Note being converted divided by (y) the conversion price of ten dollars ($10.00), rounded up to the nearest whole number of units.

On October 19, 2022, we issued the Second Extension Note to our sponsor in the principal amount of $1,383,123, pursuant to which our sponsor loaned us $1,383,123 to deposit into the trust account for each public share that was not redeemed in connection with the Second Extension. The Second Extension Note bears no interest and is repayable in full upon the earlier of (a) the date of the consummation of an initial business combination, or (b) the date of the liquidation of the Company.

In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, provide us working capital loans. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, there were no amounts outstanding under any working capital loans.

Until the consummation of an initial business combination, we will be using the funds not held in the trust account for identifying and evaluating prospective acquisition candidates, performing due diligence on prospective target businesses, paying for travel expenditures, selecting the target business to acquire, and structuring, negotiating and consummating the initial business combination. We will need to raise additional capital through loans or additional investments from our sponsor, shareholders, officers, directors, or third parties. Our sponsor, officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion, to meet our working capital needs. Accordingly, we may not be able to obtain additional financing. If we are unable to raise additional capital, it may be required to take additional measures to conserve liquidity, which could include, but not necessarily be limited to, curtailing operations, suspending the pursuit of a potential transaction, and reducing overhead expenses.

We cannot provide any assurance that new financing will be available to us on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. In connection with our assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with FASB’s ASU 2014-15, “Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern.” We have until July 22, 2023 to consummate an initial business combination. It is uncertain that we will be able to consummate an initial business combination by this time. If an initial business combination is not consummated by this date, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution. These conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. These financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recovery of the recorded assets or the classification of the liabilities that might be necessary should we be unable to continue as a going concern, also do not include any adjustment that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty about should an initial business combination not occur.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. We have identified the following as our critical accounting policies:

Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption

All of the 13,831,230 Class A common stock sold as part of the units in the initial public offering contain a redemption feature that allows for the redemption of such public shares in connection with our liquidation, if there is a stockholder vote or tender offer in connection with the initial business combination and in connection with certain amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. In accordance with SEC and its staff’s guidance on redeemable equity instruments, which has been codified in ASC 480-10-S99, redemption provisions not solely within our control require common stock subject to redemption to be classified outside of permanent equity.

If it is probable that the equity instrument will become redeemable, we have the option to either accrete changes in the redemption value over the period from the date of issuance (or from the date that it becomes probable that the instrument will become redeemable, if later) to the earliest redemption date of the instrument or to recognize changes in the redemption value immediately as they occur and adjust the carrying amount of the instrument to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. We have elected to recognize the changes immediately.

Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share

We comply with accounting and disclosure requirements of FASB ASC Topic 260, Earnings Per Share. Net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. We have two classes of shares, redeemable common stock and non-redeemable common stock. Our redeemable common stock is comprised of shares of Class A common stock sold in the initial public offering. Our non-redeemable shares are comprised of shares of Class B common stock purchased by our sponsor as well as shares of Class A common stock sold as part of the private placement units and the representative shares. Earnings and losses are shared pro rata between the two classes of shares. Our statements of operations applies the two-class method in calculating net income (loss) per share. Basic and diluted net income (loss) per common share for redeemable common stock and non-redeemable common stock is calculated by dividing net income (loss), allocated proportionally to each class of common stock, attributable to us by the weighted average number of shares of redeemable and non-redeemable stock outstanding.

The calculation of diluted income (loss) per share of common stock does not consider the effect of the rights issued in connection with the initial public offering since exercise of the rights is contingent upon the occurrence of future events and the inclusion of such rights would be anti-dilutive. Accretion of the carrying value of Class A common stock to redemption value is excluded from net income (loss) per redeemable share because the redemption value approximates fair value. As a result, diluted income (loss) per share is the same as basic income (loss) per share for the periods presented. 

Off-Balance Sheet Financing Arrangements

We have no obligations, assets or liabilities that would be considered off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. We do not participate in transactions that create relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, often referred to as variable interest entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements. We have not entered into any off-balance sheet financing arrangements, established any special purpose entities, guaranteed any debt or commitments of other entities, or purchased any non-financial assets.

Contractual Obligations

We do not have any long-term debt, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations or long-term liabilities, other than an agreement to pay an affiliate of our sponsor a monthly fee of $10,000 for office space, utilities and administrative support. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

Registration Rights

The holders of the founder shares, private placement units and securities that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and extension loans will have registration rights to require us to register a sale of any of its securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights agreement. These holders will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration demands, that we register such securities for sale under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders will have “piggy-back” registration rights to include their securities in other registration statements filed by the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the underwriters may not exercise their demand and “piggyback” registration rights after five and seven years, respectively, after the effective date of the Registration Statement and may not exercise their demand rights on more than one occasion.

Underwriting Agreement

The underwriters had a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,875,000 additional units to cover any over-allotments, if any, at the initial public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions. On July 22, 2021, the underwriters partially exercised their over-allotment option and purchased an additional 1,331,230 units and forfeited the remainder of their over-allotment option as of July 28, 2021.

The underwriters are entitled to a deferred underwriting discount of 3.5% of the gross proceeds of the initial public offering held in the trust account upon the completion of the initial business combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, “Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity” (“ASU 2020-06”), which simplifies accounting for convertible instruments by removing major separation models required under current GAAP. The ASU also removes certain settlement conditions that are required for equity-linked contracts to qualify for the derivative scope exception, and it simplifies the diluted earnings per share calculation in certain areas. ASU 2020-06 is effective January 1, 2024 and should be applied on a full or modified retrospective basis, with early adoption permitted beginning on January 1, 2021. We are reviewing what impact, if any, adoption will have on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

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

JOBS Act

The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We qualify as an “emerging growth company” and under the JOBS Act are allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, the financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.

Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company,” we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an auditor’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis) and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the CEO’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of our initial public offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.

Factors That May Adversely Affect our Results of Operations

Our results of operations and our ability to complete an initial business combination may be adversely affected by various factors that could cause economic uncertainty and volatility in the financial markets, many of which are beyond our control. Our business could be impacted by, among other things, downturns in the financial markets or in economic conditions, increases in oil prices, inflation, increases in interest rates, supply chain disruptions, declines in consumer confidence and spending, the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including resurgences and the emergence of new variants, and geopolitical instability, such as the military conflict in Ukraine. We cannot at this time fully predict the likelihood of one or more of the above events, their duration or magnitude or the extent to which they may negatively impact our business and our ability to complete an initial business combination.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.

We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information otherwise required under this Item.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Reference is made to pages F-1 through F-19 comprising a portion of this Report, which are incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

None.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and other procedures 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 management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer (together, the “Certifying Officers”), or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Certifying Officers, we carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based on the foregoing, our Certifying Officers concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of the end of the period covered by this Report, due to:

In light of this material weakness, we performed additional analysis and procedures to support GAAP compliance in the preparation of our financial statements. We believe our efforts will enhance our controls relating to accounting for complex financial instruments and internal controls related to timeliness, completeness and accuracy of accruals, but we can offer no assurance that our controls will not require additional review and modification in the future as industry accounting practice may evolve over time.

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

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Controls over Financial Reporting

As required by SEC rules and regulations implementing Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP. Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect errors or misstatements in our financial statements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree or compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022. In making these assessments, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013). Based on our assessments and those criteria, management determined that we did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 due to incorrect classification of classification of redeemable common stock and timeliness, completeness and accuracy of accruals and accuracy of provision for franchise and income taxes. 

Management has implemented remediation steps to improve our internal control over financial reporting. Specifically, we expanded and improved our review process for complex transaction instruments, internal controls related to timeliness, completeness and accuracy of accruals, and related accounting standards. We plan to further improve this process by enhancing access to accounting literature, identification of third-party professionals with whom to consult regarding complex accounting applications and consideration of additional staff with the requisite experience and training to supplement existing accounting professionals.

This Report does not include an attestation report of our internal controls from our independent registered public accounting firm due to our status as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Other than as discussed above, there have been no changes to our internal control over financial reporting during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Item 9B. Other Information.

None.

Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.

Not applicable.

PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

Directors and Executive Officers

As of the date of this Report, our directors and officers are as follows:

The experience of our directors and executive officers is as follows:

Felipe MacLean, our President and CEO since inception and our Chairman of the Board since April 2021, is a successful self-made entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience capitalizing on complex, high-yield transactions in various industries across the globe. Mr. MacLean applied his financial and operational expertise in building vertically integrated businesses in the agriculture, seafood, and edible oil sectors. Since [_], he has been a founder and CEO of Yntegra Group, a family office and multi-service provider that specializes in high yield transactions that has managed over $1 billion in commodities trading activity and placement of over $100 million in private equity investments. In 2017, Mr. MacLean started his venture in the cannabis industry founding Solace Holdings and leading an investment of over $50 million. Solace Holdings is today one of the most renowned cultivation, extraction and manufacturing facilities in the Nevada market, with leading product categories on its portfolio and doubling sales year over year. Mr. MacLean’s involvement was crucial to the success of Solace Holdings, supported by his clear understanding of the cannabis industry opportunities and challenges. We believe Mr. MacLean is well qualified to serve as our Chairman and CEO due to his extensive knowledge in the cannabis industry. As an early investor in the field, he has lived through the multiple regulatory cycles and growth facets of this developing industry. His experience has proven instrumental in creating a successful large-scale profitable cannabis operation.

Luis A. Guerra, our CFO and Treasurer since April 2021, was one of the founders of Bulltick Capital Markets, a regional investment bank in the US, Europe and Latin America that became one of the top 10 brokers and trading firms with the highest volume traded in Latin America ADRs (American Depositary Receipts) on the NYSE. He was a co-managing partner of the firm and member of its Management Committee, directly responsible for all securities brokerage, electronic trading, and capital markets operations, from March 2000 to February 2011. He grew the firm’s brokerage and trading operations from a start-up to one of the largest regional investment banks in Latin America. Since November 2018, Mr. Guerra has served as co-founder and Managing Director of Vitax Partners, a private investment vehicle with a focus on private equity and structured finance. Since December 2019, he has also served as part of the Advisory Board of Welz, a European based private equity real estate Investment Manager, where he advises on their investment portfolio. He is a seasoned capital markets professional who brings experienced and structured financial reporting. We believe Mr. Guerra is well qualified to serve as our CFO due to his capital markets and financial background, ample experience dealing with regulated entities both in the US and internationally, and knowledge as a former senior executive at an investment bank and asset management business.

Markus Puusepp, our COO and Secretary since July 2022, has been employed as Chief Strategy Officer of SHL Medical AG (“SHL”) since 2017. SHL is a global solution provider in the design, development and manufacturing of advanced drug delivery systems. Mr. Puusepp previously spent over seven years in Hong Kong and Beijing within the private equity and medtech industries. Prior to that, he worked in investment banking in Sweden, as well as management consulting. Additionally, Mr. Puusepp has held several directorships, including as a board member for Spowdi since October 2020, a non-executive board member of QulO since October 2018, a board member of Pharmaero ApS since February 2018 and as a Chairman of Innovation Zed since February 2018. He received his Masters in Business Administration from Stockholm University in 2008. We believe Mr. Puusepp is well qualified to serve as our COO due to his experience, integrity, and track records across multiple industries.

Per Bjorkman has served as one of our independent directors since July 2021. Since August 2020, he has served as Director of Business Development at SHL Healthcare, one of the world’s leading contract manufacturers and suppliers of MedTech solutions for home, hospital and long-term care use. As a customer-centric company, SHL offers a range of services, robust manufacturing capabilities and dedicated project management teams to best translate customer specifications into quality products. Prior to this role, he served as Managing Director of SHL Technologies & Group Ventures from January 2014 to December 2019. Mr. Bjorkman is a seasoned expert in the cannabis and healthcare industry. From October 2017 to July 2020, he served as Co-CEO of Solace Holdings in Nevada, a cGMP certified, vertically integrated THC and CBD cannabis company, focusing on the cultivation and manufacturing of leading cannabis consumer branded goods. Mr. Bjorkman holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the European University and was part of the Leadership and Strategic Execution Program at INSEAD in France. We believe Mr. Bjorkman is well qualified to serve as a director due to his extensive knowledge in the mainstream medical and pharmaceutical industry, and its potential application to the cannabis field, in addition to having managed a successful cannabis growing and production facility in the US.

Marcos Angelini has served as one of our independent directors since July 2021. He has served as the President of Red Bull Latin America since April 2017. Since August 2020, he has been an equity investor and a member of the advisory board to YVY Brazil. Prior to these roles, from May 2016 to February 2017, Mr. Angelini was the CEO of Facebook in Brazil, where he oversaw the media giant’s operations in the largest country in Latin America. Mr. Angelini has 24 years of international experience in marketing, innovation, media, advertising and general management. From January 1996 to March 2016, he worked at Unilever, initially in marketing, rising to Brand VP and later Vice President for Latin America. At Unilever, he had responsibility for numerous products for global client subsidiaries throughout the world. He was recognized by Meio & Mensagem as one of the top 10 Marketing Executives of 2015 and as one of the top 10 Media Executives of Brazil in 2016. Mr. Angelini received his MBA from the University of Durham and completed a Business Executive Program at Stanford University. We believe Mr. Angelini is well qualified to serve as a director due to his extensive experience working as a senior executive with internationally recognized brands such as Redbull and Facebook, and his ample consumer brands knowledge as a senior level global marketing manager at Unilever.

Ambassador Manuel Rocha has served as one of our independent directors since July 2021. Before moving to Miami in 2002, he spent well over two decades as a US diplomat. His last post was as US Ambassador to Bolivia from July 2000 to August 2002. His Foreign Service career included assignments in the Dominican Republic, Italy, Honduras, Argentina and Cuba. Importantly, he was also Director of Inter-American Affairs in the National Security Council at the White House. Making the transition to the private sector, he worked for two law firms, established his own business development company bringing business opportunities from China to the Western Hemisphere, worked for a private equity firm based in Argentina, and headed Corporate Affairs for Arcos Dorados, which owns most of the McDonald’s restaurants in Latin America. He also served as President of BARRICK Gold’s subsidiary in the Dominican Republic from September 2012 to April 2018, which represented the largest foreign direct investment in the country exceeding 5 billion dollars. Since May 2018, he has served as the SVP for Global Corporate Affairs for XCOAL, one of the largest exporters of US origin coals for use in integrated steel mills, cement plants, and power plants throughout the world. He graduated cum laude from Yale University, earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University and a Master’s in International Relations from Georgetown University. We believe Mr. Rocha is well qualified to serve as a director due to his ample resources and network as a senior level, former State Department official, in addition to his experience running a large multinational operation. He is an expert negotiator who provides valuable input in a highly regulated industry like cannabis.

Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors

We have four directors. Our board of directors is divided into two classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual meeting of stockholders) serving a two-year term. In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Manuel Rocha and Marcos Angelini, will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Felipe MacLean and Per Bjorkman, will expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders.

Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our bylaws as it deems appropriate. Our bylaws provide that our officers may consist of a Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Secretaries and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.

Nasdaq listing standards require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship that, in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Our board of directors has determined that Messrs. Angelini, Bjorkman and Ambassador Rocha are “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.

Committees of the Board of Directors

Our board of directors has two standing committees: an audit committee and a compensation committee. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, Nasdaq rules and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors, and Nasdaq rules require that the compensation committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors.

Audit Committee

Marcos Angelini, Manuel Rocha and Per Bjorkman serve as members of our audit committee, and Marcos Angelini chairs the audit committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least three members of the audit committee, all of whom must be independent. Each of Marcos Angelini, Manuel Rocha, and Per Bjorkman meets the independent director standard under Nasdaq listing standards and under Rule 10-A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act.

Each member of the audit committee is financially literate, and our board of directors has determined that Marcos Angelini qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.

We have adopted an audit committee charter, which details the principal functions of the audit committee, including:

Compensation Committee

Per Bjorkman, Marcos Angelini and Manuel Rocha serve as the members of our compensation committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least two members of the compensation committee, all of whom must be independent. Per Bjorkman, Marcos Angelini and Manuel Rocha are independent, and Per Bjorkman chairs the compensation committee.

We have adopted a compensation committee charter, which details the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:

Notwithstanding the foregoing, as indicated above, other than the payment to an affiliate of our sponsor of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and reimbursement of expenses, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our existing stockholders, officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate the consummation of an initial business combination. Accordingly, it is likely that prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, the compensation committee will only be responsible for the review and recommendation of any compensation arrangements to be entered into in connection with such initial business combination.

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

Code of Ethics

We have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees, which was filed, along with our audit and compensation committee charters, as exhibits to the Registration Statement. You can review these documents by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K.

Item 11. Executive Compensation.

Other than disclosed herein, none of our officers has received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Commencing on July 19, 2021, we have agreed to pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. Upon the earlier of the completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees. No compensation of any kind, including any finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee or monies in respect of any payment of a loan, will be paid by us to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any affiliate of our sponsor or officers, prior to, or in connection with any services rendered in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, these individuals are reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf, such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee reviews on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination are made using funds held outside the trust account. Other than quarterly audit committee review of such payments, we do not expect to have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors and executive officers for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with identifying and consummating an initial business combination.

After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials furnished to our stockholders in connection with a proposed initial business combination. We have not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to our directors or members of management. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed initial business combination, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our officers will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.

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

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of April [_], 2023 based on information obtained from the persons named below, with respect to the beneficial ownership common stock, by:

In the table below, percentage ownership is based on 5,898,870 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding as of April 11, 2023, consisting of (i) 2,441,063 shares of our Class A common stock and (ii) 3,457,807 shares of our Class B common stock. On all matters to be voted upon, holders of the shares of Class A common stock and shares of Class B common stock vote together as a single class, unless otherwise required by applicable law. Currently, all of the shares of Class B common stock are convertible into Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis.

Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement rights as these rights are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this Report.

Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans

None.

Changes in Control

None.

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

On March 4, 2021, we issued an aggregate of 3,593,750 founder shares to our sponsor (135,942 of which were forfeited by our sponsor because the underwriters’ over-allotment option was not exercised in full) for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares upon completion of our initial public offering (excluding shares included in the private placement units or the shares of Class A common stock issuable to the representative). The founder shares (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise thereof) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder.

On April 8, 2021, our sponsor transferred a membership interest in our sponsor to each of our three officers and our three independent directors, representing an aggregate 75,000 founder shares. The interest of each officer and director relates solely to the number of founder shares laid out in their respective agreements. The transferred shares will vest upon the Company consummating an initial business combination (the “Vesting Date”). If prior to the Vesting Date, any of the grantees ceases to remain in their role, either voluntarily or for a cause, (a “Separation Event”), 100% of the shares granted will be automatically and immediately transferred back to our sponsor upon such Separation Event.

Our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 571,859 private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $5,718,590. The private placement units (including the underlying securities) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by it until after the completion of our initial business combination.

If any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an initial business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity. Our officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.

Commencing July 19, 2021, we have agreed to pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

Prior to the closing of our initial public offering, our sponsor agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of the offering. These loans were non-interest bearing, unsecured and due at the earlier of September 30, 2021 or the closing of our initial public offering. $173,500 had been advanced on June 30, 2021. The loan was to be repaid upon the closing of our initial public offering out of the offering proceeds. As of December 31, 2021, $0 was outstanding under such loan. The value of our sponsor’s interest in this transaction corresponds to the principal amount outstanding under any such loan.

In connection with the First Extension, on July 18, 2022, we issued the First Extension Note to our sponsor in the principal amount of $1,383,123, pursuant to which our sponsor loaned to us $1,383,123 to be deposited into the trust account. The First Extension Note bears no interest and is due and payable upon the earlier to occur of (i) the date on which our initial business combination is consummated and (ii) the liquidation of the Company. At the election of our sponsor, up to $1,383,123 of the unpaid principal amount of the First Extension Note may be converted into units of the Company (the “Conversion Units”). The total Conversion Units so issued shall be equal to: (x) the portion of the principal amount of the First Extension Note being converted divided by (y) the conversion price of ten dollars ($10.00), rounded up to the nearest whole number of units.

In connection with the Second Extension, on October 19, 2022, we issued the Second Extension Note to our sponsor in the principal amount of $1,383,123, pursuant to which our sponsor loaned to us $1,383,123 to be deposited into the trust account. The Second Extension Note bears no interest and is repayable in full upon the earlier of (a) the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, or (b) the date of the liquidation of the Company.

In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete an initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued units to purchase 150,000 units if $1,500,000 of notes were so converted), at the option of the lender. Such units would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such working capital loans by our sponsor or its affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

Other than the foregoing, no compensation of any kind, including any finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee or monies in respect of any payment of a loan, will be paid by us to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any affiliate of our sponsor or officers, prior to, or in connection with any services rendered in order to effectuate, the consummation of an initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, these individuals are reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf, such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee reviews on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates and determines which expenses and the amount of expenses that are to be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.

After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, furnished to our stockholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a stockholder meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.

We have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the private placement units, the securities issuable upon conversion of working capital loans and extension loans (if any) and the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise or conversion or exercise of the foregoing and upon conversion of the founder shares.

Director Independence

Nasdaq listing standards require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship that, in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Our board of directors has determined that Marcos Angelini, Per Bjorkman and Manuel Rocha are “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

The following is a summary of fees paid or to be paid to Marcum for services rendered.

Audit Fees

Audit fees consist of fees for professional services rendered for the audit of our year-end financial statements and services that are normally provided by Marcum in connection with regulatory filings. The aggregate fees of Marcum for professional services rendered for the audit of our annual financial statements, review of the financial information included in our Forms 10-Q for the respective periods and other required filings with the SEC for the years ended December 31, 2022 and for the period from February 25, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021 totaled approximately $115,360 and $31,930, respectively. The aggregate fees of Marcum related to audit services in connection with our initial public offering totaled approximately $49,955. The above amounts include interim procedures and audit fees, as well as attendance at audit committee meetings.

Audit-Related Fees

Audit-related fees consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include attest services that are not required by statute or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and for the period from February 25, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021 we did not pay Marcum any audit-related fees.

Tax Fees

We paid Marcum $8,755 and $0, respectively, for tax services, planning or advice for the years ended December 31, 2022 and for the period from February 25, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021.

All Other Fees

We did not pay Marcum for any other services for the years ended December 31, 2022 and for the period from February 25, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021.

Pre-Approval Policy

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

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules.

All financial statement schedules are omitted because they are not applicable or the amounts are immaterial and not required, or the required information is presented in the financial statements and notes thereto beginning on page F-1 of this Report. 

We hereby file as part of this Report the exhibits listed in the attached Exhibit Index. Exhibits that are incorporated herein by reference can be inspected on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. 

Item 16. Form 10-K Summary.

Not applicable.

CLOVER LEAF CAPITAL CORP.

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of

Clover Leaf Capital Corp.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Clover Leaf Capital Corp. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the related statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ deficit and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022 and for the period from February 25, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022 and for the period from February 25, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Explanatory Paragraph – Going Concern

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company’s ability to execute its business plan is dependent upon the consummation of a business combination and it lacks the financial resources it needs to sustain operations for a reasonable period of time, which is considered to be one year from the issuance date of the financial statements. Further, if the Company does not complete a business combination by July 22, 2023, or obtain approval for an extension of this deadline, it will be required to cease all operations except for the purpose of liquidating. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans with regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Basis for Opinion

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

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

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

/s/ Marcum llp

Marcum llp

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.

New York, NY

April 14, 2023

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

CLOVER LEAF CAPITAL CORP.

BALANCE SHEETS

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

CLOVER LEAF CAPITAL CORP.

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

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

CLOVER LEAF CAPITAL CORP.

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022 AND FOR THE PERIOD FROM FEBRUARY 25, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2021

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

CLOVER LEAF CAPITAL CORP.

STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

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

CLOVER LEAF CAPITAL CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1 — Organization, Business Operation and Going Concern

Clover Leaf Capital Corp. (the “Company”) a blank check company incorporated in the State of Delaware for the purpose of effecting a merger, stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”). The Company may pursue the initial Business Combination target in any industry or geographic location, the Company intends to focus its search for a target business engaged in the cannabis industry.

As of December 31, 2022, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from February 25, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2022 relates to the Company’s formation and the initial public offering (the “IPO”) and search for the business combination target as described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents from the proceeds derived from the IPO and placed in the Trust Account.

The Company’s sponsor is Yntegra Capital Investments, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”).

The registration statement for the Company’s IPO was declared effective on July 19, 2021 (the “Effective Date”). On July 22, 2021, the Company consummated its IPO of 13,831,230 Units (the “Units” and, with respect to the Class A common stock included in the Units being offered, the “public shares”) at $10.00 per Unit, which is discussed in Note 3 (the “Initial Public Offering”), and the sale of 675,593 Units which is discussed in Note 4 (the “Private Placement”), at a price of $10.00 per Unit, in a private placement to the Sponsor and Maxim Group LLC (“Maxim”), the representative of the underwriters, that closed simultaneously with the IPO. On July 22, 2021 the underwriters partially exercised their over-allotment option and purchased 1,331,230 of their full 1,875,000 units available and subsequently forfeited the remainder of their option as of July 28, 2021. The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the IPO and sale of the Private Placement Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination.

Transaction costs amounted to $9,562,126 consisting of $2,766,246 of underwriting commissions, $4,840,931 of deferred underwriting commissions, $1,383,123 of fair value of the representative shares and $571,826 of other cash offering costs.

The Company’s Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net balance in the Trust Account (as defined below) (excluding the amount of deferred underwriting discounts held and taxes payable on the income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the signing an agreement to enter into a Business Combination. However, the Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-Business Combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination.

Following the closing of the IPO on July 22, 2021, $140,386,985 ($10.15 per Unit) from the net proceeds sold in the IPO, including the proceeds of the sale of the Private Placement Units, will be held in a Trust Account (“Trust Account”) and will be invested only in U.S. government securities with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to pay the Company’s franchise and income taxes, if any, the funds held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest to occur of: (1) the completion of an initial Business Combination; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of the public shares if the Company does not complete an initial Business Combination within 12 months from the closing of the IPO (or up to 21 months if the Company extends the period of time to consummate an initial Business Combination) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity; and (3) the redemption of the public shares if the Company has not completed an initial Business Combination within 12 months from the closing of the IPO (or up to 21 months if the Company extends the period of time to consummate an initial Business Combination), subject to applicable law.

The Company will provide its public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of the initial Business Combination either (1) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (2) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek stockholder approval of a proposed Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require it to seek stockholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement. The Company will provide its public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of the initial Business Combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein.